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Danube River Cruises

Our Danube river cruises include wine tasting at private vineyards... visits to medieval towns and riverside castles... and private palace evenings that come alive with music and merriment.

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Welcome to the Danube River

This picturesque "river of kings" carves a winding path through a total of ten modern-day European nations with landscapes characterized by vineyards, forested slopes, wine-producing villages and imposing fortresses that remain a testimony to kingdoms and culture... regal, romantic and ready to welcome Tauck river cruisers.

Tauck exclusive – imperial evening at palais pallavicini, our gala imperial evening at a private palace in vienna.

Built in 1784, the sumptuous Palais Pallavicini is a grand private palace in the heart of Vienna whose magnificent Baroque touches transport you to another time. Join us at the Palais for a gala evening featuring a reception, dinner and classical performances sure to sweep you off your feet... and let you experience firsthand how Europe's cultured classes lived and were entertained centuries ago. And film fans will note that the Palais and its elegant facade served as rogue Harry Lime's postwar Vienna apartment in the Cold War classic "The Third Man."

Bicycling along the Danube

What could be better than a leisurely bicycle ride along the danube.

A leisurely bicycle ride through countryside along the Danube River with your local guide is a perfect way to experience the centuries-old castles and lush vineyards of the Wachau Valley wine-growing region – declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved medieval landscapes. Our river cruises offer numerous opportunities for cycling along Europe's rivers; every Tauck riverboats has bicycles aboard for use by guests ashore.

Passau, Germany

Beautiful, baroque passau, the "city of three rivers".

The charming Bavarian riverside city of Passau – situated at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube rivers – is the kind of town in which you'll set off on a walking tour with a local guide… and your guide's passion for his or her hometown makes your visit that much more special. Must-sees in this "City of Three Rivers" include the 17th-century Baroque Dom St. Stephan (St. Stephan's Cathedral), with its magnificent pipe organ – the largest in Europe – and the 14th-century Town Hall. Enjoy time on your own exploring Passau's pedestrian walkways through tunnels and archways and along ancient cobblestone streets, to find its wealth of Baroque architecture and beautiful churches, many of which are known for their exquisite stained glass.

Austria's Wachau Valley

The joys of austria's wachau valley along the danube.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved medieval landscapes, the Wachau Valley, formed by the Danube River in Austria, invites a leisurely cruise past the lush vineyards of one of the country's premier wine regions… fairy-tale castles… ancient monasteries, like famed Melk Abbey, with its Baroque "facelift" from the 18th-century… and typical, post-card perfect villages like Dürnstein. Take a closer look at its Baroque houses and Romanesque church as you stroll down its one main street… then challenge yourself to an invigorating climb up centuries-old steps to the ruins of hilltop Kuenringerburg Castle, where England's King Richard the Lionhearted was once held for ransom by Austria's Duke Leopold V. The views from up here say all that need to be said about the Wachau Valley…

Hungarian State Opera, Budapest

Enjoy a special tauck visit to budapest's opulent hungarian state opera house.

Andrássy Avenue in the Pest section of Budapest is lined with grandiose public buildings. One of them is the Hungarian State Opera House, commissioned by Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph and opened in 1884; its imposing façade is adorned with statues of great composers like Beethoven, Verdi and Mozart, and Hungarian favorite sons Ferenc Erkel and Franz Liszt greet you at the main entrance. The Emperor himself only attended one event here, but the imprint of his wife, the Empress Elisabeth (known fondly to her subjects as "Sisi"), a great patron of the arts and of the opera in particular, is all over the place – from the general grandeur of its interiors to the private box in which she attended many performances. If you love opera, this is the place to hear it, enjoying some of the best acoustics in Europe. But even if you don't, its sheer opulence makes it a must-see.

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Experience the Danube River with Tauck

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Featured River, Small Ship and Land Journeys

Inspired by the destination.

For 90+ years, the Tauck family has had a passion for sailing — aboard small ships and yachts at sea, riverboats along great inland waterways, and at home on the rivers and lakes of Connecticut and New York. When we began blending our land experience with our strong passion for cruising in our first European river cruise back in 1992, we knew that no "ordinary" river cruise experience would do for our guests. We wanted them to travel Europe's rivers in the same beyond-the-ordinary Tauck style they experienced on our land trips. With that in mind, we searched to find a company to partner with that would share our values and our commitment to "do the right thing" by our guests... and found it in another family-owned company, Scylla. Together, we crafted a river cruise experience that was ahead of its time and inspired by the destinations we explore.

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Cruising the River Danube

The Danube winds its way through the heart of "Old Europe"… where you'll encounter venerable cities that grew along its banks to became bastions of the Habsburg Empire and, later, today's Europe, like Vienna, Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Bratislava and Budapest… and go farther afield to explore such gems as Berlin, Salzburg, Munich, Cesky Krumlov and more…

The blue danube, royal danube, berlin & kraków, blue danube: family riverboat adventure, tauck's river cruise guide, danube river facts.

Learn interesting Danube River facts – from the cities along its banks to its history, art, music, food and more.

First Timer's Guide

Tauck's European river cruise guide will help you find the right Danube, Rhone, Rhine, Seine or Douro river cruise for you.

Why Take A Tauck River Cruise

Tauck River Cruising means traveling in good company, exclusive access to cultural experiences, distinctively inclusive pricing and more!

Choosing The Best European River Cruise For You

Find the best European river cruise for you with top-reviewed itineraries navigating all the major waterways from Tauck.

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Danube River Cruises

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• Spring (March, April, and May): While March can be quite chilly, temperatures become more agreeable as May approaches. However, this season is prone to rainfall. The melting snow causes river levels to rise, potentially leading to rerouting via bus due to impassable bridges.
• Summer (June, July, August): The summer months can bring warmth and vibrant days for exploration. However, this season tends to be hot and bustling with tourists, which might affect the overall experience.
• Fall (September and October): This season is particularly well-suited for Danube River cruises due to its mild climate and diminished tourist congestion at popular destinations. Securing reservations in advance is advisable as word spreads about this appealing time to visit.
• Christmas (December): December offers a unique chance to witness the charming Christmas markets along the Danube River. These markets exude the festive spirit of the Advent season in central Europe, providing a special and captivating experience.
• Keep in mind: The period from January through early March should be avoided. The temperatures throughout Europe, including the Danube region, plummet to cold and frigid levels, rendering this time unsuitable for travel.

