Danube River Cruise

Cruise the River Danube from Vienna to Bucharest on the M/S der Kleine Prinz.

The itinerary is reversed on Aug. 18, 2010.

This tour can be combined with Dracula Tour.

Upon arrival to Vienna, transfer on your own to your home away from home, our M/S der Kleine Prinz, anytime after 4:00 PM. This evening enjoy a welcome cocktail and information meeting followed by dinner and a well deserved rest.

Your morning city sightseeing tour will introduce you to the most attractive sights of this Imperial capital. Starting with Hundertwasserhaus, you will continue on to Belvedere Palace, for a tour of the grounds and gardens. Then its on to the city center via the Vienna Ringstrasse to view famous architectural gems such as the State Opera, the Parliament, the Burgtheatre, the Votiv-Church and others.

The next stop will be in the old center of Vienna to view St. Stephans Cathedral and take a walk through the pedestrian zone from Graben and Kohlmarkt to Michaela Square ending at the entrance of the Hofburg (Imperial Palace). From this point, continue past the Spanish Riding School to Albertina Square, where you will see the State Opera and the famous Hotel Sacher.

Then its back on board the bus for a drive past the famous "Prater" with its Giant Ferry Wheel. Return to the ship in time for lunch. The balance of the day is at leisure. You may choose to explore Vienna on your own or purchase an optional tour available on board. Set sail for Bratislava, Slovakia around midnight.

Optional: Schönbrunn Castle (Afternoon) After lunch - visit to Schönbrunn Castle, the home of Maria Theresa. The tour includes a stroll in the gardens and a visit to the imperial rooms of the former summer residence of the Hapsburg Royal Family.

Optional: Classical Vienna Concert (evening) Experience The Vienna Residence Orchestra, founded to perform the music of the "Wiener Classic" in its purest form. The program consists of works by Mozart and Johann Strauss, played by anything from 14 to 40 musicians. The concert will take place at The Auersberg Palace, the so-called Garden Palace, designed in 1710 by Johann Lukas von Hildebrand. Mozart presented the first performance of his opera Idomeneo here.

Arrival 8:00 AM

Departure 2:00 PM

Welcome to Slovakia! Enjoy a morning panoramic city sightseeing tour, including St. Martin's Cathedral, the Castle and Primate's Palace. The sightseeing will end with a walk through the Old Townm Michael's Gate, Michael's Tower, Main Square, Old Town Hall and Slovak National Theatre.

Some free time for shopping and strolling. Return to the ship and set sail. Lunch on board.

In the afternoon enjoy a wine tasting party featuring a selection of high quality but lesser known wines from Hungary, Serbia and Romania, accompanied with live music from our on board Gypsy Band! Dinner on board and evening free to waltz the night away!

Arrival - 7:00 AM

Welcome to Hungary! After breakfast a 3-hours city sightseeing tour of Budapest will include the most popular sights: The Parliament Building, St. Stefan Cathedral, the Opera, the Square of Heroes, (the Millennium monument) and the town park with the Vajdahunyad Castle etc. There will be stops at the Square of Heroes, the Fishermans Bastion and Gellert Hill. Return to the ship for lunch. The balance of the afternoon is free to explore on your own or participate in one of our optional excursions.

Optional 1: Walking Tour of Downtown Pest (2.5 hrs- afternoon)

We highly recommend this casual yet delightful walking tour led by our Cruise Directors! From the dock you will first visit the largest open air market in Budapest where you can purchase anything from superb Hungarian salami to a nightgown! Then you will proceed down Vaci Utca, the citys main pedestrian promenade full of shops, cafes and beautiful people! Your tour will end at the historic 140 year old Gerreboud Coffee House where you will enjoy a delicious cup of brew or home made ice cream, compliments of our guides! Return to the ship via old fashioned trams! Guide, refreshment and tram ticket included.

