CURRENT AFFAIRS
In Europe, river cruises chart the course for
leisurely voyages to storied destinations. LISA
COSTANTINO surveys the options.
FORGET THE ROSTER OF CITIES AND SIGHTS, the whirlwind itinerary,
the time frittered away waiting in train stations and finding the rental
car's drop-off point. River cruising takes the opposite tack of the
standard European tour, taking close-up snapshots of a small region
rather than distant views of an entire continent.
To cruise a river is to get to know a country, to discover villages and
towns that lie off the well-trodden path and enter rural heartland
demarked more by natural boundaries than current political lines.
Europe's navigable waterways are well-suited for pleasure cruising for
a reason: These were once the main trade routes of harbor towns,
so many houses, churches, and merchant buildings face the water,
ensuring a string of historic sights to be seen from your deck chair.
Other sightings from the sundeck: hilltop castle ruins, steep slopes
terraced with almond orchards, riverside hamlets with half-timbered
houses and cobbled streets, herons and egrets flying low over delta
wetlands. Great cities show their industrious side to the water;
some, like Budapest and Passau, are cleaved by the river into distinct
districts. Guided city tours and overland excursions agreeably
complement the relaxed routine on board.
Medieval Meander
THE RIVER: The Moselle
Germany's Rhineland is a medieval postcard: Castles loom from
hilltops, villages nestle on riverbanks, and vineyards cling to steeply
terraced slopes. This is Germany's romantic side, with its turrets and
keeps, Roman ruins and timbered towns, and the High Gothic spires
of Cologne Cathedral. Within the Moselle Valley - the country's heart
of hearts - lies lofty Cochem Castle, with its fourteenth-century walls.
Ancient Trier shows its Roman roots with imperial baths, an
amphitheater, and the imposing Porta Nigra gate. The medieval
buildings of Bernkastel's Marketplatz look as fresh as their flowery
window boxes. And throughout Rhineland, Weinstuben, snug wine
cellars, offer glasses of golden Moselle wines.
Waltz on the Water
THE RIVER: The Danube
This legendary waterway evokes a sense of old-world grandeur, placid
countryside, and, perhaps, the finer things in life. Europe's second-
largest river, the Danube glides through Germany and Austria, nips
Slovakia, then plunges into Hungary and points southeast. At its core
lies the Wachau Valley, where fortress ruins gaze down from
limestone outcrops and vineyards line the wending river. But it is
history that pervades along this route, in Regensburg's landmark
stone bridge, Passau's Veste Oberhaus at river's edge, Durnstein’s
blue baroque tower, the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Melk's
Benedictine monastery, the thirteenth-century Bratislava Castle, and
Budapest's mosaic of architectural styles.
Historic Ebb and Flow
THE RIVER: The Elbe
While the Czech-born Elbe passes its share of castle crags on its way
to the North Sea, it takes a more varied route than its sister rivers,
one charting momentous turning points in European history. Along
this former boundary between East and West Germany lies
Wittenberg, birthplace of the Protestant Reformation. Landmarks
abound – the houses of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon, and
the Castle Church door, upon which Luther posted his 95 theses.
Also on the Elbe's industrious shores: the World War II-torn city of
Dresden, now a testimonial to urban rebirth; and Meissen, where
Europe's first porcelain factory has been producing hand-molded
ceramics since 1710.
Cradle of the Renaissance
THE RIVER: The Po
As the Po descends precipitously from the Alps en route to the
Adriatic Sea, it flows along a timeline of the Italian Renaissance. Upon
that temporal ribbon lies the legacy of Stradivarius, Amati, and
Guarneri in Cremona, the center of the violin-making universe;
Mantua's fifteenth-century Palazzo Ducale, with Andrea Mantegna
frescoes adorning its Camera degli Sposi; and in Ferrara, the moated
Castello Estense. It's not all palaces and paintings, however – the
lower river valley, reclaimed from marshland in pre-Roman times,
opens up into the fertile plains of Lombardy. At its terminus: the
pastel-colored wetlands of the Po Delta.
Provençal Passage
THE RIVER: The Rhône
A thundering torrent originating from an alpine glacier, the Rhône
slices through Switzerland before becoming navigable about a
hundred miles north of Lyon. Europe's only major river to drain into
the Mediterranean calms to a quiescent watercourse by the time it
reaches the marshy, wildlife-rich Camargue. Roman settlements
originally claimed this land, and remnants of their cities abound amid
Provence's Impressionistic light and landscape. Onshore detours
often take in the Pont du Gard aqueduct, Glanum's triumphal arch
and mausoleum, and the Roman arena in Arles.
