Tag: https://www.serbia.travel/en

Countries, Cruising, Deals, Europe, Ships

VIVA the Danube’s Iron Gates

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They sound like something out of Game of Thrones but VIVA the Danube’s Iron Gates are all too real and more dramatic than anything in George RR Martin’s world.
The Iron Gates, for those who are not too familiar with the great river gateway of central Europe, are the natural border between Serbia and Romania.
An 83-mile route, with the last barrier, the Kazan (Great Boiler) gorge being the narrowest and most breathtaking at just 15om just beyond the Romanian city of Orsova.

The side of the gorge in Romania constitutes the Iron Gates Natural Park, and the Serbian Đerdap National Park.

And what’s more Lepenski Vir in Serbia in the gorge and on the banks of the Danube is mooted as being the oldest planned settlement in Europe at 13,000 years ago.

Long before we’d hazard those Starks and their dragons were around.

Move aside Winterfell

Someone’s looking at you: The gorge
Now all this will naturally pull in any of us who have enjoyed the charms of the Danube.
And even more so with VIVA Cruises tempting us with a gentle amble through its waters.
The 11-night ‘The Danube’s Iron Gates’, sailing on VIVA TWO departs Passau on September 6.
With ports of call including Bratislava, Belgrade, Donji Milanovac, Novi Sad and an overnight in  Ilok.
Then on to Aljmas, Budapest, Hainburg and Vienna, Dürnstein; and Melk.
Many of those stop-offs sounding like they’ve come straight out of Winterfell.
With prices starting from €2950, the campaign comprises a free cabin upgrade and onboard credit.

VIVA the river

Buda blessed: On the Danube
In addition, a reduced single supplement of 20 per cent is available for applicable solo bookings.
The offer is valid on 65 river cruises departing in 2026, with prices listed for Emerald deck cabins.
And if you can’t extend to 11 nights on VIVA TWO then there is a seven-night Danube from Vienna, sailing on VIVA MOMENTS from €1795pp.
Or a seven-night Whispers of the Rhone, sailing on VIVA VOYAGE, departing Lyons and flowing through France, from €1695pp.
Gentle sweep: Past Danube towns
While there’s a seven-night Waterways of the North, sailing on VIVA ONE through the Low Countries from €1795pp.
Guests will receive €25pp onboard spending money on cruises of up to six nights.
And €50pp for voyages of more than seven nights in duration.

The credit can be used for shore excursions, spa treatments and in onboard retails shops.Cabin upgrades will be applied to the next higher cabin category.

Asia, Countries, Culture, Europe, Ireland, Pilgrimage

Go on, go on, go on to Istanbul

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You’d expect Father Ted’s housekeeper, Mrs Doyle, to either snub the Turkish tea.

Or lay into it on Pilgrimage: The Road to Istanbul.

Mrs Doyle, aka Pauline McLynn, is yet to reveal her true self on the BBC2 show, next on on Friday, March 26 and available on Catch Up.

She, in fact, comes across as a bit ditzy and not at all religious.

Here come the girls: Edwina Currie, Fatima Whitbread and Pauline McLynn

I can vouch for that.

With Pauline effing and blinding like a true modern-day daughter of Ireland when I met her.

She was the speaker at an Australian Irish Chamber of Commerce lunch in Dublin.

My cup of tea

I was as a guest of the-then newly opened Flight Centre store in Dawson Street.

Pauline is joined on the Sultans Trail by six other celebrities, only four others who I recognise.

That’ll be javelin queen Fatima Whitbread, sports presenter Adrian Chiles, ex-politician Edwina Currie and comedian (and I use that term loosely) Dom Joly.

Here come the boys: Dom Joly, Mim Shaikh, Amar Latif and Adrian Chiles

The Sultans Trail is new to me.

But not the pilgrims who have been walking sections of the 2,200km stretch from Vienna to Istanbul.

Our super seven set out from Belgrade, and I am surprised that they didn’t check out its hidden palace.

What’s in a name?

And they make their way through Serbia and a little bit of Greece.

On their 1,000km two-week trip to the great city on the Bosphorus.

Our Lady in Medjugorje

In the first episode we see them walk through forests, pick lemons, climb castles (and one pilgrim, Amar Latif is blind).

And partake in a Serbian celebration to Our Lady. She’s big in the Balkans.

Before in a few episodes’ time we reach Istanbul and the Suleymaniye Mosque.

Cruise the Bosphorus

Istanbul is one of the great cities of the world.

And it has at various times been known also as Byzantium and Constantinople.

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It’s still the centre of the Greek Orthodox Church and is still known as Constantinople across the border in Hellas.

A bit like Derry and Londonderry… know your audience.

I’d recommend that when our pilgrims do get to Istanbul they have a blow-out then on a boat trip on the Bosphorus.

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Now you all know I love a good oul’ pilgrimage and unbeknownst to me there have been two previous series.

Where’s my invite?

Eight celebs have already been out to Santiago de Compostella and Rome following, I guess, in my footsteps.

With Onur in Istanbul

I was, of course, with my friends at CaminoWays and FrancigenaWays.

And I know the question you’re asking… why wasn’t I one of the celebs chosen to go to Istanbul to complete the set?

Yes, you’d be right… the BBC Director General has already had his knuckles rapped for that oversight.

MEET YOU ON THE ROAD