Eastern Europe Viking Cruise
By Judi Cohen
The moment our Viking longship, Viking Ullur, arrived in Budapest, I felt like I was “home.”
Here, in the heart of Hungary on the Danube River, I was surrounded by the flavours and scents that defined my childhood.
This Passage to Eastern Europe journey was more than a river cruise — it was a chance to reconnect with the culinary legacy of my mother, known lovingly to our family as Anu.
From her kitchen in Canada to her origins in Hungary, her cooking shaped my life in countless ways.
On this journey, I found myself revisiting her world, one memory and delicious dish at a time.
Itinerary map. * Image: Viking
Viking Ullur docked in Vidin, Bulgaria. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Childhood Memories in Hungary’s Flavours
Arriving in Budapest, the city impressed me with its blend of history and charm. The castle district in Buda, with its stunning views, and the palace district in Pest, were both captivating.
Budapest. * Photo: Viking
But what I was most eager to experience was the food that had been such a vital part of my life growing up. My mother’s cooking transported me to Hungary daily, and I yearned to relive those memories in the country she once called home.
In Canada, my mother owned a Hungarian kosher restaurant, Strudel King, in Toronto’s bustling Bathurst Street neighborhood, where Hungarian immigrants gathered. There, her specialties became local favourites: chicken paprikas, kishka, cholent, and a wide range of strudels from apple to cherry and poppyseed.
My mother in front of her restaurant Strudel King in Toronto (Judi’s mother Katalin Klein is on the righthand side with her co-owners, Judi’s aunts Elizabeth Klein and Valerie Rosenthal). * Photo: Judi Cohen
A Welcome Off-beat Journey on an Eastern Europe Viking Cruise
Following embarkation in Bucharest, Romania, the chic and comfortable 190-passenger Viking Ullur made her way through five countries along the Danube, passing through the Iron Gates and the largest lock on the Danube River, with stops in lesser-known places like Vidin in Bulgaria, Osijek in Croatia, and the famous paprika town of Kalocsa in Hungary.
Captain Vladamir carefully navigating the Iron Gate One lock on the Danube. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Each port revealed something new — local foods, ancient traditions, the history of Communism, and flavours that brought me closer to my roots.
In Serbia’s bohemian district, known as Skadarlija, we enjoyed an unforgettable Viking night excursion where we sampled local dishes and enjoyed traditional music (this excursion cost extra).
Each stop added its own unique flavour to our journey, building up to what I knew would be an emotional and taste-filled arrival in Hungary.
The Ports on Our Viking Eastern Europe Cruise
These were the stops on our Viking Danube River cruise in Eastern Europe:
- Bucharest, Romania
- Ruse, Bulgaria
- Vidin, Bulgaria
- Golubac, Serbia
- Belgrade, Serbia
- Osijek, Croatia
- Kalocsa, Hungary
- Budapest, Hungary
Judi and Lawrence cruising the Iron Gates on the Danube. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Here what’s included in an Eastern Europe Viking river cruise:
- One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call
- Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
- Beer, wine and soft drinks with onboard lunch and dinner
- 24-hour specialty coffees, teas and bottled water
- Port taxes and fees
- Ground transfers with Viking Air purchase
- Visits to UNESCO Sites
- Enrichment lectures and destination performances
- Cabin bathrooms have heated floors and anti-fog mirror
- Plush robes and slippers (upon request)
Viking’s complimentary Bucharest Old Town walking tour. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Paprika and Embroidery in Kalocsa
In Kalocsa, a rural Hungarian town known for its paprika and traditional embroidery, I felt an immediate connection. We visited a small paprika shop in the Paprika Museum, where I picked up bags of the sweet red spice my mother used in almost everything.
Although I knew of the various types of paprika — smoky, hot, and sweet — I reached for the sweet kind, a staple in our family’s cooking.
Paprika Museum and Shop in Kalocsa, Hungary. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Sweet paprika and embroidery from Kalocsa, Hungary. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Kalocsa is also known for its intricate and colorful embroidered fabrics, a craft my mother brought to Canada.
Seeing this embroidery in its birthplace was especially emotional; these patterns adorned our home, their flowers and swirls bringing a piece of Hungary to our family meals and our home.
My Mother’s traditional Kalosca embroidery and Herend porcelain. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Exploring the Great Market Hall in Budapest on our Eastern Europe Viking Cruise
In Budapest, Viking arranged a complimentary visit to the Great Market Hall, a lively, bustling space filled with stalls selling fresh produce, meats, and spices.
Great Market Hall in Budapest. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Across the market, I discovered a small, traditional Hungarian restaurant.
There, I ordered chicken paprikas with nokedli, a dish I hadn’t tasted in years. The tender chicken, creamy paprika sauce, and nokedli dumplings tasted exactly like my mother’s cooking. As I ate, I could almost imagine her sitting across from me, encouraging me to enjoy every bite, and of course to eat more.
Chicken paprikas and cucumber salad. * Photo: Judi Cohen
On board the 190-passenger Viking Ullur, along with Continental dishes, there were also regional specialties featured at mealtime like savory Hungarian hortobagy pancakes.