Port Authorities
THE RIVER: The Douro
Named "River of Gold" for its autumnal glow, Portugal's third-largest
river, beginning north of Madrid and emptying into the Atlantic near
Porto, could be dubbed "River of Wine." Like the Rhine, its hilly banks
support vast acreages of grapes, but here it's deep-colored port
varieties lining the slopes; casks of the fortified wine once rode the
river down to city merchants. Whitewashed towns steeped in the
wine trade abound – places like Peso da Régua and its fifteenth-
century vintners; São João da Pesqueira, where azulejos murals lining
the Town Hall depict scenes of viticulture; and Entre os Rios, whose
eleventh-century Alpendurada Monastery, now serving sips of wine in
its old mill, precedes the founding of Portugal itself.
Celtic Landscape
THE RIVER: The Shannon
Rippling through Ireland's midlands to drain into a Limerick estuary,
the Shannon is a serene body of water, pausing along its way to
widen into halcyon lakes, diffuse into boggy marshes, slip quietly past
eskers and woodlands, and meander the "callows," wetland meadows
rife with wildflowers and wading birds. Cathedrals (Killaloe's
thirteenth-century Saint Flannan's), monasteries (1,500-year-old
Clonmacnoise), and pre-Christian sites (exactingly reproduced at
Craggaunowen) lie near its banks, melding into a fusion of human-
made and natural divinity. Lough Derg, the Shannon's largest lake,
counts Ireland’s "tidiest" towns on its banks, and islands like Inis
Cealtra, called Holy Island for its numerous tenth-century
ecclesiastical ruins, in its depths.
Country Cousin
RIVER: The Upper Thames
Much of what is quintessential England lies along the Upper Thames:
stately manor homes and sylvan parkland, villages with cozy pubs
clustered dockside, water mills, punts, Oxford’s hallowed halls, and
regal Windsor Castle. The Thames arises in the Cotswolds and makes
its 205-mile way to the North Sea, carrying with it the entire history
of the region, from the ancient trade route of Londinium to today's
revitalized Docklands. The Upper Thames (called the Isis in Oxford
circles), with its backwaters and wooded hills, is country cousin to
its city-slick lower half, which flows boldly past riverbanks lined with
London’s most defining landmarks.
© 2003 Lisa Costantino, as first published in VIRTUOSO LIFE magazine.
leisurely voyages to storied destinations. LISA
COSTANTINO surveys the options.
FORGET THE ROSTER OF CITIES AND SIGHTS, the whirlwind itinerary,
the time frittered away waiting in train stations and finding the rental
car's drop-off point. River cruising takes the opposite tack of the
standard European tour, taking close-up snapshots of a small region
rather than distant views of an entire continent.
To cruise a river is to get to know a country, to discover villages and
towns that lie off the well-trodden path and enter rural heartland
demarked more by natural boundaries than current political lines.
Europe's navigable waterways are well-suited for pleasure cruising for
a reason: These were once the main trade routes of harbor towns,
so many houses, churches, and merchant buildings face the water,
ensuring a string of historic sights to be seen from your deck chair.
Other sightings from the sundeck: hilltop castle ruins, steep slopes
terraced with almond orchards, riverside hamlets with half-timbered
houses and cobbled streets, herons and egrets flying low over delta
wetlands. Great cities show their industrious side to the water;
some, like Budapest and Passau, are cleaved by the river into distinct
districts. Guided city tours and overland excursions agreeably
complement the relaxed routine on board.
Medieval Meander
THE RIVER: The Moselle
Germany's Rhineland is a medieval postcard: Castles loom from
hilltops, villages nestle on riverbanks, and vineyards cling to steeply
terraced slopes. This is Germany's romantic side, with its turrets and
keeps, Roman ruins and timbered towns, and the High Gothic spires
of Cologne Cathedral. Within the Moselle Valley - the country's heart
of hearts - lies lofty Cochem Castle, with its fourteenth-century walls.
Ancient Trier shows its Roman roots with imperial baths, an
amphitheater, and the imposing Porta Nigra gate. The medieval
buildings of Bernkastel's Marketplatz look as fresh as their flowery
window boxes. And throughout Rhineland, Weinstuben, snug wine
cellars, offer glasses of golden Moselle wines.