The Best Time to Cruise the Danube River

• Melk Abbey - Melk, Austria:  A masterpiece of Baroque architecture, Melk Abbey perches above the Danube and offers breathtaking views.
• Buda Castle - Budapest , Hungary : Dominating Budapest's skyline, Buda Castle offers history, art, and panoramic vistas of the Danube and Pest.
• Schönbrunn Palace - Vienna , Austria : The former imperial summer residence, Schönbrunn Palace is a UNESCO site known for its grandeur and extensive gardens.
• Palais Liechtenstein - Vienna, Austria : A magnificent palace showcasing art and culture, Palais Liechtenstein is a hidden gem in Vienna.
• St. Emmeram Castle - Regensburg , Germany : The sprawling St. Emmeram Castle in Regensburg boasts a rich history and striking architecture, revealing the city's grandeur.
• Vienna presents the medieval elegance of Schönbrunn and Hofburg Palaces.
• The Baroque masterpiece, Melk Abbey, is a testament to Austria's grandeur.
• The historic village of Dürnstein exudes charm, set against a backdrop of natural beauty.
• The Wachau Valley unveils some of Europe's finest wine regions.
• Nuremberg's WWII sites provide poignant insights into history.
• Regensburg boasts impeccably preserved medieval architecture.
• Passau's 2000-year-old charm beckons with Baroque and Gothic splendor.
• Biking and hiking opportunities offer unique perspectives.
• Esztergom's neo-classic basilica and Royal Palace are landmarks of note.
• Budapest , a UNESCO World Heritage Site, narrates its storied history.
• Bratislava captivates with castles and cathedrals overlooking its pedestrian-only old town.
• Each country boasts its own historical, cultural, gastronomical, and architectural treasures.
• Prague beckons with iconic sites like the Rudolfinum National Museum and Wenceslas Square.
• The vibrant energy of the Hundertwasser Dancing House adds a modern touch.
• The millennium-old Prague Castle and ornate bridges over the Vltava River reveal the city's rich history.

Upper Danube or Lower Danube?

• Immersive Exploration: European civilization flourished along rivers, making river cruises an excellent way to experience major attractions and key sites in a culturally rich manner.
• Effortless Travel: Imagine waking up each morning in a fresh destination without the hassle of packing and unpacking or enduring uncomfortable overnight buses. Danube River cruises provide the convenience of a floating hotel, ensuring seamless transitions between captivating locations.
• All-Inclusive Value: The price of river cruising is, for the most part, all-inclusive. Your fare typically covers transportation, guided tours, and meals, simplifying your budgeting and allowing you to fully indulge in the experience without constant financial calculations.
• Scenic Vistas: Enjoy breathtaking views right from the comfort of your cruise ship. The landscapes that unfold along the riverside provide a constantly changing panorama, offering a unique and enchanting backdrop for your journey.
• Intimate Atmosphere: River cruises typically accommodate fewer passengers than ocean cruises, fostering a more intimate and sociable atmosphere. This allows for meaningful interactions with fellow travelers and the opportunity to forge connections that can last long after the journey ends.
• Cultural Connections: Docking at city centers and smaller ports allows you to dive deeper into local cultures and communities. You'll have the chance to interact with locals, explore hidden gems, and gain insights into the authentic way of life along the riverbanks.
• Guided Exploration:  Danube River cruises often include guided tours led by knowledgeable experts who offer insightful commentary on the history, art, and culture of the regions you visit. This enhances your understanding and appreciation of the destinations.
• Relaxed Pace:  Danube River cruises embrace a more leisurely pace, allowing you to savor each stop and truly unwind. Whether it's a tranquil afternoon on the sun deck or a peaceful evening by the river, the pace encourages relaxation and rejuvenation.
• Diverse Itineraries: With a plethora of river routes to choose from, you can opt for journeys that focus on your specific interests, whether it's exploring historic towns, indulging in culinary delights, or delving into natural beauty.
• Captivating Landscapes: Witness the charm of picturesque towns, lush vineyards, and historic castles from a unique vantage point. The ever-changing scenery outside your window adds a touch of magic to every moment of your cruise.
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What to Pack for a Danube River Cruise

Cruising europe christmas markets.

• ​ A well-preserved medieval gem, Regensburg's old town boasts architectural marvels and historical significance, earning its UNESCO World Heritage status.
• Vienna's historic center showcases imperial grandeur, while the Wachau Cultural Landscape offers picturesque vineyards and castles. In Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace and cultural heritage shine. Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna stands as a testament to Baroque opulence.
• Cesky Krumlov's historic center enchants with its medieval charm, while Prague's historic center captivates with its Gothic and Baroque treasures.
• Budapest's stunning architecture along the Danube, along with the Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs, offer a glimpse into Hungary's rich history.
• The Danube Delta is a paradise for nature enthusiasts. Transylvania's fortified churches provide insights into the region's history and cultural diversity.
• Elegant Accommodations: Luxury river cruises along the Danube River provide lavishly appointed cabins and suites designed with meticulous attention to detail. Immerse yourself in spacious, well-appointed living spaces that exude indulgence, ensuring a restful sanctuary throughout your voyage.
• Exceptional Service: From the moment you step aboard, a team of dedicated and attentive staff members cater to your every need. Expect personalized service that anticipates your preferences, enhancing your overall comfort and enjoyment.
• Gourmet Dining: Culinary excellence takes center stage with gourmet dining experiences that showcase the finest regional and international cuisines. Expert chefs craft delectable dishes using locally sourced, fresh ingredients, providing a gastronomic journey that tantalizes the taste buds.
• Exclusive Amenities: Luxury Danube River cruises offer an array of exclusive amenities that redefine onboard leisure. Indulge in spa treatments, unwind in elegant lounges, or take a dip in refreshing pools, all while admiring the stunning river views.
• Intimate Atmosphere: Luxury cruises typically feature smaller vessels, fostering an intimate ambiance that ensures a personalized and uncrowded voyage. This setting allows for genuine interactions with fellow travelers and crew members.
• Immersive Enrichment: Enrichment activities such as talks, workshops, and performances enhance your understanding of the regions visited. Engage with experts who provide insights into the art, history, and culture of the destinations.
• All-Inclusive Luxury: Many luxury Danube River cruises operate on an all-inclusive basis, encompassing accommodations, meals, beverages, and a range of enriching activities. This ensures a seamless experience where you can focus solely on enjoying every moment.
• Exclusivity: Luxury cruises offer an exclusive atmosphere that resonates with travelers seeking refined experiences. Revel in the company of like-minded individuals while enjoying the comforts of a thoughtfully designed vessel.
• Bicycling trips
• Urban Explorations
• Wine Tasting
• Village Visit s
• Christmas Markets
• Archaeological Sites
• Land & Sea experiences
• Local Markets  
• Cooking Classes
• Festivals  
• Wildlife Viewing
• Adventure Activities 