Optional 2: Evening Cultural Performance (20:00 23:30

Enjoy an operetta, in the Inter Operetta Music Theatre*. Evergreen melodies of Lehár, Kálmán, Ábrahám and Strauss will begin at 20,30 with the participation of the Budapest Lehár Orchestra, the Inter Operetta Dance group and acclaimed artists from the world of Hungarian opera and theatre. Together the artists will present an experience only available in Budapest! After the performance, a short bus tour will take you across the Chain Bridge and up to Fishermans Bastion where you will be able to witness the gorgeous bridges over the Danube under full illumination! Truly beautiful!

*When not in session, the Operetta will be replaced with a performance of the Hungarian National Folklore ensemble.

Departure - 8:00 PM

After breakfast depart on your excursion to St. Andrej (Szentendre) a small picturesque village (17th century), 25 km away from Budapest. Renowned as a sanctuary for artists, painters and hand crafted arts, the tour will include the Main Square with the memorial cross, the first teaching school in Hungary, Preobrazenska Church, and the Church of the Hill, etc. On the way back to the city, you will stop at a diamond cutting factory for a refreshment and to view artists at work. Return to the ship in time for lunch. The balance of the day is at leisure.

Optional: PUSZTA HORSE FARM & EQUESTRIAN SHOW ; (3.5 hrs - afternoon)

In the afternoon, depart for the renowned Lazar Lovas Puszta, one of the largest horse breeding farms in Hungary! After an unforgettable performance of the Czikos (Hungarian Cowboys) you will have the opportunity to tour the stables, home to more than 100 horses. Then you will enjoy an authentic ride to the Puszta in several teamed oxen car to a nearby outpost where you will have a chance to taste local palinka and wine along with typical Hungarian snacks.

Arrival - 7:00 AM

Departure - 1:30 PM

From the port of Mohac, a short bus ride will take you to visit the town of Pecs, a gem of old world architecture, often referred to as the city for art lovers. Here you will tour Szecheni Square, Kaptalan Street and the Palace of Lorant including a visit to the catacombs. You will also visit a local wine cellar enjoy some wine tasting. Upon your return to the ship, lunch onboard as we set sail for Vukovar, Croatia. In the afternoon enjoy lectures on the Balkans held by our Cruise Managers and end the day with a delightful concert of Gypsy music performed by our on board band!.

AM: Welcome to Croatia! Vukovar, Croatia’s largest river port is a delightful riverside town with a lively pedestrian zone full of open air cafes, museums and shops. Your morning walking tour will include a visit to the Franciscan Monastery that is the center piece of the village. Then enjoy lunch back on board as you continue sailing on to Serbia.

PM: Welcome to Serbia! Your first stop in this “newly” minted Balkan country will be in Novi Sad, Serbia’s third largest city after Belgrade and Nis. You will be delighted with this pedestrian friendly town as you join your local guide for a walking tour through the town center. After the tour you will have free time to explore the many nooks and crannies of the town or enjoy a cappuccino and some people watching from the terrace of one of the many open air cafés.

Dinner is on board as you set sail for “White City” – Serbia’s capital of Belgrade!

Optional: Serbian Countryside & Wine tasting (Krushedol, Sremski Karlovci, Petrovaradin)

We highly recommend this delightful bus excursion which will include a visit to Krushedol Monastery, located on the nearby mountain of Fruska Gora. Renowned for its fresco paintings dating from the 15th century, the monastery is also a burial place for legendary personalities from Serbian history, including King Milan Obrenovic and Duchess Ljubica. After the monastery visit you will continue on to the small town of Sremski Karlovci, the center of wine production of the region. Here you will visit the Zivanovic family, whose members have been producing their private label “Bermet” wine for over a century and whose products have been enjoyed by members of the Hapsburg Monarchy as well as the Russian Tsars! Your hosts will welcome you to their home, where you will tour their wine cellars and “Museum of Honey” which they also produce. In the lovely ambiance of their large garden, they will serve you several varieties of “Bermet” accompanied by honey and snacks. A great way to meet and experience Serbian hospitality. On the way back you will stop to tour Petrovaradin Fortress, referred to as the “Gibraltar on the Danube”. Built in the 18th century over 116 hectares, the fortress has 4 levels, more than 16 km of underground tunnels, 12,000 loopholes and 13 gates.

