2022 July – Eastern Europe - Avalon River Cruise

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Day 0-1: 

Zagreb, Croatia

The flight from US to Croatia was mighty eventful for us. We were supposed to go from Houston to Dallas to Helsinki, Finland to Zagreb, Croatia. But, because of a slight 2-minute delay on our part because of over-relaxing in the lounge, we missed the first piece of the leg, setting off a chain of delays. Instead of Helsinki, we ended up in Doha, Qatar because of being re-booked. We had a hotel booked in Helsinki and even had plans to go to Tallinn, Estonia from there, but all plans went kaput! To make matters worse, we could not step out of the airport in Doha because we were not “Covid PCR Tested”! All-in-all, not a very pleasant start to the trip thanks to those unwanted delays.

But after that, it was all good. We arrived in Zagreb at 9 AM the next morning, took a taxi to the hotel – they were kind enough to let us check-in earlier. We spent some free time exploring this fascinating city on our own to discover its Austro-Hungarian architecture. The pedestrian-friendly Tkalčićeva Street, lined with outdoor cafes was our absolute favorite, such a yummy array of various cuisines!

After resting for a bit, we rented a car and set off to Krka Falls, about 3 hours south of Zagreb. What an amazing sight! It encompasses an area of 109 square kilometers along the Krka River (Plitvice Falls is the more famous cousin – but we had already done that a few years back). The bus (About 1$ each) took us a couple of kilometers down to the falls, where we could walk around the river/lake/falls system for 1.8 kms. Skradinski buk, considered to be one of the most beautiful calcium carbonate waterfalls in Europe, is one of the most attractive parts of the park. It is a massive, clear, natural pool with high waterfalls at one end and cascades at the other. Absolutely recommended!!!

We could have spent the whole day there but we needed to rush to Zadar – claimant of the most ‘beautiful sunset in the world’, a 45-minute drive from Krka Falls. We managed to get there just in time to catch the gorgeous sunset in this beautiful coastal city. Zadar also boasts of the ‘Sea Organ’ (1 of only 3 in the world) –an architectural musical instrument which plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps, creating loud, beautiful musical patterns. Besides this, there was the Sun Salutations at the beach – which uses photovoltaic cells to absorb the sun’s energy by day and then releases it in a vivid graphical display in the 22-metres diameter circle, as it starts to get dark. However, we didn’t enjoy this as much as the sounds of the sea organ, and of course the sunset which had a multitude of people lined up on the pier trying to catch a glimpse of the setting sun over the sea. Around the circles are carved the names of the saints to which Zadar’s churches are dedicated, with astronomical information detailing the ascension and declination on each saints’ day. Gorgeous!

St. Donatus’ Church and the Byzantine City Walls & Gates were two of the other attractions that we could just manage to see in passing as we set off on our journey back to Zagreb – a 3 hour drive!

 

Day 2: 

Zagreb-Osijek (Embarkation)

After a lazy wake-up and breakfast at the hotel, we met our Avalon Cruise Director Melinda who sent us off on the guided sightseeing in Zagreb – partly in a coach and partly on foot. We were able to soak in several interesting sights and churches in Zagreb, discovering its rich history dating from the Roman times to the present day! The charming medieval history mixed with trendy restaurants and shops were sights to behold. We explored Upper Town—the site of the Gothic-style Zagreb Cathedral and colorful 13th-century St. Mark’s Church along with the Lower Town main square of Ban Jelačić. Along the way, we also saw the funicular station, Zagreb Upper Town, the Lotrscak Tower, St. Mark’s Square, Parliament Building, Stone Gate, Strossmayer Promenade, and more. We passed by the 19th-century building of the Croatian National Theatre and the University Library, established in 1607, and “Lenuzzi’s horseshoe,” a U-shaped collection of city squares in Zagreb’s Lower Town. For lunch we sat down at a fancy Croatian Style restaurant and had (more than) our fill!

