Tour Details - JEWELS OF CENTRAL EUROPE - CATEGORY E (EUROPEAN HISTORY & POLITICS THEMED CRUISE)
JEWELS OF CENTRAL EUROPE - CATEGORY E (EUROPEAN HISTORY & POLITICS THEMED CRUISE)
DISCOUNTS ON EVERY TOUR, UP TO 10% !!!
Tour Duration: 19 days Tour Code: WBRH-E2012 Tour Type: Prices From: A$6282 [Tour Dates]
Tour Itinerary
Day
Description
1
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY Welcome to Budapest!
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BUDAPEST Spanning the banks of the Danube, Budapest is Eastern Europe's liveliest and most cosmopolitan metropolis. Seven bridges, including the famous Chain and Elisabeth Bridges, connect 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)
3
BUDAPEST (EMBARKATION) Morning at leisure; 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 kilometres (58 miles) 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. (B,L,D)
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VIENNA Once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire, Austria's capital has much to offer: lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna Opera House, the majestic Ring Boulevard, and awe-inspiring St. Stephen's Cathedral, to name just a few of the sights you'll enjoy during your city tour. You do not rush through Vienna-you waltz, taking your time to savor each classic sight and sound. Shop in the Karntnerstrasse and enjoy Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel in a neighbourhood cafe. (B,L,D)
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DURNSTEIN-MELK Melk's magnificent BENEDICTINE ABBEY dominates the town from its commanding hill site and is one of Europe's largest monasteries. The view from the terrace over the Danube and surrounding countryside is breathtaking! This evening, arrive in Vienna, known as the "City of Music," which inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss. An optional concert is available tonight. (B,L,D)
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LINZ-PASSAU, GERMANY 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. An optional full-day excursion to Salzburg takes in the popular Sound of Music sights. Linz, Austria's third largest town, lies on both banks of the Danube and is an important industrial town and busy river port. (B,L,D)
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REGENSBURG Regensburg is one of Germany's best-preserved medieval cities. Architectural highlights included in your tour are 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 centers. Before dinner we'll introduce you to some of Germany's FAMOUS BEERS. (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. Nuremberg's traditions include its famous Lebkuchen, toy making, and metal working. (B,L,D)
10
NUREMBERG. EXCURSION TO MUNICH After breakfast, drive to Munich, where a local expert will proudly show you the sights in the Bavarian capital. An inspiring mix of historic buildings and impressive architecture, you'll see the Olympic Stadium, Nymphenburg Palace, MARIENPLATZ in the historic heart of the city with the Old and New Town Halls, and the gothic Frauenkirche. Later, enjoy free time to explore on your own. Return to your ship in the late afternoon. (B,D)
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BAMBERG Another beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site is medieval Bamberg. Your walking tour takes in the breathtaking cathedral, the Old Town Hall straddling the River Regnitz, and serpentine streets with charming houses and 18th-century mansions. (B,L,D)
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WURZBURG Known as the "Pearl of the Romantic Road," Wurzburg is surrounded by sloping hills covered with vineyards. The magnificent BISHOP'S RESIDENZ is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (B,L,D)
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MILTENBERG Located on the Main River, Miltenberg is a picturesque Bavarian village that thrived on income from river traffic. Its cultural wealth and affluence are reflected in the beautiful medieval and renaissance houses and the gothic splendor of the Merchant Hall. This evening, learn how to bake a local SOFT COOKIE specialty. (B,L,D)
14
RUDESHEIM-RHINE GORGE-KOBLENZ. The dramatic RHINE GORGE is the most beautiful stretch of river. Pass the legendary rock of the Lorelei, where sweet songs of local beauties lured enchanted sailors to their doom. Rudesheim is the perfect example of a Rhine Valley wine town and SIEGFRIED'S MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM is a real surprise! Enjoy a SPECIAL TREAT, then there's free time to explore the Drosselgasse and pick up some souvenirs. (B,L,D)
15
COCHEM Visit REICHSBURG CASTLE, which sits atop a conical hill covered in vines. From here the views of the little town of Cochem nestled down below, and of the river valley are splendid. Cruising the wide, peaceful curves of the river it quickly becomes obvious that the Moselle is an important wine growing region. Most notably, the Riesling grape is cultivated, producing a dry to sweet, floral white wine. Situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, 2,000-year-old Koblenz is the cultural and business center of the Middle Rhine region. The Deutsches Eck, located on a tongue of land where the two rivers converge, holds an impressive equestrian statue of Wilhelm I. (B,L,D)
