Tour Details - THE BLUE DANUBE DISCOVERY - CATEGORY E
THE BLUE DANUBE DISCOVERY - CATEGORY E
DISCOUNTS ON EVERY TOUR, UP TO 10% !!!
Tour Duration: 13 days Tour Code: WBN-E2012 Tour Type: Prices From: A$3697 [Tour Dates]
Tour Itinerary
Day
Description
1
BUDAPEST HUNGARY Welcome to Budapest, Hungary's lively capital. The remainder of the day is free to start exploring Eastern Europe's most cosmopolitan metropolis.
2
BUDAPEST Budapest straddles both banks of the Danube, with seven bridges, including the famous Chain and Elisabeth Bridges, connecting ancient Buda on the right bank with Pest on the left. The massive hilltop castle complex with FISHERMEN'S BASTION and the Matthias Church is among the many sights your Local Guide will show you. Shop for renowned peasant embroidery, Herend porcelain, and paprika. (B)
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BUDAPEST (EMBARKATION) This afternoon, board your river cruise vessel and meet your crew at a welcome reception. (B,D)
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BUDAPEST-VIENNA, AUSTRIA A day to relax on board and marvel at the beautiful scenery on both banks of the Danube. Hungary is on your left as you cruise upriver and Slovakia is on your right. The two countries share the Danube for a 93 kilometre (58-mile) stretch, with the border in the middle of the river. Vienna, Austria's capital, is known as the "City of Music" and inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss or Apfelstrudel in a neighbourhood cafe. An optional concert is available during your stay. (B,L,D)
5
VIENNA Once the centre of the mighty Habsburg Empire, Vienna has much to offer: lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna Opera House, the majestic Ring Boulevard, and aweinspiring St. Stephen's Cathedral, to name just a few of the sights you will enjoy during your city tour. You do not rush through Vienna-you waltz, taking your time to savour each classic sight and sound. Shop in the Karntnerstrasse and enjoy Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel in a neighbourhood cafe. An optional concert is available during your stay. (B,L,D)
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DURNSTEIN-MELK Durnstein, known for the magnificent baroque Stiftskirche with its blue facade, is situated right in the heart of the Wachau wine region. Above town are the ruins of the castle where England's King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192. This afternoon: Melk, whose magnificent BENEDICTINE ABBEY dominates the town from its commanding hill site and is one of Europe's largest monasteries. The view you have from the terrace over the Danube and surrounding countryside is breathtaking! This evening you'll be able to sample some of the Wachau Valley's FAMOUS WINES. (B,L,D)
7
LINZ-PASSAU, GERMANY Linz, Austria's third-largest city, lies on both banks of the Danube and is an important industrial town and busy river port. An optional full-day excursion to Salzburg takes in the popular Sound of Music sights. Passau, ideally located at the confluence of the Rivers Inn, Ilz, and Danube, is a city of graceful arcades and cobblestone streets. St. Stephen's Cathedral houses the world's largest church organ with more than 17,000 pipes. (B,L,D)
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REGENSBURG Regensburg is one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities. Architectural highlights on your guided tour include the Old Town Hall and Porta Pretoria-gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 AD. The city is the capital of Upper Palatinate, a bustling university town, and one of Bavaria's cultural centres. It is here you will find Germany's oldest restaurant, the 12th-century Historische Wurstkuche (Old Sausage Kitchen). (B,L,D)
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NUREMBERG Although Nuremberg suffered extensive damage during WWII, much of it was restored to its original style. Marvel at this historic city with its fabulous gothic churches and elegant patrician houses-all explained by a local expert. Nuremberg's traditions include famous Lebkuchen, toy making, and metal working. After dinner we'll introduce you to some of Germany's FAMOUS BEERS. (B,L,D)
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NUREMBERG (DISEMBARKATION)-PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC Cross the Czech border in the Bohemian Forest and head for Prague, the "Golden City." (B)
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PRAGUE Prague is a 1,000-year-old city preserved in time. See its best- known treasures such as the Old Town's Astronomical Clock, once the envy of all of Europe; HRADCANY CASTLE GROUNDS, St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Charles Bridge. Browse the shops for handcut crystal or art books. Mix with the locals in Wenceslaus Square or stroll along the Vltava River. (B)
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PRAGUE A free day for you to explore the city at your own pace. Your Cruise Director will have other suggestions for things to do. (B)
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PRAGUE Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
CRUISE: Deluxe 7-night cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg in an outside stateroom with hotel-style beds- CATEGORY E BUDAPEST: Guided sightseeing, visit Fishermen's Bastion; welcome reception VIENNA: Guided sightseeing DURNSTEIN: Guided walk, see the Stiftskirche MELK: Guided visit of the Benedictine Abbey; wine tasting PASSAU: Guided sightseeing REGENSBURG: Guided sightseeing MAIN DANUBE CANAL: Cruise in the canal NUREMBERG: Guided sightseeing; beer tasting PRAGUE: Guided sightseeing, see the Astronomical Clock and visit Hradcany Castle grounds MEALS: Full buffet breakfast (B) in Budapest and Prague; superb dining with all meals on board daily featuring full breakfast (B), lunch (L), and dinner (D), including a welcome reception, Captain's reception and farewell dinner; quality wines from Europe's most famous wine regions with every dinner; one sitting with open seating arrangements Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the cruise description
Meals Breakfast - 12 Lunch - 6 Dinner - 7
Optional Excursions
To help plan your leisure time, as well as your pre-tour budgeting, here is a list of optional excursions that may be offered on this tour.
