Our Balkan Adventure cruising along the Danube before flying to Malta

 So here is our itinerary.

Leaving Melbourne 00:30am Wednesday 11th March. Yes it is a horrible time!

We fly into Budapest, Hungary, via Singapore arriving the same day Wednesday 11th March at 23:35. Budapest is 10 hours behind Melbourne. Going to be a long day.

We then board a boat to sail down the Danube.

Most cruises head up the Danube toward Amsterdam, but we will be sailing in the other direction.  We will be calling into ports in Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania before returning back along the Danube to Budapest. 

Our boat is the Ostara.

The MS Ostara is a brand-new, ultra-luxury river cruise ship launched in June 2025.

Designed for an intimate experience, it hosts only 154 guests and 60 crew members.

It offers six unique dining venues, including a world-first hydraulic-powered restaurant and bar called The Gruner Bar & Dining, which can lift from the Upper Deck to the Sun Deck for better views.

Then on the 27th March we fly to Malta to complete the adventure.

Why Malta?

It seems to have a lot of history and the historic buildings full of stories are still there to see.

Not to mention it has always been very high on Carolyn's bucket list!

Malta's history spans millennia, from Neolithic temple builders (predating the Pyramids) to strategic control by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, and Arabs, who heavily influenced the language. The Knights of St. John famously defended it from the Ottomans in 1565, building Valletta, before the French briefly ruled and the British took over in 1800, making it a vital colony and awarding it the George Cross for WWII bravery. Malta gained independence in 1964, became a republic in 1974, and joined the EU in 2004, becoming a modern European nation.

Ancient & Medieval Eras

• Neolithic Period (c. 5000 BC): First farmers settled, followed by temple builders, creating megaliths older than Egypt's pyramids.

• Phoenicians (c. 800 BC): Established trading posts, giving Malta its name (meaning "haven").

• Carthaginians & Romans (218 BC): Carthage ruled until the Romans conquered Malta, where it flourished and Christianity spread after St. Paul's shipwreck (c. 60 AD).

• Byzantines & Arabs (870 AD): After the Western Roman Empire's fall, Byzantines ruled, then Arabs conquered, leaving a lasting linguistic impact.

• Normans (1091): Norman conquest brought Malta back into Christian hands as part of Sicily.

Knights & Colonial Rule

• Knights Hospitaller (1530):

The Holy Roman Emperor granted Malta to the Knights of St. John, who defended it fiercely against the Ottomans in the Great Siege of 1565.

• French & British (1798-1964):

Napoleon captured Malta in 1798, but the French were ousted with British help, leading to Malta becoming a British colony in 1814.

• World War II:

Malta endured heavy Axis bombing and was awarded the George Cross for its people's bravery.

Independence & Modernity

• Independence (1964): Malta gained independence from Britain.

• Republic (1974): Became a republic.

• European Union (2004): Joined the EU, adopting the Euro in 2008, solidifying its European identity.