All Luxury Danube Cruises

How to choose a danube river cruise, 10 favorite ports on the danube river.

• Melk , Austria   - Ride along the picturesque Danube River between Dürnstein and Melk through one of Austria’s Wachau Valley.
• Passau , Germany - take guided bike tour along the Danube from Passau to Erlau passing breathtaking castles & cathedrals.
• Vienna Austria  - ride along the Danube through the Donaupark or the Klosterneuburg Monastery accompanied with tasting Viennese coffee and pastries in a traditional cafe. 
• Linz, Austria take a guided bike tour around the Old City Center, along the Danube River, and past the ultra-modern Ars Electronica Center.  

Cruising the Danube River with Adventure Life

Reviews of Danube River Cruise Lines for 2024-2025

• MS Amabella , 
• MS Amaviola , 
• MS Amacerto , 
• MS Amasonata , 
• MS Amaverde , 
• MS Amamagna , 
• MS Amareina ,
• MS Amalea .

Emerald Waterways

• Scenic Jasper , 
• Scenic Amber ,  
• Scenic Ruby , 
• Scenic Pearl , 
• Scenic Opal , 
• Avalon Envision ,
• Avalon Passion ,
• Avalon View , 
• Avalon Imagery II ,
• Avalon Tranquility II ,
• Avalon Impression ,
• S.S. Beatrice , 
• River Princess , 
• S.S. Maria Theresa ,
• Crystal Mozart ,  
• Crystal Mahler , 

How to Choose a Riverboat on the Danube

• Anywhere near a lounge, restaurant, bar, elevators, or stairs
• Cabins above the engine room

Danube River Cruise FAQs

• River cruises tend to be more structured with less time for independent exploration
• Danube cruises tend to focus on one specific geographic region of Eastern & Central Europe (unless you choose one of the longer cruises that are more comprehensive)
• Day activities are "relaxed active," including frequent walking tours and similar activities
• A more mature crowd - typically baby boomers hoping to enjoy a structured vacation
• Intimate atmosphere onboard, seldom with more than 200 passengers
• The majority of other passengers aboard tend to be around retirement age
• The itinerary is relatively fixed with daily activities and tours
• Relaxing and alone time are hard to come by, as you will likely dine with others and be on the move.
• Staying in your cabin might mean missing tours.
• nicer cabins, often with balconies or French balconies (full windows that open)
• gourmet cuisine
• more exciting and engaging onshore experiences.
• Generally not included in the cost
• Tip $20 per guest per day
• Tip in a lump sum at the end with either cash or or card
• Give tour guides $3-$5 per tour
• Give bus drivers $1 per ride
• Toiletries, razor, hygiene products, medications
• Extra contacts and glasses (just in case)
• Plug adapter for two/three circular pin 220V European style outlets
• 2-4 pairs of comfortable pants
• One week’s worth of shirts (t-shirts and dress shirts)
• Enough socks and underwear to avoid laundry
• Sweater or sweatshirt
• Waterproof jacket or lightweight raincoat
• Sunscreen and bug spray
• Sun glasses and a wide brimmed hat
• Camera, lenses, accessories (like a charger, extra battery pack, memory cards, and cleaning kit), binoculars
• A couple pairs of comfortable walking shoes
• First aid kit
• Day trip bag (or small backpack – maybe your carry-on)
• Travel alarm clock (if your phone doesn’t have an alarm)
• Sleeping clothes
• Plastic bag for dirty clothes

Traveler Reviews of Danube River Cruises

Magical christmas markets on the danube, eastern europe extravaganza, top danube river travel destinations, danube river trips by departure date.

• 2024 Danube River trips (83)
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Top Experiences in Danube River

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Danube River Trips by Duration

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Danube River Trips by Activity

• Danube River biking (36)
• Danube River wine tasting (29)
• Danube River village visits (29)
• Danube River hiking (28)
• Danube River urban exploration (27)
• Danube River christmas market visits (16)
• Danube River small ship cruises (16)
• Danube River archaeological site visits (14)
• Danube River land & sea exploration (8)

Why Travel With Adventure Life

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Experience a world beyond your expectations. Choose from our award-winning vacations on virtually every continent with local favorites and off-the-beaten-path experiences only Globus can share.

We know why you travel. You’d rather have an extra day exploring than a fancy chocolate on your pillow at night. Enjoy hand-selected inclusions and world-class experiences for value-minded travel lovers like you.

Raise your sights and set your sails for the rivers of Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa on an Avalon Waterways cruise. Elevate your cruise experience with fewer passengers, more choices, and endless possibilities.

Danube River Cruises

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Danube River Cruises in Summer 2024

213 danube river cruises in summer 2024 with 181 reviews.

Danube Capitals "B" Dutch Grace Superior Suite

Splendours of Europe (Start Budapest, End Amsterdam)

Splendours of Europe (Start Amsterdam, End Budapest)

The program in the Emerald ship was magnificently planned and discussed. The local music during the cruise was so informative. Long live the music from the Netherlands and Germany through Austria and Slovakya to Hungary! Just for the music, dances and songs I will do the cruise again!

