<p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);">第六卷：多瑙河上的坎坷航程</b></p><p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);">Chapter 5: A Troublesome Voyage on the Danube – Present Chaos, Ancient Echoes, and the Complicated Soul of the Balkans</b></p> <p class="ql-block">在航行过Aegean Sea(爱琴海)与Adriatic Sea(亚得里亚海)、寻访了古罗马、奥斯曼与威尼斯人留下的海岸遗迹后，有朋友留言问我：那内陆国家呢？邮轮之旅是不是错过了欧洲大陆的心脏地带？</p><p class="ql-block">这趟多瑙河河轮之旅(River cruise in the Danube River)就是我的答案——这也是我这趟旅程的最后章节，深入中欧与东南欧，探索人类文明更深层的源头。</p><p class="ql-block">After sailing the Aegean and Adriatic, tracing the coastal legacies of the Romans, Ottomans, and Venetians, many of you asked: What about the countries inland? Did the ocean cruise miss the heart of the European continent?</p><p class="ql-block">This Danube river cruise is my answer—the final chapter of this grand journey, venturing into Central and Southeastern Europe to explore the deeper roots of human civilization.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);"><i>小知识：（from Google)</i></b></p><p class="ql-block">多瑙河全长約 2850 公里，是仅次于伏尔加河的欧洲第二长河。它发源于德国黑森林，向东贯穿中欧与东南欧，流经 10 个国家——是世界上流经国家最多的河流——最终在罗马尼亚注入黑海。</p><p class="ql-block">历史上，多瑙河曾是罗马帝国的北方边界，见证了无数文明的交汇；如今，它通过运河与莱茵河相连，构成了贯穿欧洲的水运动脉。</p><p class="ql-block">我们的旅程从布达佩斯启程，沿河向东，穿过匈牙利大平原、克罗地亚与塞尔维亚的边境，挺进险峻的铁门峡谷，最终抵达罗马尼亚。</p><p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);"><i>Facts about River Danube (from Google)</i></b></p><p class="ql-block">Stretching approximately 2,850 kilometers, the Danube is Europe’s second-longest river after the Volga. Originating in Germany’s Black Forest, it flows eastward across Central and Southeastern Europe through 10 countries—more than any other river on Earth—before emptying into the Black Sea in Romania.</p><p class="ql-block">Historically the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, the Danube has witnessed centuries of human migration and cultural crossroads. Today, linked to the Rhine via modern canals, it serves as a vital waterway spanning the entire continent.</p><p class="ql-block">Our journey begins in Budapest, sailing east through the Great Hungarian Plain, along the borders of Croatia and Serbia, and through the dramatic Iron Gates gorge, ultimately concluding in Romania.</p> <p class="ql-block"><i style="color:rgb(255, 138, 0);">然而当河轮之旅变成了巴士拉车时，这个行程就变成多瑙河上的意外插曲了。</i></p><p class="ql-block">在Budapest（布达佩斯）稍作休整后，我们期待已久的Viking Danube River Cruise (维京多瑙河河轮)之旅却并未如预期般顺利。一场持续不断的欧洲酷暑热浪让河道水位大幅下降，我们临时接到通知，无法在布达佩斯登船。取而代之的，是坐上整整四个小时的长途巴士，一路向下游前往Croatia (克罗地亚)的武科瓦尔（Vukovar），据说我们的船——“维京艾尔迪尔号”（Viking Eldir）——正在那里等着我们。</p><p class="ql-block">就这样，我们的“河轮之旅”竟然是从巴士开始的……</p><p class="ql-block">经过四个小时的舟车劳顿，我们终于抵达了港口。然而，惊喜还没结束——我们的巴士司机居然找不到船！河岸边连半艘维京河轮的影子都没有。在一番折腾与寻找后，我们总算靠着步行被带到了船只停靠的地点，并顺利登船——而且全程居然完全没有任何安全检查。这跟我们想象中优雅顺畅的登船过程，可谓是相去甚远。</p><p class="ql-block">很快我们就发现，遭殃的不止我们这批人。船上另外 66 位乘客（占了整艘船近三分之一的人数）是从另一艘河轮转过来的，而那艘船自阿姆斯特丹出发以来，已经被困在途中两次了。可想而知，大家的情绪都有点低落。</p><p class="ql-block">这就是我多瑙河河轮之旅的开端！