A river runs through it

There are few better ways of learning about the flow of European history over the centuries than from the comfort of an elegant river cruising ship like the Avalon Tapestry. Cabins are air-conditioned, the views from large portholes are stunning in the heart of major cities, and the fine food never stops landing on the table in front of you.

To drift lazily down the 1,700-mile Danube is to connect with a tide of European history both highly cultured and fearsomely bloody – from the Romans to Richard the Lionheart, from the Hapsburgs to Hitler.

It was in Budapest that we boarded for a voyage which would take us through five countries to a final stop in Nuremberg.

Budapest was always one of the more progressive Soviet Bloc cities and has flourished in the last 20 years.

For nearly 60 miles the river forms the divide between Hungary and Slovakia, and the first big town we passed was Bratislava on the Slovak side.

Our enthusiastic guide Hans was keen to stress that Bratislava had really pushed on after the collapse of the Iron Curtain. Foreign investors had moved in and the town was thriving. Wages, though, remained low for most workers.

The first disembarkation point was Vienna, a cultural delight. We were whisked to a concert in the city by the Salon Orchestra, in the Kursalon Wien, built in the Italian renaissance style in the 19th century.

A 13-piece orchestra backed by singers and dancers took us through some of the familiar sounds of city – including Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and – inevitably – Johann Strauss’s Blue Danube.

Strauss, the “Waltz King”, conducted promenade concerts at the Kursalon at the height of his fame in the second half of the 19th century.

We were frequently told that at no point is the Danube ever blue. Nevertheless, there was something rather special about listening to Strauss’s music while actually in Vienna and on the Danube.

The highlight of the Vienna trip was the night coach drive after the concert. Hans was practically beside himself as he reeled off the names of one glorious floodlit building after another.

It was a contrast to the Vienna we had glimpsed in The Third Man, the famous film shot in 1949 which we saw again on our boat – a movie in which the stars Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton had looked out on a bomb-ravaged Vienna from the vantage point of the city’s Riesenrad Ferris Wheel.

Next day brought a tour of the Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna. Completed in 1749 under the Empress Maria Theresa, this is a regular treasure trove of a palace.

Maria Theresa is Austria’s answer to England’s Elizabeth I and Russia’s Catherine the Great – a long-lived, beloved female monarch who presided over great times in her country.

The Schoenbrunn was spectacular, with some mighty impressive gardens. We were also treated to a demonstration of apple strudel making.

The only disappointment in Vienna was the weather which was wet and cold. But the next morning we woke on the boat to clear skies at a spot close to the old town of Duernstein, where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned and ransomed in the 1190s.

Beyond Duernstein we entered the most spectacular part of the Danube – the Wachau Valley. Vineyards and green hillsides towered over the river. We passed ruined castles and picturesque towns.

We stopped at the town of Melk for a visit around the abbey which was perched imposingly high above the river.

Next day, the coach left early for a tour to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. On the way we passed through a particularly green and Alpine-like area of Austria before entering the Bohemian section of the Czech Republic.

Before Krumlov, we stopped at Budweis, famous for its Budweiser beer. Lawyers have licked their lips for decades over Budweiser, with countless lawsuits over the distinction between the Czech beer and the American namesake.

Krumlov was a real eye-opener. Buildings, including a grand castle, seem to grow out of the living rock as they loom over the Vltava river.

Spared the fearful bombing raids in the Second World War, the town has a terrific old-fashioned feel to it, although anyone visiting must be prepared for hordes of tourists.

It was in Krumlov that we heard the harrowing tale of the Germans who were kicked out of this region after the Second World War. In many cases their homes were demolished and old and young had to take to the road in terrible weather. Many died.

Back on the boat the next stop was the lovely medieval town of Regensberg in Germany, which boasts no fewer than 1,300 listed buildings of historic interest.

The town was home at one time to Oskar Schindler, whose wartime heroism in saving Jews from persecution was celebrated in the epic film Schindler’s List.

Close to Regensberg is a building above the river that looks more Greek than German. This is Valhalla, built in the 19th century and modelled on the Parthenon. It contains busts and plaques of those who have made great contributions to German history and culture.

Then came a trip down the Danube Gorge – overlooked by jutting cliffs of limestone. We passed a rotunda dedicated to those who had fallen in the Napoleonic Wars, and later we toured the Weltenburg Abbey – yet another magnificent church building. Last stop was Nuremberg, notorious for the Nazi rallies and post-war trials Nuremberg readily embraces its recent past with a “Fascination and Terror” exhibition detailing the rise of the Nazis.

Visitors see the spot where most of the Nazi rallies and parades took place and learn about the trials of 1945/46 which led to countless convictions and executions.

GETTING THERE...

* Peter Woodman was a guest of Saga Holidays which offers nine-night Prague and The Danube voyages from £1,504 this summer, including two nights’ B&B at the 5-star Corinthia Hotel in Prague with dinner on the first night, travel insurance, full board on cruise with wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, return flights and transfers.

* A 22-night Voyage Across the Continent package starts at £3,074, with various departures during 2012, and the 14-night Across Europe voyage leads in at £1,974 per person.

* Saga’s Price Promise ensures a refund if the price of a holiday is reduced after it is booked. Saga reservations: 0800 056 5880 and www.sagaholidays.co.uk