“In the summer of this year we made a journey to Transylvania, and went over the old ground which was, and is, to us so full of vivid and terrible memories.”
From Dracula, by Bram Stoker.
Who in their right mind would visit the land of Count Dracula? Surprisingly, a lot more people than poor Jonathan Harker now travel to the lower Danube River, the home of vampires, werewolves, and so much more.
My journey began a decade ago (literary journey, not actual travel miles) when I had a first century character travel from the Black Forest of Germany all the way to the Black Sea. With the aid of Google Earth, I was able to learn about some of the cool geography (The Iron Gates), cultures (the werewolf people), and its impressive connection to so many modern European countries. When a new writing project took my back to the Danube River (again, figurative travel), I enlisted the aid of something far better than Google Earth—I called my travel agent.
My wife explained that Avalon Waterways River Cruises had some great packages for travel agents, and after comparing their ships to Viking ships (not the Norse, the company), she booked us on a great tour of the lower Danube, giving me eight days to create ideas for my new novel.
A River Cruise Ship
Our journey (literal this time) began in Budapest, and after a chaotic flight, canceled flight, subsequent charter bus ride, and mad dash via taxi, we crossed the street to find our ship docked with a dozen other big ships. Unlike an airport, the general public is out walking around and it’s up to you to know which ship is yours. In Budapest, a larger port, these slender cruise ships not only lined the bank but in many cases, they were double and triple parked, meaning you’d walk through one ship to get to the other.
The staff quickly checked us in, and no sooner had we dropped off our bags than the ship began to move. Cruise ship captains won’t wait for late travelers, and we just made it under the wire. One of the big reasons we picked Avalon over Viking is the panoramic room views, which meant that the wall was a sliding glass door facing the river. It saved 4 feet of cabin space (since all river ships are the same size) and allowed the bed to face the landscape.
The biggest difference between an ocean cruise ship and a river cruise ship is the motion. That shore can fly by, and if you’re not careful, you can get a bit of motion sickness. But sitting at the window is a fun way to see fishing boats, rugged terrains, and small villages pass by.
Even though we booked a lot of excursions, the rest of the ship was great. The dining hall and social halls were comfortable and spacious, and the front of the ship let you get your inner Jack and Rose thrill while the rear deck kept you sheltered from the breeze. Our summer cruise had a record cold snap, so we didn’t spend much time catching rays as the ship moved from location to location.
An unexpected perk with the river cruise is that you really get to know the staff. From the captain to the cooks, you got to see a lot of these folks. For us, we bonded with our “Adventure Guide” Petyr, who took us on rigorous hikes and bike rides while the rest of the folks on the ship did some tamer excursions. Because of this, we got a lot of unfiltered views of these European countries.
The Excursions
Bad travel luck robbed us of visiting Budapest, but we did get a very cool night tour of the city, with our captain whipping a 180 in the middle of the river after showing us all the illuminated buildings.
As soon as we left the metropolis, the landscape immediately turned into a rural landscape. Compared to the Minnesota River, with towns, bridges, and water towers marking the river in ten mile increments, the Danube waterway was quite remote. Its isolation was a bit surprising.
An early stop was at Mohacs, which again meant pulling up to the bank and tossing some ropes—and you were free! You could walk around, take a bike ride, but…you had to be back when the captain said. Often, we’d load into a bus and drive off to a location landmark, like a winery. Avalon hired some quality tour guides (all but our last one), so prepare to learn a lot (or every single wikipedia fact known to man, as was the case for our last guide).
After a rural experience, we next ended up in Belgrade, which meant we stepped off the ship and into the heart of a city. Folks just scattered to the wind with this excursion, but after hours of touring, we’d somehow run into our cruise friends in a full city.
My creative juices began to flow when the Danube River bottled up at Galubac Fortress, the natural and manmade gate to the “Iron Gates” corridor. Galubac Fortress had it all—history, mystery, legend, and lore. By the end of the day, the ship was passing through even older history when it reached monuments that went back to the Roman Era, including the sculpture of Decebalus, which reminded me a lot of the Argonath from Fellowship of the Rings.
Another epic excursion was to Belogradchik Fortress, which meant a bit of a bus ride. Luckily, we had a charming guide that told us how Bulgaria changed before, during, and after communism. The Fortress, however, had changed little in that same time and gave a stunning view of the region with a castle built atop a natural stone formation.
And Dracula? Well, by the time we got to Bucharest, one thing was quite clear to me—they don’t like Dracula in Romania. Vlad? Oh, he was real. Vampires? That’s silly English tourist stuff. Let me compare, it would be like taking Davy Crockett, defender of the Alamo, and turning him into a shapeshifting mermaid. The original figure was an epic hero without needing the taint of modern storytelling.
In Romania, there are dozens of cool castles to visit, and seeing some of the more obscure castles was plenty for me. Visiting Bran Castle was on par to visiting Wall Drug, where you could buy Dracula on a stick, button, or keychain. We spent a night in Bucharest instead, choosing urban dining and shopping to another bus ride into history.
Roaming the side streets with Petyr.
Prepare to drink some wine.
Avalon Panoramic windows
A natural spot for a fortress.
Hail the King!
The "gates" before the "gates"
Exploring cities.
Our ship, the Passion