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Delicacies on the Danube River

A foodie shares why our Danube River cruises are a must for discerning palates.

Food and wine writer and enthusiast Hana-Lee S. enjoys experiencing the world through her taste buds. Choosing a Danube River cruise aboard AmaMagna not only gave her the chance to savor unique cuisines in four countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany) but also to dine in four distinctive restaurants on board the ship. Focusing on AmaWaterways’ culinary-themed excursions and seeking out dining hotspots in her free time, Hana-Lee shares her top recommendations for foodies:

Hana-Lee’s Recommended Highlights on the Danube

Vilshofen, Germany: The Oktoberfest celebration was a fun way to kick things off and get to know people on the ship. You can’t go wrong with beer and pretzels!

Dürnstein, Austria: We did AmaWaterways' "Apricots and Sweets Tasting" Special Interest Tour. Dürnstein was so charming. The apricots were incredible and the jams and liqueur they made had the most delicious and flavorful apricot taste.

Top Eats

Vienna, Austria: We went to the famous Hotel Sacher for Sacher-Torte and tea, which I’d highly recommend. Bratislava, Slovakia: The Konditorei Kormuth bakery that we stopped into had an antique setting that was neat, plus the most incredible layer cakes made in-house daily.

Budapest, Hungary: At the Great Market Hall, we tried a flat bread called langos with meat and cheese piled a mile high and it was really tasty. Our awesome Cruise Manager Reka also recommended we go to the "Ruin Bar" — aka Szimpla Kert — which is an indoor/outdoor bar with different rooms and levels. There are stickers and writing all over the walls and even bathtubs you can sit in with a drink. It was unique and fun, and something we probably wouldn’t have found without her insight.

AmaMagna Restaurant Raves

The Al Fresco Restaurant: We had a great dinner at the Al Fresco Restaurant — it was one of our favorite meals. Two things that stood out were the fig salad with pistachios and pesto and a simple tomato tart that was very flavorful.

Jimmy’s: We also really enjoyed our dinner here. I liked how cozy it felt in there with fun wines, family-style dining and a slightly more casual vibe.

The Chef’s Table: We loved how the chef came around to each table and talked to us and answered questions.

The Main Restaurant: It was nice to be able to order a fresh omelet every morning or experience different flavors at the lunch buffet, which featured a locally-inspired dish each day.

Wine Selection: The sommeliers changed the wine options every day, depending on where we were, and they always had a local red and white to taste, which was great. Often, these were wines that are not imported to the U.S., so we enjoyed being able to try wines not easily accessible to us. I noticed that some people were a little hesitant to try the obscure varieties, but once they did, they realized they really liked them and sought out places to taste more. I loved seeing other guests get excited about a new wine.

Hana-Lee’s Final Impressions

Would you recommend this river cruise to other food and wine enthusiasts?

Absolutely. It goes through one of the major wine regions in the world — the Wachau Valley in Austria. If you’re interested in this wine region, there’s no better vantage point than being on the river to see the vineyards cascading above these tiny towns. It’s absolutely stunning. Local food and wine — it’s like a playground for a foodie or oenophile!

Experience the same dining hotspots and excursions as Hana-Lee on our Romantic Danube, Melodies of the Danube or Magna on the Danube river cruises and try AmaMagna’s four restaurants for yourself on our Magna on the Danube , Gems of Southeast Europe or Christmas Markets on the Danube sailings.

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