Linz Europa Tour 2007-2009 - Tour Stops
Melk
Melk lies in the Austrian province of Lower Austria, bordering the Wachau, an important wine region in the country. Around 5,500 people live in the city.
The most famous sight in the city is the Stift Melk. The monastery has held cultural and spiritual significance for the region for more than a thousand years. The library, museum and impressive frescoes within are of particular note.
Aside from the monastery, there are historic buildings to be seen across the whole area, testifying to the long history of the city.
Regensburg
The Bavarian city of Regensburg lies at the northern most point of the Danube. Two Danuble islands also belong to the city: Oberer and Unterer Wöhrd. The city has around 130,000 inhabitants with principal residence and thus stands behind Munich, Nuremberg and Augsburg as the fourth largest city in the Free State of Bavaria.
With its unique historic buildings Regensburg is the biggest medieval city in Germany. For example the Reichsbrücke from the 12th century is the oldest still functioning bridge across the Danube. Hundreds more buildings in Regensburg are protected, which also led to the old town being made an official UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2006.
The city’s numerous churches and cloisters are particularly well-known. The clerical architecture in the city can be found from the most varied eras, from Romantic to Gothic and baroque.
Passau
Passau is also known as the "City of Three Rivers", as it sits right at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz in the German province of Bavaria. Almost 51,000 people live in the Danube city, around 10,000 of them students. The university in Passau is one of the smallest in Bavaria.
The city is characterised by a Mediterrannean flair, for which it has its Italian architects to thank. Thus the second nickname "The Venice of Bavaria". One will find the most varied architectural styles in Passau, from late Gothic to baroque, making the city particularly appealing.
Osijek
Osijek lies on the right bank of the Drau, around 22km from the mouth of the Danube. Although the area was populated before then, the first official recording of a town settlement comes from the time of the Roman Empire.
The city experienced its prime at the turn of the century. This also constitutes Osijek’s very special attraction and one will find very many captivating Art Nouveau houses. A large fortress from the time of the Turkish siege also contributes to the cityscape.
Nowadays Osijek has around 115,000 inhabitants and is thus the fourth biggest city in Croatia. The region around the city is known for its hunting and fishing opportunities.
Vukovar
Vukovar acquired sad fame during the Croatian War at the beginning of the 90s. Serbian soldiers massacred about 200 people abducted from a hospital. At the site of the bloodbath now stands the Ovcara monument, a reminder of the wartime atrocities.
Although a large part of Vukovar is still destroyed, the heart of the old town is famous and well worth seeing, due above all to its Baroque buildings. The Duke of Eltz’s castle and the renovated Franciscan monastery are the most important buildings in Vukovar.
Vukovar is home to Croatia’s biggest Danube harbour and lies where the Vuka river flows into the Danube.
Orsova
Above the Iron Gate lies the Romanian city of Orsova, with a population of around 20,000. The large dockyard and port facility in particular make the city an important location in Romania.
Parts of the city, including the Danube island of Ada Kaleh, were flooded with the construction of a Danube power station and the increase in the river’s water level. Some areas were simply rebuilt elsewhere and so the city is still well worth visiting.
Vidin
Around 68,000 people live in the town of Vidin. It is situated in the northwest of Bulgaria, near the border with Serbia and Romania.
Two well preserved medieval castles form the centrepiece of Vidin’s old town. One also finds historic Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a mosque in the historic town centre. The Renaissance has also left its architectural mark on Vidin.
The ferry service between Vidin and the Romanian town of Calafat is particularly important. By 2008 construction of a bridge will have been completed, finally connecting the two towns.
Rousse
With a population of 160,000 Rousse is the sixth biggest city in Bulgaria and is an industrial city. Ship construction, mechanical engineering and the processing of agricultural products are among the most important branches of the economy in Rousse. The largest Danube port in the country is also to be found here.
Despite the industrialisation, the city has many buildings from the Baroque and Renaissance periods, which form the cityscape. One of the city’s most famous sons is the Nobel prize winner in literature, Elias Canetti.
Approximately 6km from Rousse one finds the Friendship Bridge, the longest steel bridge in Europe. It connects the city with Giurgiu in Romania and is currently the only connection across the Romanian-Bulgarian section of the Danube.
Silistra
Silistra lies on the Danube, right on the border with Romania. Around 40,000 people live in the picturesque city, known above all for its pelican reserve.
A little outside the city is the 600 hectare protected area of Srebarna. The reserve extends around the lake of the same name and around numerous hillsides on the banks of the Danube. More than 150 different species of waterfowl and waders have found a home in the area, surrounded by reeds, ferns and lilies.
Braila
Braila lies in the Romanian region of Wallachia, right on the Danube. The old town is on the left bank of the Danube, on a flat plateau. In the centre lies Traian Square, around which narrows alleys and old tenements are wound like a labyrinth. Historic Orthodox churches complete the cityscape.
The old heart of the city has for the most part been spared new buildings, though a number of historic buildings are nevertheless in need of renovation. In 2006 the city government received a pledge of financial support from the EU for reconstructing the old city centre. This should contribute to Braila being a tourist attraction in the region.
The city’s electric tramline is also noteworthy. It was built at the end of the 19th century and is still used today.
Galati
With around 300,000 inhabitants Galati is the seventh largest city in Romania and is the capital of the region of the same name.
The Romanian city stands strong under the influence of heavy industry. The largest Romanian ironworks and dockyards are to be found in Galati. A textile factory, mills, sawmills and fishing establishments are also based in the city. At the centre of Galati's history lies the city's port, the most important inland port in Romania. It is the last terminal before the Danube delta.
Galati has also had its own polytechnic institute since 1948, which has held university status since the seventies. Among the attractions Galati has to offer is the St. George Cathedral, built in the 17th century.
