Danube river cruise excursions give tourists from all over the world the chance to see once again the varied landscape of Central and Eastern European countries, from the crucially important cultural center of Vienna to the non-urban plains of Romania and Bulgaria before the Danube meets the sea. We say once again because the route to sea was closed off to tourists for many years due to the communist system, slowly destroying the potential tourist of the opportunity to see this part of the world and bring much needed business to ailing financial systems. Now, the Danube is open up for business again, and also offers a great opportunity to be taken again.
Of course, a sizable and very important part of the Danube has been constantly open to tourist visitors, and for the purposes of a river cruise Danube traffic has still been able to reach Austria. This historic nation, and its capital Vienna, have given tourists more than enough reason to visit the area even in the days before the communist wall came down. During the peak time of Western classical music, this was the city in which Mozart and Haydn each pushed each other on to greater creative endeavors, giving the world a cultural heritage which has still to be equaled.
Later, the Strauss empire was to bring the attention of the musical world to Vienna with a style which was far lighter than that which had gone before. The waltzes and polkas which this family produced have remained at the forefront of musical performance in the city ever since and every year on New Year's day the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra performs a program of Strauss to a television audience of over the billion people. One of the most well-known of all Strauss waltzes was a tribute to the Danube river itself.
A Danube water cruise can be far more fully enjoyed now than it was in the times when the delights of Vienna were really the only accessible parts of the actual river's environs. A trip to Vienna and a stop over there is still an essential part of a trip to this part of the world, however it can be contrasted with the non-urban landscape of countries that have been left retarded in their development through the brutality and oppression of the communist routine.
Not all of the landscape of the former communist wasteland is rural, as ancient Belgrade has streets which retain the character of the bygone age. This is one area where a stop off would be exceptionally welcome, as the chance to explore Belgrade can give you as many opportunities for taking photographs and obtaining interesting tourist artifacts like no other city on Earth. When you get past Belgrade, the scenery does become far more rural and even mountainous. This is the unspoilt natural part of the journey which forms such a dramatic contrast with city Vienna.
It is important to be careful when you are booking a Danube river cruise, because the route is nowhere close to well established as many other water passages in Europe. It has been made easier by new companies delving into the market and trying to exploit the demand without truly having much to offer. Set up tour operators who were working in other parts of European countries have also been drawn to the Danube, which was sure to be in high demand following the taking down of the communist wall and these signify a far safer bet for your money. There are now enough skilled operators to find using Web reviews, so you should have no problem finding a high quality Danube river cruise.