Avalon Waterways is a river cruise company with a fleet of ‘Suite Ships’ that ply the major rivers in Europe and Asia. Not a fan of (ocean) cruises, I went on my first river cruise several years ago and I was hooked! Recently, I was introduced to Avalon Waterways and I joined their Active & […]
The treasures of St. Florian Monastery
One of the highlights of my Danube river cruise with Avalon Waterways was a visit to the St. Florian Monastery (or Stift Sankt Florian in German) in Upper Austria. Located in the town of Sankt Florian (map) near Linz, this Augustinian monastery can trace its history back to the 9th century A.D. I’d not heard […]
A Danube River cruise with Avalon Waterways
A river cruise is something I previously didn’t consider as a means to travel and explore a place – the idea of being stuck on a ship with hundreds of other people and visiting places fleetingly didn’t sound appealing to me. That changed when I decided to give it a try several years ago. I […]
My weekend in Graz
Graz is the second-largest city in Austria yet, for many travellers, relatively unknown as a place to visit. Located about a 2.5 hour drive or train ride southwest of Vienna, Graz (map) is a gorgeous city that holds two distinct titles: a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as a UNESCO City of Design. On […]
What to do in Graz – a video guide
Graz is Austria’s second-largest city (map), and until recently, completely off my radar as a tourist destination. This university city in the south of Austria is the unique holder of two distinct titles: a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as a UNESCO City of Design. After spending several days there, I was convinced: Graz […]
The treasures of Eggenberg Palace
Schloss Eggenberg or Eggenberg Palace is a beautiful historic attraction located in the outskirts of Graz, Austria’s second-largest city. The 17th century palace is the most important Baroque palace complex in the region of Styria and in 2010, Schloss Eggenberg was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an addition to the listing of Graz’s […]
Ten things to do in Graz
If you’re asked to think of places in Austria for a holiday or city break, chances are (like me) you’ll think of Vienna, Salzburg or the Tirolean Alps. Well, please allow me to introduce you to GRAZ! Located in south Austria near the border with Slovenia (map), Graz is Austria’s second-largest city, and until recently, […]
Another ten cities I would visit again
A while ago, I published a post about ten cities I would have no problems visiting over and over again. It wasn’t a comprehensive list of course and I received lots of feedback from readers about their favorite cities to visit. Inspired by their ideas, I decided to add another ten of my favorite cities […]
Plane views – Innsbruck in winter
Several years ago, I visited Innsbruck (map), the capital of the state of Tirol in Austria, in the summer. The approach into Innsbruck Airport was absolutely spectacular and I wrote about this in my Plane Views – Innsbruck post. Surrounded by the stunning peaks of the Tirolean Alps, the views as one lands or takes-off […]
A Danube River cruise with Viking Cruises
My first river cruise was in 2015: a week-long cruise along the Rhine River with Viking Cruises. I had a fabulous time on that cruise and I promised myself that I would one day go on a cruise along another of Europe’s great rivers. When Viking Cruises invited me to join their 8-day Romantic Danube […]
About Keith Jenkins
I'm Keith Jenkins. In July 2008, I left my ten-year banking career to travel around the world. I've not looked back since.
Connect
Follow Velvet Escape on:
-
A Danube River cruise with Avalon Waterways
-
Street art in Reunion Island
-
A weekend in Ghent
-
Plane views: Kathmandu
-
The best of Reunion Island – guide and itinerary
-
The treasures of St. Florian Monastery
-
Modena in two days
-
Three days in Phu Quoc
-
A piece of paradise at Constance Prince Maurice
-
Reigniting the magic of travel
-
Modena in two days
-
Why I loved Avalon Waterways excursions
-
The best of Reunion Island – guide and itinerary
-
The treasures of St. Florian Monastery
-
A Danube River cruise with Avalon Waterways
-
A piece of paradise at Constance Prince Maurice
-
Street art in Reunion Island
-
My weekend in Graz
-
Reigniting the magic of travel
-
Three days in Phu Quoc
Velvet Escape has appeared in