Ismail
The Ukrainian city of Ismail lies right at the confluence of the Danube and Kiliya rivers. Around 80,000 people live here.
The chequered history of the region contributes to the fact that the centre of Ismail is very attractive. The city previously belonged to Russia, Turkey and also Romania, which is reflected in its architecture.
With its port on the Danube Ismail was strategically important particularly during World War II. The city’s importance in shipping has remained to this day.
Vilkovo
Vilkovo lies in the centre of the picturesque Ukrainian Danube delta. The city's inhabitants call it "Little Venice" as it is mostly navigated by boat due to its position in the middle of the Danube delta.
Vilkovo is the last Ukrainian settlement before the Danube finally flows into the Black Sea. The settlement was founded relatively late, in 1746, most certainly because of its difficult location.
The soils are not suited for cultivating plants and so people still mostly make their living from fishing. In this unique environment they have the opportunity to catch more than 100 species of fish.
Sulina
The Romanian town of Sulina lies at the Danube delta, where the Sulina branch flows into the Black Sea. Sulina-Arms ins Schwarze Meer. A feature of Sulina is that the town is not part of the Romanian transport network and can thus only be reached by ship. Around 6000 people live in Sulina.
Sulina was an important river and sea port in the Byzantine, Genovese and Turkish eras. The European Danube shipping administration was even based in the Romanian town during the 19th century. Sulina lost some significance as a port in the 20th century, particularly due to the construction of the large Romanian Danube ports, such as that in Galati.
Among the attractions to be found in Sulina are the old lighthouse, ancient villas on the quay and a large cemetery. Since the Romanian town is situated right on the shore of the Black Sea, it commands a beautiful sand beach, reaching for kilometres, which has not yet been taken over by tourists.
Tulcea
Tulcea is a major port city in Romania and home to around 98,000 people. It is the gateway to the Danube delta and accommodates the Romanian navy base here. In terms of the economy, Tulcea is particularly important as an industrial city for shipbuilding and textile factories.
Thanks to its attractive location Tulcea is a popular starting point for tours into the Danube delta, especially for the fishing tourism industry there.
Budapest
As well as being the capital, Budapest is also the biggest city in Hungary and has around 1.7 million inhabitants. Around 17% of the country’s citizens live in Budapest. It first formed as a unified city in 1867, when the previously independent cities of Buda, Pest and Óbud were consolidated.
The Danube meanders through the city like a golden thread. Budapest’s most important sights are to be found along the river. The castle and its surrounding district, the Fisher Bastion, the famous Parliament and historic buildings from all eras line the banks of the Danube.
The majestic Chain Bridge is also noteworthy, Budapest’s first Danube bridge to span the river. Together with 8 other Danube bridges it characterises the face of the city. Another architectural jewel in the city is Europe’s first underground railway, which is still operational today.
Mohacs
The Hungarian town of Mohacs lies on the right bank of the Danube, not far from the Serbian and Croatian borders. Some 20 000 people live in Mohacs.
The many Baroque buildings of the town are especially worth seeing, among them the Bishop’s Palace, which is today home to a school. Mohacs is also known for the Busójárás carnival. With this tradition winter is driven out and Carnival is celebrated. This celebration brings in many tourists each year.
Belgrade
Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, lies exactly at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers in the southeast of the Pannonian Plain. With 1.7 million inhabitants the city forms the political, economic and cultural centre of Serbia.
The city's surroundings are shaped on one side by the Pannonian Plain, with its great corn and maize fields, and on the other by the Sumadija region in the north, with vineyards and orchards. In the south, right along the rivers, lie enormous forests. Numerous wooded areas are also to be found in the city.
The historic landmark of the city is the Kalemegdan fortress, originally built in the Middle Ages. The name of the castle relates to the surrounding plateau, which was transformed into a park in the 19th century. The fortress and its land today accommodate such attractions as a military museum, an art pavilion and the state zoological gardens.
Belgrade was extensively bombed during the Kosovo War. One can still see partial war ruins in Belgrade's cityscape, which are yet to be reconstructed. The city's television tower, a beloved attraction built in the 60s, was also completely destroyed. Throughout its history Belgrade has often been contested due to its strategic position. Consequently generally only a few buildings in the city are more than a hundred years old.
Novi Sad
Around 300,000 people live in the university city of Novi Sad in the north of Serbia, making the city the second biggest in the country after the capital Belgrade. Novi Sad is also the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina.
During the Kosovo War in 1999 Novi Sad stood strong under fire from NATO. All bridges across the Danube as well as a number of buildings were destroyed. For years after the war a pontoon bridge served as the only connection across the river, opening just three times a week for shipping traffic. Only since the construction of the new "Freedom Bridge" in 2005 have ships been able to pass unhindered once more.
The city was founded in 1694 after the territory was conquered by the Hapsburgs under Prince Eugen von Savoyen. The centre of the city was built in the Baroque style. Until 1918 the city belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary, being a part of the Danube monarchy under the name of Neusatz.
The most remarkable object of interest here is certainly the Petrovaradin fortress, one of the biggest defence buildings in Europe, situated on the right hand bank of the Danube. A first fortress stood in the same spot as far back as the time of the Ancient Romans. As the fortress stands today, it was largely constructed in the 18th century.
Bratislava
The area around the modern-day Bratislava has been inhabitated for an unbroken stretch of 4000 years. Today around 450,000 people live in the Slovak capital. Together with the area around the city, that comes to around 600,000 people.
The most significant sight is without a doubt Bratislava’s castle. During its long history it has been used not only as a castle, but also as a seminary and a barracks. At the beginning of the 19th century Bratislava’s landmark burned to the ground and was only rebuilt in the 1950s. The castle now accommodates a number of museums.