Availability is subject to sufficient participation, weather conditions, seasonal suitability, group interests, and general feasibility for your tour. Please note prices may be based on the previous year and are subject to change. Full terms and conditions are contained in the important travel documents.
Cost
Description
34
EUR
Name:COMMUNIST BUDAPEST Location:BUDAPEST Details:From 1947 to 1989, the Hungarian Communist Party held sway. Although the regime was not as deferential to the Soviet Union, the collective economy and fear of the secret police shaped the lives of Hungarian citizens. Today the former headquarters of the AVH, the dreaded secret police, are a museum. Budapest was clearly tied to the East in the bipolar Cold War world. Still, there are vestiges of Lenin's legacy. Our local experts will explain why on the lawn beyond the Hungarian Parliament flies a flag with a hole in the centre.
19
EUR
Name:BUDAPEST'S NIGHT LIGHTS Location:BUDAPEST Details:Buda and Pest two cities of the same capital divided by the river Danube and connected by beautiful bridges like the "Chain Bridge" or the "Elisabeth Bridge". Join your local expert on a drive up to the hills of Buda for a breathtaking view overlooking the roofs of Budapest, and the latest gossip in town.
59
EUR
Name:HUNGARIAN PUSZTA FARM WITH HORSE SHOW AND LUNCH Location:BUDAPEST Details:Admire the unsurpassed qualities of the Hungarian Equestrian virtue at an active stud farm on the Great Hungarian Plain. Enjoy the sight of the proud horses as they lead the festive procession. Take a typical country wagon ride and learn about the life on the typical Hungarian farm. Experience the well-known Hungarian hospitality in the most natural environment of the Puszta Farm. The Hungarians have been inseparable from their horses for more than a thousand years. Do not miss this unique opportunity to experience the Hungarian countryside and its authentic ways.
49
EUR
Name:ROYAL WALTZ CONCERT Location:VIENNA Details:Would a stay in Vienna be the same if you were not able to listen to the tunes of the "Blue Danube Waltz" or the "Radetzky" March? Your Cruise Director will accompany you to one of Vienna's famous Concert Halls. Avalon will make preferred seating arrangements. In order to celebrate this evening in style, have a glass of sparkling wine in the intermission, before you listen to the famous tunes brought to you by opera singers and watch the elegant ballet dancers as they interpret some of the most well known classical tunes from Vienna.
44
EUR
Name:A VISIT OF SCHONBRUNN IMPERIAL PALACE Location:VIENNA Details:Schonbrunn, the former summer residence of the Imperial family, is considered one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. The Habsburgs resided here for the better part of the year in numerous rooms to house the large Imperial family in addition to representational rooms. Emperor Franz Joseph, who later married the enchanting Sisi and reigned from 1848 to 1916, was born here in 1830. The monarch spent his last years entirely in the palace, which became the property of the new Republic of Austria only two years after his death. Today, the palace is part of UNESCO's cultural heritage due to its historic importance, its unique grounds and its splendid furnishings. Follow our local expert and visit Empress Sisi's former summer residence, afterwards take your time to stroll through the park or enjoy a demonstration of how the famous Viennese Apple Strudel is made - Samples to taste included.
64
EUR
Name:SALZBURG - MOZART'S SOUND OF MUSIC Location:SALZBURG Details:True, Salzburg is the birth-place of Mozart and you will find the face of the city's most famous son everywhere. Salzburg is also the setting for the Sound of Music movie, which has shaped the city's perception in the minds of generations. But Salzburg is much more. It is a city with history based on the salt trade from the nearby Alpine Mountains, it is a city of beautiful baroque buildings, and a city perched between the mountains and green waters of the Salzach river. It is a city with a long cultural heritage and in the small busy lanes like the "Getreidegasse" with its wrought iron signs you might get a feeling, how busy this city always was. Today we would like to show you Salzburg and its past, we will show you the Austrian Lake district and our local experts will talk about what it takes to be Austrian and to live in this country today.
