Day
1
You embark on the vessel in the late afternoon in Nuremberg.
Our tour manager will then welcome you with a cocktail
before the welcome dinner on board. The ship leaves Nuremberg
in the evening.
Day 2
This morning takes you through the final stretch of the fascinating
Main-Danube Canal. Embark on an exciting optional boat
trip through the lovely "Danube Gorge to Weltenburg
Abbey" (€ 35) in Kelheim. 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. Return to your ship at midday
in
magnificent Regensburg, one of Germany’s best preserved
medieval cities. A Regensburg sightseeing tour (€ 15)
will show
you the city’s architectural highlights, including
the Old Town Hall and the Porta Pretoria. In the evening
there will be a
Bavarian evening on board.
Day 3
After breakfast, arrival in Passau, where the rivers Inn
and Ilz join the Danube. Enjoy a walking tour (€ 15).
During this walk
round the old quarter of Passau your knowledgeable guide
will point out many buildings that bear witness to its historical
importance in the so called three river city. Above all,
you will be especially impressed by the St. Stephen's cathedral,
with
the world's largest organ (17,974 pipes and 233 registers),
the new Bishop's residence and the town hall. Afterwards
you can
get to know the Mozart-City Salzburg during an excursion
(€ 50), starting in Passau and ending in Linz. 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 vessel already arrives in Linz.
A guided walking tour (€ 15) through the former Cultural
capital is
available. Linz is one of the most important Austrian cities.
After dinner the vessel starts in direction to the Wachau.
Day
4
Cruise through the narrow Strudengau and reach the Wachau
Valley. The ship will dock in Melk/Emmersdorf before
breakfast. An interesting excursion through the Wachau
(€ 45) is planned. A coach takes you to Dürnstein,
one of the best-
known 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. There after 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 in a local
restaurant. During lunch your vessel continues in direction
to the Austrian Capital Vienna, where the ship moors in
the
evening. After dinner on board, you can enjoy the excursion “Vienna
at night” (€ 35). 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 5
A Vienna sightseeing tour (€ 30) includes an overall
impression of the most important sights Vienna has to offer.
The tour
takes you along the Ringstrasse, Schwarzenbergplatz, passing
by Charles church (Karlskirche) as well as the stunning
opera
house. There you have some free time to visit the building
or to do some souvenir shopping. Last stop is the well
known and
one of kind, St. Stephan’s cathedral, which you can
admire from the inside. In the afternoon you can participate
in the
optional excursion to Schoenbrunn castle (€ 35), one
of Vienna’s most beautiful buildings. Alternatively
you can book the visit
to the Hofburg Imperial Palace (€ 35). 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” (€ 46) 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
6
After midnight, the vessel continues the cruise downstream
from Vienna to nearby Slovakia where the ship moors in
the
morning. A Bratislava sightseeing tour (€ 30) reveals
the city’s major sights. From 13 -century Bratislava
Castle, you’ll enjoy
breathtaking views overlooking three countries-Slovakia,
Austria and Hungary. In the afternoon you can book the
optional
excursion to the Little Carpathians (€ 35) or to the
Imperial Festival Palace Castle Hof (€ 35).
During the excursion to the Little Carpathians you can
encounter the beautiful scenery with vineyards and small
towns at
their foot similar to a string of pearls. Also you will
visist the former royal castle Cerveny Kamen (Red Stone).
Later you can
enjoy a wine tasting and a visit of a small private ceramic
factory.
Castle Hof is a magnificent complex that was built in the
early 18th century. Unique in Europe, this world of adventure
has
ever since become a top destination for those who seek
culture, nature and delight and want to explore the fascinating
world
of the Baroque in all its authenticity and diversity in
an historical ambience.
On the second-last evening of your Danube cruise, the captain
will be delighted to welcome you to the Captain’s
Gala
Dinner. The ship’s indefatigable orchestra will make
the final evening one to treasure, with tunes and rhythms
to suite all
tastes.
Day 7
Arrival to Budapest, the famous capital of Hungary, in
the morning. Enjoy the Budapest sightseeing tour (€ 30)
which leads
as well to historic Buda Castle, from where you have a
splendid view of the twin cities of Buda and Pest spread
over both
banks of the river. Your tour also features 500-year-old
Matthias Church, St. Stephen’s Basilica, distinctive
Fishermens
Bastion, the marvellous Royal Palace and much more. In
the afternoon you have the choice between two excursions.
You
can visit Castle Gödöllö (€ 40). Castle
Gödöllö, which is located about 30 km from
Budapest, was built in the 18th century. In
the era of the imperial monarchy it became a symbol of
Empress Elisabeth, who was nick-named „Sisi” and
loved by the
Hungarians. Later you continue the trip to a Csarda (horsefarm),
where you will witness an unforgettable performance of
Hungarian horsemanship. Or you decide to discover the
small
artist-settlement Szentendre (€ 30). There are many
museums
and contemporary galleries representing the rich traditions
of the visual art. One of the most visited museums of the
whole
country, the Kovács Margit Museum, is also located
here.
This evening the ship will take you for a night-time cruise
(incl.) with a Hungarian folklore group along the Danube,
passing
under the city’s numerous bridges.
Day 8
Disembarkation is after breakfast in Budapest. End of the
program.
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