实在谈不上是个愉快的开始！</p><p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(255, 138, 0);">When Your River Cruise Starts on a Bus: A Danube Adventure Gone Wrong</b></p><p class="ql-block">Following our reset in Budapest, our long-awaited Viking River Cruise along the Danube took an unexpected turn. A prolonged European heatwave had drastically lowered the river’s water levels, and we received last-minute word that we couldn't board in Budapest. Instead, we were bused four hours downstream to Vukovar, Croatia, where our ship—the Viking Eldir—was supposedly waiting.</p><p class="ql-block">And so began our river cruise... on a bus.</p><p class="ql-block">After four long hours on the road, we finally reached the port in Vukovar. But the surprises didn't end there—our bus drivers couldn't find the ship! Looking out at the riverbank, there was no Viking vessel in sight. After a confusing search, we were eventually guided on foot to where the ship was tucked away. We finally boarded—without so much as a basic security check. Safe to say, it wasn't quite the smooth embarkation we had imagined.</p><p class="ql-block">We soon discovered we weren't the only ones weathering a rocky start. Another 66 passengers—a full third of everyone on board—had been transferred from a different cruise that had already been stranded twice since departing Amsterdam. Understandably, spirits were not particularly high.</p><p class="ql-block">And that is how my grand Danube river cruise began—definitely not the smoothest start!</p> <p class="ql-block"><i style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">感谢我的AI小助手制作的卡通图片。Cartoon image was created by my AI assistant.</i></p> <p class="ql-block">抛开遗憾，让我先和大家分享一下多瑙河沿岸几处最难忘的景点：</p><p class="ql-block"><span style="font-size:18px;">Setting disappointment aside, let me share a few of the most memorable places along the Danube:</span></p><p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">Vukovar, Croatia（克罗地亚，武科瓦尔）</b></p><p class="ql-block">Vukovar(武科瓦尔)是一座承载着沉重历史的城镇，在Yugoslavia(南斯拉夫)内战期间几乎毁于一旦。1991年长达86天的围城战导致约3,000人丧生，使这里获得了“克罗地亚的斯大林格勒”之称。尽管如今已艰难重建，但其清晰可见的伤痕依然在肃穆地警示着人们：民族矛盾会以多快的速度升级为惨剧。</p><p class="ql-block">A town of immense historic weight, Vukovar was nearly destroyed during the Yugoslav Wars. An 86-day siege in 1991 left roughly 3,000 dead, earning the town the nickname "Croatia's Stalingrad." Though painstakingly rebuilt, its visible scars serve as a solemn reminder of how rapidly ethnic tensions can escalate into tragedy.</p> <p class="ql-block"><i style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">感谢我的AI小助手制作的卡通图片。Cartoon image was created by my AI assistant.</i></p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">Belgrade, Serbia (塞尔维亚，贝尔格莱德) </b></p><p class="ql-block">Belgrade (贝尔格莱德)位于Sava(萨瓦河)与Danube(多瑙河)的交汇处，占据着极为重要的战略十字路口。历史上这里曾引发过115场战争，并44次被夷为平地。早在公元前5700年，温查族（Vinča culture）就在此定居。此后，这座城市相继落入凯尔特人、罗马人、奥斯曼帝国和哈布斯堡王朝之手，并在整个20世纪一直作为南斯拉夫的首都。