Explore the wonders of Europe on a river cruise

Rustic castles along the Rhine, charming towns on the Main River, stair-step locks on a 106-mile-long canal, a music concert in Vienna and the imposing Budapest Parliament building on the Danube are among the many highlights of a recent 15-day river cruise through Central Europe, a new destination for me.

Traveling through the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Hungary, home base was the Gefjon, a year-old longship from the Viking Cruises fleet that offers all the comforts of a five-star hotel, including exceptional customer service at every level.

The 95 cabins on the 443-foot-long Gefjon are “outside” cabins, so all passengers aboard have a front-row seat to observe cargo ships, kayakers, pleasure boats and swans on the water or sprawling towns, abandoned castles and abundant wildflowers on shore. Another plus: Viking’s river cruises call for casual clothing, which makes packing easy.

The lounge, which features large windows, is the gathering place for cooking demonstrations, music concerts, history lectures and special tastings of Viennese coffee or Dutch gin. Toasting new friends with Mozart chocolate liqueur at the well-stocked bar, reading on the shaded top deck and relaxing in a rocking chair on the bow of the ship also help fill any leisure hours.

The food is extraordinary, with many tempting choices at every meal. Open seating is the policy in the dining room, and most often I was table-hopping with my longtime friend Steve Woolf, artistic director at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. After all, Steve’s vacation plans inspired me to book this river cruise.

At each stop, local guides eager to share information on the history of their hometowns and the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the region lead the daily walking tours and shore excursions. A “gentle walkers” category caters to those of us unaccustomed to strolling over cobblestones, which come in several configurations. (The flatter, the better!)

Winnowed down from dozens of memorable moments, here are 14 peak experiences.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands • In a city with 165 canals — some that are 400 years old — it makes sense to hop on a boat, rather than a bus, to get to know the city. I did that on my pre-cruise extension visit. I then toured the Anne Frank House and Museum and the Van Gogh Museum. I also sought out Dutch pancakes, brown bread and cheese and other tasty Dutch specialties.

Cologne, Germany • Growing up in St. Louis with the ever-present aroma of brewing hops, of course I signed up for the Beer Culture Dinner. The excursion included stops at three brew houses to taste Kolsch, the signature beer of Cologne, and dinner at Brauhaus zur Malzmuhle, a popular local place established in 1858. We feasted on tender, slow-cooked pig’s knuckle served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. Delicious!

Vineyards • Cruising along the Main River, the terraced vineyards on shore reminded me of the German families that settled Augusta and Hermann, Missouri’s wine-growing region. Generally I favor hearty zinfandels, but I am now a convert to the pleasures of Silvaner, a crisp, dry white wine from the vineyards along the Main. (The river’s name rhymes with “Rhine.”)

Miltenberg, Germany • This lovely small town boasts wonderful clothing shops and specialty stores. I bought black licorice from Ellen and Bernd Ulshofer at the candy store they opened as a retirement project. Then I joined new friends from the Gefjon for pretzels, beer and apple strudel at Zum Reisen (“Inn of the Giant”), which opened in 1411.

Locks • The Main-Danube canal, initially imagined by Charlemagne in the 8th century and finally completed in 1992 — stretches 106 miles and features 16 locks, with a total elevation change of 574 feet. After the first few times the Gefjon passed through a lock, I quit running outside to watch, but I never stopped finding the experience fascinating, especially in the deepest locks, when the longship snuggled between tall concrete walls.

Wurzburg, Germany • Going rogue one morning, I skipped the walking tour and took a taxi to the center of town to explore on my own. An open plaza surrounded by department stores was filled with market booths where vendors sold fresh produce, baskets, ceramics, hats, wooden toys, linen socks, bolts of colorful fabric and much more.

Glassblower • Karl Ittig, a master glassblower who says he knew Dale Chihuly “when he was a hippie,” came aboard the Gefjon one morning to demonstrate his art. A rapt audience listened as this charming, funny and exceptionally skilled man talked about his family’s history — he is a sixth-generation glassblower — and his love for his work. (See www.glaskunst.de/index.php/en/)

Franconian countryside • In the mood to taste more signature beers and dip yet another pretzel in savory mustard, I opted for a day trip out of Bamberg, Germany. A bus took us to Memmelsdorf, a town that boasts 145,000 people and 63 breweries. At Drei Kronen (Three Crowns), a pub and guest house, the brewmaster talked to us about his Rauchbier, a smoked beer, and a lighter wheat beer made with hops from Oregon. Prost!

