JOANNA LUMLEY’S DANUBE
Friday 6 June 2025, iTV, 9pm
Joanna Lumley’s journey along the Danube reaches its final chapter in Romania — a land of soaring mountains, deep mythology and some of the last wild corners left in Europe. She begins at the awe-inspiring Iron Gates, a dramatic gorge carved by the river as it slices through the Carpathians. Here, the Danube roars with force, a far cry from the gentle stream Joanna first met in Germany. As she ventures inland into Transylvania, the atmosphere becomes thick with legend. In the dense forests, she follows the tracks of brown bears, and at Bran Castle — often linked to the Dracula myth — she explores the truth behind the gothic fiction, uncovering the region’s history of power, fear, and superstition.
From shadowy castles to regal hospitality, Joanna then spends a night in a guest house owned by King Charles — a quiet moment of rustic comfort that contrasts beautifully with the wilder parts of her trip. But the real magic unfolds when she meets a coven of Romanian witches, Romani women whose rituals on the banks of the Danube are rich with symbolism and energy. Their ceremony, calling on the elements to banish darkness and restore harmony, leaves a deep impression. It’s theatrical, spiritual and deeply rooted in tradition — a far cry from caricature, offering a powerful glimpse into a way of life that persists outside mainstream narratives. She’s gifted an amulet for protection, a small token to carry with her as she draws closer to the end of the river.
Finally, Joanna arrives at the Danube Delta, where the river fans out into a vast, watery maze before surrendering to the Black Sea. It’s here, among reed beds, lagoons and bird-filled skies, that the full scale of her journey comes into view. The Delta is a place of sublime calm — a world of silence punctuated only by wings and water. Pelicans soar above as Joanna reflects on what this trip has revealed: that Europe’s geography isn’t simply scenic, it’s political, emotional and alive. From forest to floodplain, from monastery to marketplace, the Danube has tied people and places together for thousands of years.
