Tauck River Cruise: An Unmatched Journey From Vienna to Prague

A six-day Danube river sailing from Vienna to Prague infused with art and history proves a winning combination when it comes to enriching travel experiences.

“If you could please wait here, I will just go and get the keys to the castle," says Oldřiška Baloušková with complete nonchalance. No big deal, it’s just how things happen on a Tauck trip: your guide gets the keys to the Český Krumlov Castle, one of the best preserved Baroque and medieval fortresses in the Czech Republic.

That one sentence encapsulates what I believe is the art of travel: context, expertise and access. Travellers are motivated by a desire to learn, experience and feel. But it can be a frustratingly shallow experience if there is a lack of access to the important sights or institutions. Or if that expertise simply provides the information without context and insight. That is what makes my seven nights from Vienna to Prague along the Danube so magical.

the Ringstrasse boulevard in Vienna — The cruise begins in Vienna, one of the great cities of Europe.

Inside Vienna

This is my third trip to Vienna. Previous visits have been in the height of summer for about four or five days. But the Austrian capital rockets to the top of my must-visit European cities during this 36-hour stay in late autumn. And that’s largely thanks to the guides who provided exclusive access, context and insight.

a look inside Kunsthistorisches Museum — Step inside the Kunsthistorisches Museum. (Image: Paul Bauer)

Local expert Maria navigates the thousands of artworks at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien so expertly in three hours that I am filled with a new wonder and appreciation for the collection. She has clearly spent many hours navigating the rooms and studying the artworks; my fellow guests and I profit greatly from her previous toil.

the interior of Kunsthistorisches Museum — Kunsthistorisches Museum showcases art spanning five millennia. (Image: Paul Bauer)

Art lover’s guide

Classic Baroque masterpieces that seemed ridiculously irrelevant in Australian classrooms spring to life: Rubens, Dürer, Brunel, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Raffaello, Titian. Maria expertly reveals their mastery, importance and context. Johannes Vermeer’s The Art of Painting is particularly surprising and intriguing.

Only 34 of Vermeer’s works are still in existence and The Art of Painting is not only one of the most well-known and largest, but most treasured by the artist. He never sold it even as his debts mounted.

Johannes Vermeer’s The Art of Painting, c. 1666. (Image: Alamy/World History Archive)

Its provenance is a story in and of itself. Later sold to Hitler for his Führermuseum in Linz, the work was stored in the salt mines as the tide of war turned against the Nazis. The painting was given to the Kunsthistorisches after the Second World War. The family who sold it to Hitler contested its sale after the war and sought restoration, however it was found to be a fair sale (Hitler reportedly paid top dollar for it).

Beethovenfries, a painting by Gustav Klimt — Artist Klimt is synonymous with fin-de-siècle Vienna. (Image: Gustav Klimt/Beethovenfries)

That is the context and insight that makes this travel experience enriching and meaningful. And it lasted for three hours and then for six more days.

River cruise highlights

I haven’t experienced anything that encapsulates the art of travel quite like this cruise does. I don’t say that lightly. The ship itself is wonderful, even if a little overshadowed by the excursions.

the Tauck ship sailing along the Danube — A Tauck ship sails along the Danube.

My room is spacious, and I watch the vines, castles, towns and forests glide by with the floor-to-ceiling sliding doors open. The lounge is the social centre, where the knowledgeable tour directors share presentations on the art, culture and history of the communities through which we sail. The bar is always open and, being all-inclusive, pre-dinner Champagne and top-shelf local wine with dinner adds to the wonder. Each dinner is a fine affair and, while lunch onboard is rare (you are typically exploring the town du jour), the buffet has a huge variety, which means the relatively small number of guests all find something that suits their tastes.

sprinkling powdered sugar on pastries at Demel coffee house — Order traditional pastries and coffee at Demel coffee house. (Image: Julius Hirtzberger)

For the time being, Maria bids us farewell and we are welcome to roam the streets of Vienna. I wander back across the Ringstrasse (which I believe to be the grandest boulevard in Europe) and into the medieval centre of the city to re-caffeinate and contemplate at Demel, one of the more historic coffeehouses in Vienna, before feasting at Zum Schwarzen Kameel for lunch. This Viennese institution has been selling food and exotic spices since 1619. That is some history. Lunch is a perfect wiener schnitzel with potato salad washed down with beer and a bottle of Grüner Veltliner.

