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ITINERARY (Prague to Bucharest)
Day 1 PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC Prague straddles the Vltava River with domes, cupolas, spires and pinnacles highlighting its skyline. Best-known treasures are the Old Town's Astronomical Clock, HRADCANY CASTLE St. Vitus Cathedral; and the Charles Bridge. Your Cruise Director will have suggestions for things to do. (BB daily)
Day 2 PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC Refer to day 1 above (BB)
Day 3 PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC Refer to day 1 above (BB)
Day 4 PRAGUE-NUREMBERG, GERMANY. (EMBARKATION) After lunch drive to Nuremberg where the crew of your vessel awaits to welcome you on board. (BB,D)
Day 5 NUREMBERG 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. (FB,L,D)
Day 6 REGENSBURG Regensburg is one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities. Highlights include the Old Town Hall, the beautiful white and gold OLD CHAPEL, the Porta Pretoria and THURN UND TAXIS CASTLE. (FB,L,D)
Day 7 PASSAU-LINZ, AUSTRIA Passau, is ideally located at the confluence of the rivers Inn, Ilz and Danube. An optional full day excursion to Salzburg takes in the popular "Sound of Music" sights. Linz is an important industrial town and busy river port. (FB,L,D)
Day 8 MELK-VIENNA Melk's magnificent BENEDICTINE ABBEY dominates the town from its commanding hill site. Vienna, the "City of Music," inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss An optional concert is available. (FB,L,D)
Day 9 VIENNA Austria's capital has much to offer: lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna Opera House, and ST. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL,to name just a few of the sights. Shop in the Kärnterstrasse and enjoy Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel in a neighbourhood café. (FB,L,D)
Day 10 BUDAPEST, HUNGARY Budapest is the liveliest and most cosmopolitan metropolis of Eastern Europe. The massive hilltop castle complex with FISHERMENS BASTION and the MATTHIAS CHURCH are sights not to be missed. Not far from the city and an integral part of Hungarian rural life is the Puszta, or Great Plain, the vast grasslands where the country's beloved, fiery horses are reared. (FB,L,D)
Day 11 BUDAPEST, HUNGARY Refer to day 10 above (FB,L,D)
Day 12 KALOCSA The Archbishop's Palace and the Kalocsa Cathedral dominate this quiet town, nowadays best known for paprika and folklore art. (FB,L,D)
Day 13 NOVI SAD, SERBIA Overlooking the city of Novi Sad, with a spectacular view of the Danube, is Marshal Vauban's unconquerable Petrovaradin Fortress. (FB,L,D)
Day 14 BELGRADE The capital of Serbia is situated at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers. The city's principal landmarks are KALEMEGDAN FORTRESS, the world's largest Orthodox Church of St. Sava, and Marshal Tito's tomb and monument. (FB,L,D)
Day 15 IRON GATES The fortresses of Smederevo and Golubac and the Trajan Table marking the Roman conquest of Dacia are impressive sights on the right bank of the Danube. The most spectacular scenery is the dramatic gorge of the Iron Gates, a narrow and formerly very dangerous passage dividing Europe's Alps from the Carpathians and forming a natural border between Serbia and Romania. (FB,L,D)
Day 16 SVISTOV, BULGARIA-VELIKO TÂRNOVO-ARBANASSI-ROUSSE. Not far from the port of Svistov is the ancient Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo. Situated on three hills, the city was a natural fortress with ancient stone houses clinging to the steep slopes. The oldest part is Tsarevits Hill, home of the Royal Fortress, palaces and the PATRIARCH'S CHURCH. The historic village of Arbanassi is best known for its ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM and the outstanding collection of frescoes in the CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY. Rousse today is Bulgaria's largest inland port. (FB,L,D)
Day 17 BLACK SEA CANAL, ROMANIA-CONSTANTA The 64 kilometre (40mile) long Black Sea Canal is the pride and joy of Communist achievement. Constanta is the most important commercial centre of Romania and a popular resort. Interesting sights are the NATURAL HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM and the PETER AND PAUL ORTHODOX CHURCH. (FB,L,D)
Day 18 OLTENITA (DISEMBARKATION)-BUCHAREST Bucharest, Romania's lively capital, is only a short drive from Oltenita. Much recent history has taken place in the city. The impressive Parliament Building is the second-largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. The former Royal Palace now houses the NATIONAL ART MUSEUM. (FB)
Day 19 BUCHAREST Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (BB)
REVERSE ITINERARY (Bucharest to Prague)
Day 1 BUCHAREST, ROMANIA. Welcome to Bucharest! Its wide boulevards and Arc de Triomphe have gained this city the name of "Paris of the East".