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TRIER-REMICH, LUXEMBOURG The venerable Episcopal city of Trier is the oldest in Germany and, some claim, even older than Rome! The famous Porta Nigra is the only surviving fortified gate from the original Roman settlement and still gives access to the town centre. See the highlights on your included tour. This afternoon, cruise downstream to the charming wine village of Bernkastel with its well-preserved halftimbered houses surrounding the beautiful MARKETPLACE. (B,L,D)
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REMICH (DISEMBARKATION)-PARIS, FRANCE This morning, board a HIGH-SPEED TRAIN for a swift and comfortable journey to Metz. From here, drive to Remich in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, where your river cruise vessel is docked on the Moselle River. Before dinner, meet your crew at a welcome reception. The Moselle River is some 502 kilometers (312-miles) long, rising in the Vosges Mountains of northeastern France and entering Germany at Trier. The entire Moselle Valley is famous for its beautiful and tranquil scenery. (B,D)
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PARIS Paris' famous sights are living history: your included city sightseeing shows you magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, the unique Louvre Museum with its glass pyramid as a contrast to its ancient architecture, the commemorative Arc de Triomphe, Opera, Madeleine, Champs Elysees, and the Eiffel Tower, a structural miracle of its age. The city is well known for its colorful nightlife, including some of the world's most famous cabaret shows. (B)
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PARIS Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
CRUISE: Deluxe 14-night cruise from Remich to Budapest in an outside stateroom with hotel-style beds (Category E) BUDAPEST: Guided sightseeing, visit Fishermen's Bastion VIENNA: Guided sightseeing MELK: Guided visit of the Benedictine Abbey PASSAU: Guided sightseeing REGENSBURG: Guided sightseeing, beer tasting MAIN DANUBE CANAL: Cruise in the canal MUNICH: Guided sightseeing, see the Marienplatz NUREMBERG: Guided sightseeing BAMBERG: Guided sightseeing, see the Old Town Hall WURZBURG: Guided sightseeing, visit the Bishop's Residenz MILTENBERG: Guided sightseeing; baking demonstration RUDESHEIM: Visit Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum; special treat RHINE GORGE: Cruise through the gorge COCHEM: Visit Reichsburg Castle BERNKASTEL: Orientation, local marketplace TRIER: Guided sightseeing, see the Porta Nigra REMICH: Welcome reception PARIS-METZ: By high-speed train PARIS: Guided sightseeing MEALS: Full buffet breakfast (B) in Paris; superb dining with meals on board 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 Below is a summary of what's included in your cruise, plus inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the cruise description.
Meals Breakfast - 18 Lunch - 12 Dinner - 15
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
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.
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.
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.
39
EUR
Name:EXCURSION TO ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER Location:ROTHENBURG Details:The best preserved medieval town in Germany, Rothenburg ob der Tauber fits the word romantic perfectly. Walk the wall that encircles Rothenburg to get various perspectives of architecture in the middle ages (as well as a lot of exercise). Climb to the top of the Rothenburg Town Hall Tower (circa 1250-1400) for a wide-angle view of Rothenburg and surrounding, mostly pastoral countryside. The entire walled town of Rothenburg is a museum. The wall connects five medieval gates complete with guard towers that date from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. Just walk along Rothenburg's narrow cobblestone streets and admire the gothic, renaissance, and baroque houses and fountains. You may wish that you had lived in these prettier, quieter, slow times. As well as the attraction of the town itself, Rothenburg offers a complete selection historic restaurants, gothic churches, art exhibits, museums, suits of armor, and great Franken wine, to name only a few.
33
EUR
Name:EVENING DRIVE OF PARIS Location:PARIS Details:Paris the "City of Light". Join us on a drive through the illuminated capital of France. See the Opera, the glass pyramid of the Louvre, the bustling Champs Elysees, the Arch of Triumph and last but not least the Eiffel Tower.
167
EUR
Name:AN EVENING AT THE MOULIN ROUGE Location:PARIS Details:"The Moulin Rouge Theatre is the epitome of French cabaret shows. Enjoy a dinner at the Moulin Rouge before you admire the colourful show "Feerie" featuring more than 100 artists and dancers, and more than 1000 costumes."
49
EUR
Name:MONA LISA'S SMILE AND THE LOUVRE MUSEUM Location:PARIS Details:"Open to all since 1793" The Louvre Museum has embodied the concept of a truly "universal" institution. The priceless artworks housed in the Louvre are held for the benefit of present and future generations. The 35 000 works of art include such famous master pieces as the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo. Our local expert will bring them to life as we have a look at the most important pieces of the various collections.
43
EUR
Name:THE ARTIST'S QUARTER OF MONTMARTRE Location:PARIS Details:Join our local expert on a short walking tour of the lanes and squares around Sacre Coeur Church. Admire a spectacular view over the roofs of the City of Light and love. Listen to the stories, and admire the artwork of the artists at Place du Tertre where some of the French impressionists started their career. There is free time before your local expert provides a short orientation of the city on the way back to the hotel.
Optional Excursions