41
EUR
Name:EXCURSION TO WELTENBURG ABBEY AND THE DANUBE GORGE Location:WELTENBURG Details:The Danube Gorge has both a gentle and a strange beauty. In a magnificent show of force, the Danube has carved its way through the Swabian Alb to create a stunning landscape - a wild, romantic stretch of river with sheer cliffs rising over 300 feet out of the water. At its upper end the Weltenburg Abbey is located on a peninsula directly beneath the cliffs of the Gorge. It was founded by Irish or Scottish monks in 620 and is one of the oldest abbeys in Bavaria. The present Benedictine abbey dates back to the 18th century when it was extensively rebuilt in baroque style. Their ceiling frescos of the Heavenly Jerusalem blend seamlessly with the abbey interior and are particularly noteworthy. Important is also that Weltenburg Abbey houses the oldest abbey brewery in the world, as the monks have been brewing beer since 1050. A beer and a "pretzel" are a welcome refreshment.
57
EUR
Name:DINNER AND FOLKLORE SHOW Location:PRAGUE Details:Czech Kitchen is not considered to be light and refined, but its variety and taste is amazing. And Czech people normally need a good portion of their food when they start singing and dancing their folk songs from Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia. Typical folk instruments such as the hammer-dulcimer, the fujara (a sheperds pipe) and the bag-pipe enhance their musical heritage. Join in for an evening of food and fun in one of Prague's typical restaurants.
19
EUR
Name:PRAGUE'S SECRETS REVEALED Location:PRAGUE Details:It is quite possible to escape the touristy side of Prague. And just as before, it requires knowing just which street to turn down or even which unsigned walkway to pass. Knowing where to turn from the Old Town Square, you can leave all the crowds behind and find yourself shockingly alone in a twisting Medieval street, quiet as can be - with only the sound of your shoes clicking against the cobblestones or a tram swooshing by a few streets away. And in this street, it's also still possible to find the most interesting places when you least expect them. The houses and doors often look the same from the outside. To the naked eye, the street may even seem residential. There are no big flashing lights pointing out the history that lies behind these facades of Prague. It needs a local expert, who shows you these secrets and tell you the stories of what happened here and there.
42
EUR
Name:PRAGUE - JEWISH HERITAGE TOUR Location:PRAGUE Details:Located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River, Prague's Jewish Quarter (known as Josefov) was once one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe, with a rich and varied history dating back to the 10th century. The circumstances leading to WW II and the country's post-war Communist regime did little to revive the hopes and religious rights (or indeed living standards) of those who survived, with many deciding to emigrate to the US, Western Europe or Israel. Today, whilst only 1500 or so Orthodox Jews live in what remains of the traditional Jewish Quarter, it has once again become a thriving - and fascinating - part of Prague. Follow our local expert on a tour to the Jewish Museum, the Jewish Cemetery and the Synagogues and get an inside view of Jewish Life in the past and today.
46
EUR
Name:WONDERFUL DVORAK - CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT Location:PRAGUE Details:Dvorak was neither conservative nor radical. His works display the influences of folk music, mainly Czech polka rhythms. But Dvorak performed also in the United States, he was for sure one of the first composers working globally. His Slavonic Dances show his very strong roots in the culture of his homeland, yet he was not afraid of letting Indian dances and songs influence his 9th Symphony: "From the New World". Enjoy an evening with tunes and themes of Antonin Dvorak, this great Czech Composer and find out a bit more about his works and his music.
49
EUR
Name:TEREZIN - THE FORTRESS OF THERESIENSTADT AND ITS HISTORY Location:PRAGUE Details:Terezin was established at the end of the 18th century as a fortress; still surrounded by its massive ramparts, the town lies at the confluence of the rivers Labe (Elbe) and Ohre (Eger). The Main and Lesser Fortresses at Terezin, although modern for their period, gradually became obsolete, and having lost their military function fell into disregard. Only in the relatively recent past has Terez�n once again entered the world's public consciousness as a tragic symbol of the sufferings of the tens of thousands of innocent people who died here during the Nazi occupation of their homeland. Ghetto Theresienstadt has long been remembered for its culture, its famous prisoners, and its visit by Red Cross officials.
Optional Excursions
