- [Lynn] I'm Lynn Elmhirst.

I'm a travel journalist with a deep passion for sailing the high seas.

My most cherished travel experiences have been by water.

The spectacular scenery, fascinating ships, and maritime traditions you can only experience when you cruise.

When the whole world went into dry-dock, I bided my time by diving into my library of footage, to relive some of my favorite travel memories on the world's greatest cruises.

(upbeat music) Today on World's Greatest Cruises, a river cruise along Europe's legendary Danube.

We sail through Germany, Austria and Hungary, discovering the sights and sounds, and especially the tastes of Central Europe.

We're among 160 guests and about 50 crew on board the AmaCerto.

AmaWaterways' European family heritage is shared with North American guests, especially when it comes to cuisine.

From dinners, celebrating its membership in the oldest culinary society in the world.

Cheers!

To shipboard versions of some of the region's favorite traditions.

But there's a lot more going on than beer and sausage.

We taste the world's oldest cake recipe and the wine in Austria's picturesque Wachau Valley.

We balance all that tasting with biking along the riverbank, taking the waters and, of course, spellbinding views you can only see from the river.

(upbeat music) A picture perfect embarkation in Germany, as we meet and board the AmaCerto in the historic town of Vilshofen.

Sailing en route to our first port of call, we got the chance to dive right in to one of Southern Germany's most famous culinary traditions.

Hint: whenever you see the blue and white checks of the flag of Bavaria, jump right in to beer and sausages.

Just to put this in context, it's 11:30 in the morning and there's a whole meal out here.

Look at that!

Roast pork and, come this way, I bet we can find a couple of sausages.

What are these?

What kind of sausage?

- Bratwurst.

- Bratwurst?

- And what's the other one?

- K äsekrainer.

- Okay, and what's that?

- Cheese.

- A cheese?

- Pork and cheese.

- Pork and cheese?

- Pork and cheese.

- For a snack in the morning?

- Snack in the morning.

- For a snack in the morning.

Can't have sausage without sauerkraut.

- And sauerkraut.

- Oh.

Yum.

Thank you.

My favorite, mustard.

Ah.

I think mustard, I can live without sauerkraut.

I can't live without mustard.

Gotta have a pretzel and a token vegetable.

Look, yogurt and cucumber, just to pretend it was a complete meal.

Wow!

Yeah, that's a big chunk of pork.

(laughs) Thank you.

- Morning, good morning, hello.

Can I invite you for a beer?

- I would love.

- We have an excellent fr ühschoppen this morning.

- Cheers.

- Cheers.

- Prost!

- Prost!

- I have to tell you, this has to be my favorite tradition in Germany.

- It is something very popular in German.

It's a combined breakfast and lunch.

You can see it as a brunch, just with a little bit more of the sausages and sauerkraut and all these typical Bavarian dishes what you have.

- [Lynn] Just a little mid morning snack.

- Yeah it's a little heavy morning snack, yes.

But it's very healthy and it's very delicious.

- So what's your favorite thing about fr ühschoppen?

- Of course the beer, I have to say.

- This is the most traditional thing on the fr ühschoppen.

- Well, good morning to you (laughs) - Good morning.

- Our first port of call's to the German city of Passau.

It's just half an hour's drive from Vilshofen, practically on the border of Austria.

But taking the slower route by river cruise lets us take in the scenery from the Danube, the authentic view from the region's earliest transportation route.

You don't see this from the road.

Plus our scenic sail-in gives us insight into the city's nickname, the City of Three Rivers, and why Passau was such a strategic city way back in Roman times.

So Passau is a really, really old city.

- You're completely right.

You know, the first paid Roman soldiers, the Batara settled here and they were paid with the white gold, which was salt.

And that is why you have in your English vocabulary the word salary.

- Salary from salt.

- Yes.

- Ah!

Means how they got paid.

So the Romans were here to do trade in salt and protect their interests, and salt was from Salzburg?

- You're completely right.

Salzburg in English would mean salt fortress.

- Ah, there you go.

And so of course, it came down the river.

- It came down the rivers, the River Inn, on the River Inn they transported 8,000,000 kg of salt in one year in those days, in 1400.

- And that's really why Passau is so important, because of the three rivers, and such an important transportation and trade route.