Day 2 BUCHAREST - OLTENITA (EMBARKATION) Much recent history has taken place in Romania's capital city. The impressive Parliament Building is the second-largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. The Royal Palace Square was the scene of riots in 1989, which finally led to the collapse of the communist dictatorship. The former Royal Palace now houses the NATIONAL ART MUSEUM. This afternoon the crew of your vessel awaits to welcome you on board. (BB,D)
Day 3 CONSTANTA, BLACK SEA CANAL Situated on the coast of the Black Sea, Constanta is the most important commercial centre of Romania and a popular resort. Interesting sights are the NATURAL HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM and the PETER AND PAUL ORTHODOX CHURCH.. The 40-mile-long Black Sea Canal is the pride and joy of Communist achievement and was completed in 1984 (FB,L,D)
Day 4 ROUSSE, BULGARIA - EXCURSION TO VELIKO TÂRNOVO AND ARBANASSI - SVISTOV Today Rousse is Bulgaria's largest inland port. A comfortable ride away is the ancient Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo. Situated on three hills surrounding the Yantra River, the city was a natural fortress with ancient stone houses clinging to the steep slopes. The oldest part is Tsarevits Hill, home of the Royal Fortress, palaces and the PATRIARCH'S CHURCH. The historic village of Arbanassi is best known for its ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM and the outstanding collection of frescoes in the CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY. Rejoin your ship in Svistov. (FB,L,D)
Day 5 IRON GATES The Trajan Table marking the Roman conquest of Dacia and the Serbian fortresses of Golubac and Smederevo are impressive sights on the left bank of the Danube. The most spectacular scenery must surely be the dramatic gorge of the Iron Gate, a narrow and formerly very dangerous passage dividing Europe's Alps in the northwest from the Carpathians in the southeast and forming a natural border between Serbia and Romania. (FB,L,D)
Day 6 BELGRADE The capital of Serbia is situated at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers. Its main sights include the city's principal landmark KALEMEGDAN FORTRESS, the world's largest Orthodox Church of St. Sava, and Marshal Tito's tomb and monument. The city centre has a lively pedestrian area and charming outdoor cafés. (FB,L,D)
Day 7 CRUISING A full day of scenic cruising on the Danube, with Croatia on your left and Serbia on your right. (FB,L,D)
Day 8 KALOCSA, HUNGARY - BUDAPEST Kalocsa was founded by St. Stephen in 1009 as an archbishopric and has a most turbulent history. The Archbishop's Palace and the Kalocsa Cathedral dominate this quiet town, nowadays best known for paprika and folklore art. Spanning the banks of the Danube, Budapest is the liveliest and most cosmopolitan metropolis of Eastern Europe (FB,L,D)
Day 9 BUDAPEST 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 FISHERMENS BASTION and the MATTHIAS CHURCH are sights not to be missed. Not far from the city and an integral part of Hungarian rural life is the Puszta, or Great Plain, the vast grasslands where the country's beloved, fiery horses are reared. (FB,L,D)
Day 10 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 up river, and Slovakia is on your right. The two countries share the Danube for a 58-mile stretch, the border being the middle of the river. Vienna, known as the "City of Music", inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss. (FB,L,D)
Day 11 VIENNA Once the centre of the mighty Habsburg Empire, Austria's capital has much to offer: the lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna Opera House, the majestic Ringstrasse and awe-inspiring ST. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL, to name just a few of the sights. You do not rush through Vienna; you waltz, taking your time to savour each classic sight and sound. Shop in the Kärnterstrasse and enjoy Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel in a neighbourhood café. An optional concert is available during your stay. (FB,L,D)
Day 12 DÜRNSTEIN-MELK. Dürnstein, known for the magnificent baroque Stiftskirche with its blue façade, lies right in the heart of the Wachau wine region. Above town are the ruins of the castle where Richard the Lionheart, the Kind of England, was imprisoned in 1192. 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! (FB,L,D)
Day 13 LINZ-PASSAU, GERMANY. Linz, Austria's third-largest town, 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 over 17,000 pipes. (FB,L,D)
Day 14 REGENSBURG Regensburg is one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities. Architectural highlights include the Old Town Hall, the beautiful white and gold OLD CHAPEL, and Porta Pretoria-gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179AD. 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 Alte Wurstküche (Old Sausage Kitchen). The Thurn und Taxis family, who until the second half of the 19th century had the monopoly on the German postal services, owns the impressive St. Emmerammus Abbey buildings making up the THURN UND TAXIS CASTLE. (FB,L,D)
Day 15 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 famous Lebkuchen, toy making and metal working. (FB,L,D)
Day 16 NUREMBERG (DISEMBARKATION)-PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC. Cross the Czech border in the Bohemian Forest and head for Prague, the "Golden City". (FB)
Day 17 PRAGUE Prague is a 1,000-year old city preserved in time. It straddles the Vltava River with domes, cupolas, spires and pinnacles highlighting its skyline. Best-known treasures are the Old Town's Astronomical Clock, once the envy of all of Europe; HRADCANY CASTLE; St. Vitus Cathedral; and the Charles Bridge. Browse the shops for hand-cut crystal or art books. Mix with the locals in Wenceslaus Square or stroll along the Vltava River. Your Cruise Director will have more suggestions for things to do. (BB)
Day 18 PRAGUE Refer to day 17 above (BB)
Day 19 PRAGUE Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
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