Danube Capitals "B" Dutch Grace Superior Deluxe

Classical Danube (Passau - Budapest - Passau)

Das Personal war sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend. Die Kabine war immer gut gereinigt. Für uns stimmte einfach alles😊

Capital Cities Along the Danube (port-to-port cruise)

I went with my two retired parents and they enjoyed themselves immensely. The river cruise is an intimate environment with extremely friendly and skilled staff speaking in three languages: French, English, and Spanish. The tours were also multilingual. I would have liked more options and care for folks with physical disabilities.

Danube Serenade: Romantic Journey from Vienna to Bucharest (Turnu Magurele) , MS Fidelio

Enchanting Danube (2024) (Budapest to Passau, 2024)

Enchanting Danube (2024) (Passau to Budapest, 2024)

This was our first river cruise and everything went beyond our expectation. Services: the staff were accommodating and helpful. Tours: various excursions to choose from for different age group and they were well-organized. Ship: beautiful boutique-design ship. The only cons is a slow Wifi connection but it ain't a big deal. There were so many onboard activity that kept us entertaining. I noticed that the cruise operates in eco-friendly manner, i.e. they eliminates sing-use plastic. That's a big plus!!!!

Germany & Austria | Danube River Biketour | Bike & Boat

Classical Danube Cruise (Budapest - Passau)

We love Amadeus! There is something special, warm and welcoming about this cruise line. We've sailed on multiple other lines and Amadeus is our favorite! Immaculate ships, exceptional crew and delicious food and wines. The chef is very accommodating and tries to cater to every passengers wishes. I can't say anything but positive things about Amadeus! We are about to sail them again in September, 2023 and in April, 2024! Can't wait!

The beautiful blue Danube (port-to-port cruise)

The tour exceeded all our expectations. We will definitely recognize this company to all our friends and family. Will also do another one in the near future.

World Heritage Trail Wachau

• Book With Flexibility This operator allows you to rebook your dates or tours with them for free, waiving change fees.

Danube Capitals "B" Dutch Grace Main Cabin

8 days - Imperial Danube (Vienna - Budapest - Vienna, MS Crucestar 4*)

The itinerary was good, the cabin was small and the food was disappointing. The crew was great, friendly and helpful.

Danube River Cruise Summer 2024 Reviews

Das Personal war sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend. Die Kabine war immer gut gereinigt. Für uns stimmte einfach alles?

• June 2024 (148)
• July 2024 (146)
• August 2024 (146)

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• Danube River Cities: Everything You Need to Know

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Danube River Cruises

Glide along the gentle waters of the Danube, the heart and soul of Central Europe. These legendary waters flow through 10 countries, coursing through Germany, Austria and Hungary to the Black Sea. Our Danube River cruises deliver you to culture-rich banks, from scenic vineyards to spectacular monasteries and elegant cities that have inspired composers and writers for centuries. Find your inspiration on one of the Danube cruises below.

Grand European Tour

• PRICE & BUILD

Romantic Danube

Danube Waltz

Passage to Eastern Europe

Capitals of Eastern Europe

European Sojourn

NEW! Treasures of the Danube

Christmas on the Danube

Danube Christmas Delights

Highlights of the danube river.

A Danube River cruise unveils Europe’s rich and dramatic history. Glittering cultural capitals, lush vineyards, magnificent monasteries and endless scenic splendor line the river’s banks. Here are some sample highlights you will see with Viking:

• Enchanting Passau, set where three rivers meet
• Lush vineyards of the Wachau Valley
• The baroque splendor of Melk Abbey
• Vienna’s elegant architecture
• The splendid Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig
• Scenic beauty of the picturesque Danube Bend
• Budapest’s stunning Chain Bridge and Parliament Building
• Soaring cliffs of the scenic Iron Gate
• Romania’s rural culture and rich folklore
• Belgrade’s impressive Kalemegdan Fortress

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Danube river cruise ship crashed after it was 'suddenly no longer able to maneuver,' 17 passengers injured

• A cruise ship crashed into a concrete wall along the Danube river in Austria on Friday.
• A police statement said the ship "was suddenly no longer able to maneuver."
• Eleven people were treated at the hospital and another six suffered less serious injuries.

A Bulgarian cruise ship carrying over 140 passengers crashed into a concrete wall along the Danube river in Austria.

The incident occurred late on Friday in the northern Austrian town of Aschach an der Donau, local police said Saturday.

Eleven people were injured and taken to hospital as a result of the crash. Six others suffered less serious injuries that did not require hospital treatment.

Related stories

The ship had set off from Passau, a German city on the Austrian border. A police statement said that as the ship was leaving a lock chamber further down the river, "the ship was suddenly no longer able to maneuver," and its right bow and left aft crashed into the lock walls.

The second-in-command of the ship, who had been at the helm during the crash, "pressed the emergency switch, whereupon the electronics started up again." He was then able to steer the ship out of the lock.

The ship was later docked at the quay wall and emergency services were notified. The ship was able to continue its journey toward Linz, Austria.

Earlier this week, a container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing a section of the 1.6-mile-long structure. The bodies of two construction workers were found after the collision, and four more workers are missing and presumed dead.

Citing the container ship's recovered data recorder, officials said the power went out on the Dali for just one minute and three seconds as it approached the bridge, Sky News reported, but that was enough for the collision to become unavoidable.

In 2019, a cruise boat hit and sank a smaller boat near Budapest, Hungary, killing 25 South Korean tourists and two crew members. The captain was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the accident.

The Danube is the second-largest river in Europe, flowing from the Black Forest in Germany south into the Black Sea near Romania and Ukraine.

Correction: April 1, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the year of the Danube ship crash in Hungary. It was in 2019, not 2023.

