“Now we’re heading toward Dürnstein, one of the loveliest towns in Austria,” the voice over loudspeaker of the M/V Adagio intoned. “Its buildings represent a number of architectural styles and so many artists have gathered at one spot to portray the magnificent surrounding landscape that it became known as the Painters’ Corner.”
The fact is, though, that on the way to Dürnstein we sailed past lovely town after lovely town. As the vessel continued its journey on the Danube River, my wife Fyllis and I joined our 160-some fellow passengers in oohing and aahing over the beauty of many towns and villages along the way. We spotted churches, castles, and other historic landmarks, and marveled over scenery that made us wish we had the time, and talent, to capture on canvas what we were seeing.
It was just another day admiring the tiny hamlets and majestic cities which line the banks of the Danube as it flows through Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria (with a land extension to Prague). It's a route which takes you to Budapest, Vienna, and Prague, three of the grandest and most stunning capital cities in all of Europe. plus little Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, which replicates much of the splendor in a more compact setting, and smaller towns that claim their own charms.
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