Every Viking river journey is full of extraordinary experiences. Here are just 10 of our favorites.
- GO DUTCH ON THE GIN
Enjoyed as an aperitif or a digestive, jenever is the national drink of The Netherlands. The juniper-flavored precursor to modern gin is best enjoyed with some delicious Dutch cheese and a great view.
- WATCH A CUCKOO CLOCK BEING MADE
Time flies when you're having fun, and on an enlightening excursion into Germany's enchanting Black Forest you can watch a traditional cuckoo clock being made in the time-honored tradition.
- SEEK OUT PORTUGAL'S MONUMENTAL PAST
It was the European Age of Discovery that quite literally put 14th-century Portugal and its intrepid explorers on the map. Follow their gaze out to sea at the mighty Monument to the Discoveries in the Belém district of Lisbon.
- FALL FOR FLAMENCO
In Spain, flamenco is not just a dance, it's a vibrant storytelling art form full of passion and life. Experience it for yourself in the beautiful city of Salamanca.
- TAKE A SEAT IN ANCIENT ROME
Built between 40 and 50 AD, the magnificent Roman amphitheater in picturesque Vienne once seated around 13,000 spectators for public meetings and shows. Today, audiences can still enjoy a variety of plays, operas and music festivals.
- SEE ARLES THROUGH AN ARTIST'S EYES
Vincent van Gogh immortalized the Café Terrace (now known as Café van Gogh) in Arles in one of his most famous paintings. It's still the perfect place to stop for a café au lait while you drink in the atmosphere of this pretty Provençal town.
- HAVE YOUR CAKE
The capital of coffee, cakes and confectionery, Vienna's love of all things sweet is best celebrated in one of the city's traditional coffeehouses, some of which date back to the 17th century. Indulge in a slice of delicious Sachertorte for a real taste of Vienna.
- TAKE THE WATERS
They say you can't truly experience Budapest without "taking the waters" at one of the city's beautiful thermal spas. These Art Nouveau baths are palaces of dreamy spas you can enjoy at your leisure.
- ART AL FRESCO
Experience a different kind of art in a very different kind of gallery on the streets of Berlin. The East Side Gallery is a stretch of the old Berlin Wall that has been turned into the world's largest open air mural collection.
- PASS TIME IN PRAGUE
Join the crowd in front of Prague's Old Town Hall to watch the hourly procession of the figures of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles marching out right under the city's exquisite Astronomical Clock. This medieval masterpiece has been entertaining the people for centuries.