the exterior of Zum Schwarzen Kameel, Vienna — Zum Schwarzen Kameel is a Vienna institution. (Image: Alamy/Zoltan Csipke)

Dinner in Vienna is another moment of incredible access. The Palais Pallavicini is a Neoclassical palatial residence built between 1782 and 1784 opposite the Spanish Riding School and not open to the public. Tauck guests are given an exclusive tour of this architectural jewel. Sinead, the incredibly knowledgeable tour director, sidles up to tell me how the staircases in these palatial homes are called imperial staircases. They are wide with shallow rise height so women in their hooped ballgowns would appear to float up and down the stairs. I love this constant flow of knowledge.

After a pre-dinner prosecco, we feast on traditional Viennese dishes and wine in the gilded stucco ballroom with fantastic parquetry floors. We are entertained between courses by a chamber orchestra, opera singers and a pas de deux (ballet duet). It is a night of palatial fantasy.

the view of Ringstrasse from City Hall — Ringstrasse stands at the center of Vienna near the City Hall. (Image: Gregor Hofbauer)

Unlocking the experience

Two days after this unforgettable evening, Oli returns with the keys, and they look exactly like castle keys should: ornate and oversized. The 600-room Český Krumlov Castle is a result of centuries of renovations and additions and is now a collection of 40 buildings constructed from the 12th to 17th centuries.

Get the keys to the castle. (Image: Quentin Long)

After Oli unlocks the door, we climb a small set of steps (definitely not an imperial staircase) to enter the colourful and lively Masquerade Ballroom. The Baroque frescoes depict a range of masquerade characters and bend the barrier between fantasy and reality in the candlelit space. So much so, that some guests reportedly had conversations with these portraits before realising why the conversation was relatively one-sided.

the Cloak Bridge in Český Krumlov, Czechia — Cloak Bridge stands on massive stone pillars. (Image: Alamy/Alex Archontakis)

From the ballroom we traverse the Cloak Bridge. The three-storey hallway sits atop an imposing 40-metre-high stone arched bridge that connects the lower castle and ballroom to the upper castle and its greatest feature: the most well-preserved Baroque theatre in the world. The 18th-century set dressings are still in situ and create such an illusion that you can feel how magical a performance would have been to guests who have never experienced electricity, let alone broadcast media.

Explore an old Baroque theatre in Český Krumlov. (Image: Quentin Long)

Oli takes us under the stage for exclusive access to the restored machinery. Huge wheels connect to ropes and stages that would have been used to move items and objects around on stage. Some of the machine’s purpose or actions are still a mystery to theatre historians.

the view of Český Krumlov Castle from the cobbled streets — Český Krumlov Castle, as seen from the charming cobbled streets. (Image: Unsplash/Leonhard Niederwimmer)

After the castle tour, Oli steers us through the streets of Český Krumlov before leaving us to enjoy lunch in one of the many local restaurants on our own. By retaining elements of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque eras of history and sliced in two by the bubbling Vlata River before it makes its way to Prague, the town is of such incredible beauty that it’s one of the most visited in the country.

Musikverein, the traditional concert hall in Vienna — Musikverein is Vienna’s centre for classical music.

I count my blessings I am here in the first week of November as there are few other visitors and not hordes of sharp-elbowed tourists rushing around. Sure, I visualise how sitting on the banks of the river in the beer garden on a summer’s evening would be sublime. But a feast of pork knuckle, sausages and meat cooked over woodfired coals in the cave-like restaurant is an equally delightful experience that would be wasted in summer.

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Small moments

I do get an afternoon of feasting and drinking beer in the sun in Regensburg, a Bavarian city with a gem of a medieval old town. After exploring on yet another highly informative walking tour, I am drawn to the Historic Sausage Kitchen. The small squat building was originally a kitchen to feed the workers on the strategically significant stone bridge across the Danube. Built in the 12th century, the bridge created an important trade route from Venice to the north of Europe and so the city became incredibly wealthy and home to many of Europe’s richest merchants.

the old town of Regensburg on the Danube — The old town of Regensburg is a medieval gem on the Danube.

And thankfully, 867 years later, the Historic Sausage Kitchen is still serving food. The small pork sausages are the size of a Mont Blanc pen and come in plates of six, eight or 10 with sauerkraut and baskets of small dinner rolls. The tradition is to smother the sausages in the sweet mustard Regensburg is famous for. Three of us manage to devour 20 sausages and three steins of beer in what is a magical al fresco moment.

