Beyond the Rhine and the Danube: Alternative European rivers to cruise

Think you’ve done river cruising in Europe? Time to look beyond mainstream rivers at the marvellous range of alternative cruise destinations.

Most river-cruise lines in Europe focus on Rhine itineraries between Amsterdam and Basel and longer routes that extend via the dainty Main River onto the Danube, generally finishing in Budapest. The Lower Danube from Budapest onwards as far as Romania is somewhat more adventurous.

The other staples of European river cruising are the Douro River in Portugal and three destinations in France: the Rhone, the Seine, and the Bordeaux region, where cruise ships sail short stretches of two rivers (the Dordogne and Garonne) and an estuary (the Gironde).

European Waterways’ barge Renaissance in the Upper Loire Valley.

There are more esoteric offerings for those who go looking, however. You can sail another French river, the Loire, which runs through rolling hills, forest and vineyards.

Thanks to its proximity to Paris, the Loire is dense with the chateaux of French royalty and nobility. Notable history-rich towns include Orleans, Blois, Amboise and Nantes on the Atlantic coast.

Only French company CroisiEurope operates on the Loire. It has several itineraries and both French and English are used on board its paddle ship Loire Princesse. You can also have a barge holiday with European Waterways.

Pay attention to CroisiEurope when looking for alternative rivers. This major river-cruise company, which operates 50 ships worldwide, offers interesting alternatives in Europe that other international companies don’t cover, such as the Guadalquivir and Guadiana in Andalusia and Rhine tributary the Necker, which runs through Heidelberg and Stuttgart in Germany.

Germany has other river options such as the Oder that defines its border with Poland, wanders through a national park, and empties in the Baltic Sea, at historic trading city Szczecin or Stettin. CroisiEurope, Noble Caledonia and Saga operate English-language cruises there.

The Elbe River will take you from Germany into Czechia, a section of it passing through a highly scenic region of sandstone cliffs dubbed Saxon Switzerland. Cruises often finish overland in Prague, but small ships might sail into it on the Vltava River. CroisiEurope, Nicko, Noble Caledonia, Saga and Viking are among operators.

The Elbe and its sandstone massif.

The Elbe packs a cultural punch, offering excursions to Wittenberg where Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation, porcelain town Meissen, and beautiful royal city Litomerice. The highlight though is Dresden, a baroque masterpiece with a palace crammed with superb treasures.

Be wary of cruising the Elbe too late in the season, since it often suffers from low water levels. That problem has seen Po River cruising in Italy abandoned, but CroisiEurope, European Waterways and Uniworld ships still sail the adjacent Venetian Lagoon, with passengers making shore excursions by coach to cities such as Verona, Padua, Bologna and Ravenna.

Finally, for something completely different, you can cruise with CroisiEurope on the Sava and Tisza rivers that link Hungary and Serbia and flow through wetlands and grasslands. It passes towns such as Tokaj, which produces a famous Hungarian dessert wine, and Szeged, a fine university city notable for its art deco heritage.