- You saw it on the map, three rivers coming together on one spot from three directions.

And not only that, they continue to the fourth direction.

So four directions were covered by waterways.

- No wonder the Romans wanted to be here.

- Of course.

- And built this wall.

- [Brigitte] And built this wall, yes.

- [Lynn] 2000 years ago.

- [Brigitte] 2000 years ago.

- [Lynn] And now, why do people come to Passau?

- [Brigitte] Now they come to Passau because it's a very old city.

Baroque, gothic, renaissance, you find every style here what you can imagine.

- [Lynn] So everything from Roman walls around us through all of the major styles.

There must have been a lot of money here to build so many monuments?

- In early days, Passau was the biggest Diocese of the Holy Roman Empire.

So the prince-bishops were the rulers of the city and they had the power from here 'til Hungaria, 'til where you go.

- Ah, exactly.

Down to Budapest.

What do you think is the most charming and wonderful thing about Passau now?

- [Brigitte] We have the biggest Italian baroque cathedral here and in there is the biggest cathedral organ in the world, with 17,974 pipes.

- [Lynn] As luck would have it we arrived at St Stephen's Cathedral during choir practice.

The choir and that record-breaking organ made the glorious Baroque architecture come alive as its designers intended, with people like us awestruck.

- If you look where we stand, that is very poor, very plain, the higher up your eyes are moving, the more beautiful, the more paradise it is, to show the people in those days, in 1600, that is waiting for you, paradise.

After your poor life on earth and feel this paradise with your eyes.

Look at the stucco, the paintings, the frescoes.

With your ears look at the organ, 17,000.

- [Lynn] Listen to the choir.

- [Brigitte] Yes.

Listen to the choir.

- Sailing on to Austria.

I'm glad to do so much daytime sailing.

so we don't miss any scenery floating by on our way to Linz.

It's the capital of Upper Austria, less than 20 miles from the Czech border, almost that close to Germany too.

As in Passau, the origins and story of Linz are all about the Danube, beginning with the Romans who founded it.

Lynn's historic center today is mostly Baroque, much the same as when Mozart famously lived here.

That includes its enormous main square, where we lucked upon market day, and not the food kind, the kind of market where we discovered terrific local souvenirs.

How much is this?

- 20.

- ,20?

I think we need a souvenir of Linz, yeah?

Okay.

- Mm, can you smell it?

- I can!

It's the smell of a bakery.

Best smell ever!

- Yes.

You know what it comes from?

- From this bakery I hope?

- Yes, from the KUK Bakery.

It's the Imperial Court deliverer, and they bake one of the oldest recipes in the world.

- [Lynn] Oldest recipes in the world?

- [Brigitte] Yes.

More than 300 years old.

And it's the Linzer cake?

- Linzer cake.

Wow.

Cake for breakfast?

- Yes, let's try.

- I get to satisfy my sweet tooth and historic imagination in the oldest bakery in Linz.

Linzer torte dates back to the 1600s.

And they let me try my hand baking one.

- So Tatiana is going to show us how to make the oldest cake in the world, but we're going to make a new, fresh one today, right?

Yes.

- Yes?

So Tatiana, what's first?

- Beginning von butter.

- With butter.

Put it in the pot?

Here?

All of this butter?

Lots of butter.

Okay, good.

- (speaking German) - Sugar.

And very little sugar actually.

Okay.

Oh, so we have to mix it all up?

So we take it over here?

I like this.

At home I have to do this by hand.

So what kind of nuts are these?

- Haseln üsse.

- Hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts.

Okay.

Bread crumbs.

It's good back for my German skills.

(laughs) Lemon peel!

Half?

Yeah?

Okay.

- [Tatiana] Zimt.

- [Lynn] Cinnamon.

- (speaking German) - Half of it, okay.

Cloves and nutmeg.

Oh, that's a traditional combination isn't it?

How do we know this is the oldest cake in the world?

- Oh, so we have writings about the original recipe that really goes back to the 17th century.

- So this really does represent the flavor of sort of, of that time?

So nuts and spices?

- Yes exactly.

- [Lynn] And fruits and.

- [Silvia] It tastes a little bit like Christmas and it keeps very long.

That's the secret also.