Watch: One of Europe's deadliest shipwrecks leaves hundreds missing

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http://www.locman.net/page_3899.htm

The nearest metro station, which has the same name "River Station" - 600m. By taxi to the center - 15 km, officially - 450 rubles.

http://maps.yandex.ru/?rt=%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%8F%2C%20%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B0%2C%20%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9%20%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9%20%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BB%20~37.611193%2C55.759360&via=&sll=37.558809%2C55.763382&sspn=0.352249%2C0.099688&rtm=atm&ll=37.558809%2C55.763382&spn=0.352249%2C0.099688&z=12&l=map

Veresch is the man! AIM.

People will tell you how to call a taxi from Rechnoy.

http://www.svobodnoe-taxi.ru/stat/rech.html

There are small bonuses for ground transportation - you can see something on the way, a kind of a little excursion.

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CF%E5%F2%F0%EE%E2%F1%EA%E8%E9_%EF%F3%F2%E5%E2%EE%E9_%E4%E2%EE%F0%E5%F6

http://www.photosight.ru/photo/alone/110679/

Main problem on the way: traffic jams which you can not calculate; once in late November on weekend night I had such a problem to get to the city from the Sheremetevo airport along the same road - never could imagine; drivers taking clients from the downtown area to Sheremetevo now are to bear in mind 2-3 hours. Choose the underground!

> Main problem on the way: traffic jams which you can not calculate

Having driven there from the ring road all the way to the center today I'm afraid I have to revoke that statement. It was quite dense there, not standing still, but slow in places. Took about 20-30 minutes from Rechnoy to Belorussky (should have taken five at most).

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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Russia-Ukraine War Russia Strikes Danube River Port, Escalating Attacks on Ukrainian Agriculture

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• Moscow Investigators inside a damaged building after a drone attack. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
• Moscow A damaged building and a closed road after a drone attack. Reuters
• Moscow City workers cleaning up debris after a drone strike. Yuri Kochetkov/EPA-EFE, via Shutterstock
• Donetsk region, Ukraine Members of the 17th Tank Brigade aiming rockets toward the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut. Finbarr O’Reilly for The New York Times
• Odesa, Ukraine A Mass outside the Transfiguration Cathedral, which was heavily damaged in Russian missile attacks. Libkos/Associated Press
• Odesa, Ukraine Salvaging items inside the Transfiguration Cathedral. Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
• Niu York, Ukraine Members of the 24th Mechanized Brigade firing a mortar at a Russian trench position. Finbarr O’Reilly for The New York Times
• Dusaniv, Ukraine A funeral ceremony for a Ukrainian soldier who was killed in the Donbas region. Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press
• Niu York, Ukraine Removing furniture from a house struck by Russian air bombardment. Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times
• Donetsk, Ukraine Firefighters extinguishing a destroyed warehouse. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

Follow live news updates on Russia’s war in Ukraine .

Russia struck a port across the Danube from Romania, sending wheat prices up.

Russian drones hit a Ukrainian port town on the Danube River, local authorities said on Monday, destroying a grain hangar in an apparent escalation of efforts to cripple Ukraine’s ability to export agricultural products, one of the country’s leading industries.

The explosions in the town of Reni — just across the river from Romania, a NATO member — would be the closest Russia has come to hitting alliance territory and risking a more direct confrontation with the United States and its European allies.

Ukrainian officials and Romania’s president blamed the attack on Russia, which has spent the past week bombarding Ukrainian ports near the city of Odesa after pulling out of a deal that enabled Ukraine to ship its grain across the Black Sea .

The origin of the drones could not be independently verified, and Russia’s defense ministry made no reference to an attack in the Odesa region in its daily update about the war.

But the strike on a river port about 70 miles from the coast appeared to signal that Moscow had expanded its campaign against Ukraine’s agricultural exports by targeting alternate routes for grain to reach world markets.

Global wheat prices, which rose last week after Russia pulled out of the Black Sea deal, rose by around 6.2 percent in Monday afternoon trading.

A local news website in Reni, a town of around 18,000 people, published a photograph of the aftermath. The town is more than 130 miles southwest of the city of Odesa, the focus of recent attacks on shipping infrastructure, and lies on the east bank of the Danube, just a few hundred yards from Romania.

Russia has previously fired on western Ukraine near the border with Poland, also a NATO member, but had not hit Ukrainian facilities so close to territory covered by the military alliance’s commitment to respond jointly to an attack on a member state.

President Klaus Iohannis of Romania said on Twitter that he condemned an attack by Russia on Ukrainian infrastructure close to his country’s borders and said the “recent escalation poses serious risks to the security in the Black Sea,” as well as affecting Ukrainian grain shipments and global food security. He did not specifically mention the drone strike in Reni.

Romania’s ministry of defense said it was maintaining a posture of “enhanced vigilance” with its allies along the alliance’s eastern flank.

“There are no potential direct military threats against our national territory or Romania’s territorial waters,” the ministry said in a statement.

The attack came after a week of increased hostilities in the Black Sea region, with Russia sending a nightly barrage of missiles into the city of Odesa, while first Russia and then Ukraine warned that they might target ships heading to their adversary’s ports.

Pro-war Russians praised the Danube strikes as a further step toward destroying Ukraine’s economy and blocking Western arms deliveries. They said that Ukraine had been taking advantage of the Reni port’s proximity to NATO territory — and the fact that ships can approach it along the Danube without having to sail through Ukrainian territorial waters in the Black Sea — as a way of continuing to export grain and other goods.

“It looks like they’re blocking this way of evading the sea blockade of Kyiv,” a Russian talk show host, Olga Skabeyeva, declared on the Rossiya state television channel on Monday. “And soon they’ll completely deny Ukraine access to the Black Sea.”

A popular pro-war blog, Rybar, claimed the port was being used to supply Ukraine’s military while also serving as a channel for exporting grain. A Russian state television war reporter, Yevgeny Poddubny, wrote on Telegram that the strikes were part of the “critically important” mission of “breaking every thread of Ukraine’s maritime traffic.”

The chances the grain initiative could be revived have grown increasingly slim over the past week. On Monday, Russia’s F.S.B., the successor to the Soviet-era K.G.B., claimed that it had evidence that, in May, Ukraine had imported explosives across the Black Sea to one of its Danube River ports. The claim could not be independently verified.