After breakfast on board, your morning sightseeing tour of this lively and vibrant city will include all of the major attractions; Kalemegdan Fortress, looming over the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, St. Savas Orthodox Cathedral, perched on a hill which can be seen from every part of the city, the Parliament Building, Princess Ljubica's Manor, Mark's Church, and others. The tour will end with a stroll through Knez Mihajlova Street, the main pedestrian zone full of boutiques, open air cafés and galleries. Return to the ship in time for lunch.

The balance of the day is free to explore the city on your own including the bohemian quarter of Skadarlia, only 15 minutes walking distance from the port. Reminiscent of Monmartre, its cobblestone streets come alive in the evening with artists, street performers, open air cafés and some of the best live bands and restaurants in the city. Dinner will be served on board. Set sail for Romania this evening! Enjoy a folklore show performed by members of Belgrade's renown "Talia" ensemble along with a fashion show introducing you the wonderful hand made sweaters of Sirogojno.

Optional: Authentic Serbian Village and Wedding Feast! (Substitutes lunch on board)

Instead of lunch on board, we highly recommend this tour which will take you from downtown Belgrade to the little village of Jarak, where 3 generations of the Serbian Tosic family will welcome you to their farm! Here you will have a chance to view their home, barn with pigs and other animals and their fruit fields from which they brew their own slivovitz, or plumb brandy, Serbias national drink (also known as rocket fuel).

Then its time for some homemade grub and festivities! Under a tent in their garden, the family and their neighbors will serve you a buffet lunch consisting of a vast array of Serbian delicacies from pita (cheese pie) to home made kulen (special salami) to numerous fresh salads and the house specialty chicken paprikash! And while Grandpa Tosa enlivens you with his toasts (with Grandma keeping an eye on him!), and their two daughters serve you delicious treats, their sons in law and grandkids will pick up the harmonica and other instruments and entertain you with classic Serbian songs and dances! You may arrive as a tourist but we guarantee you will leave as a friend! All your food, wine, slivovitz, soft drinks and hospitality galore are included!

]In the morning hours, enjoy the passing vista’s as well as talks on Balkan History presented by your Cruise Director. After lunch you will delight in viewing a great natural attraction, as the ship passes through the highest gorge on the Danube, aptly named the "The Iron Gates". Over 100 km long, this canyon, was a gigantic obstacle to navigation because of its pointed rocks, cliffs, and changing water levels, surrounded with very wild, yet attractive nature. This danger was finally overcome in 1972, with the building of the “Djerdap” Hydroelectric and Navigation System, the largest of its kind in Europe. The Romanian and Yugoslav builders carried out this gigantic construction project by building a huge concrete dam which raised the level of the water from 30 to 80 meters. On both sides of the dam, two locks and two hydroelectric stations were built which today produce an average annual output of 10 billion kWh and enable safe passage for passenger and cargo ships all the way to the Black Sea. Thn its time to prepare for our festive Captain’s Gala dinner accompanied by the “wailing” sounds of our bands Gypsy violins!

Welcome to Bulgaria! After breakfast, embark on a walking tour of this delightful Bulgarian river port highlighted by a visit to the 13th century fortress named Baba Vida (Grandma Vida) the best preserved medieval fortress in the country. Then enjoy some free time for strolling and shopping before returning to the ship for lunch and continued sailing. The afternoon is free to enjoy the passing countryside, prior to preparing for our festive Captains Gala dinner!

Arrival - 7:30 AM

As all good things must come to an end so does your wonderful cruise adventure! Disembark after breakfast and depending on water levels, transfer from either Giurgiu or Turnu Magurele to the Paris of the East Bucharest, Romanias lovely capital! (2 hrs). Upon reaching the city, your panorama tour will highlight major attractions including; Revolution Square, Arch d Triomphe, the National Theatre, the Rumanian Athenaeum and others. Stop for photographs at President Ceausescus humongous "People's House" (todays Parliament) the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon. The tour ends in the city center or onto Brasov if taking our optional 3 day Dracula extension.!

Notes