</p><p class="ql-block">Situated at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, Belgrade occupies a strategic crossroads fought over in 115 wars and razed 44 times. Settled as early as 5700 BC by the Vinča culture, the city subsequently passed through Celtic, Roman, Ottoman, and Habsburg hands before serving as the capital of Yugoslavia throughout the 20th century.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">Golubac Fortress, Serbia (</b><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187); font-size:18px;">戈鲁巴茨城堡，塞尔维亚)</b></p><p class="ql-block">这是一座14世纪的坚固城堡。耸立于铁门峡谷（Iron Gate gorge）的入口处，十座高塔直接修建在临河的悬崖之上。城堡建于罗马时代的遗址之上，在奥斯曼人、匈牙利人、塞尔维亚人和奥地利人无休止的争夺中，曾成功击退过120多次进攻。后来此地也被用来交纳船运关税的关卡。</p><p class="ql-block">Guarding the entrance to the Iron Gate gorge, this 14th-century stronghold features ten towers built directly into the riverbank cliffs. Built over a former Roman settlement, Golubac repelled over 120 attacks as Ottomans, Hungarians, Serbs, and Austrians fought endlessly for its control.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">The Iron Gates & Iron Gate Gorge (铁门与铁门峡谷)</b></p><p class="ql-block">铁门峡谷位于Serbia (塞尔维亚)与Romania (罗马尼亚)的交界处，是Danube River(多瑙河)穿凿喀尔巴阡山脉与巴尔干山脉所形成的欧洲最壮丽的峡谷之一。历史上，这片水域因暗礁密布、水流湍急而让船员闻风丧胆；直到70年代建造了大型水电站大坝，这条险峻的战略要道才得以驯服。如今，平静的水面掩映着深厚的历史底蕴——包括凿刻于悬崖上的古罗马栈道遗迹，同时也展现出两侧峭壁拔水而起的壮美风光。</p><p class="ql-block">Forming a dramatic natural border between Serbia and Romania, the Iron Gates is one of Europe’s most spectacular river gorges, where the Danube slices through the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. Historically infamous among sailors for its treacherous rocks and fierce currents, this strategic passage was tamed in the 1970s by the construction of massive hydroelectric dams. Today, the peaceful waters conceal ancient history—including Roman road markers carved into the cliffs—while offering breathtaking views of sheer rock faces rising directly from the river.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress, Bulgaria（贝洛格拉奇克奇石与城堡）</b></p><p class="ql-block">在Bulgaria(保加利亚)西北部，有一片高耸达200米的红黄色砂岩巨石群，造型奇特壮观。早在公元1世纪，罗马人便巧借这些天然石柱作为防守屏障，在此修建了前哨基地。此后，保加利亚沙皇与奥斯曼统治者相继对其进行扩建，可谓是军事工程与大自然鬼斧神工的完美结合。</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">Bucharest, Romania (罗马尼亚首都布加勒斯特)</b></p><p class="ql-block">布加勒斯特（Bucharest）是我们这趟多瑙河之旅的终点站！虽然它并未直接紧邻多瑙河干流，但作为沿多瑙河一路延伸的罗马尼亚的首都，这里是整趟旅程最完美的收官之地。</p><p class="ql-block">今天靠着双腿足足步行了15公里，穿梭于这座城市的新旧城区之间，它给我的直观感受是震撼，与想象中完全不同。</p><p class="ql-block">如果说前几站的布达佩斯（Budapest）是重现帝国辉煌的精致与典雅，那么Bucharest 给我的印象，则是脏、乱、旧，以及一种“丑陋的雄伟”。这种落差感实在太大了。</p><p class="ql-block">最让人惋惜的，是那些曾经辉煌一时、甚至带有浓郁法式“小巴黎”风情的古老建筑。如今它们大部分早已破旧不堪，外墙剥落，甚至许多所谓的“修复工作”看起来也极其敷衍了事。最让人哭笑不得的是，在许多雕花细腻的百年古建筑橱窗和外墙上，居然就那么粗暴地挂着现代的空调外机！这种强行将现代实用主义贴在历史残躯上的做法，显得极为不伦不类，甚至有些难看。</p><p class="ql-block">而街头那些齐奥塞斯库时期留下的庞然大物——尤其是巨大的议会宫，虽然规模宏大到令人咂舌，却充斥着一种脱离了人间烟火气的冷酷与笨重，完美诠释了何为“丑陋的雄伟”。</p><p class="ql-block">更具讽刺意味的，莫过于矗立在Dâmbovița(登博维察)河畔的“广播之家”（Casa Radio / Dâmbovița Center）。