The drone attack occurred over the course of four hours, Oleh Kiper, the head of the regional military administration, wrote on the Telegram messaging app, adding that three drones were shot down by Ukraine’s air defenses. Seven people were injured, he said.

The Danube River delta, a network of waterways crisscrossing the border region between Ukraine, Romania and Moldova, was rarely used to export Ukrainian grain before Russia started its full-scale invasion in February 2022, but has over the past year become an indispensable freight lifeline.

Ukraine has been exporting around two million metric tons of grain per month through its Danube River ports, according to Benoît Fayaud, deputy executive director of Stratégie Grains, an agricultural economy research firm.

The attack on Reni could deter commercial vessels from using the port in the short term and could raise the cost of insurance, Mr. Fayaud said.

Yurii Shyvala and Anton Troianovski contributed reporting.

— Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Andrew Higgins

Russia destroys drones targeting Moscow, and blames Ukraine.

The Russian authorities said they destroyed two attack drones targeting central Moscow on Monday morning in what they called a strike by Ukrainian forces. No one was injured, they said. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

At least two nonresidential buildings were targeted about 4 a.m. local time, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin of Moscow said on his Telegram account, adding that there was no “serious damage or casualties.” The Russian Ministry of Defense said earlier that it had used electronic defenses to disable the drones .

The authorities blocked off part of Komsomolsky Prospect, an avenue that runs through one of the most upscale parts of central Moscow, after finding one of the drones there, state news media reported. One of the buildings is about a block away from the Russian National Defense Management Center, an imposing structure that is being used to conduct “centralized combat management of the Russian armed forces,” according to the Defense Ministry website.

Videos verified by The New York Times show damage in at least two locations near the Moskva River in the southern part of the city.

Smoke was rising from the top floors of a high-rise building housing Leroy Merlin, a French home improvement chain. Other footage shows damage to several structures along Komsomolsky Prospect — which is close to the Defense Ministry — including the building of the Military University and the Central Military Band, a performance group of the Russian Armed Forces. It was not possible to determine from the visuals whether drones caused the damage.

Also on Monday, the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea, the peninsula that Russia illegally seized in 2014, said that 11 attack drones were shot down or neutralized by air defenses. An ammunition depot in the Dzhankoy district was hit, according to the top Russian-installed official in Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, although it was not immediately clear whether any damage was caused by a drone or by debris from an air-defense missile.

The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, said that officials “are all on the alert” because of the strikes.

“You can see that in recent days, the intensity of attempts to attack our regions with drones has increased,” Mr. Peskov said. “Therefore, measures are being taken, very intense daily around-the-clock work is being carried out.”

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, the fighting has been concentrated on the front lines in eastern Ukraine. Russia has fired missiles and drones at cities across Ukraine nearly every day while Russian cities, including Moscow, have been spared the violence of the war.

But in May , the relative safety of Moscow was shattered when the first full-scale drone attacks were launched against the capital, which is nearly 800 kilometers, or about 500 miles, from the border with Ukraine and even farther from the front lines.

In early May, there were two drone explosions over the Kremlin, piercing the aura of relative safety in the Russian capital. Then on May 31, the Russian Defense Ministry said that at least eight drones had targeted the capital and surrounding region. Russia claimed to have intercepted them all, but three residential buildings were damaged after the drones were stopped. It was the first damage to civilian areas in Moscow since the start of the war.

Ukraine has maintained a policy of not commenting on any attacks inside Russia that appear to be linked to its military or its supporters, arguing that the silence allows it to maintain the element of surprise and military advantage. But on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to retaliate against Russia after a week of deadly strikes on Odesa that targeted civilians, infrastructure and port facilities crucial to exporting grain.

Ukraine has started to publicly take credit for attacks in Crimea, which is far behind the front lines but an important logistical hub for Russian forces, arguing that the strikes are inside Ukrainian territory.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, reiterated on Monday the United States’s position that it did not support attacks inside of Russia.

Shawn Paik , Jin Yu Young and Ivan Nechepurenko contributed reporting.

— Andrés R. Martínez ,  Haley Willis and Tiffany May

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The U.N.’s nuclear watchdog says mines have been spotted at the embattled Zaporizhzhia plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday that its inspectors had observed mines inside the perimeter of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the frontline facility occupied by Russian forces that the agency has monitored to help avert a possible catastrophe.

The I.A.E.A., the United Nations’ nuclear agency, reported last month that it was aware of land mines having been placed at “particular places” inside the plant’s perimeter, without offering further details. On Monday, the agency disclosed that its team had identified anti-personnel mines in a restricted area between the plant’s internal and external barriers.

The mines were placed in an area that plant workers cannot access, according to the agency’s statement. It did not specify when the mines had been placed. An email to the I.A.E.A. was not immediately returned on Monday.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the I.A.E.A., said in a statement that the agency’s initial assessment was that any detonation of the mines wouldn’t affect the security of the plant. But, he added, “having such explosives on the site is inconsistent with the I.A.E.A. safety standards and nuclear security guidance and creates additional psychological pressure on plant staff.”

Mr. Grossi said in the statement that agency staff members had raised the matter with officials at the plant and been told that it was, in his words, a “military decision.”

No mines were spotted within the inner perimeter of the site, according to the agency.

Zaporizhzhia is the largest nuclear plant in Europe and has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, shortly after Moscow began its full-scale invasion. The nuclear agency has long expressed concerns about safety risks posed by shelling and fighting in the plant’s vicinity. Both militaries blame the other for the shelling, which has caused damage around the plant and, at times, cut off its supply of outside power.

Five of the plant’s six reactors are in a cold shutdown, with the other in a so-called hot shutdown, meaning it produces steam for certain plant operations. Even in a cold shutdown, power is still necessary for critical cooling functions.

An additional hazard materialized on June 6, when the nearby Kakhovka dam was destroyed. The resulting flood drained the reservoir from which the plant drew water to cool its reactors and spent fuel rods, but I.A.E.A. officials soon determined there was no immediate danger.

