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Silver Travel Wine Club

May 2024: Spotlight on the lower Danube River

This month’s Wine Club, in partnership with AmaWaterways, heads to the lower Danube River.

Read on to find out more.

The lower Danube River flows south through Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, as a rich history of winemaking dating back thousands of years. Savour delicious wine along this legendary river, including within Hungary’s Szekszárd region – one of the oldest red wine growing areas in the country. The Tokaj wine region located in northeastern Hungary and southeastern Slovakia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the region’s sweet botrytized wines are world-renowned.

White wines such as Traminac and Graševina reign in Ilok, Croatia, where centuries-old winegrowing hills date back to Roman times. The local Serbian favourite – Seherezada – is poured often at the Podrum Panajotovic Winery in Belgrade, but you will also find delicious plum brandy on shore. And in Rousse, Bulgaria, the wine house we visit combines ancient natural winemaking practice with more contemporary technical developments to produce its wines.

See for yourself

Join an unforgettable AmaWaterways Wine Cruise and delight in one of the world’s most perfect trifectas: travel, wine, and elegant cuisine. Each of their Celebration of Wine River Cruises is hosted by an enthusiastic wine professional who leads you through tastings and interactive discussions, accompanies you on select shore excursions to vineyards and cellars, and helps curate a special food and wine pairing dinner on board.

Gems of Southeast Europe Wine Cruise

Touch history and learn about winemaking traditions while sailing along the lower Danube River through Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. Wine connoisseurs will have a chance to taste history from the centuries-old winegrowing hills dating back to the Romans in Ilok, a royal and vinous town. Be treated to the flavors, sights, sounds and cultures of this diverse swath of the continent. Visit local wineries in Vidin and in Szekszárd, one of the oldest red-wine-growing areas in Hungary. With a dedicated wine expert to guide you, indulge in wine tastings and a specially curated food and wine pairing dinner on board. Venture off the beaten path and enjoy an epicurean adventure that includes brandy, and local wines in five distinctive countries.

Itinerary: Budapest to Giurgiu

  • Day 1: Budapest – Embarkation
  • Day 2: Mohacs
  • Day 3: Vukovar, Ilok and Novi Sad
  • Day 4: Belgrade
  • Day 5: Iron Gates
  • Day 6: Vidin
  • Day 7: Rousse
  • Day 8: Giurgiu – Disembarkation

Sailing 18 November 2024 onboard AmaVerde

Fly-cruise fares:

  • Window stateroom from: £2,949pp
  • Balcony stateroom from: £3,926pp
  • Includes flights from London or Manchester
  • Includes up to £1,150 savings per couple

Click to find out more.

If you would like a quote or to book, call Silver Travel Advisor on 0800 412 5678.

Win a case of wine from the Danube region

Please note: this prize draw is now closed.

Comment below and tell us in which country you would most like to visit a winery on this cruise, and why?

A winner will be chosen in early June 2024.
The competition closes on 31 May 2024.

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62 Responses

  2. Croatia, a country with varied coastline and destination sights inland. Vukovar was a hot spot and received shelling, during the 1990’s war for independence and dismantling of Yugoslavia states.

  3. I love a dessert wine for an occasional treat so the Tokaj wine region in Hungary or Slovakia (although I’m not sure the cruise actually visits a winery in that region).

  9. Romania for its late harvested chardonnay – one of the best sweet desert wines I’ve tasted. (It was a favourite with morther in law too and helped Christmas go with a swing…)

  12. When in Rome ……. we always love to eat local food and sample local wine so your comment that “The local Serbian favourite – Seherezada – is poured often at the Podrum Panajotovic Winery in Belgrade” really resonated with me. Would love to try the plum brandy too!!

  13. Portugal. The river cruise down the Douro River was amazing and the wonderful wines bring back lots of happy memories.

  16. id like to visit Budapest, as a fan of the Dracular story, this was mentioned in the book

  17. Croatia – I have been to Croatia once and fell in love with the country!

  18. Hungary – I love red wine and read recently that wine from older vines was more concentrated so Szekszárd would be top of my list!

  19. I like to try wines from different countries and would love to see what Croatia offers.

  20. It would have to be a winery in Hungary. I have never visited and would dearly love to get my tonsils around a brimming glass of Bull’s Blood. At source, as it were.

  22. It would be wonderful to glide along the river Danube & see the vineyards while sipping on sumptuous wines!
    A Croatian white wine would suit me fine!

  24. Budapest and Belgrade as they really appeal to me especially the wineries there.

  26. With so many locally grown grape varieties to choose from along the Danube my first choice
    of country in which to visit a winery would be Hungary to sample Tokaj

  29. Bulgaria, as i usually choose to buy my wine from this country having visited in the past.

  30. Bulgaria to experience the rich and amazing history of it’s wine making, and savour the flavour of the premium, indigenous grape varieties

  31. I would like to try some Bulgarian wines because they are underrepresented

  33. I’m not too familiar with Hungarian wines but I have heard good things about them so that would be my choice

  37. We would love to visit a winery in Hungary. Hungarian wines used to get a bad press, but now they’re wonderful.

  38. I’d love to go to Hungary. We’ve never been there and the wine is delicious, so it would be a new experience.

  42. Serbia for me. Budapest is lovely but I’d enjoy the exploring the contrast between their near neighbours in Belgrade.

  43. Argentina – experience the climate, the reverse seasons, the wineries … a whole different culture.

  44. Would like to visit a winery in Hungary to taste their different wines as am not familiar with their wines.

  45. Hungary would be my first choice. I have visited Szekszárd before and tried a few Hungarian wines including Tokaji and Bull’s Blood. I would like to try other Hungarian wines. As for Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, I have had one Bulgarian wine but would like to try wines from all these countries. If I have to make a second choice it would be Bulgaria.

  47. I am not a huge wine drinker. The odd red with meals and a nice cool white on a sunny day with friends.
    It would be nice to experience some wines to broaden my taste buds

  48. A trip to Germany on the Rhine for me. I really like the Gewürztraminer with complex flavours of ginger and lychees. Perfect with a good spicy Thai curry.

  51. Romania – the wine will be fine on this Dracula spectacular!

  53. Croatia and Bulgaria. I have never been to either of these countries and what a way to taste their wines for the first time too

  54. I thing the vineyards at Ilok would be really interesting because of their Roman heritage – I also assume the towns in the area would also have a lot to offer

  55. A Bulgarian Winery because their wines can be quite unusual to find in the UK.

  56. Always wanted to visit Budapest. It looks stunning and would love to see its wineries.Hqvent had their wines so would be an exciting time to try them.

  57. I think a picnic with some chilled white wine on Irakli beach in Bulgaria would be lovely so I would like to visit a winery in Bulgaria

  58. Croatia, Ilok winery, the history dating back to Roman times would be fascinating, wines are very undervalued from this region

  59. Love wine , love travel, perfect combination. Would love to go to Romania and Bulgaria, not been to those two yet.

  60. Italy- the variety and wonderful climate makes Italian wines a wonderful choice

  61. During the Covid pandemic, we cancelled a month-long tour of Romania, and as we have not yet rebooked it, that would be my choice.

  62. Hungary and Bulgaria – when choosing wines, I always look for wines from these two countries first – and have never been disappointed.

Comments are closed.

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