The Danube Waltz - River cruising

Waking up in a king-size bed on the Danube river with a panoramic view of vineyards, castles and majestic monasteries. Was I dreaming? Not quite, but the serenity and beauty of a river cruise on the Danube river was almost dream like. My good wife and little girl have recently had an amazing and unexpected adventure. A last-minute opportunity to join a luxury river cruise with Crystal Cruises, sailing from the south eastern corner of Germany and meandering along at a leisurely pace to some little-known gems in Austria - Grein, Stein & Krems, Durnstein and Melk. I'll be honest and admit I hadn't heard of any of them before this trip. Each has its own unique charm, from the beautiful and imposing castle in Grein, the quant village and university town of Stein, the picture postcard village of Durnstein with the renowned vineyard region of the Wachau valley, to the majestic baroque monastery in Melk. To top it all off we spent two days exploring Vienna, a city steeped in incredible history and the cornerstone of the Austrian empire for over six centuries. It is no surprise this beautiful city has been voted the best city in the world to live in on multiple occasions. And all of this in eight days without having to break a sweat (unless opting for one of the many riverside bike tours, chasing the boat downstream). The hardest part of the day was deciding which excursion to join or what to choose from the incredible dining options on the Crystal cruise. I wasn't dreaming, but what a dream trip...