BLUE DANUBE RIVER CRUISE ITINERARY
Day 1 – You fly to Budapest, where a coach takes you to your cruise ship.
Day 2 – Esztergom
Overnight we have cruised upstream to Esztergom, one of Hungary’s oldest towns, a royal capital during medieval times and today the seat of the country’s archbishop. We have a guided tour of the famous neoclassical basilica, standing sentinel over the Danube on the border with Slovakia, and boasting one of the world’s largest altarpieces and a wealth of priceless religious artefacts. The castle is also worth exploring; it was the seat of government until the Ottomans invaded in the 16th century. Nestling below are myriad atmospheric churches resonating with the enchanting sounds of choir; this is the best of provincial Hungary and is little changed since Habsburg times.
Day 3 – Bratislava
This morning we explore Slovakia’s fast-emerging capital city, Bratislava, on a guided tour. Until recently swathed in the drab uniformity of Communism, the city has rekindled the splendour of its imperial past in its beautifully restored Old Town. Discover the only preserved gate of the city’s fortification system, the Neo-Renaissance-style Old Opera House, St. Martin’s Cathedral – a Gothic structure from the 15th century and former coronation site – along with the Classicist Primate’s Palace.
Day 4 – Durnstein & Melk
Dürnstein is known principally for the ice-blue tower of its abbey, which dominates the view, and the castle where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192 after being shipwrecked on his return from the crusades. This morning, we embark on a guided walking tour to delve deeper into this unforgettable city. Wander the town’s small, pedestrian streets to the heart of Dürnstein to see the Town Hall. After lunch you visit the remarkable Melk Abbey. Nothing quite prepares you for your first sight of this enormous honey-coloured building, standing resplendent above the surrounding countryside. Originally a castle, it was gifted to the Benedictine Order in the 11th-century and, although reconstructed in Baroque style during the 18th century, it has remained a monastic school and monastery ever since.
Day 5 – Salzburg OR Linz
Reaching Linz, you will have the choice to stay in the city and take a guided walking tour OR we drive to Salzburg, once an independent state whose archbishops turned it into one of the most sophisticated cities north of the Alps
Day 6 – Vienna
For many, today’s visit to Vienna will be one of the highlights of the cruise. The city’s very name provokes images of elegance, fine music, wide boulevards, Baroque architecture and a rich tapestry of peoples who were drawn here from all corners of Europe. For 200 years until the First World War, Vienna was the cultural centre of Europe and many of the showpiece buildings, galleries, aristocratic palaces and magnificent churches you see today were built to reflect its imperial status. There’s also the colossal Hofburg, the former royal court that is now home to a collection of museums, the Crown Jewels and the Spanish Riding School, and where the Vienna Boys’ Choir performs. Then there are the lavish Imperial Apartments and an outstanding collection of relics of the Holy Roman Empire, including, allegedly, the sabre of Charlemagne himself. he Kunsthistorisches Museum, which contains the world’s fourth largest collection of paintings, is just across the road.
Day 7 – Budapest
Enjoy a leisurely morning as we cruise majestically through Hungary’s peaceful pastoral landscape towards Budapest. After lunch we enjoy a sightseeing tour of this captivating city.
Day 8 – Transfer to airport for flight home