- Now the spices go in the butter mix.

Okay, we can do that.

Crack 'em?

- [Tatiana] Yep.

- [Lynn] Okay.

Butter?

And the milk.

Okay.

Flour?

- Flour, yes.

- Flour also in here?

- Also goes in, yes.

- Our batter's ready.

So this is what it looks like just before it goes in the oven?

- [Silvia] Exact.

- [Lynn] This is what I have to achieve?

- Exactly.

- Okay, good.

So the redcurrant jam layer next?

- [Silvia] Yes.

- Okay.

To the edges or not to the edges?

To the edges?

Okay.

Okay.

- [Tatiana] Proofed.

- Okay, that one's hard.

(laughs) I'm really not great with pastry.

Okay.

And I just make a - - Crisscross pattern.

- Crisscross, mmhm.

It's very thick.

- [Silvia] Yeah because the dough is very thick.

- [Lynn] Look at my face.

- Wow.

She's doing well, huh?

- [Lynn] Okay.

- [Silvia] Okay, okay.

Very good.

- How can you do so many in one day?

(Tatiana laughs) - [Lynn] Egg yolk is inside.

- Spray the whole thing with egg yolk?

And now almonds?

- The decoration.

- Around the outside with my fingers?

- Yeah.

Very good.

- Okay?

Finished?

- Super.

- [Silvia] Ready?

- [Lynn] Ready.

- [Silvia] To go into the oven.

- Into the oven it goes.

Like so.

Okay, and then the lever closes it.

- There you go.

For how many minutes?

(speaking German) - (speaking German) - (Silvia & Lynn) 20 minutes.

- Okay.

Ooh, wow.

- [Silvia] Careful, it's very hot.

Be careful.

- Okay.

I'm looking forward to Christmas.

Mm it's good.

It's good.

It's delicious.

You're right, it taste like Christmas.

- Maybe we should have some coffee with it, huh?

- Maybe we could.

So there you go, oldest cake in the world.

- That old saying it isn't the destination, it's the journey?

It applies to our sailing downstream along the Danube.

Modern locks - like steps down elevations in the river - are as impressive as pastoral and historic scenery.

But the 20 mile section of the river between Melk and Krems, called the Wachau Valley, takes my breath away, where the river carved out a path between steep hills that have been guarded by castles and covered by vineyards for centuries.

It's time to get a bit more active and where better than a UNESCO World Heritage Site's so-called riverside cultural landscape?

I joined other guests at Krems, borrowing a bicycle from the AmaCerto, to cycle back along our route to see more of nearby Durnstein.

I love it!

A fleet of bicycles.

You can sign one out, and what better way to see any European city than on a bicycle?

There's a convenient and very scenic riverside trail lined with vineyards to cycle along the bank of the Danube.

At Durnstein, with its famous blue monastery tower, I switched to foot to wander up and down hilly cobblestone streets of a town once described as 'the most romantic place for picturesque ancient terraced vineyards and monuments.

It also has charming wine-tasting rooms and shops with local traditional products.

Such gorgeous colors!

But I don't think it's quite my style.

But this on the other hand, for my niece, what little girl doesn't need one of these?

We remain docked for the evening at Krems to join a shore excursion AmaWaterways has arranged for its guests, a private visit to a local winery.

We begin with the taste of red wine made from Austrian blauer Zweigelt grapes.

Much less well known than the region's signature white wine made from Gruner Veltliner grapes.

But this is a winery where ancient traditions meet the avant-garde in modern art and modern methods that live alongside the oldest traditions of Wachau's famous wines.

The region's been producing wine in this unique microclimate since the 700s.

We get a peek into the pages of the past and the future in the wine cellar underground.

- That's the most special place maybe of Winzer Krems.

He would have really.

- The secret door.

- The secret door, with the, it's really treasure.

More than 50 years old some of them.

- [Lynn] More than 50 years old?

- Yeah.

From time to time, one of this bottle is opened.

- Really?

For a very special occasion?

- For a very special occasion.

And it's dry fruity white wine what we have, and they usually do not age.

Usually drink them in the year after the harvest or within two or three years, yeah.

And so it's a big surprise for everyone to have a Gr üner Veltliner 30, 40 years old.

- And how does it taste 30 or 40 years from now?

