Memories are strange things. Are they tucked away in the back of our brains just waiting to be plucked out like a dusty old book from a dark corner of a library? Or are they simply thoughts pieced together from photographs, family stories and snippets we’ve convinced ourselves we remember?

These are not the questions I expect to be pondering while waiting for my luggage to appear on the carousel at Munich Airport. Yet, as I enter Germany for the first time since living here for three years as a child, “memories” of my parents speaking Deutsch, eating sausages and sauerkraut, and Mozart on high rotation come flooding into my jet-lagged brain.

After leaving Munich Airport and driving for two hours with my travel group, we arrive in the charming town of Passau, on Germany’s border with Austria. Leading up to this trip, I made a half-hearted attempt to brush up on my (extremely) basic German. Unfortunately, the Duolingo language learning app became like a clingy ex, constantly asking, “Is it really over?” The guilt trips were too much, so I dumped him for good. But here in this small city, I manage to order Einen Kaffee, bitte and actually receive a cup of coffee.

We spend one night here, in a hotel overlooking the Danube, before embarking on a seven day, six night Pearls of the Danube river cruise to Budapest aboard the Riverside Mozart.

It’s often said the best part about cruising is only having to unpack once. After multiple airports, long-haul flights and security checks to get here, the idea of travelling through three countries (Germany, Austria and Hungary) without once being asked to remove my belt or empty my pockets feels utterly delightful.

Launched in 2023, the Riverside Mozart is a beautifully renovated 120-metre long vessel and offers an intimate alternative to larger ships. My base for the week is a 20-square-metre Riverside Suite complete with a luxurious king-sized bed and a toilet seat lid that automatically lifts on approach – a convenience I never knew I needed but quickly grow to love. Beyond the suites, there are plenty of common areas to relax and unwind, including the expansive sundeck.

With just 81 suites and a maximum of 162 guests (looked after by 82 crew members), the ship feels incredibly exclusive. By the second morning, familiar faces appear at breakfast and before long, strangers become dining companions.

The crew quickly learn our names and we learn theirs. Gigi is always there to greet us with an ice-cold flannel after a hot afternoon ashore. Alexandra has a wonderful collection of eyewear and somehow each pair perfectly suits the occasion. If she appears wearing her sparkling diamante frames, we know it’s going to be a particularly fun evening.

However, on the first evening that we depart, there is an unexpected passenger tagging along: a heatwave. Temperatures hover close to 40 degrees and stay there as we head east across Europe. Thankfully, the ship’s air-conditioning provides a welcome sanctuary.

While iconic capital cities headline the itinerary, it is often the smaller towns that are more easily accessed via a river cruise that deliver the biggest surprises. We stop in Austria’s Grein to marvel at the historic Greinburg Castle and later visit Melk’s Artstetten Castle, which we’re intrigued to learn is the final burial place of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie.

In Vienna, we listen to a performance of the music of Mozart and Strauss, and stand before Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss during a private viewing at the Belvedere Palace. Despite seeing reproductions countless times, nothing prepares me for its scale in person.

Further down the river, Hungary’s magnificent Esztergom Basilica leaves us entirely speechless. Being told by our guide that it’s the third-largest basilica in Europe prompts more than one traveller to discreetly consult Google (the jury is out on that one, but it doesn’t make it less impressive).

Back onboard, the food quickly becomes an attraction in itself. I’ve never met a buffet breakfast I didn’t love but this one raises the bar impossibly high. Fluffy French toast, maple syrup and crispy bacon become a morning ritual that clearly contributes to the three kilograms of “excess baggage” I bring home.

One evening, we dine in the ship’s Vintage Room which seats a maximum of just 12 guests. Here, an eight-course degustation is served with theatrical precision. Plates filled with golden crusted veal and velvety mushroom ratatouille are delivered by the waiters in perfect synchronisation.

When we’re not eating or exploring, there is plenty to enjoy onboard, including a sauna, steam room, pool, spa and treatments, such as massages, so relaxing I nearly fall asleep.

Eventually, though, our unwelcome travelling companion has the final say. The relentless heatwave causes the Danube’s water level to drop so dramatically that the Riverside Mozart can no longer safely sail into our final destination of Budapest. From the Visegrad fortress outside the city we can see sandy banks where the river should be flowing.

Although a rare occurrence, the crew springs into action and calmly reorganises our final evening. Instead of sailing into the Hungarian capital, we enjoy a spectacular sundeck barbecue overlooking the basilica in Esztergom before travelling into Budapest by coach the following morning.

It may not be the grand nighttime arrival we’d imagined – gliding along the Danube towards one of Europe’s most beautiful cities with the lights of the historical Parliament House guiding the way – but it does little to dampen the mood. Instead, it becomes just another story from a wonderful week, and unlike the fuzzy recollections of my childhood, these are memories I know I’ll keep.

The writer was a guest of Riverside Cruises. Find out more or book your own Pearls of the Danube voyage, departing 10 - 16 June 2027.