Auf zur fröhlichen Donaufahrt!

This charming original vintage travel poster from the 1930s was designed by Hermann Kosel and promotes leisure cruises on the Danube River. Issued for the Erste Donau-Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft in Vienna, the poster carries the joyful slogan “Auf zur fröhlichen Donaufahrt!” (“Let’s go on a cheerful Danube journey!”).

The design beautifully captures the romantic spirit of interwar travel. In the foreground, a woman and child dressed in traditional Austrian attire overlook the river, waving toward a passing steamship filled with passengers. Below them, the Danube flows past a picturesque town with church towers and hillside architecture, evoking the scenic charm of the Austrian landscape. Kosel’s use of bold, flat colors and simplified forms reflects the influence of Art Deco and modernist poster design of the period, while still retaining a warm, folkloric character.

The poster celebrates the golden age of river travel, when companies like the Erste Donau-Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft played a central role in tourism and transportation along the Danube, connecting major cultural centers and offering leisurely excursions through Central Europe.

Condition: Mounted on linen with visible age wear, including a small area of paper loss at the upper right and a small tear at the bottom. Despite these imperfections, the poster displays very well and would present beautifully when framed.

A highly decorative and evocative piece of Austrian travel history, appealing to collectors of early 20th-century posters, river travel ephemera, and classic European design.