We learned so many things while we traveled the Viking long ship along the Danube River. There are so many castles and fortresses along the high banks of the river, some in good repair, but most not. One of the most gorgeous portions of our Romantic Danube River Cruise was the Wauchau Valley, where green hills rose up around us and the Danube River snaked around the hills. There were surprises at every turn. It was also a rainy, cloudy day, so I didn’t get all those gorgeous blue sky photos you dream about. But as we moved along, we got a little history. Durnstein is the modern day site of the castle where King Richard was imprisoned and held for ransom. Remember the story? His brother John wasn’t too sure he wanted to pay the ransom; he thought he’d rather be king himself, or so Hollywood tells the tale. Well, as we rounded one of the bends, our cruise director called our attention to the top of the hill. That, she said, is where King Richard was imprisoned! Down at the bottom of the hill is the loveliest little town with a blue church steeple right at the river’s edge. You could see the old castle ruins for miles coming and leaving that little town. What a reputation to have for your town’s history!