Nuremberg, Germany • Steve headed out on the popular World War II excursion here, while I went in search of the city’s famous gingerbread cookies and signature sausages. In the market square, I spied Birkenstock sandals in their natural habitat. And not far from a sushi food truck, I found Michael Bellair, a brewmaster selling beer ice cream crafted from his dark beer and mascarpone cheese. I settled in for the boozy ice cream treat on a stick and never made it to the town’s famous Toy Museum.

Regensburg, Germany • This particular medieval city is the oldest city along the Danube — which is not now and likely never was any shade of blue — and it also is the hometown of Pope Benedict XVI. I stopped at the historic Alte Wurstküche by the river, said to be the oldest continuously open public restaurant in the world. It first opened in 1146, serving dockworkers, sailors and staff from a nearby cathedral. Today, the restaurant serves 6,000 grilled sausages a day.

Salzburg, Austria • Some 500,000 people travel each year to Salzburg to tour sites made famous in the movie “The Sound of Music,” but I made the day trip to spend time in the foothills of the Alps. I enjoyed seeing Mozart’s house (well, one of them) and was thrilled when I happened upon a lively parade. A kind Austrian gentleman standing nearby explained that Salzburg was celebrating its 200th anniversary as part of Austria.

Melk, Austria • Step into the massive library in the 900-year-old Melk Abbey, and you learn it is just one of a dozen libraries in the massive Baroque building that houses more than 100,000 books, many of them written by hand. Step into the gift shop, and you can buy apricot liqueur made by the Benedictine monks.

Vienna, Austria • With its elegant palaces, elaborate government buildings and green spaces galore, this world-class capital city feeds the soul. Under Vienna’s spell, I attended a music concert. I stood in a crowd six people deep at the Belvedere Palace to admire Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss.” And I bought a small bag of Mozartkugel, chocolate candy introduced in 1890 that is filled with pistachio and almond marzipan and nougat.

Budapest, Hungary • The excursion to Lázár Lovaspark, 21 miles outside of Budapest, promises horsemanship demonstrations, a carriage ride and time to mingle with Hungarian farm animals. The afternoon delivers all that plus a glass of Hungarian fruit brandy and a savory scone.

If you go, your peak experiences may well differ from mine. On the Grand European Tour, in addition to the free walking tour every morning, Viking offers more than two dozen optional excursions. To customize your cruise, a concierge on board will help you seek out iconic restaurants, yarn shops, church organs, art galleries or historic cemeteries.

Or course, it’s not possible to go everywhere and see everything, and that’s not a good idea anyway. One of the great joys of a river cruise is relaxing on board with a fresh-baked cookie and cup of tea from the snack station, whiling away an afternoon after a busy morning. Seasickness is not a concern, as you don’t feel the boat move.

Viking now has 45 vessels cruising on rivers in Europe, Russia, Asia and Egypt, with a choice of 31 different itineraries. If you favor ocean cruises, Viking is in that business as well. Travel Leisure magazine readers named Viking as Best Ocean Cruise Line in 2016. When that honor was first announced during my river cruise in July, the captain of the Gefjon promptly scheduled a cocktail party to celebrate.

At the party, though I was already sipping a glass of wine, I happily accepted a flute of champagne. Why not? Any once-in-a-lifetime trip is all about celebrating.

IF YOU GO

Departures: The 15-day Grand European Tour, which includes four countries, is offered from April 3 through Nov. 4. Some trips start in Amsterdam and others depart from Budapest.

Cost: Rates range from $4,899 to $19,799 for double occupancy, with eight categories of cabins. Airfare is not included, but free airfare is offered from some cities for some trips. Viking makes “special offers” available all the time. Watch the website, sign up for the emails or call the cruise line and ask.

Shore excursions: A dozen guided walking tours are provided free, with additional options available for a fee in each port of call. Travelers also may explore on their own.

Trip extensions: Before or after the cruise, trip extensions are available in Amsterdam ($699-$799) or Prague ($899-$1,049). I went to Amsterdam for the extension, which allowed time to explore that wonderful city and shake off jet lag.

More info: See vikingrivercruisescanada.com or call 1-800-207-7286.