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Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Could a river cruise really make the ultimate girls' holiday?
The Grottenbahn — aka the 'Dragon Express' grotto railway — in Linz, seemed the type of old-school analogue fun you only really encounter in certain corners of the world these days. Inside an old fort tower at the top of the 1,768-ft Pöstlingberg mountain to the west of the Austrian city, the train's front was shaped like a huge dragon's head with wings. There was nothing 'express' about it though. Three slow laps of a circular track built into a man-made cave in Edwardian times, it chuffed out dry ice and tooted into the tunnel. Meanwhile, to the sides, a dozen tiny dioramas depicted frankly nightmarish scenes of grotesque dwarfs, giant grasshoppers and weird mushrooms inspired by Grimms' fairytales. The surreal attraction is really designed for the under-10s. Which is why two middle-aged women laughing hysterically on board — conspicuously not accompanied by any children — really stuck out like a sore Tom Thumb on a Monday in March. My pal Mill and I have been friends since we studied music together at university and lived in a flatshare for several years in our twenties — an experience neither of us could have predicted would come in handy for sharing a cabin on a river cruise ship a quarter of a century later. We'd been intending to take a trip for years, having seen each other grow across the decades via two marriages (me) and two sons (Mill). A seven-night Danube Waltz route through central Europe on the 190-passenger Viking Egil was spot-on, taking in places we'd studied during our degree: Bruckner's Linz, Schönberg's Vienna, Liszt's Budapest. A cultural holiday through four countries sliding from genteel city to city but with enough home comforts to satisfy two always-on-the-brink-of-burnout fortysomethings. The toy railway set the tone early doors. Neither of us will regret skipping Linz's fancy Ars Electronica Center in favour of howling until even our calves hurt on a novelty train. Our cruise had started two days before in the Bavarian city of Passau — the first of six on the river route — reached by flying to Munich and transferring 90 minutes by road. Even though the city was nicknamed the Venice of Bavaria, my expectations for it weren't high compared with those for other big hitters on the route, including Krems an der Donau, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. The day was grey and misty, with sombre bells pealing on Sunday morning from the city's 53 churches, as we stepped out in our group of 15 or so, for the first of the daily walking tours included in the fare. Our guide Ugar Yolci — who studied law at the University of Passau and was well versed in the city's Napoleonic and gothic history — ricocheted us around the key sights with a sense of humour. We learnt about the colour coding of shop fronts from a time when few could read: pharmacies are green, bakeries pink and breweries yellow. We wandered down a narrow lane, Höllgasse, just off the Danube to see visible tide marks on the medieval buildings from floods that subsumed the city in 2013. After the floods, many moved out of the city to the countryside. 'The city centre is very affordable. You can get a flat for £780 a month and there's a young and ambitious population here,' Yolci explained. 'But what I love about living in Passau is how safe it is. Last summer I left my bike unlocked for days outside the train station and nobody stole it. It was old, I was hoping somebody would.' On board Egil we easily got into a groove. We were up for breakfast at 7ish — part buffet with some à la carte options — and off the boat for a morning walking tour. Back for most lunches then afternoons exploring, or reading and lazing on the yacht-style Aquavit terrace at the stern. Our smart cabin on deck three also had a lounge area, big sliding doors facing the balcony and enough drawers and hangers for the incalculable volumes of Zara frocks we'd brought with us. The bathroom's underfloor heating was a welcome upgrade on our student days. • Discover our full guide to cruise holidays In the airy restaurant, with communal tables of between six and eight, we could sit where and with whom we liked. The other passengers were mostly couples and mostly Americans, with a few Brits and Canadians in the mix and dinners made for lively conversation between Republicans and Democrats. We rotated around retired folk who worked in finance in Chicago, farmers from Wyoming and a multigen family from Illinois. Meals like burgers and grilled salmon were always on the menu but, each evening, different local specialities peppered the selection according to the destination. There were marillenknodel (apricot dumplings) in Austria and halusky (savoury dumplings) in Slovakia. It all appeared like a really good neighbourhood bistro with regionally sourced ingredients and delicate presentations. Evening entertainment was high quality too. At Linz a professional violin and piano duo from the Anton Bruckner Private University performed a set of Mozart and Elgar classics, while in Bratislava, local opera singers and musicians belted out Puccini to Bizet arias. I barely felt the ship moving — at under ten years old it should be a smooth ride — but that's important when you're on a river that can twist and meander, especially through the Wachau valley. The most beautiful stretch was before Krems an der Donau, with sights like the baby-blue tower of Dürnstein Abbey unspooling on a perfectly sunny morning. At Krems our first stop was Göttweig Abbey, a ten-minute