Following that, we all got into the Avalon provided coach for our trip to Osijek, a 3-hr drive from Zagreb. However, due to extreme heat conditions in Europe, the river levels were running low so we had to be carted further down to the next town – this took an additional 2 hours because of road closures. But on setting sight on the beautiful Avalon Passion and experiencing the warm hospitality, all frustrations disappeared – this was going to be our home for the next 7 days!

With a capacity of 128 passengers (we had only 51 passengers though in the recent-post-Covid world) – the Avalon Passion truly lived up to its name. As guests we experienced the passion for new discoveries aboard this home-away-from-home to find two full decks of Panorama Suites, featuring wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows that create river cruising's only Open-Air Balcony, spanning 200 square feet. On board, we enjoyed exemplary service from the crew with free Wi-Fi access, complimentary computer-use in public areas, a Fitness Center with state-of-the-art equipment, an elevator, and an expansive Sky Deck with shade system, premium lounge chairs, whirlpool, deck games, and the delightful Sky Bistro for al fresco lunches of light grill fare. Fancy cocktails and dinner were served in the beautiful dining room of the Avalon Passion as the ship set off sail in the evening to our first destination!

 

Day 3: 

Belgrade

The sailing of the ship was smooth and calm beyond imagination. Coupled with the superb service, lovely breakfast, we were set to have a gala time on this cruise!

The first destination was Belgrade, Serbia in the morning. After checking-out of the ship using our room-keys, we got on to Avalon-provided coaches and spent time in Belgrade exploring Knez Mihailova Street—Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops, and cultural spots. The guided Sightseeing tour took us to Belgrade—where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge. Also saw the city’s many fascinating sights, including Saint Sava, one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches. The highlight was the central fort in Belgrade and we got introduced to the history of the fortress with a pleasant walk around the park. We also got a chance to explore the pedestrian shopping areas around there and got to try some local foods.

Back on the ship by 1 PM, we had a sumptuous lunch on the ship and enjoyed the much needed down-time to nap and to get over our jet lag.

The afternoon offered other optional activities but we chose to walk around the city on our own. This is the best thing about the river cruises – there are all these options available to you which you can choose to take or not! In the evening too, since the ship was docked at the port until late at night, we went for a night walk along the rover, deep into the city, thus managing to explore a bit more of Belgrade.

 

 

Day 4: 

Golubac-Donji Milanovac-Iron Gates

Early morning we docked at the Fortress of Golubač, one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe – luckily, it was a 2-minute walk from where we docked. The guides were already there waiting for us and took us inside on a historical journey! We heard about its tumultuous history as a border control defense in the Middle Ages, and a source of conflict between Serbia, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire. A great tour followed by a lovely lunch and some rest time on the ship.

Thereafter, we enjoyed a brief sailing to Donji Milanovac which is famous for Prehistoric Stones and Iron Gates Gorge. This forms the natural border between Serbia and Bulgaria, with Romania right across the river – a surreal experience to be in 3 countries at the same time!

This was definitely the best day of the cruise from a sight-seeing perspective.

 

Day 5: 

Vidin, Bulgaria & Belogradchik

After the overnight sailing into Vidin, Bulgaria, we joined the tour for guided sightseeing in Vidin, followed by a Guided Tour of Belogradchik, marveling at the remarkable rock formations on the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains, sculpted by 200 million years of natural elements.

Later in the afternoon, we joined a Guided Tour to Lepenski Vir—an important Mesolithic archaeological site chronicling prehistoric cultures, settlements, and art. It was marvelous to see the ancient discoveries and artifacts, as well as the unique views the site offers of the Danube Gorge.

 

Day 6:

Rousse-Excursion to Veliko Târnovo 

This was the day when we ran into some issues. Because of the low river waters due to the high heat in Europe, the ship could not get us to Rousse which is known as the Vienna of Eastern Europe. The ship had to be docked a few hours earlier and we were put on a coach for the tours. Luckily, we managed to still get to Veliko Târnovo as planned earlier; with its ancient stone houses clinging to the cliffs above the Yantra River, it was a beautiful town! We got to discover one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria (circa 4300 BC), as well as the Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanassi.