I would never have visited Regensburg or Česky Krumlov if left to my own devices. I would never have appreciated the Dutch masters if I wandered the Kunsthistorisches Museum on my own. The key to such a special experience was in the expertise and access of others.

cooking Bavarian sausages at the sausage kitchen — Feast on Bavarian sausages. (Image: Alamy/Michael Snell)

A traveller’s checklist

Tauck runs a full season of river cruises across Europe. You can choose from itineraries that sail along the Danube, Rhine, Rhône, Seine and Douro Rivers.

For more information, visit tauck.com.au

Temperatures are soaring this summer, breaking records across Europe and the UK.

Euro summer is a feeling like no other. But when a heatwave hits? The dream trip quickly turns into a sweaty mess. Extreme heat is sweeping Europe and the UK this week, with record-high temperatures impacting travel plans across the continent.

And while Australian summers are typically hotter in absolute temperature, many European cities aren’t equipped for high temperatures, resulting in unbearable weather.

Why is it so hot in Europe?

Signs of a hot summer loomed in May, when the mercury hit unprecedented spring highs. Now, extreme high temperature warning alerts have been issued in countries such as Spain, Italy, France, England, the Netherlands and Germany.

France saw its hottest day on record on Wednesday, with an average temperature of 30°C across the day and night. This surpasses the average temperature for June, which is 15°C to 25°C. Dozens of people have died, including 40 from drowning.

In Spain, 212 deaths have been linked to the heatwave.

The UK recorded its hottest June day ever on Wednesday with temperatures soaring to 36.1°C. In an article published by the Met Office – the UK’s national meteorological service – Professor Stephen Belcher CBE, Met Office Chief Scientist, shared his concerns about June’s heat. “To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering. Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply,” he said.

Heatwaves are becoming increasingly common in Europe and the UK, neither of which is prepared for such extremes. The World Meteorological Organization reported that in 2025, at least 95% of Europe experienced above-average annual temperatures and that the continent was heating up twice as fast as the global average.

How travel is impacted

A pharmacy sign displaying 40 degrees Celcius — A pharmacy broadcasting local weather data. (Credit: Getty/Dragoncello)

During a heatwave, power grids, water systems and transport networks can be affected, resulting in disrupted itineraries for travellers. In France, power outages have left thousands without electricity and early closures have been implemented for two of Paris’s biggest attractions, the Eiffel Tower (early afternoon rather than late at night) and the Louvre (two hours early). Eurostar cancelled its London to Paris and Paris to London services from the 22nd to the 25th, and major UK rail companies have been advising travellers to avoid using trains where possible, or to travel during early hours.

If a heatwave is predicted, being flexible with your itinerary and having fully refundable/changeable tickets is key, as extreme heat can force the cancellation of outdoor activities, impact rail and flight services and change the opening hours of sites and eateries.

Why does summer in Europe often feel hotter than summer in Australia?

people swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris — People swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris to cool off. (Credit: Rachael Thompson)

With some of the highest UV levels in the world, Australians are no strangers to the heat, adapting well to intense weather. But our infrastructure is largely equipped to withstand soaring temperatures with climate-responsive passive design, refrigerated air conditioning or evaporative coolers, as well as swimming spots aplenty.

Buildings in Northern and Western Europe and the UK, however, are constructed to retain heat and handle frosty winters. The lack of universal air conditioning means it generally feels hotter even though the temperature on your app might not look it. During a heatwave, it can feel like you’re in a sauna as cities act like heat traps.

How to stay cool and prepare for another heatwave

Relief is expected across Europe and the UK later this week, but more heatwaves are still possible in the coming months. Summer heat typically peaks in July and August.

Public transport often doesn’t have air conditioning, and buses in particular can be swelteringly hot. If you’re heading outside or your accommodation has no air conditioning, it’s worth buying a spray bottle and a handheld fan from a pharmacy or tourist stand. Check ahead of time if restaurants and cafes have air conditioning and make a booking in advance. The highest temperatures typically hit between 3pm and 6pm, so aim to head outdoors outside of these hours.

Rising temperatures invite travellers to enter a more intentional era of seeing the world. Now more than ever is the time to embrace lower-impact “coolcations” and off-season getaways.

Tauck’s river cruise from Vienna to Prague is a lesson in the art of travel