A Look at AmaWaterways’ Big River Cruise Party in Vilshofen

Beers served up with a smile! That's a great way to launch your Danube cruise vacation.

You're never going to start your river cruise in a more festive way than when you board an AmaWaterways ship in Vilshofen, Germany.

In the heart of Bavaria, Vilshofen on the Danube River owns an important legacy in beer making. This is Germany, after all. Vilshofen played a key role in the creation of one of the most popular brewing styles in Europe and all the world: the pilsner. Josef Groll, The Father of the Pils, was born in Vilshofen and moved to the town of Pils in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) where he brewed the world's first pale lager, Pilsner Urquell. 

AmaWaterways gives you vouchers to enjoy Vilshofen's own pilsner beer, Wolfstetter.

Knowing that backstory is important so that you can fully appreciate the excitement and energy that cruisers see on display when they are treated to a type of Oktoberfest whenever they happen to cruise from Vilshofen. AmaWaterways' Vilshofensfest is the most fun I've ever had to start a river cruise.

When you embark in Vilshofen, you'll notice a tent set up shoreside next to the ship. This is where the fun happens.  

A toast to the visitors — and the music and party get under way.

Vilshofen is a quaint little town with a small main street shopping area and a few restaurants. Its top attraction is a Benedictine abbey in the hillside above the village. But for about two hours on evenings when an AmaWaterways cruise is scheduled to begin from the town, Vilshofen puts on a show.

Beer brewed in Vilshofen, Wolfstetter (a crisp pilsner, of course) flows, as people mix and mingle at picnic tables, chomping on big pretzels amid lively conversation and oompah music. The venue takes on a real beer-hall feel as pretty young ladies deliver trays full of the golden beverage to the tables. The town's beer queen addresses the crowd and wishes all a fun cruise, and the music performers break into dance and beckon their guests to the floor to join in. Soon, people are laughing and dancing together, slapping knees and stomping in true Bavarian style alongside their boisterous and lederhosen- and dirndl-adorned hosts. 

Time flies, and it's soon time to go back onboard — even if you won't want the party to end — for your first dinner. Vilshofenfest helps break the ice and set the tone for a fun cruise on the Danube.

Not a bad way to start your vacation, huh?

Thanks for reading and happy travels!

JR