Danube cruise lets cyclists explore along the legendary river

An AmaPrima passenger gets ready for the guided bike tour through Novi Sad, Serbia.  (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

Riders stop for some information from the tour guides at the historic center of Novi Sad, Serbia.   (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

Passengers from the AmaPrima on a guided bike tour near Vidin, Bulgaria.  (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

A stop at St. Sava Temple was part of the AmaPrima’s off-bike excursion to Belgrade, Serbia’s capital.  (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

Some of the most beautiful scenery on the Danube is seen when viewing these gorges, known as the Iron Gates, along an 84-mile stretch between Serbia and Romania, shown here at sunrise.  (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

A church along the Danube near the Iron Gates gorges.   (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

Near the Romanian town of Orsova is an Eastern European-style Mount Rushmore: a rock sculpture of King Decebalus, who lived 2,000 years ago and fought Roman armies in the area now known as Romania.  (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

Outside the 10th-century Baba Vida fortress during a bike tour in Vidin, Bulgaria.  (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

In Bucharest, the National Village Museum showcases peasant life and architecture with original structures from different regions of the country. Most of the buildings are from the 19th century.   (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

A leather craftsman sells his wares at the outdoor National Village Museum in Bucharest.  (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu built this massive Palace of Parliament in Bucharest.   (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)

Starting the cruise at night from Budapest.   (Terri Colby / Chicago Tribune)