Legendary Danube -
Christmas Time

The Main-Danube Canal is a 171-kilometre waterway in Bavaria that connects the Main River (and through it the Rhine) to the Danube, creating a navigable route between the North Sea and the Black Sea. Completed in 1992 after decades of construction, it passes through 16 locks that lift and lower the ship across the Continental Divide, reaching a high point of 406 metres above sea level. That makes it the highest point on earth that a commercial vessel can reach from the sea. Watching the ship work its way through the locks is one of the more memorable parts of the journey, and staying on deck for the transit is well worth it.

No visa is required for UK citizens visiting any of the three countries on this itinerary. Germany, Austria and Hungary are all Schengen Area members, and UK citizens can travel without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen zone as a whole. Your passport should be valid for the duration of your trip. From 2025, UK travellers need to register with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) before entering Schengen countries.

Each country on this itinerary brings something worth seeking out. In Nuremberg, the Franconian food tour on day two covers the city’s famous small Bratwurst (a protected regional speciality), red beer and gingerbread. Regensburg has a long beer garden tradition; the Historische Wurstküche beside the Danube, which has been serving Bratwurst since the 12th century, is worth a visit if you have time. Vienna is a coffeehouse city, and sitting in one of the grand old Kaffeehäuser with a Wiener Melange and a slice of Apfelstrudel is as much a part of the experience as any guided tour. In Budapest, the Great Market Hall in Pest is the place to find Hungarian paprika, salami and langos.

Walhalla is a neoclassical memorial above the Danube near Regensburg, commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria and opened in 1842. Designed in the style of the Parthenon, it houses over 130 marble busts and 65 plaques honouring figures from Germanic history, from ancient rulers to scientists, artists and writers, including Beethoven, Einstein and Sophie Scholl. The views over the Danube from the hilltop site are exceptional. The AmaWaterways excursion on day three gets there by bike, which is a flat, scenic ride along the river. If cycling isn’t your preference, a walking tour of Regensburg’s old town is the alternative.

It’s a good one to start with. The one-way format from Nuremberg to Budapest means each day brings a genuinely new destination rather than a round trip that revisits the same stretch of river. The range of excursion options at each port, from gentle walking tours to active hikes and bike rides, means you can pitch the activity level wherever suits you.