3 Popular Countries with Hidden Gems
Traveling on the Danube River you will discover hidden gems you may not have heard of in these frequently traveled countries.
Germany
Nuremberg is the home of the Imperial Castle, the famous town wall, and the legendary fountain of the Market Square. For history buffs, take a guided tour of the city’s most significant WWII sites, including the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds, and the Nuremberg Trials Memoriam and Courtroom 600 (if the courtroom is not in session). Make sure you try traditional Franconian specialties including Nuremburger bratwurst, rotbier (red beer) and lebkuchen (gingerbread).
Regensburg, one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval cities contains many architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria. Here you will want to try the old Bavarian specialties, beer, sausage, and pretzels.
Lower Bavaria’s city of Passau has charming cobblestone streets and NeoGothic and Italian Baroque architecture as well as St. Stephen’s Cathedral. If you’re looking to work in a little work out take a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus Fortress.
Austria
Continuing down the Danube, stop at the scenic town of Melk, which is celebrated for its
magnificent Benedictine Abbey. The abbey contains the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau and the remains of several members of the House of Babenberg, Austria's first ruling dynasty. Try a guided bike tour that takes you through the UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley or stroll the cobblestone streets of Dürnstein’s to the famed Baroque church tower, Stiftskirche. Worth noting is the sailing time through the Wachau Valley, where you will see vineyards along the Danube.
Hungary
The city of Budapest is known as the Queen of the Danube, and your first top should be the Great Market Hall. Here you will find the wonderful treats we talked about last week. You will see Buda (hilly) on one side of the river and the Pest (flat) on the other. Try a hike up to Castle Hill for breathtaking views of the city.
If you like churches, watch as you cruise by Mohács, a town sprinkled with magnificent churches, including the 18th-century Baroque Protestant church, the Roman Catholic church (1776), the Serbian Greek Orthodox church, the votive church (1926), and the Avas church with its bell tower.
Pécs, a city founded more than 2,000 years ago by the Romans, is filled with historic architecture including the Christian Necropolis; St. Peter’s Basilica, the city’s main Catholic cathedral along with its catacombs, and Széchenyi Square, the heart of Old Town Pécs. For wine connoisseurs, there is the Szekszárd wine region, one of the oldest red-wine-growing areas in Hungary, established more than 2,000 years ago.
Photos Top to Bottom: Nuremburg, Melk Abbey, Pecs.
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