Mountain City's Travel Blog

A river cruise on the Rhone allows you to indulge in French cuisine, culture, scenery and lifestyle – and you’re going to want to take the best of the best of the region home! Our river cruise on the Emerald Liberte on the Rhone took us from Lyon, north on the Saone river, then down the Rhone to some of...

A Christmas market river cruise in Europe may be the very best way to capture the magic of the season. Our Viking Christmas on the Rhine river cruise from Switzerland to the Netherlands took us to four countries, each with its own Christmas markets, traditions, flavors and specialities.  WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE with highlights of some of the best Christmas markets...

The Czech Republic is already a bucket-list destination for beer lovers, with a beer culture dating back to the 10th century, and continuing today, with renowned brewing traditions and iconic beer styles.  Pilsner Urquell, the world's first pilsner lager, was born in the city of Pilsen, and visitors can explore the Pilsner Urquell Brewery Museum to learn about its history. Czech...

One of the world’s longest rivers, flowing through six Asian countries, makes for an exotic Emerald river cruise to remember – and one that will let you strike a few items off your travel bucket list!  The Mekong River is a majestic waterway that winds its way through Southeast Asia. Dubbed “the Mother of Water,” the Mekong river is the lifeline...

The Moselle is one of the rivers less-traveled in Europe, and that’s just the beginning of the magical appeal of an itinerary that sails from Luxembourg, then the Rhine and Main into Germany. Three waterways with two wine regions, a famous stretch of castles, plus “Active” and “Discovery” shore excursions that give new ways to experience the countryside, cities and...

Fans of ultra-luxury, all-inclusive boutique European river cruising have two reasons to celebrate. Uniworld has announced the addition of two ships to its fleet. Following the line’s tradition of naming ships after European queens, empresses and other royalty, the new ships names are S.S. Victoria and S.S. Elisabeth. The ships will begin sailing in 2024 and 2025 respectively.  We say ‘new’...

Don’t wait til spring or summer to visit Austria’s capital. Some of its most unique experiences take place during the frosty months, where one-of-a-kind local events warm your heart and reveal a side of Vienna you can’t see any other time of the year.   Viennese Christmas Markets:Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, is a magical time in Vienna,...

It is extraordinarily charming to cruise any of the rivers of Europe, but they call it “The Romantic Rhine” for a reason – at least three reasons! And on my most recent sailing on the Rhine on a Viking river cruise, I was reminded of why the Rhine is one of my – and many seasoned river cruisers’ – favorites.  On...

More and more travelers are tuning in to the charms of river cruising through the hearts of some of the world’s most fabulous destinations. Two new ships have just debuted that will make exploring France’s fabled Rhone River and Egypt’s legendary Nile even more appealing.  VIKING ATON With the August, 2023 launch of the Viking Aton, the ocean, expedition and river cruise...

Those who love – or would like to try – river cruising close to home can rejoice: there’s a new river to sail on.  In the summer of 2023, American Cruise Lines launched a new river route that explores the charming towns of America’s Tennessee Valley.  The cruise line, which operates a 17-vessel fleet of river and small ships, has dedicated three...

All of the former Crystal Cruises’ ships have now found new homes. The original cruise line is no more, but those who love the ships can still sail aboard favorite river, ocean, expedition and yacht vessels with their new lines. In some cases, their new owners even managed to bring back their original crew so your next cruise… will feel like...

Viking has announced a new river cruise itinerary, debuting in December, 2023, making it the first river cruise line to operate year-round on Europe's rivers - which comes with some benefits for travelers opting into river cruising at that time of the year. Viking's new 'Treasures of the Rhine' cruises will allow guests the opportunity to experience Europe’s rich culture during winter, even...

King Louis XIV of France called it the ‘wine of kings, the king of wines,’ but remarkably, this Hungarian wine remains under the radar for many wine lovers today. For over a thousand years, Tokaj wines were served to royalty, and now, they are a treasure for modern travelers to Hungary to discover. A perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in...

2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings of Allied troops in France to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation. For travelers with family members who served in Normandy, as well as those keen to immerse themselves in history, one river cruise line has created an itinerary to commemorate the milestone with perspectives from both sides of the Channel. I've...

American Cruise Lines is the oldest U.S. cruise line exclusively sailing along the rivers, waterways and coasts of America, with 2023 marking a half-century of operations. The cruise line visits only domestic ports of call along both the U.S. East and West Coasts, Alaska to Florida, and the major rivers in-between, from the Hudson to the Mississippi to the Columbia...

A hundred years after the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, “King Tut” remains the most famous of all of ancient Egypt’s rulers – and one of the biggest attractions on a trip to Egypt. Tutankhamun only ruled for 10 short years until dying at the age of 19 in 1325 BC. But he became a celebrity...

Viking has debuted a new river cruise that would make even the Grinch burst with Christmas spirit! And if you already love Christmas like I do, Viking’s new ‘Christmas on the Rhine' river cruise may be the ultimate way to immerse yourself in the beloved and authentic European Christmas traditions right at their source.  From March until November every year,...

Supernatural and macabre films, TV series, and novels feed our gathered-round-the-fire love of a scary story. But there’s nothing like the real-life thrill of visiting in person places around the world whose histories of hauntings, bone-chilling tales and ghostly sightings get our primal senses tingling while we’re standing right there!We’ve rounded up some of our favorite spook-tacular trips:London, EnglandLondon’s long...

This may be the smallest type of cruise possible. Luxury travel company Belmond is building another mini-river cruise ship. This one will sail just 6 guests through the legendary Champagne region of France.  Part of its French collection, Coquelicot, A Belmond Boat, Champagne, launches in spring of 2023. It joins a fleet of so-called ‘barges’ in France called Les Bateaux...

  Beginning in 2024, Avalon Waterways will be the latest river cruise line to embark on this increasingly popular route, joining Uniworld, Tauck, AmaWaterways, Scenic, Emerald Cruises and others on this western-most European river cruise route. Calling its new itinerary “a new view on the Old World,” Avalon Waterways says the new route will provide guests with “the grandest views in cruising...