- It's different taste, yah?

It's, we say it's the second life of the wine, or it's not the premier fruity character, but it's a very, very nice character as well, yeah.

Some of the people really prefer this, the second style of the wine.

- [Lynn] Oh wow!

What's this?

Is this a cool event space?

- It's a modern art installation.

It's a Brazilian girl who brought the idea.

She called it Hands On Tables.

You see wine on every table.

- [Lynn] So tell me about this wine.

- Yes.

We taste Gr üner Veltliner.

This is the most important grape variety in Austria and what we do is really the Kremser Goldberg.

It's a single vineyard from Krems and the grape is Gr üner Veltliner.

That grape, it's the most important in the area and number one in Austria, and this is really the grape Austria stands for in the world.

- So what am I smelling?

- Typical Gr üner Veltliner is always zesty, spicy character, even peppery.

- Peppery?

- So we can say peppery style Gr üner Veltliner and it's a premier fruit character, but not too extreme.

So Gr üner Veltliner is a perfect food wine, yeah.

It's not too strong in character so that makes him really very valuable.

- [Lynn] Does it go really well with Austrian food?

- Yeah, it's for sure with local food but also with international food.

It's, for example, it goes very with sushi as well.

And with a lot of- - Sushi!

I have a new sushi wine.

- Yeah.

It is.

- May I taste now?

- You will see.

And usually you have the same character on the palette as well.

Because most of the character- - It is peppery!

- It is.

You see?

- It's a little zesty.

Zesty.

Zippy!

(laughs) - That's a little bit of natural CO2 in the wine, which makes the spiciness, the supporting spiciness.

And the other thing you'll get, is really this peppery style of Gr üner Veltliner.

- Well, thank you for the tour and the taste of your beautiful wines.

- Thank you very much for coming.

Thank you.

- Rolling down the river again.

A leisurely morning cruise covers the hour's driving distance from the pastoral scenery of Wachau to Vienna.

The capital of Austria is also a cultural capital, where historic figures converged to make Vienna in many ways the European cradle of classical music and opera.

An elegant cityscape and treasure trove of ornate Baroque architecture today reminds visitors of Vienna's past as the home of emperors and the cultural elite of an empire.

Vienna also founded a legacy for more everyday folk - coffee house culture.

We don't have time to sit down, though.

We are on a culinary quest in Vienna.

So this is Vienna's famous Naschmarkt.

- Yes, this is Naschmarkt here in Vienna.

It's very popular.

You can find here a lot of different food for all around the world.

It's a very international city.

- [Lynn] What makes it so famous?

- It's the biggest in Austria.

You can have a glass of champagne.

You can have, if you see here, you can have a fresh fish.

You walk around and you can see, 'oh, what are we gonna cook tonight?'

- What are you thinking we should cook today?

- Today because we are in Austria, I'm Austrian, so I think we make some Austrian dish.

- Let's make Austrian and maybe for the fall, right?

We're in autumn.

Some good, some good fall, hearty fall dishes.

- [Primus] Yeah.

- [Lynn] What do we need to get?

Let's get shopping.

- Yeah.

We need some cherry tomato, some mushrooms, special mushrooms for Austria.

- Okay.

It's like holding a baby.

The cone is great, look.

We should have these at home, like, little cones for your vegetables.

And it keeps them all gentle and- - Yeah, they're all separated.

- They're separated.

And, I like this.

- (speaking German) - Danke sch ön.

- Falafel?

I love falafel.

Mm!

Mm, good falafel.

So, I have to ask you.

So many treats, so many temptations here at the market.

What's your guilty secret?

What do you always treat yourself to when you come here?

- Yeah, they have here and that in autumn, they have in Styria and the Corinthia, they have Schilcher Sturm.

- What's that?

- It's a very young wine.

It's still growing.

And if you drink one or two glass, you feel it straight.

- Okay.

Should we get ourselves some?

You like that one, yes?

Yum.

Okay, we'll try this when we get back to the ship - Yeah, we try.

- Just a little glass?

Okay, perfect (laughs).

Poured us some Schilcher Sturm, did I do that right?

Schilcher Sturm?

- Perfect.

- Okay, perfect, so... to autumn!

That's sweet (laughs).

