Five years ago I made a kayaking trip on the Danube river from Regensberg, Germany to Linz, Austria. I had then wished to return some day and explore other parts of the Danube. So, here I was in Vienna to continue the journey. The first part is a 5 day trip from Vienna, Austria to Szentendre, Hungary. The second part is a 2-3 day trip from Tulcea to Sulina in the Danube delta, Romania.

Danube, Day 1 Leaving Vienna. I took the subway to reach the Danube canal in Vienna, from where I assembled and launched my kayak. It was overcast, but very warm. On the water it's 25-30 degree C--still comfortable. Children waved from bridges overhead and, as the canal joins the main river, Vienna gradually recedes behind me.

Outside of Vienna, the shores were lined with marshes and trees (willows, popular), with the occasional cottage and its fishing net hanging from a pole.

Hainburg, Austria

By late afternoon, I reached the historic town Hainburg an der Donau, where I stopped for the night. I asked a local for camping platz and was directed to a grassy area by the river on the east side of the town. Only problem: Mobs of mosquitos that considered me fine dining.

The town has a well preserved wall and gate and a castle ruin on a hill top (closed for repair), among other historic sites. It's water front also makes for a pleasant evening walk-if not for the mosquitos. The railway runs parallel to the shoreline over a stone viaduct.

Peaceful and picturesque. A thunderstorm blew through at night, which made for a dramatic backdrop over the Danube.

Danube, Day 2 Between Slovakia and Hungary. The rain finally relented in the morning. After a walk along the shore to explore more ruins (and breakfasted by mosquitos), I decamped to resume my travel. The current is swift (about 4-5 km/hr) on this stretch of the Danube, and I was making fast progress. Occasionally a hydrofoil or a cruise ship or a freighter passes by. Now the river flows between Slovakia and Hungary. Here is a castle ruin perched on a hill top on the Slovakia side.

I reached Bratislava at around noon. I stopped for about 1.5 hr to visit the main town center, which is compact and graced by fine baroque-style architecture amidst its many restaurants and shops.

Birds abound on this stretch of the Danube (ducks, egrets, swallows, gulls, terns, even swans). By late afternoon, I was still far from any town, so I got off the river (in fact, I was in a canal, straight as an arrow) and camped on the grassy embankment in the Slovakia country side.

A bike/motorcycle path runs along the shore, but it was very quiet by this time. There was a fresh breeze, a lovely sunset, and a chorus of frog songs to fall sleep to.

Days 3-4 Komarom and Esztergom. I woke to a cloudy and breezy morning. Lots of waves on the river, but no whitecaps. And the wind was in my back. Soon (after 45 minutes or so) I reached the hydro-electric dam at Tejke. A Slovakian policeman ordered me to get out of the river and portage my kayak across the dam. The distance of the portage was about 1 km, so I was grateful for the relative light weight of my kayak. It also attracted questions from curious workers there.

Below the dam, the flow was languid initially but gradually speeded up. Now the river sometimes narrowed and sometimes widened immensely, dotted by islets inhabited by waterbirds. The flow sometimes slowed and sometimes speeded up, possibly in different directions and some in swirling eddies or in standing waves. One time a black-faced tern repeatedly circled over my kayak, making a lot of sounds, and would fly low towards my kayak and then lift up just before reaching the kayak.

For most of the time, it was just the wind, water, and sky. By about 6 pm, I reached the town of Komarom in Hungary. I asked for camping platz and was directed to a beach quite far from the town. Fortunately I was able to find a fruit market and a food market not too far away, so I could replenish my provisions. It was a nice sandy beach in a forest surrounding, and the day ended with another nice sunset. But many mosquitos (and I forgot to bring repellent).

Next morning began with greyish sky, but the clouds gradually lifted to a bright sunny afternoon. The shores were well forested, filled with birdsongs in the morning.

Cottages and sandy beaches occasionally peek out from behind trees. I came upon some surprised bathers in the more secluded beaches. I reached Esztergom in Hungary in early afternoon, and was glad to find a camp site with washing facilities at Grand Camping, so I could wash my clothes a bit. It also had a pool for a relaxing dip. Esztergom has an impressive basilika (the largest in Hungary) with a sweeping view of the Danube valley, as well as other historic churches. Its city center is pleasant, crossed by a tributary of the Danube where a festival was held. I found a internet cafe to keep in touch with my other worlds. To continue reading click here.

Written by: Paul Tseng