Although the plant is controlled by Russian forces and lies in a region that Moscow illegally annexed last September , it is still being operated by the Ukrainian employees who worked there when the invasion began.

Ukrainian officials, who blamed Russia for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, have repeatedly suggested that Russia could stage an attack at the plant.

— Gabriela Sá Pessoa

The attack on a Danube port raises the threat to Ukraine’s alternative export routes.

The apparent drone attack on the Ukrainian port town of Reni would be the first known Russian strike on a port in the Danube delta, an increasingly important part of Ukraine’s ability to ship agricultural products that has only become more crucial with the end of the Black Sea grain deal .

The attack on Reni, which followed a week of attacks on ports near the city of Odesa, was a “massive escalation” by Moscow in terms of the effect it could have on Ukraine’s ability to use alternative shipping routes, said Mike Lee, director of Green Square Agro Consultancy, which specializes in the Black Sea and Eastern Europe.

Russia’s termination of the grain deal last week has dramatically escalated tensions in the Black Sea, with Russia warning that it would consider any ship approaching Ukraine’s ports as potentially carrying military cargo, and Ukraine responding in kind.

Russian forces have also launched a series of attacks on Ukrainian ports that have compound challenges to the country’s efforts to move grain to world markets — a logistically and geopolitically complicated matter.

The grain deal that was first reached a year ago allowed Ukraine to ship more than 30 million tons of grain through a trio of major Black Sea ports. But smaller ports on the Danube that were not part of the deal were a vital source of exports that wended their way to the Black Sea and eventually to international destinations. Roughly two million metric tons of grain per month made it to world markets through Ukraine’s Danube River ports.

In theory, Ukraine has the capacity to cover all of its grain exports using routes outside the provisions of the grain deal, but higher costs would make the shipments less competitive.

Increased reliance on overland routes is also politically fraught. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has sent more than 20 million tons of grain to foreign markets through Romania and millions more by train through Poland, a flood that has infuriated East European farmers who say it has driven down local prices.

The Ukrainian grain sent into Eastern and Central Europe by river barge, train and truck was intended for onward shipment to Africa and Asia but some of it has seeped into the European market, creating a political headache for governments that have been among Ukraine’s most stalwart supporters.

Last summer, Brussels took steps to smooth the path for Ukraine’s overland grain exports. But after protests by farmers in some E.U. countries, the bloc allowed Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, though they continued to allow the transit of those items for export elsewhere.

The ban is expected to end on Sept. 15. Last week, however, ministers from those five countries called for the bloc to allow the bans to be extended — a call that further underlined the importance of the Danube River ports to Ukraine.

But President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said on Monday that blocking exports after that point is “unacceptable in any form.” He added that Ukraine was seeking a solution that “suits everyone.”

Rising global prices for grain, however, reduce the incentive to divert Ukrainian produce for sale in Poland, Romania and Hungary while encouraging its sale in countries far from Europe that most need it. Those market forces make Russia’s apparent effort to disrupt traffic through the Danube delta potentially very threatening to global food security.

The United Nations has said that Russia’s attempts to stop Ukraine’s exports exacerbate a hunger crisis faced by some countries in Africa and the Middle East, including Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. Ukraine exports grain via road and rail into European Union countries, as well as via the Danube ports.

— Andrew Higgins and Matthew Mpoke Bigg

Putin signs a harsh new law targeting transgender people in Russia.

Transition surgery is now banned in Russia and transgender people are subject to a welter of other restrictions under a harsh new law signed by President Vladimir V. Putin on Monday.

Aside from banning surgery and hormone therapy, the law also prohibits changing gender on official documents like passports, annuls any marriage when a spouse changes gender and bans adoptions by such couples. It was the latest step in an ongoing crackdown on L.G.B.T.Q. freedom in Russia , including a law passed in December against depictions of gay lifestyles — what the government called “gay propaganda.”

Russian officials who supported the new law aimed at transgender people portrayed it as another step by the country to assert its adherence to so-called traditional values — a position increasingly embraced by Moscow as it characterizes the war in Ukraine as a fight against Western powers.

“We have our Russian families, and the liberalization of such phenomena can be the first step on the road to hell,” Badma Bashenkaev, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, said when the ban passed the lower house of parliament unanimously on July 14.

Starting in the 1970s, the Soviet Union maintained a fairly progressive attitude toward such operations, which were guided by government-organized panels of medical experts. But in the face of repeated setbacks since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kremlin officials have tried to use new laws to bolster support both domestically and internationally from people who oppose basic rights for minority groups, analysts said.

“The transgender ban is exactly that kind of manipulation, it resonates with people in order to amass support for the war and other things,” said Alexander Kondakov, a Russian sociologist who teaches at University College Dublin, Ireland.

Since Russia passed its law last December against depictions of gay lifestyles, the country has experienced a rise in both court cases against gay people and violence targeting them, analysts said. The new law, they added, will likely feed those trends.

— Neil MacFarquhar

Ukraine at NATO and a Russia-Africa summit: What to watch for this week.

A new NATO-Ukraine Council, created earlier this month at the military alliance’s latest summit , will meet on Wednesday to discuss the aftermath of Russia’s withdrawal last week from a deal allowing grain shipments from Ukraine.

“We are preparing it to be meaningful,” President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said on Sunday in his nightly address. Mr. Zelensky said he had asked the NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, to convene the meeting.

The council was formed as part of a NATO effort to deepen the alliance’s support for Ukraine. Its first meeting, at the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, was attended by top Western leaders.

Moscow withdrew on July 17 from an agreement that had secured the passage of Ukrainian ships and has since bombarded shipment facilities in the region. The decision has affected food prices and raised concerns about food instability across the globe, including African countries like Somalia and South Sudan.

Here is what else to watch for this week:

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will hold a two-day summit with African leaders starting on Thursday in St. Petersburg, providing a test of the Kremlin’s ties with African countries. Attendance will be closely watched; most African nations have avoided taking sides in the war, frustrating Ukraine and its allies, but South Africa and some other African governments have close ties with Moscow.

