Destination: Eastern Europe

Crystal Cruises Enchanting Europe

European enchantments await you on your next Crystal cruise! From St. Petersburg to Santorini, the cruise line voted World’s Best more than any other in history explores Europe with more overnight stays, more maiden calls and more 7-day voyages than ever before.

Dnieper River

The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe (fourth by length), flowing through Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Most itineraries travel between Kiev, the capital, and Odessa, a large seaport on the Black Sea.The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations.In antiquity, the river was known to the Greeks as the Borysthenes and was part of the Amber Road. Arheimar, a capital of the Goths, was located on the Dnieper, according to the Hervarar saga.

Volga River

The Volga  is the longest river in Europe; it is also Europe’s largest river in terms of discharge and watershed. It flows through central Russia and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Eleven of the twenty largest cities of Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg are situated in the Volga’s drainage basin. Some of the largest reservoirs in the world can be found along the Volga. The river has a symbolic meaning in Russian culture and is often referred to as Mother Volga in Russian literature and folklore.

Elbe River

Elbe River,one of the major waterways of central Europe. It runs from the Czech Republic through Germany to the North Sea, flowing generally to the northwest. Elbe River cruises sail through Germany and the Czech Republic on a picturesque route characterized by soaring cliffs, storybook castles and medieval towns.

Danube River

The Danube is a river in Central Europe, the European Union’s longest and the continent’s second longest (after the Volga).

Classified as an international waterway, it originates in  the Black Forest of Germany–at the confluence of the rivers Brigach and Breg. The Danube then flows southeast for 2,872 km (1,785 mi), passing through Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine.Captured in art, poetry and music, the Danube River is one of the world’s most romantic waterways.