That is very sweet.

Wow!

- But if you have four or five of these glass, the sturm will be a hurricane.

- The storm becomes a hurricane.

So what are we doing here?

This is an autumn dish?

- We have the steak.

This is an Austrian steak from Styria.

Then we have here the chanterelles.

Goulash.

- [Lynn] Chanterelle goulash.

- [Primus] Goulash because it's made with paprika.

- So.

Mushrooms and cream and paprika?

- [Primus] Mushrooms, onion cream, paprika and garlic.

- Wow.

- Here we're gonna make our sauce.

- Okay.

- Because we need for the steak a sauce as well.

- Ah!

Brandy.

Do I suspect that this is where the hurricane comes?

Woo!

Woo, bravo!

We did not burn the ship down, I think that's a good sign.

Well, I saw where the fire extinguisher was, I checked.

- (laughs) It's over there.

- I know I checked (laughs).

Do you have to stir up a little there or are we good?

- Wonderful.

Thank you.

- Done?

Mm.

Mushroom action.

Okay.

Nice.

Oh, perfect, and pink in the middle.

Our mushroom ragu.

That looks so evilly good.

And so what is in sauce?

The sauce is what we flambeed?

So it's sauteed onion, brandy...?

- And natural gravy.

- Oh, nice.

- This is a milk foam.

With a lovely light vanilla taste.

- Oh!

Purple potato.

The purple potato from the market.

- A potato.

- Aha.

Oh, truffles.

Mm, mm, mm.

Maybe some greens.

Chef, can you describe our dish?

- [Primus] This is Styria beef on mash potato with chanterelle ragu and some pumpkin, asparagus and cognac sauce.

Attack the meat.

- [Lynn] Attack the meat?

Okay, perfect.

I might faint.

- I think you left the mushroom out that one.

- I need some more mushroom.

This ragu with the beef and the... mm!

Cruising towards our final port of call, the capital of Hungary, a city nicknamed the Queen of the Danube, Budapest was literally built around the river.

Two cities, Buda and Pest, were built up on opposite riverbanks like star-crossed lovers, always looking towards each other, but never meeting until a suspension bridge was built in the latter half of the 19th century that united them.

Now, the single city of Budapest hugs the Danube and you have to go to both banks to get the whole picture.

That picture is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as one of the world's outstanding urban landscapes, illustrating the great periods in history of the Hungarian capital.

The spectacular cityscape starts from the river and moves inwards, including castles, churches, and monuments to the history of the city that began before Roman times.

Budapest has another nickname too, the City of Spas.

Here, at the most famous baths in the city, a variety of pools of different types and temperatures, the minerals making the water shine brilliant blue against the yellow walls.

Budapest sits on top of a network of over a hundred underground thermal or hot springs, more than any other capital city in the world.

The springs provide millions of gallons of water every day.

Taking the water has long been a part of everyday life in Budapest.

Ancient beliefs about the magical powers of mineral waters have evolved into a modern understanding about their effect on our wellness.

So this is the famous water.

I'm told it's very good for you.

Well, I hope it's very good for me.

And it tastes even better than it smells and it smells a lot like rotten eggs.

Sulfur is good for you, hot springs... yum.

We salute the end of our Danube river cruise in Budapest with an evening on deck for a unique evening scenic sail.

Budapest's monumental landmarks that line the riverbanks are dramatically lit at night, the illuminations making a magical fairytale spectacle that's unforgettable.

One breathtaking panorama after another.

I'm glad they cruise up the Danube a ways and then back again to our docking place so we don't miss anything on either side of the river in the heart of this magnificent city.

Another 'only by cruise' moment that should be on anyone's travel bucket list.

If this isn't a champagne moment, I don't know what is.

Cheers.

Until next time on World's Greatest Cruises, wishing you fair winds and following seas.

More information about World's Greatest Cruises and the ship and ports of call featured in today's program on our website at www.worldsgreatestcruises.com Next time on World's Greatest Cruises, the romance of a French river cruise that takes us to not one but two famous wine regions.

We sail on the Rhone River in the legendary South of France, then go on to more wine and more adventures in our post-cruise trip extension, including the home of the original bubbly wine, champagne.

So that's why champagne from here tastes like no other type of sparkling wine.