This was a long day with a 9.5 hour tour that took us deep into Bulgaria giving us a great feel for the culture. Got to see some interesting monasteries and a Communist Church with some fascinating artwork!

Unfortunately, there was no sailing that night as the ship could not go any further so we stayed docked on port.

 

Day 7: 

Bucharest, Romania

This was the goodbye day to the ship. We sailed (just a bit!) – just crossed the river into Romania and disembarked there. Avalon then put us on a bus for a 2-hour ride to Bucharest, the Paris of the East! We got there in time for a conducted city tour showing us the highlights of the city but the most impressive piece was the opulent Parliament built by Ceausescu – it was absolutely amazing to be able to see the building from the inside and to walk around history like that. Learned so much about the dictator and communism in that era!

Avalon Waterways made arrangements for us to stay in a nice hotel in Bucharest in lieu of the ship stay which wasn’t so bad after all. We got a lot of free time to explore the city on our own and were really fascinated by the little shops and cafes. Definitely the highlight of the trip! Dinner was included in the hotel but we chose to walk around the city and get some local cuisine to get an ‘even more’ flavor of the area!

 

Day 8: 

Transylvania, Romania

Most people from the ship took the free tour to Constanta, Black Sea that was arranged by Avalon! We, however, decided to venture out on our own to Transylvania to see the famous Dracula and Peles Castle! 

No visit to Romania would be complete without ticking off Transylvania, where ancient castles are set against backdrops of dramatic rolling hills. We were able to see the best of the region without having to worry about car hire or navigation on a day trip from Bucharest, which offered a great introduction to local history for first-time visitors.

We were picked up from a hotel close to ours and then set off to explore the historic castles of Transylvania, and the medieval city of Brașov.

First, we stopped in the small town of Sinaia and visited Peleș Castle to explore the former summer palace of the Romanian royals. Even though it was called a castle, it was a tad small to be one, mainly because it was nestled in the hills – but it was still beautiful, especially the hilly surroundings. After spending a couple of hours there, we continued to Bran Castle, another 45 minutes from there, famous for the imposing fortress connected to the legend of Count Dracula. There we heard tales about the real-life Vlad the Impaler, who is said to have inspired Bram Stoker. Got some lovely panoramic views of the surrounding mountains from the remains of the citadel.

Our last stop was Brașov's medieval Old Town with a local guide where we enjoyed some free time to find keepsakes in the souvenir market and eat lots of ice cream. We did benefit from some time at leisure before traveling back to Bucharest, and getting dropped off at our accommodation.

 

Day 9: 

London, UK

After a lazy morning in the city of Bucharest where we saw some more churches and monasteries, we rested a bit and then set off to the airport for our flight to London. Too bad because of airlines delays, we hardly got any time in London. Most of our time was spent in traveling from the airport to the Paddington area where we were staying. Could not really do much sigh-seeing except the Marble Arch in the area which was a watered down version of Arc-de-Triomphe from Paris (and Bucharest!). Since we had an early morning flight to the US, we called it a night rather early.

Didn’t Do (these items come recommended):

1. Constanta, the gateway to Black Sea
2. Rousse, Vienna of the East
3. Helsinki, Finland (because we missed our flight!) :(
4. Tallinn, Estonia (because we missed our flight!) :(

Dos and Don’ts:

1. Food on the boat can be challenging for vegetarians so make sure to talk to your Travel Agent in advance
2. While Transylvania was beautiful, it was a bit underwhelming especially when it came to the size of the castles and the non-association of Dracula/Bram Stoker with Bran Castle
3. Serbia and Bulgaria have a lot of history – but nothing spectacular if you have already seen most of Europe
4. Bucharest airport is certainly interesting! Mismanaged, long lines for everything and no facilities – avoid going though there if you can!
5. Spend time in Croatia!! It is absolutely gorgeous with a variety of places to see!!! Take a few days there for sure!

 

Top 5:

1. Krka Falls, Croatia
2. Zadar, Croatia
3. Bucharest, Romania – the city vibe as a whole
4. Parliament in Bucharest – what an opulent building with some amazing history!
5. Communist Church in Veliko Tarnovo