Things to do along the Danube

Hungary is surrounded by seven countries, and the Danube flows through six of them. Most vacations start or finish in Budapest, whose ‘Pearl of the Danube’ moniker is cheesy but actually pretty accurate. Buda, the original HQ of the Kingdom of Hungary, partnered up with easterly Pest in the 19th century, creating a city that spans the Danube. Castle Hill and the Buda Hills perch on the west bank; St Stephen’s Cathedral, Dohany Street Synagogue and Hungarian Parliament on the east.

But don’t think you have to hop on a boat to explore the Hungarian slice of the Danube. Ditch the big river cruise ships – it’s getting congested enough on the river these days – and join a self guided or small group tour that uses the Danube Cycle Path or top-notch Hungarian train network. This way, you’re able to explore fragile landscapes and towns in a low-impact – and really, really fun – way. Out here, in the wide underexplored world outside Budapest, you’ll find fewer tourist cruises and more in the way of castle towns, plains and vineyards, fishing villages and bird-packed national parks.

By heading out on a cycling or train tour of a week or more you’ll have plenty of time to dip in and out of castle-tipped towns like Visegrad or the cobbled artist colony of Szentendre. Unknown Szigetkoz, cupped between the Austrian and Slovakian borders, splatters over 500 islands across the countless creeks of Western Transdanubia. Forested hills knock the river south towards Budapest, forming the Danube Bend.

The cities that prop up the Danube are largely unknown outside Hungary. Gyor lays out baroque churches and palaces in the Hungarian lowlands. Esztergom snoozes in the shadow of Hungary’s biggest cathedral; root around the honeycomb crypt or clamber inside the acoustically astounding dome.

Small group tours of the Danube range from two to 16 people – a counterbalance to the mass tourism that sometimes collides with Budapest and Danube Bend in high season. You’ll stay in small B&Bs that really benefit from your presence – and get a side of honest Hungarian hospitality to go with it. That’s usually palinka toasts, filling breakfasts, and – if you’re up for a chat – stories about anything from vineyard recommendations to stories about the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

The Danube is 2,850km long from source to delta, but the best river vacations don’t have an internal flight in sight. That’s down to the railways and cycle paths that put planes to shame. The journey is half the pleasure, breezing past sunflower fields and detouring to vineyard hills, all using existing infrastructure that’s used by everyday Hungarians. Without realising it, you’re investing in public transport that benefits all and produces minimal carbon. What’s not to like?