Viking Cruises

Call us on 138 747 (AU), 0800 447 913 (NZ), contact your local Viking travel agent or visit viking.com | 25 V UKOVA R , C ROATI A "Croatia's Hiroshima", the town of Vukovar was under siege by the Yugoslav People's Army and Serbian forces for 87 days from August 25, 1991, until the city finally fell on November 16, 1991. A total of 3000 lives were lost and the city was razed to the ground. While many buildings still carry the scars of bullet holes, it's the war- damaged skeleton of the 50.3-metre-high water tower that moves me the most. Having suffered more than 600 direct hits it continues to stand proudly as the symbol of Croatian resistance. Taking a lift to the top, I look out beyond the Danube and think deeply about the suffering of war around the world, and how we never seem to learn from the past. After Vukovar we have a free morning of cruising, where I happily while away the hours in my verandah stateroom. It's comfortable and elegant, complete with Scandi-style decor of blonde, taupe and teal, queen-size bed and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. The light and bright theme continues through the public areas, including the library, restaurant, observation lounge and Aquavit Terrace, a casual, al fresco at the bow of the ship where breakfast and lunch can be taken. On river cruising days, the Viking Lofn's sundeck is the place to be, with its panoramic views of daily life along the Danube River. For me, this is the pleasure of river cruising – lying in bed and watching the ever-changing scenery before pulling up in the heart of a town and stepping ashore. Today, only the promise of wild horses will drag me away. As a long-time equestrian, I've been fortunate to see the Andalusian horses of Spain and the Lipizzaners of Vienna, yet for sheer excitement these two don't come close to the power and strength of Hungary's Nonius horse. An excursion to Kalocsa brings me to a wide field in the Hungarian plains of Puszta, where I watch in awe (and a touch of terror) as bands of Hungarian cowboys or csikos, descendants of the nomadic Magyar warriors from the steppes of Asia, put these gallant horses through their paces. The finale is a "Puszta fiver", where a rider stands on the backs of two horses at once while holding the reins and driving five more. With mud flying and the csikos' blue tunics billowing, it is a moment seared forever on my horse-loving heart. By tomorrow we'll be in Budapest, enjoying an included two-night hotel stay in a location ideal for exploring one of Europe's most beguiling cities. But for now, with my face and jeans splattered with mud, I'm happy, not just to connect with the cultural heritage of a little-visited part of Eastern Europe, but to play a part in its conservation. The writer travelled as a guest of Viking. Words by Kerry van der Jagt. This article was originally published in Traveller, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

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