Angela Rippon's River Cruises - Season 1

Angela Rippon kicks off this brand-new series with a stunning adventure down Europe's second longest river. She joins her ship in breathtaking Budapest. In Hungary's capital she has a whistlestop tour of the city, from the stunning views from the Fisherman's Bastion to a bridge that is very familiar, especially to Londoners. As she crosses the river, Angela learns of the complicated history of the Pest side of the river, from its time as a sanctuary for the Jewish population, to the heartbreaking stories that came from the Second World War.

Angela's journey down the Danube continues as she travels through Slovakia to Vienna, the romantic capital of Austria. Here, she samples delicious cakes while musing about the city's history of cafe culture and how it attracted great musicians, architects and innovators. She visits the Spanish Riding School to witness how horses and humans can come together to produce beautiful choreography. Then Angela puts herself through her paces at a prestigious dance school, where she is taught how to do a proper Viennese Waltz.

After departing Vienna it's off to Krems, a historic place situated in the UNESCO world heritage site of the Wachau Valley. A visit to a 1000-year-old abbey is on Angela's itinerary, not only to take in the beauty and craftsmanship of the buildings, but also to discover how the monks keep the abbey running financially. And a large part of it, surprisingly, comes down to the humble apricot, and all the foods that can be made using it as an ingredient.

The first half of Angela's trip down the Danube ends with a cycle ride through the gorgeous Wachau Valley. The road, lined with vineyards and winemaking villages, leads her to Durnstein where she rejoins her ship. It's also home to a historic castle, with an intriguing link to the UK, thanks to Richard the Lionheart.

The second part of Angela's river cruise along the Danube begins in the village of Brandstatt, Austria, where she takes a short connecting coach journey to Salzburg, famous for the backdrop to The Sound of Music and birthplace to musical genius, Mozart, exploring landmarks associated with the composer and sampling the famous, tourist favourite, Mozartkugel; confectionery created in his honour almost 150 years ago.

Staying in Salzburg, Angela joins a folk group in the famous Mirabel Gardens performing a traditional Schuhplattler, an energetic thigh slapping, shoe tapping dance. Rejoining her ship, Angela continues to Regensburg, Germany, where she meets a family of milliners who create hats for dignitaries, presidents and celebrities, in business for five generations. On the way back to the ship, she stops at the oldest bridge in Germany and eats at the oldest Bratwurst restaurant in the country.

Overnight, Angela's ship switches from the Danube River to the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal to head North to Nuremberg, passing over an aqueduct and through the famous three highest locks - one thousand, three hundred and thirty two feet above sea level. In Nuremberg, Angela joins some of her ship's guests for a walking guided tour of the city which was nearly levelled by Allied bombing but which has been meticulously rebuilt, preserving its Medieval charm.

Angela's river cruise down the Danube concludes in the UNESCO listed city of Bamberg where she takes in the exquisite Medieval and baroque architecture, including the 15th Century Emperor's Court and the Old Town Hall, built on wooden pilings into the River Regnitz itself and still standing 800 years later. Angela celebrates the end of her river cruise in a 600 year old tavern, still serving the town's signature brew – Smoked Beer.

Angela heads to Cambodia to travel along the Mekong, beginning by heading to see the majestic sunrise over the famous temple at Angkor Wat before boarding her cruise ship in Kampong Cham. Among her destinations are Angkor Ban, now a tourist hotspot, but known as the lucky village as it survived the atrocities in the 1970s of the Khmer Rogue, and the capital Phnom Penh, where sher heads to a temple complex to meet a man who is preserving ancient Cambodian manuscripts.

Angela Rippon continues her passage down the Mekong River into Vietnam to soak up more culture and customs along this famous Southeast Asia waterway. Angela explores authentic riverside markets, attempts artisanal crafts, delves into Vietnam's history, visits the iconic paddy fields and witnesses exciting projects to herald a bold and vibrant future from eco-projects in Trà Sư Cajaput forest to dynamic development and tourism in Ho Chi Minh city.

Starting just over the border of Cambodia in the An Giang Province, Angela sails into Tân Châu to explore the stunning Trà Sư Cajaput forest, a two thousand acre wetland sanctuary brimming with biodiversity that celebrates the dramatic eco-regeneration project after the 20-year war.

Angela's adventure continues at the bustling open air market in the heart of Sa Đéc for an authentic glimpse of local life, followed by a tour of the historic Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House, the setting of a famous love affair by its owner and novelist Marguerite Duras, who penned the Novel L'Amant (The Lover).

Angela arrives at Tân Phong island to meet community artisans who repurpose nuisance water Hyacinths as stunning woven crafts; an eco-project that supports local income. After an onboard tai chi class with fellow travellers, Angela visits the iconic paddy fields of Mỹ Tho to learn about a cultivation process that's survived four thousand years.

Angela leaves her ship and the Mekong River to travel overland to Vietnam's largest city, Ho Chi Minh, for a white knuckle motorbike guided tour to take in the famous historic sites and learn about it's rich history, followed by an authentic noodle lunch and a stroll down the famous flower market.