AmaWaterways wine cruises add a unique epicurean dimension to a variety of itineraries at no additional cost. Join one of these wine cruises with a special wine host and be treated to a menu of exclusive wine and culinary experiences designed to delve deeper into the wonderful flavors and tastes of Europe.
European cities transform into majestic winter wonderlands for the holiday season – and we invite you to experience all their splendor with us. In addition to our variety of daily excursions, you will also have the opportunity to visit festive Christmas Markets in select destinations and participate in nostalgic traditions.
Maximize your Christmas experience by embarking at the height of the holiday market season with daily or near-daily visits to Christmas Markets.
Get "just a taste" of the holidays in mid-November or late December with visits to one or two Christmas Markets during your river cruise.
We are pleased to offer guests the opportunity to experience Floriade in 2022 while sailing along the Rhine River and Dutch and Belgian Waterways between April 14 and October 9. Right outside Amsterdam, this rare experience calls for its visitors to “explore, touch and change” as part of their journey into Floriade – which is set to feature stunning gardens, innovative sustainable gardening exhibits, live entertainment, talk shows, souvenirs and food stalls.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Rhône with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Explore the rich history of classical music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2024.
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through four countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
Join Chef Joanne Weir, award-winning cookbook author, restaurant owner and host of PBS television series “Plates & Places” as she hosts a special 7-night Flavors of Burgundy river cruise.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Danube with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2025
Explore the rich history of classical and folkloric music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Countries Visited: Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through five countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
We invite our loyal past guests to join us once again on these special Loyalty Cruises, offering unique experiences in multiple ports, commemorative gifts, and many more surprises and delights.
Imagine if there was a way to combine luxury river cruising on the iconic Danube with the opportunity to indulge your passion and play golf. We have created the perfect package to enable you to do just that with our Exclusive Concierge Golf Program. Discover Europe, complete with award winning cuisine, incredible service and a choice of excursions in every port, as well as up to 5 rounds of golf at some of the leading championship courses on the continent.
AmaWaterways’ Exclusive Concierge Golf Program is available on select Magna on the Danube cruises sailing aboard the AmaMagna.
Hello! "I'm Kristin Karst, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of AmaWaterways and I'm passionate about river cruising. Each month, I love to share with you my thoughts, personal stories, travel tips and latest news on the people and places that help turn every mile of our guests' river cruise experience into one of their most cherished memories!"
Why? Because Pilzen is the proud birthplace of the pale-gold blond lager known as Pilsner beer -- the world’s most popular style brew.
First produced in 1842, Pilsner beer currently inspires more than two-thirds of the beer produced in the world today (called pils, pilsner and pilsener in honor of the city). But it wasn’t always this way. While beer is probably the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage (cheers to that!), dating back to at least 5,000 BC – for centuries, lagers remained much darker. (Hm, after thousands upon thousands of years, perhaps it can be said that it is beer that can age like a fine wine?) Even in the Czech city of Pilzen, a city which had been brewing since 1295 – beers had remained darker and top-fermented.
Taste, standards and prices of local breweries varied and in 1838, 36 barrels of bad beer were emptied out onto the street under concerns that cheaper, imported beers would start replacing those made in the neighborhood if something didn’t change. A year later, city officials agreed to build a new brewery that would begin producing a bottom-fermented beer (a so-called Bavarian beer as this is where it first became popular). Thus, the officials looked to Bavaria and hired Bavarian brewer Josef Groll to create a new beer.
The first batch was brewed on October 5, 1842 – using new techniques to produce the pale malted barley, local hops, soft Pilzen water and specially-chosen lager yeast. It was the world’s first golden lager – fresh, clear and refreshing with a hint of caramel sweetness and a fragrant, balanced hop bitterness. The world of beer (and parties) would never be the same again.
By the 1870s, it was being sold in the United States. Some would argue (probably over a pint), that this particular brew is possibly still the world’s very best. Visit Pilzen and you can have the very authentic pleasure of imbibing in the city that created it.
But, of course, there’s much more to do than simply chug a beer here. Several breweries (like the always popular Pilsner Urquell and Plzeňský Prazdroj) offer tours. Plzeňský Prazdroj even offers a popular non-alcoholic beer called Birell.
Naturally with a history steeped in beer, the city has its own Brewery Museum as well, which tells the story of beer, the brewing industry and Pilzen pubs. From ancient times to today, the museum reveals the secrets of beer making, serving and drinking. Visitors can view a beer brewing laboratory, a Gothic malt house – including a malt house, kiln and rollers – and even the world’s smallest jug (only one centimeter high).
Taste Pilzen’s iconic brew and more during your optional land package in Prague. Czech Republic as part of our Christmas Markets on the Danube, Grand Danube and Legendary Danube itineraries.