Cruising River Danube in a 17ft boat
I guess that it’s not every day that someone embarks on a long boat trip in a small 5-metre speedboat, let alone when it involves a father-daughter duo. But my daughter and I were pushing our boundaries and the river’s current as we set out on an odyssey down the River Danube.
From the majestic Austrian Alps to the heart of the Balkans, the journey was a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. Navigating through seven countries in our only five-metre-long motorboat, we seek adventure. However, our patience is tested by several close encounters with the police under the scorching sun in Croatia and Serbia. An unexpected invitation from the President of Liberland adds a thrilling twist to our journey, revealing a deeper current of conflicts along the river.
Yet, we also experience the freedom on the waterways, discover almost tropical beaches in Hungary, and are embraced by the warm hospitality of the locals, whose kindness lights up our adventure on Europe’s legendary river.
“It’s completely different from what we’re used to, and exactly what I was hoping for,” my daughter said, when we moored in Bratislava’s marina. But different was what we were looking for.