coach ride south, dating from the 18th century after a fire destroyed the medieval original. We toured the magnificent baroque building with its frescoes designed to trick the eye. As this is a working monastery, we were graciously ushered from the ornate chapel at midday for prayers, leaving plenty of time to buy wines produced by the monks in the gift shop. • More great Danube cruises Which got us in the mood for that afternoon's excursion to the winemaker Mörwald's (from £90pp). Erhard Mörwald and the winery's dirndl-donning guide Trinka Stumpfer were as sparky as their wines on board our ship: Mörwald and his family supply 100,000 bottles a year to Viking. They took eight of us on a tour around the vaulted brick cellars that Erhard built by hand. Billed as a wine tasting, it felt more like an all-dayer thanks to stealth pourings of grüner veltliner and schnapps. I left with yet another bottle of the region's zweigelt in my rucksack. One of the misunderstandings levelled at cruises is that you can't get under the skin of a place in a day, but I've never found that to be true. While I've lost count of how many times I've visited Vienna on city breaks, I'd never cruised to the Austrian capital and this trip was an opportunity to see a part of town that was new to me, accompanied by a local expert. After docking at Handelskai, in the 20th district, we joined a private ebiking tour with Lucia Zakova, who guided us out beyond the city's boundaries and into the countryside of Lower Austria (£147pp). 'It's too early in the season to go to Donauinsel on the new Danube,' explains Zakova, about what is one of the city's nudist river beaches, 'so we'll take a different route.' We chugged out to Klosterneuburg, a monastery on the edge of the Vienna Woods, for a glorious three-hour round trip with the winsome moss-green Danube always to our side. The brand new bikes, more powerful on Vienna's hills than my car, made it easy. A two-night stop in Budapest marked the end of the trip. This was the appeal of Viking's west-to-east Danube route, as it finished in a city new to us both. One benefit of staying on a river ship was not having to choose between hilly Buda or flatter Pest because Egil docked slap between the two, underneath the Szechenyi chain bridge. On the first morning we joined the group tour, for a whizz around the city via coach to the gold-frescoed joy of Matthias Church. Then Mill and I made our own musical pilgrimage, walking from the dock through the city centre, past the synagogue, to the Franz Liszt Memorial Museum, dedicated to the 19th-century composer famed for his solo piano works. The tiny, two-room museum is in Liszt's old flat where he lived in the 1880s, on the first floor of Budapest's former academy of music. Despite being a committed Roman Catholic, Franz was an absolute hound who never married, instead having two long-term romances. His daughter Cosima went on to marry Richard Wagner. • The best river cruises for solo travellers Liszt's collection of grand pianos, housed in a small space, is impressive and includes a fine walnut 'composing desk' — a table with a nifty pull-out three octave piano tucked inside — built for him by his friend Ludwig Bösendorfer, a sort of 19th-century Elon Musk. Even if romantic piano works aren't your bag, the elegant original bookcases from Liszt's time and Thonet chairs are worth a detour (£8; Our final morning, a Saturday, brought torrential rain. From the window of our cabin we could see the tempting Gellert Thermal Baths and we made a run for it, drenched before we've even got in the 36C pool. Inside, the baths were more beautiful than myriad Instagram posts could ever render, with church-like vaulted ceilings, stained glass and original colourful tiles as we flitted about from pools to saunas and steam rooms. We'd both booked Aroma massages as a treat. It was the opposite of relaxing. We spent about 20 minutes being slapped about by a Hungarian woman in a room that looks like a dental surgery but it did push out lingering knots (massage £23, entrance £23; • Best Rhine river cruises While this trip served up lots of intellectually serious moments (classical music performances, Jewish history and quirky museums) it also brought what we both needed so badly: a lot of impromptu laughs at some of central Europe's most joyously unexpected experiences. Laura Jackson was a guest of Viking, which has seven nights' full board from £1,695pp on a Danube Waltz itinerary, including flights, departing on November 22, 2026 (
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
VIENNA CELEBRATES AT BRYANT PARK AS THE BLUE DANUBE WALTZ IS SENT INTO SPACE
VIENNA, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vienna Tourist Board is hosting a unique free event in New York's Bryant Park on May 31 to celebrate a historic transmission into deep space. In partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Wiener Symphoniker (Vienna Symphony Orchestra), Vienna will launch Johann Strauss II's "The Blue Danube" waltz towards NASA's Voyager 1. This interstellar broadcast is part of a larger celebration marking the 200th anniversary of Strauss's birth and rectifies its omission from the original Voyager Golden Records. Norbert Kettner, Director of the Vienna Tourist Board, said: "Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey made the 'Danube Waltz' the anthem of space – the omission of the most famous of all waltzes from the 1977 Voyager Golden Record is a cosmic mistake that we are correcting." The event is the culmination of Vienna's "Waltz Space" campaign, which invited fans to symbolically send a note of the song into space, with 13,743 note sponsors. The campaign aims not just to commemorate Strauss's birth, but to reinforce Vienna's status as the music capital of the world, positioning it as a destination full of rich musical experiences. The free event will take place in Manhattan's Bryant Park from 1:00 to 5:00 PM: 1:00 PM: Pre-show festivities with DJ Kyra Caruso, waltz lessons by Aga Bohun, and opportunities to claim a "SpaceNote"—a unique note from "The Blue Danube"—for a chance to win a trip to Vienna. 