The Lower Danube on the AMA Magna
Sunday, May 17
The next leg of our journey, over 740 miles and through five countries, from Budapest to Giurgiu, Romania is on the AMAWaterways river cruiser, the AMA Magna. It will take a week to get to the end point near the Black Sea. The large city in that area is Bucharest, Romania, from where we fly to Istanbul, the final stop of the adventure.
This is the region of "Southern Transdanubia" in Hungary. Situated between the Danube River to the east, Croatia to the south, and Lake Balaton to the west, this area is characterized by its rurallandscape and agricultural heritage.
Our first stop is the charming town of Mohács, renowned for its intriguing history. From here, we will journey west by coach to Pecs, a city that holds a special place in the hearts of many travelers as one of their favorite destinations in Hungary, second only to Budapest.
Monday, May 18
Breakfast in the Al Fresco dining area at the bow, my new all-time favorite spot to start the day.
Today’s Port: Mohács (“MO-hotch”) Hungary
The Tour: Pécs (“PAYTCH”), Hungary
Pécs (pop. 141,000) is an ancient city in southern Hungary, close to the Croatian border. Founded by the Romans as a wine-producing colony, it's known for its architectural landmarks such as the Early Christian Mausoleum which features frescoed tombs. Vast Pécs Cathedral towers over central Szent István Square. The domed Mosque of Pasha Gazi Kasim was built in the 16th century during the Ottoman occupation of the city and is now a Catholic church.
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| AMA Magna moored at Mohács |
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| Pec’s Cathdral |
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| Mosque of Pasha Gazi Kasim |
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| Fountain in the city square |
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| Franz Liszt Statue |
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| Tonight’s Dinner: The most tender filet mignon I’ve ever had |
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| Ice cream with fruit |
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| Famous Vukovar Bombed Water Tower |
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| Indoor Shopping Mall |
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| Two buildings damaged in 1991 Siege One repaired, one not. |
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| Wooly Mammoth Remains Discovered in this Area |
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| Confluence: the Danube and the Sava |
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| Used book shop along the street |
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| 1988: the first McD’s to open behind the Iron Curtain |
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| Nikola Tesla Museum |
Thursday, May 21
Golubac, Serbia
Today will be a major highlight of our cruise as we leisurely make our way through the most spectacular scenery found anywhere along the entire Danube River. Before sailing through the Iron Gates – a term referring to both the beautiful set of gorges through which the Danube River flows between Serbia and Romania, as well as the huge locks and the dam system used to control the water’s flow – we will stop on the Serbian shore to visit the medieval Golubac Fortress built into a cliff at the entrance of the Iron Gates.
The Iron Gates
is the area located in the middle of the Danube course, where the river separates Carpathian Mountains on the Romanian side, and the Balkan Mountains on the Serbian side of the river. It forms part of the boundary between Serbia (south) and
Romania (north). When cruising upstream, the left bank of the Danube up as far as the Bulgarian border belongs to Serbia while the right bank belongs to Romania.
The water carved its passage through the mountains, forming the largest gorge in Europe and, at the same time, one of the most scenic parts of the Danube landscape.
The area stretches for 134km (83mi) along the Danube course and contains two hydroelectric dams, with two power stations, Iron Gate I Hydroelectric Power Station and Iron Gate II Hydroelectric Power Station. It is a destination with spectacular landscapes, diversity of flora and fauna, and a large number of cultural and historical sites dating back from the Neolithic period, Roman Empire and medieval times.
The area is under protection, and the Romanian side of the gorge constitutes the Iron Gates Natural Park, whereas the Serbian part constitutes the Đerdap National Park that was declared the UNESCO global geopark in 2020.
The Iron Gates name also refers to the 2 hydroelectric power plants in the Danube. Until the huge dam and lock complex at kilometer 944, built between 1960 and 1971, which backed the river up and slowed it down to a virtual stand-still, this section was the most difficult and dangerous of any on the Danube. Craft using this section of the river had to take on a pilot and barge-tows often had to be broken up and brought through one by one or utilize a second tug to get through.
Iron Gates I is a huge dam and lock system - there are double locks on both the Serbian side and the Romanian side - has drastically altered the landscape for more than a hundred kilometers upstream, creating a huge mountain lake, and radically changing the nature of navigation on the Danube. Before the dam opened it took four and a half days to transit a full barge train through the Iron Gates. Today it takes just 15 hours. The dam stretches for 1278m (4220ft) across the river and is over 70m (230ft) high. At each end the two locks are 310m (1023ft) long, 34m (112ft) wide, with a depth of 4,5m (14,8ft). The locks can accommodate one of the large pushes tugs and nine 1000-tonne barges or a small ship up to 5000 tones.
One difficulty which the engineers had not thought about was the effect of strong winds blowing downstream and straight into the first lock, making
operation of the huge lock gates difficult and maneuvering for large barge trains dangerous in the approach to the lock.
Iron Gates II The dam is built at the Danube's 853 km. The project started in 1977 as a joint venture between the governments of Romania and Yugoslavia for the construction of large dam on the Danube River which would serve both countries. At the time of completion in 1984 the dam had 16 units generating a total of 432 MW, divided equally between the two countries at 216 MW each.
Morning at The Fortress
Vidin is an “off-the-beaten-path” destination in
Bulgaria! As one of the largest ports along the Danube during the 16th century under Turkish rule, Vidin boasts a rich history and cultural heritage.
Baba Vida is a remarkable medieval stone fortress that is considered as one of the best-preserved in Bulgaria.
What sets Vidin apart is its truly authentic Bulgarian experience away from the crowds.
May 24-27 in Istanbul
Later: Trip Wrap-up and A Look Back
Jay Lyons, Tucson, AZ
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