这座巨型建筑原本是齐奥塞斯库时期规划的“罗马尼亚国家历史博物馆”与阅兵台，1989年政权倒台时只完成了一半。三十多年过去了，它像一座巨大的水泥怪兽般矗立在市区，外墙斑驳破败，钢筋锈迹斑斑。尽管后来曾有无数个商业开发计划，却全因资金与产权纠纷沦为“烂尾楼”。它不仅是共产主义时期盲目大兴土木的废墟，更是现代转型期尴尬与停滞的缩影。</p><p class="ql-block">罗马尼亚地处各大帝国的交界要道，历史上相继遭受过哥特人、蒙古骑兵的冲击，又沦为奥斯曼、哈布斯堡与沙俄博弈的战场。对于老一代中国人而言，这里曾是亲切的“铁杆社会主义兄弟”；而在1989年的剧变中，齐奥塞斯库政权在枪声中猝然倒台，又让它经历了惨烈的阵痛。如今，罗马尼亚虽已加入欧盟、经济迅速转型，但在Bucharest (布加勒斯特)的大街小巷里，历史留下的伤痕与现实转型的仓促依然清晰可见。</p><p class="ql-block">也许，这就是最真实的Bucharest——它没有Budapest 那样被完美呵护的优雅光鲜，只有在岁月洗刷与时代剧变后，努力在破败与现代之间顽强挣扎的真实人间。</p> <p class="ql-block"><i style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">感谢我的AI小助手制作的卡通图片。Cartoon image was created by my AI assistant.</i></p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">Bucharest: Disappointment, Decay, and "Ugliness in Grandeur"</b></p><p class="ql-block">Bucharest marks the final stop of our Danube journey. Today, after walking 15 kilometers through both the old and new quarters of the city, the strong impression it left on me was entirely unexpected.</p><p class="ql-block">If Budapest was defined by refined elegance and meticulously restored imperial glory, Bucharest came as a sharp contrast: grimy, chaotic, aged, and marked by a distinct "ugliness in its grandeur." The difference between the two couldn't be starker.</p><p class="ql-block">What saddened me most was the state of its once-magnificent architecture—buildings that had earned the city its moniker as the "Little Paris of the East." Today, most stand crumbling and neglected, with superficial restoration efforts that feel completely half-hearted. Adding insult to injury, modern air-conditioning units are crudely slapped directly onto the historic facades and display windows of century-old structures. The jarring clash between modern utility and historic grandeur feels remarkably out of place and downright eyesore.</p><p class="ql-block">Meanwhile, the colossal monolithic structures left behind from the Ceaușescu era—most notably the oppressive Palace of the Parliament—exude a cold, overbearing presence. It is the very definition of "ugly grandeur"—imposing in scale, yet completely stripped of human warmth.</p><p class="ql-block">Perhaps even more ironic is Casa Radio (The Dâmbovița Center) looming over the banks of the Dâmbovița River. Originally conceived under Ceaușescu as a massive museum of national history and a military parade grandstand, construction ground to a sudden halt during the 1989 revolution. Over three decades later, this hollow concrete monolith still looms over the city—a decaying, rusted shell. Despite grand promises of luxury redevelopments, it remains one of Bucharest’s most notorious "white elephants." It stands as an eerie monument not only to communist megalomania, but also to the stalled promises and bureaucratic paralysis of the post-communist transition.