In June, a delegation, which included the presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Zambia and the Comoros, visited Ukraine and Russia with a plan to de-escalate the conflict.

Across the front lines, the Ukrainian counteroffensive continues its slow march. Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, said in a CNN interview on Sunday that the Ukrainian battle to regain the territory illegally seized by Russia would be long and hard.

“It will not play out over the next week or two,” he said. “We’re still looking, I think, at several months.” On the front lines, commanders mostly see a violent stalemate , as neither Russia nor Ukraine have made recent breakthroughs.

— Gabriela Sá Pessoa and Matthew Mpoke Bigg

The crackdown on the opposition in Belarus has worsened since 2020.

The recent high school graduate selected her wardrobe carefully as she headed off to a summer folk festival.

She dressed all in white, as is customary for the event, and wore a large flower wreath in her golden hair. But when it came to choosing a sash for her skirt, she grabbed a brown leather band, avoiding the color red.

In Belarus, red and white are the colors of the protest movement against the country’s authoritarian leader, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko. And even the smallest sign of protest can land a person in jail. “I worry about attracting the wrong kind of attention from the authorities,” said the young woman, who spoke on the condition that her name not be used so she would not draw scrutiny.

After claiming victory in a widely disputed presidential election three years ago, Mr. Lukashenko violently crushed the outraged protests that followed. Since then, activists and opposition figures say, Mr. Lukashenko has ushered in a chilling era of repression in Belarus.

He is moving ever closer to his patron, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, positioning himself as an invaluable military ally to Russia in its war against Ukraine, but also cracking down on dissent in a way that is invisible to much of the world but rivals that of Mr. Putin’s punitive regime.

Belarusian security forces are rounding up opposition figures, journalists, lawyers and even people committing minor offenses like commenting on social media memes or walking a dog without a leash.

In particular, the country’s security forces are intent on finding and punishing the people who participated in the 2020 protests. Belarusians are getting arrested for wearing red and white, sporting a tattoo of a raised fist — also a symbol of the protest movement — or for just being seen in three-year-old photographs of the anti-government demonstrations.

“In the last three years, we went from a soft autocracy to neo-totalitarianism,” said Igor Ilyash, a journalist who opposes Mr. Lukashenko’s rule. “They are criminalizing the past.”

— Valerie Hopkins and Nanna Heitmann Reporting from Minsk, Belarus

Internet trolls propelled Prigozhin’s rise. Now some celebrate his fall.

When President Vladimir V. Putin said recently that the Wagner mercenary group legally “does not exist,” a collection of social media accounts that have historically been associated with Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the group’s founder, quickly endorsed the Russian leader’s statement.

“Prigozhin was respected inside the country,” said a post on a Twitter account under the name Bogdan Goryunov. “But with his single act, he has forfeited all that respect,” he added, referring to the Wagner leader’s aborted mutiny last month. “What remains of Wagner is nothing now, just a memory.”

A group of volunteers who monitor Twitter for trolls identified Mr. Goryunov as a likely one. His account had few followers or original posts, mainly posting replies to more popular accounts, and it sometimes contradicted itself. Days earlier, it had defended the Wagner leader, tweeting in response to reports that he had met with Mr. Putin after the mutiny: “Did Prigozhin finally recognize that it was a big mistake and he wants to be useful to the country again?”

More than a decade ago, Mr. Prigozhin became a pioneer in the dark arts of internet trolling, launching so-called troll farms to shape narratives in Russia and beyond, including by sowing pro-Trump discord during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

But as his conflict with the Russian Defense Ministry over the conduct of the war in Ukraine deepened in recent months, some social media accounts, labeled trolls by activists, also turned against Mr. Prigozhin himself.

The change suggests that many of the tools that Mr. Prigozhin operated don’t specifically serve him — they serve the Kremlin. It also shows that the Russian state, which moved quickly to take down other parts of Mr. Prigozhin’s news media empire, may seek to take advantage of the troll farms, whose posts have often reflected how the Kremlin wishes to steer the public narrative in Russia.

“Prigozhin is Putin’s instrument,” said Antibot4navalny, a leader of a group of anonymous volunteers who monitor trolls, and identified Mr. Goryunov. “Without Putin, and the finances he provides, Prigozhin is nothing.”

Posts coming from troll accounts are both pro- and anti-Prigozhin, but that also may serve the Kremlin’s interests, according to Antibot4navalny, by allowing an outlet for those who support the Wagner leader’s views, including his harsh criticism of the Russian military leadership . What is clear, the group says, is that the trolls devote outsize attention to news related to Mr. Prigozhin’s interests, sometimes steering the discussion in his favor.

Over the past two decades, Mr. Prigozhin has been willing to undertake some of the most sensitive tasks for the Russian state — including by deploying Wagner mercenaries in Africa and the Middle East — in exchange for lucrative state contracts and increased influence.

His aborted mutiny — born out of his ambition to assume a greater role in the Russian power hierarchy — has sidelined Mr. Prigozhin, but the tools he helped develop could still serve the Russian state’s interests, analysts say. Since the uprising, Russian troll farms have been as active as ever, according to Darren Linvill, who studies trolls and social media disinformation at Clemson University in South Carolina.

“I think it would be a priority for the Russian government, especially right now when there are so many threats to Putin’s power,” Mr. Linvill said. “I would argue that the work of troll factories is as important as ever for Putin.”

By contrast, the Russian authorities moved quickly to take down Mr. Prigozhin’s media company, a collection of crudely designed news websites that never matched the reach of the better financed Russian state-run media.

According to Vladimir Yagudayev, who worked for one of Mr. Prigozhin’s websites, Politics Today, police officers searched the company’s offices in St. Petersburg after the mutiny. Days later, Mr. Yagudayev’s manager told him that the whole operation would shut down.

“It was very sad,” Mr. Yagudayev said in an interview, adding that he supported Mr. Prigozhin’s political views and believed his media companies made a valuable contribution.

“It wasn’t about money,” he said. “I was putting my soul into it.”

Alina Lobzina contributed reporting.

— Ivan Nechepurenko