Day
1
You embark in the Austrian capital Vienna on the vessel
in the afternoon. Our tour manager will then welcome
you with a
cocktail before the official welcome dinner on board.
The ship leaves Vienna in the late afternoon
Day 2
The vessel arrives in Esztergom, the former residence
of Hungarian kings and seat of the Archibishop, in
the morning. May
you decide to join the city tour of Esztergom (€30).
A guided tour of the town of Esztergom is included
in this excursion as
well as ride with a little train to the impressive
cathedral of Esztergom (Hungary’s largest place
of worship). During lunch the
ship continues downstream and in the afternoon you
will arrive in Budapest. 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 afternoon there is a city tour (€ 30)
or you may look around Budapest independently. The
vessel leaves
Budapest in the evening and sails downstream overnight
through Hungary.
Day 3
After a short technical stop in Mohacs in the morning
the ship will dock in Vukovar after lunch. In 1991
the name of Vukovar
became known throughout the world owing to the savage
and bitter fighting that took place when the city was
besieged for
three months during the Yugoslavian Civil War. From
Vukovar you may join an optional excursion (€ 40)
that includes a tour
of the city and a visit to Osijek. The ship leaves
Vukovar after dinner.
Day
4
In the morning the ship will dock in Novi Sad. After
breakfast there is an optional sightseeing tour (€ 30)
available. A stroll
through the city recalls the time of the Austro-Hungarian
Danube monarchy. On the way to Sremski Karlovci you
pass by the
fortress Peterwardein, which was built as one of
Europe's largest defence objects in the 18th century.
Sremski Karlovci
awaits you with a series of cultural and historical
monuments. Discover during a tour in the baroque
old town the cathedral,
as well as the Patriarch’s Palace and the theological
school. Afterwards you drive to Belgrade to rejoin
the ship at midday.
Belgrade is the capital of Serbia and Montenegro.
The city is built at the junction of the Danube and
Save rivers and has
been destroyed and rebuilt 20 times during its 2,000-year
history. A city tour of Belgrade (€ 30) takes
place this afternoon.
The main point of interest is the Kalemegdan fortress,
dating mostly from the late 18th century, which encloses
the tomb of
the Turkish Grand Vezir, Ali Pasha. You also enjoy
a panoramic tour of the city by coach.
After dinner, the Belgrade evening excursion (€ 40)
takes you to Skadarlija, the well-known artists´quarter.
Before noon the
vessel leaves the port of Belgrade and speeds on
towards to Bulgaria.
Day 5
This morning we cruise along a particularly scenic
stretch of the river, as the Danube passes through
the Carpathians and
the foothills of the Balkans to the “Iron Gates”.
In ancient times the Iron Gates were a hazardous
part of the journey along
the Danube, as ships had to steer carefully through
a narrow gorge with high cliffs on either side. Today,
the water level has
been raised and the shipping hazards removed, but
the journey is still of interest, and you will be
able to watch the
manoeuvres as the ship passes through two locks by
the Djerdap power stations. A little further on,
the ship enters the
narrow Kazan Gorge. A tablet with a Latin inscription
commemorating the Roman Emperor Trajan can still
be seen etched
into the rock at this point. The vessel continues
cruising overnight towards Bulgaria and Romania.
Day 6
Already in the morning the vessel stops in Svistpv.
From here the excursion to Veliko Tarnovo (€ 40)
starts. With a
comfortable bus we’re hading towards Veliko
Tarnovo, which is located on the picturesque setting
of the two steep banks of
the river Jantram on the bottom of the Balkan Mountains.
In the meantime the vessel continues Rousse. Those
who have
taken the excursion to Veliko Tarnovo rejoin the
ship there. Sthe ship remains moored in Rousse overnight.
Day
7
From Rousse our excursion (€50) takes you to
Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Varna has
Bulgaria’s second-
largest cathedral, where you will see the interesting
murals and striking woodcarvings in its interior.
In the archaeological
museum you can see many exhibits illustrating the
city’s earliest origins, a cabinet of coins,
and outstanding works by local
craftsmen down the centuries. Lunch is taken at a
beach restaurant close to the city, after which there
will be time to walk
along the beach. In the afternoon you will be driven
back to the ship, which has meanwhile travelled on
to Silistra, where it
will be awaiting you. You leave Silistra and then,
after a short technical stop in Chiciu in the early
evening, set off for Tulcea.
Day
8
You arrive in Tulcea in the morning. May you decide
to join the excursion „Danube Delta” (€ 45).
The Danube Delta on the
Black Sea reveals an unusual landscape containing
flora and fauna unique in Europe. You will be taken
through the narrow
channels of the Delta (which covers a total area
of about 4,340 square kilometers) in small boats,
enabling you to see this
very special natural habitat at close quarters. While
you enjoy your lunch the ship casts off and will
pass the Kilometer „0“ of
the Danube in the afternoon. 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 9
We reach Hirsova in the morning from where there
is an optional excursion to Constanta and the Black
Sea coast (€ 50). On
your way to Constanta you will stop at the Black
Sea resort Mamaia, where you can enjoy the beach
and have lunch. The
tour continues to Constanta, the ancient metropolis
and Romania's largest sea port. Its history goes
back over 2,500 years.
On the way to the Casino the bus will pass by some
of the most important buildings in town. The ship
remains morred in
Hirsova overnight.
Day 10
After disembarkation in Hirsova in the morning a
coach takes you to the Romanian capital of Bucharest.
There is an
included city sightseeing tour. This shows you the
main city centre sights, including the parliament
and the Memorial to
Freedom. A stop will be made during the course of
the tour for an included lunch. The highlight of
the tour is a visit to the
open-air Village and Folk Art Museum in Herastrau
Park, on the outskirts of Bucharest. Here you can
see reconstructions of
old farm houses from all over the country, complete
with their furniture and fittings, and other buildings
such as barns,
granaries and windmills. After Check-In in the hotel
in Bucharest this evening a farewell dinner in the
hotel will take place.
Day 11
After breakfast in your hotel – check-out.
You are free to explore Bucharest independently.
End of the program.
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