Viking Ullur Fast Facts
- 190 guests
- 53 crew
- 443 feet long
- Built in 2019
- Judi occupied cabin #227, a Veranda-category (A,B) 205-square-foot cabin with a private balcony
Judi’s Veranda-category cabin. * Photo: Viking
RELATED: A Review of an Unusual 11-Night Viking River Cruise and Land Combo Through Europe.
Retracing My Mother’s Steps in Szendro
After bidding farewell to our fellow passengers and the incredible Viking staff in Budapest, I made my way to Szendro, my mother’s childhood village.
Szendro, with its narrow streets and familiar landscapes, was remarkably unchanged. I saw the schoolhouse she had described, a playground, and a well that appeared in many of her stories.
Judi in the footsteps of her mother in Szendro, Hungary. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Former Jewish School and play area in Szendro, Hungary. * Photo: Judi Cohen
An elderly woman that I met through some contacts welcomed me into her home, where we shared stories about Szendro’s history, including her memories of hearing about Jewish men, women and children being taken to the train tracks for deportation to Auschwitz by the Nazis. I showed her photos of my mother and other children dancing in the yard outside of her house.
Somehow my mother had preserved a few photos from before the Holocaust. Seeing where she grew up, hearing these stories, and standing at the schoolhouse, well, cemetery and butcher’s house, that my mother described to me brought me closer to my mother in ways I hadn’t expected.
Her video testimony, including photos, of the Shoah (Holocaust), can be seen in Holocaust Memorials and Museums around the world.
A Sweet Reminder — Sour Cherry Soup and Palacsinta
As I left Szendro, I stopped at a small family-run restaurant and noticed sour cherry soup (meggyleves) on the menu. It brought a smile to my face.
My mother took pride in her cherry trees at her home in Toronto, using the fruit to make this tangy, creamy soup every spring. With each mouthful of the soup, memories of her small kitchen filled my mind.
Chilled sour cherry soup. * Photo: Judi Cohen
For dessert, I ordered palacsinta, a Hungarian crepe filled with cottage cheese and dusted with powdered sugar. I remembered watching my mother prepare these, the aroma of her batter sizzling on the pan, and how the filling would ooze out as I took each bite.
Tasting these dishes in Hungary made me feel as though I was honouring her legacy.
Judi enjoying her palacsinta near Szendro, Hungary. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Reflections on Family and Heritage
After a day in Szendro, I returned to my hotel in Budapest, the Hilton, and took a moment to absorb everything I had experienced.
This journey was filled with memories of my mother — her kitchen, her recipes, and the traditions she passed down to me.
I visited the Shoes on the Danube Bank, a somber memorial to Jewish lives lost during World War II, reflecting on how so many members of my family perished, and thinking about how far my family had come after leaving Hungary to come to Canada, via Sweden.
Judi reflecting at the Shoes on the Danube memorial. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Visiting an Historic Hungarian Hotel
To further connect with my heritage, I spent my last two nights in Hungary at a historic hotel outside Budapest.
The decor was true to its origins, with Hungarian art, Herend porcelain, and antique furniture. Dinner featured goulash soup, served on fine porcelain dishes just like the ones my mother cherished.
They reminded me of the pieces my mother had proudly displayed in her china cabinet, and I felt her presence once more.
Herend porcelain with desserts. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Hungarian goulash soup served in Herend porcelain bowl. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Bringing Hungary Home
Packing my bags, I tucked in my souvenirs: wooden spoons, sweet paprika, and small hand-painted spice spoons from Kalocsa. The wooden spoon, or fakanal (pronounced fuckanal), was a beloved item in my mother’s kitchen, and our family’s playful pronunciation of the Hungarian word still makes my children smile.
These keepsakes, along with the flavours and memories of this trip, were a way of preserving my heritage for the next generation.
A Culinary Legacy Rekindled
This culinary journey with Viking wasn’t just about tasting food — it was about rekindling memories, reconnecting with my mother’s spirit, and rediscovering the traditions that shape who I am.
Each dish, each stop along the Danube, and each memory of my mother’s kitchen reminded me that food has the power to bridge distance and generations.
I am deeply grateful to Viking Cruises for this Danube River cruise in Eastern Europe that has enriched my life with the flavours and legacy of my roots and delivered me to places I might not otherwise have ever seen.
Judi and her 92 year-old mother. * Photo: Judi Cohen
Interested in This 10-Night Eastern Europe Viking Cruise Package?
Viking Ullur fares start at $5,099 USD per person for the 7-night Eastern Europe Viking cruise between Budapest Hungary and Bucharest, Romania. The Passage to Eastern Europe cruise includes pre- and post-cruise hotel nights in both Bucharest (one night) and Budapest (two nights), for a total cruise and hotel package of 10 nights. Here are more details.
In a nutshell, I recommend Viking’s Passage to Eastern Europe cruise for these reasons:
- The itinerary included off-the-beaten-path stops; places I otherwise might not have seen.
- Cruise provided a taste of each country in un-touristed areas.
- Viking Ullur offers comfortable accommodations and excellent food including local cuisine from the countries visited.
- Daily shore excursions were included in the fares; plus there was an option to purchase other different tours.
- The staff including the cruise director and captain interacted with guests and shared their personal perspectives throughout the cruise
Contact Viking for more information.
Or we’re happy to refer you to our favorite travel advisor who can assist you with booking; just email Heidi@QuirkyCruise.com for our travel advisor’s contact details.
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HEIDI SARNA