Waltz on the Water
THE RIVER: The Danube
This legendary waterway evokes a sense of old-world grandeur, placid
countryside, and, perhaps, the finer things in life. Europe's second-
largest river, the Danube glides through Germany and Austria, nips
Slovakia, then plunges into Hungary and points southeast. At its core
lies the Wachau Valley, where fortress ruins gaze down from
limestone outcrops and vineyards line the wending river. But it is
history that pervades along this route, in Regensburg's landmark
stone bridge, Passau's Veste Oberhaus at river's edge, Durnstein’s
blue baroque tower, the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Melk's
Benedictine monastery, the thirteenth-century Bratislava Castle, and
Budapest's mosaic of architectural styles.
Historic Ebb and Flow
THE RIVER: The Elbe
While the Czech-born Elbe passes its share of castle crags on its way
to the North Sea, it takes a more varied route than its sister rivers,
one charting momentous turning points in European history. Along
this former boundary between East and West Germany lies
Wittenberg, birthplace of the Protestant Reformation. Landmarks
abound – the houses of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon, and
the Castle Church door, upon which Luther posted his 95 theses.
Also on the Elbe's industrious shores: the World War II-torn city of
Dresden, now a testimonial to urban rebirth; and Meissen, where
Europe's first porcelain factory has been producing hand-molded
ceramics since 1710.
Cradle of the Renaissance
THE RIVER: The Po
As the Po descends precipitously from the Alps en route to the
Adriatic Sea, it flows along a timeline of the Italian Renaissance. Upon
that temporal ribbon lies the legacy of Stradivarius, Amati, and
Guarneri in Cremona, the center of the violin-making universe;
Mantua's fifteenth-century Palazzo Ducale, with Andrea Mantegna
frescoes adorning its Camera degli Sposi; and in Ferrara, the moated
Castello Estense. It's not all palaces and paintings, however – the
lower river valley, reclaimed from marshland in pre-Roman times,
opens up into the fertile plains of Lombardy. At its terminus: the
pastel-colored wetlands of the Po Delta.
Provençal Passage
THE RIVER: The Rhône
A thundering torrent originating from an alpine glacier, the Rhône
slices through Switzerland before becoming navigable about a
hundred miles north of Lyon. Europe's only major river to drain into
the Mediterranean calms to a quiescent watercourse by the time it
reaches the marshy, wildlife-rich Camargue. Roman settlements
originally claimed this land, and remnants of their cities abound amid
Provence's Impressionistic light and landscape. Onshore detours
often take in the Pont du Gard aqueduct, Glanum's triumphal arch
and mausoleum, and the Roman arena in Arles.
Port Authorities
THE RIVER: The Douro
Named "River of Gold" for its autumnal glow, Portugal's third-largest
river, beginning north of Madrid and emptying into the Atlantic near
Porto, could be dubbed "River of Wine." Like the Rhine, its hilly banks
support vast acreages of grapes, but here it's deep-colored port
varieties lining the slopes; casks of the fortified wine once rode the
river down to city merchants. Whitewashed towns steeped in the
wine trade abound – places like Peso da Régua and its fifteenth-
century vintners; São João da Pesqueira, where azulejos murals lining
the Town Hall depict scenes of viticulture; and Entre os Rios, whose
eleventh-century Alpendurada Monastery, now serving sips of wine in
its old mill, precedes the founding of Portugal itself.
Celtic Landscape
THE RIVER: The Shannon
Rippling through Ireland's midlands to drain into a Limerick estuary,
the Shannon is a serene body of water, pausing along its way to
widen into halcyon lakes, diffuse into boggy marshes, slip quietly past
eskers and woodlands, and meander the "callows," wetland meadows
rife with wildflowers and wading birds. Cathedrals (Killaloe's
thirteenth-century Saint Flannan's), monasteries (1,500-year-old
Clonmacnoise), and pre-Christian sites (exactingly reproduced at
Craggaunowen) lie near its banks, melding into a fusion of human-
made and natural divinity. Lough Derg, the Shannon's largest lake,
counts Ireland’s "tidiest" towns on its banks, and islands like Inis
Cealtra, called Holy Island for its numerous tenth-century
ecclesiastical ruins, in its depths.
Country Cousin
RIVER: The Upper Thames
Much of what is quintessential England lies along the Upper Thames:
stately manor homes and sylvan parkland, villages with cozy pubs
clustered dockside, water mills, punts, Oxford’s hallowed halls, and
regal Windsor Castle. The Thames arises in the Cotswolds and makes
its 205-mile way to the North Sea, carrying with it the entire history
of the region, from the ancient trade route of Londinium to today's
revitalized Docklands. The Upper Thames (called the Isis in Oxford
circles), with its backwaters and wooded hills, is country cousin to
its city-slick lower half, which flows boldly past riverbanks lined with
London’s most defining landmarks.
© 2003 Lisa Costantino, as first published in VIRTUOSO LIFE magazine.
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