</p><p class="ql-block">Romania has long rested at the turbulent crossroads of empires, enduring waves of invasions from Goths and Mongols to the chessboards of the Ottoman, Habsburg, and Russian empires. For older generations in China, Romania carries a familiar resonance as a former socialist ally. Yet its 1989 revolution ended in rapid, bloody tragedy. Today, while Romania has joined the EU and forged ahead economically, the chaotic scars of its turbulent history remain laid bare on the streets of Bucharest.</p><p class="ql-block">Perhaps this is the ultimate truth of Bucharest: it lacks the pristine, carefully polished charm of Budapest. Instead, it offers an unvarnished look at a city awkwardly caught between the ruins of its past and the unscripted rush of modernity.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);">小结：</b></p><p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);">Danube Reflections（多瑙河沉思：逝水与微尘）</b></p><p class="ql-block">在整个的河轮旅行中，我发现到处都挥不掉Yugoslavia (南斯拉夫)的影子——这个曾经将这片土地上的众多民族凝聚在一起的国家。看着岸边的风光在船舷旁缓缓流逝，我心中不禁反复沉思：它的解体，绝不仅是一场局部的悲剧，更是影响全球局势的关键转折点。Yugoslavia 内战血淋淋地揭示了和平是多么脆弱，也暴露了当时国际社会在阻止冲突时的无力与混乱。</p><p class="ql-block">然而，当我们的游船在这片水域静静航行，驶过罗马人和奥斯曼人修建的古老城堡，又穿过至今仍带着90年代战争伤痕的安静小镇(Vukovar)，一股更深沉的感悟涌上了心头。</p><p class="ql-block">Danube River (多瑙河)曾目睹过无数帝国的崛起、坍塌与烟消云散。浩浩荡荡的河水奔流不息，裹挟着过往的所有历史顺流而去，淘尽了曾经的边境、恩怨与雄心。站在甲板上，看着身后的浪花渐渐融入水天之间，我突然领悟到：我自己也不过是这河岸边极其短暂的一名过客。在漫长的时光长河里，生命是如此沧海一粟；终有一天，我以及我此刻的所思所想，也都会被岁月带走，成为历史的一粒尘埃。</p><p class="ql-block">大江东去，岁月不居。意识到生命的短暂与渺小，反而让当下的每一口气息、眼前的每一片风光，变得更加珍贵。这真是一趟不虚此行的旅程。</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">Farewell to the Danube: 再见多瑙河</b></p><p class="ql-block">The Danube River (多瑙河)河轮之旅终于落下了帷幕。在此前的文章里，我和大家分享了沿途不少景点的独特风光与感悟。不过，大家还记得我在游记开头所提到的当河轮之旅变成巴车拉车时的“不愉快开端”吧？想必大家也很好奇，在这之后，我们究竟是如何抵达最终目的地的吧？</p><p class="ql-block">在第一段巴士拉车把我们从Budapest 运到Croatia(克罗地亚)的武科瓦尔（Vukovar）登船后，我们终于长舒一口气，并以为下游的水位应当一切正常，接下来的航程也应该能一帆风顺。我们甚至暗自祈祷能来一场大雨以抬升水位，然而滚滚热浪却毫无消退的迹象。</p><p class="ql-block">正当大家以为情况不会更糟时，几天后我们却接到通知：由于前方有一艘船只搁浅，River Danube (多瑙河)罗马尼亚段（Romania section) 的航道被迫关闭！接下来的余下行程，我们必须再次全程改乘大巴前往布加勒斯特（Bucharest）！</p><p class="ql-block">这个消息如同一块巨石打破了平静，游客们好不容易平复的心情瞬间再次沸腾。尤其是对于那些此前已经历过三次换船换车、如今面临第四次放弃维京河轮（Viking）的游客来说，心中的震惊、沮丧与失落可想而知。他们当中，有人为了这次梦寐以求的旅行积攒了大半生，却换来了一次次无休止的更改行程与折腾。</p><p class="ql-block">据说，这是多瑙河三十年来经历的最低水位。许多河轮的工作人员也坦言，他们从未在如此短的时间里经历过频频弃船换车的操作。船上的混乱与管理不善也显而易见：船只往往在没有充分通知的情况下突然启航或停航。在一个港口，甚至有四名游客被遗落在岸上，不得不自行打车赶往下一个停靠点——而这一切仅仅是因为船长为了赶在水位进一步下降前快速通过一片浅滩，不得不决定在未等全员到齐的情况下提前启航。尽管这四位游客后续的交通由船方安排妥当，但当时他们在岸边望着远去的船只那种焦虑与恐慌感是有目共睹的。</p><p class="ql-block">虽然我非常理解河水位的高低非任何人所能控制的，但如果沟通能更及时、信息更新能更透明，大家的体验或许会截然不同。</p><p class="ql-block">不过，尽管因河水位变化引发了诸多波折，河轮上的生活本身依然有其美好的一面：精致可口的美味佳谣、航行时岸边风光旖旎，对于喜爱美酒的人士来说，船上的各类佳酿更是供应充足。</p><p class="ql-block">然而，经过这次体验，我依然觉得河轮并不那么适合我。相比之下，我还是更偏爱大海的广阔与邮轮（Ocean Cruise）的舒适。因此，恐怕会在很长一段时间内，不会有河轮之旅了。</p><p class="ql-block">如今，这段充满波折与惊喜的旅程已然画上句号。我们已平安抵达Bucharest (布加勒斯特)，并收拾好行囊准备踏上归途。感谢大家一路以来对我旅行随笔的关注与陪伴，我们下一次旅程再见！</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);"><i>🍁Sue-五味子🍂@Bucharest, Romania. 23.07.2027</i></b></p>