Riverboat Cruise to Beautiful Budapest

The Viking Ship Odin on the Danube River in Budapest Hungary. Viking River Cruises

Budapest is a popular docking point for luxury riverboats, and it’s no wonder given that the mighty Danube runs right through the city, Hungary’s capital. From our luxury Viking riverboat we could see Buda and Pest as we faced the Chain Bridge—the earliest bridge to join the two cities.

Viking boats were in the majority, so we knew we would be in good company as we explored historical Budapest, often called the Pearl of the Danube and one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.

Heart-stirring Memorials

On the riverbank promenade we came upon “Shoes on the Danube Bank,” a touching and humble memorial to Jewish people killed by the Hungarian Arrow Cross militiamen during the Second World War. The memorial is, simply, shoes. The martyred were ordered to take off their shoes and then were shot at the water’s edge so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away.