Day 1 You embark in the Hungarian capital Budapest on the vessel in the late afternoon. Our tour manager will then welcome you with a cocktail before the welcome dinner on board. The ship remains moored overnight in Budapest. In the evening a gypsy band and a Hungarian folklore group will entertain us as while cruise along Budapests impressive illuminations.
Day 2 Budapest is a city made up of two parts: Buda and Pest, built on opposite banks of the Danube. Buda is the older and more graceful part, with its cobbled streets and medieval architecture, while Pest is the administrative and commercial centre, with wide avenues and impressive 19th-century public buildings. East meets West in this fascinating city, and this can be seen in the variety of shops and restaurants. This morning we offer a tour of the city while in the afternoon you can discover the small artist-settlement Szentendre Szentendre became a creative place of an artist-settlement in 1926. Especially well worth seeing is the main place Foet�r, surrounded by impressive buildings from the time of rococo and baroque. A culinary highlight is perhaps the marzipan museum � �Szabo�. The ship leaves Budapest in the afternoon.
Day 3 This morning we arrive at the city of Bratislava, capital of the Republic of Slovakia, which celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 1991. We will pass below the colossal new �SNP� suspension bridge across the Danube, and then have a sightseeing tour The gorgeous old town has maintained its gothic-baroque style. The tour takes you past St. Martin's cathedral and the Grassalkovich Palace up to the hill from where you have a stunning panoramic view of the city and surrounding area. A walk through the historic old centre leads you past St. Martins cathedral, many palaces, and the Michael gate. At midday the vessel starts cruising towards Vienna where you already moor in the evening. After dinner you can join the excursion Vienna at night. You will drive through the Wienerwald to the Kahlenberg, the best view point in Vienna. From here, you can overlook the vineyards and the city of Vienna. Continue to the traditional wine village of Grinzing, where you visit a typical Heurigen pub. There is no better way to learn about the Viennese laid back atmosphere and coziness, then enjoying a glass of wine, trying spreads with bread, and listening to Heurigen music.
Day 4 After breakfast we offer a tour of this wonderful city Vienna - home to the waltz, coffee houses, the Prater park and one of the world's finest opera houses. This is where Marie-Antoinette grew up and where Mozart died, and for 600 years it was the hub of the vast Hapsburg Empire. In the afternoon you can participate in the optional excursion to Schoenbrunn castle one of Viennas most beautiful buildings. Alternatively you can book the visit to the Hofburg Imperial Palace For more than seven centuries, the great empire of the Habsburgs was ruled from the Imperial Palace. After your dinner on board you can book the Sound of Vienna where the Salonorchester Alt Wien, one of the famous interpreters of classical music, sparks off a unique firework of the most beautiful on its highest level.
Day 5 In the morning you can enjoy the beautiful stretch of the Wachau from the sundeck. The ship moors in Melk/Emmersdorf at midday. An interesting excursion through the Wachau is planned. A coach takes you to Duernstein, one of the bestknown wine villages in the Wachau. A walk through it allows you to appreciate its glorious position. Thereafter you drive through the picturesque landscape of this district to the 900-year old Benedictine abbey of Melk. During a guided tour you see the rooms of the prelature, the emperor aisle, the marble hall, the altars and the library. Afterwards you can, depending on the availability, listen to an organ concert at the church. At the end of the tour we invite you for a glass of wine at a local restaurant. In the afternoon a local farmer will give you a lecture about the most famous fruit of the Wachau, the apricot, and you will get the opportunity to try and buy different products made of apricots, such as chocolate, soap or schnapps. After dinner the vessel continues this journey to Linz.
Day 6 The ship ties up in the large riverside city of Linz in the morning. This is an interesting city, though visited by comparatively few river cruise ships. You can participate in a city walk through the former cultural capital and enjoy a piece of the famous Linzer Torte. Afterwards you can get to know the Mozart-City Salzburg during an excursion starting in Linz and ending in Passau. The old town of Salzburg with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centres north of the Alps and was adopted by UNESCO in 1997 in the list of World Cultural Heritages. Salzburg is also the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the afternoon the vessels reaches Passau, Bavarias most easterly city, where the excursion participants rejoin it. This citys impressive Baroque cathedral houses the largest church organ in the world (with 17,388 pipes and 231 registers), and most of its main sights are very close to the Danube. You can explore on your own, or join a walking tour of the highlights with a local guide. The vessel will leave Passau in the evening and spend the night cruising through Bavaria towards Regensburg.
Day 7 We arrive in Regensburg at forenoon, one of Germany�s best preserved medieval cities. A Regensburg sightseeing tour will show you the citys architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Pretoria. Regensburg is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Germany and its many historic buildings are most impressive. After lunch embark on an exciting optional boat trip through the lovely "Danube Gorge to Weltenburg Abbey" The monastery, founded by Irish or Scottish monks in about 620 AD, is the oldest monastery in Bavaria. After a short tour of the abbey church you can taste the famous dark beer of Weltenburg, which is brewed here in the oldest monastery brewery in the world. In Kelheim the participants of the excursion rejoin the vessel. The vessel leaves Kelheim during dinner.
Day 8 In the very early morning you arrive in Nuremberg. Enjoy an included sightseeing tour of this historic city, before continuing towards Prague. The tour leads you to the major sites and sights of the city, from the medieval beginnings to the present. Afterwards you will drive through the lovely countryside of Southern Bohemia en route to Prague. In the late afternoon you will check-in at the exclusive Le Palais Hotel (Small Leading Hotel of the World).
Day 9 In the morning, there is a sightseeing tour of Prague, "The Golden City"! Visit the magnificent castle area with St. Vitus Cathedral and stroll down Golden Lane before going on a panoramic tour of the city that Goethe called "the jewel in the world's crown". Spend the afternoon at leisure, perhaps visiting the fascinating Jewish quarter or browsing through some of Pragues many excellent shops. In the evening a farewell dinner is served at the hotel.
Day 10 Check-out from the hotel. End of the program.
Included Features:
7-night cruise accommodation in an outside stateroom
superb dining with all meals included during your cruise
coffee and tea after lunch and dinner
quality red & white wines from Europes great wine regions with every dinner onboard the ship
welcome cocktail, Welcome Dinner & Captains Gala Dinner with crew show
evening cruise Budapest by Night with folklore program
programs and features which are marked as included in the itinerary
daily onboard music performances by the on-board musicians
services of an experienced, multilingual cruise director
non-smoking environment (smoking permitted only on the Sun-Deck)
port taxes and local taxes
the modern wireless audiosystem Quietvox for all excursions during the cruise
Land Program Prague
2 nights hotel accommodation in the 5* Le Palais-Hotel * (Member of the Leading Small Hotels of the world)
in Prague with buffet breakfast
welcome dinner
sightseeing programs and transfers by deluxe motor coaches as outlined in the itinerary
experienced English speaking tour guide
Not included Features:
excursions:
tips, insurance, personal expenses
Optional shore excursions
City tour Budapest 30.00 � p.P. Excursion Szentendre 30.00 � p.P. City tour Bratislava 30.00 � p.P. Vienna at Night 35.00 � p.P. City tour Vienna 30.00 � p.P. Visit Schoenbrunn Castle or Hofburg Imperial Palace 35.00 � p.P. Concert "Sound of Vienna" 46.00 � p.P. Wachau incl. Melk Abbey and wine tasting 45.00 � p.P. City walk Linz 15.00 � p.P. City tour Salzburg 50.00 � p.P. City walk Passau 15.00 � p.P. City walk Regensburg 15.00 � p.P. The Weltenburg Monastery 35.00 � p.P. City tour Prague 40.00 � p.P.
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