2:30 PM: Live broadcast of the "Waltz into Space" concert from Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), featuring works by Dvořák, Ligeti, Mozart, Josef Strauss, and Ives. 3:30 PM: Real-time transmission of "The Blue Danube" into deep space via ESA's Deep Space Antenna in Cebreros, Spain. 3:45 PM: Post-event wind-down with music and refreshments. The event is free and open to the public. Representatives from the Vienna Tourist Board will be available for interviews. For press photos, visit this Dropbox-Page. For more information on the "Waltz into Space" campaign, Vienna Tourist Board Newsroom or For the event's website visit SOURCE Vienna Tourist Board Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Best river cruises this summer from bargain luxury to women's only sailings
Laced with scenic waterways, Europe is a joy to discover by water, especially during the summer months when the banks are lined with outdoor attractions and festivals. Calmer than a traditional ocean cruise, navigating rivers is ideal for anyone wanting to travel at a slower pace with multiple opportunities to jump off and explore with the convenience of usually mooring close to the town or city centre. Across the continent, events are taking place to commemorate iconic figures and celebrate the birth of major cities. These are some of the highlights to try as the weather warms up on the sun deck... South of France Whether it's the appeal of a girls trip in an female-friendly environment, or the opportunity to meet like-minded people, all-women holidays are on the rise. On August 24, Uniworld launches its first women-only cruise onboard the SS Catherine, sailing along the Rhone and the Saone rivers on a special edition of its Burgundy and Provence voyage from Arles to Lyon. A special programme of activities and entertainment will include a performance by US comedian Rachel Dratch, best known for her stint on Saturday Night Live, a chocolate and wine-pairing event, burlesque sessions and a luxurious pyjama party. Hop off in Lyon for a candlelight concert, visit the International Shoe Museum in Romans-sur-Isere, and take part in truffle hunting. Book it: A seven-night full-board cruise costs from £3,889pp sharing, including UK flights, transfers and a full programme of activities. Departs August 24. themed-cruises/women Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia Along with its connections to one of Europe's most beautiful waterways, Vienna has links to many of the world's greatest classical composers. This year, Austria's capital celebrates the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II, known as the waltz king. To tie in with celebrations, Viking is offering a special itinerary along the Danube, including an evening performance of the Strauss Capelle at the Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna with conductor and violinist Alma Deutscher – once hailed as a 'new Mozart'. Sail onward and relax at a Budapestthermal bath and explore lesser-known Central European cities such as Bratislava and Passau. Book it: A seven-night Danube Waltz cruise on a Viking Longship costs from £2,795pp, including UK flights and some activities. Various departure dates. Northern Europe Promising to go where others don't, CroisiEurope's MS R.E. Waydelich L.J. paddlewheel ship will operate a new itinerary this summer. Along with being more environmentally friendly than other vessels, the ship has a shallower draft, enabling river navigations, even when water levels are low. Jump on board for a voyage along four of Europe's most popular rivers – the Rhine, Neckar, Moselle and Saar – which flow primarily through Germany. Spend an evening wandering around the medieval heart of French city Strasbourg, sample fine wines at prime vineyards and gaze at views along the scenic Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO world heritage site. Book it: A seven-night full-board cruise starts from £1,867pp, including some activities. UK flights extra. Various departure dates. Venice, Italy At the height of summer, a top-end hotel in Venice can cost around £500 per guest a night just for a room. A cheaper way to see La Serenissima in style is to sail through on a small ship cruise. While bigger ships have been banned, Uniworld's 126-passenger La Venezia can navigate the Grand Canal in a vessel elegantly designed to match the destination, for less than £300 per night full-board. Beat the peak season crowds with a private VIP visit to St Mark's Basilica after-dark and join a tour of the Doge's Palace first thing in the morning before it opens to the public. You can get a selection of the most interesting, important and fun travel stories sent to your inbox every week by subscribing to the Mirror Travel newsletter. It's completely free and takes minutes to do. Uniworld is also the only cruise company to have an overnight docking spot at colourful island Burano. And as a further commitment to protecting the fragile Venetian lagoon ecosystem, proceeds from the itinerary go towards supporting a partnership with Venice's Barena Association. Book it: A seven-night cruise costs from £1,998pp, including UK flights and a full programme of activities and excursions. Various departure dates.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Space Waltz: ESA to put Strauss among the stars on his 200th birthday
What better way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of a world-renowned composer than to ensure his music has a truly universal audience. Johann Strauss II was born in 1825 and two centuries later he is the result of a groundbreaking decision to correct what the Vienna Tourist Board and the European Space Agency (ESA) are calling an historic mistake in the transmission of Earthly culture. In 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 probes were sent into space with 27 pieces of music, referred to as the 'Golden Records'. They were records designed to showcase mankind's greatest achievements. But The Danube Waltz, despite its seminal appearance in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey which was made a decade before the launch the Voyager probes, was not included – something many Austrians and classical music fans alike feel is wholly unjust. A NASA committee selected 115 images from Earth to be encoded into the golden record attached to both probes, plus a collection of sounds from nature, then a catalogue of music was added from different cultures and eras including Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. But there was no room for Herr Strauss. "The absence of the most famous of all waltzes from the 1977 Voyager Golden Record is a cosmic mistake that we are correcting with 'Waltz into Space'," says Norbert Kettner, Director of the Vienna Tourist Board. "At a distance of more than 25 billion kilometers from Earth, Voyager 1 is the most distant man-made object in space. As part of our mission with the European Space Agency, we are sending 'By the Beautiful Blue Danube' in the direction of the space probe that is already traveling through interstellar space." The European Space Agency is making this possible while marking their own special anniversary. 'In 2025 we have a wonderful double anniversary," writes ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher in a statement released today. "The 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Strauss II and the 50th anniversary of the ESA. I am delighted that we can celebrate both by broadcasting a live performance of the Danube Waltz into space from our Cebreros ground station." At a press conference held on Monday morning at a 70s-themed meeting space at Vienna's Hoxton hotel, Norbert Kettner sat alongside Mehran Sarkarati from the European Space Agency, and Vienna Symphony Orchestra chief Jan Nast to outline that an hour-long "interstellar concert" by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra will take place on May 31, 2025 at 20:30 CET at the MAK Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna. Conducted by Petr Popelka, the orchestra will perform a selection of galactic-themed works culminating in the Danube Waltz, which will be transmitted in real time to the European Space Agency's (ESA) Deep Space Antenna DSA 2 in Cebreros, Spain. From there, the waltz will be transmitted into the universe as an electromagnetic wave at the speed of light in the direction of Voyager 1. 23 hours later, the signal will catch up with NASA's space probe, which has been traveling since 1977 to convey earthly masterpieces to what planetary scientist Carl Sagan called "advanced spacefaring civilizations in interstellar space." According to the mission's press release on Monday, ESA Deep Space Antenna DSA 2 "is primarily used for deep space missions, in other words for communicating with objects in orbits more than two million kilometres away from Earth. In order to transmit the Danube Waltz, the signal will be sent into space as an electromagnetic wave at the speed of light (299,792,458 m/s – the fastest speed possible in our universe). It will reach the orbit of the Moon after approximately 1.34 seconds, the orbit of Mars after 4 minutes and 20 seconds, the orbit of Jupiter after 37 minutes, the orbit of Neptune after 4 hours and the limits of our solar system, called the heliopause, after 17 hours. The signal will then leave our solar system. After 23 hours and 3 minutes, it will catch up with Voyager 1 and venture even deeper into interstellar space. Strauss' waltz will then travel through space forever." The historic concert will also be streamed live. "We want to allow as many people as possible to experience this absolutely unique event live," said Kettner at the press conference. "In Vienna, there will be a public screening at the Danube Canal for the local community, in New York at Bryant Park, and in Spain right next to the antenna." "This broadcast will be a special moment," writes ESA's Aschbacher, "that will show that music – just like space – connects all of humanity.' The mission can also be followed via a global livestream on and the Vienna Tourist Board's Instagram channel. Music lovers can find their own place amongst the stars by sponsoring one of the 13,743 notes from Strauss' masterpiece through the 'Space Notes' initiative on the mission's website. It's free to participate and all supporters' names will symbolically accompany the work into space. One of the first ambassadors is Brian W. Cook, who was an assistant director to Stanley Kubrick on three pictures. And it's certainly the Kubrick connection that cemented the most famous Waltz as a true space anthem. NASA gave the piece another airing when the space shuttle 'Discovery' docked at the International Space Station (ISS) in the most Kubrick year possible, 2001.
