EUROPEAN

RIVER

CRUISES

Aboard the:  

MS AMADEUS PRINCESS

Europe's Most Popular Waterway

The fascination of the Danube will grow on you, as you glide about 2,500 km (1550 mi) down it and up again. It really does merit the title of the "Queen of Europe's Rivers". This cruise offers the incomparable experience of plying Europe's most important waterway from the Alps to the Black Sea.

Political circumstances have barred us from the fascinating southeast of Europe for quite some time, but now we can rediscover it. So for this cruise we assemble at Passau and follow the Danube through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania and Bulgaria where it flows along massive channels into the Black Sea, and where the sea breezes are redolent of the Orient. Here we adjust our sights, travel through the unique delta of the Danube, explore Bucharest, Romania's artistic capital - Budapest, the pearl of the Danube, Vienna, the former capital of an empire, Belgrade and Bratislava - all historical cities. We will wend our way across the sleepy landscapes of the Wallachian plain and along the way we reach the legendary "Iron Gate" through which the Danube - now only 150m wide - squeezes, after which it carves its way up through the foothills of the Carpathians. Returning to Passau, we say goodbye to each other , perhaps somewhat wistfully. But we will of course be the richer for many memories, and the map of Europe in our mind's eye will be something much larger and more vivid than it ever was before.

Special features of this cruise are:

• You get to know eight European countries on one single trip: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria.

• You see the sights of five European capitals - Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade and Bucharest

• The river voyage passes through some fascinating landscapes, such as the picturesque Austrian Wachau (a World Cultural Heritage site), the great Hungarian plain and the famous "Iron Gate" in the Carpathian Mountains

• Nature lovers are very well rewarded by the Danube Delta, which is a unique breeding area for many species of birds.

In the morning the AMADEUS  arrives at Esztergom, where we get a tremendous view of the vast cathedral above the Danube. Following breakfast on board, the party joining the "Esztergom-Szentendre" excursion leaves the ship to continue by bus via Visegrad to Budapest, while the ship cruises downstream through the "Danube Bend", one of the most scenic stretches of the entire river, also known a  the "Hungarian Wachau". The ship arrives at Budapest at 12 a.m., where those on the excursion come aboard again. The guided Tour of Budapest in the early afternoon enables you to absorb this city’s most important sights. After dinner enjoy an unforgettable evening cruise on MS AMADEUS  with a glorious view of the beautifully floodlit buildings on both banks of the river. A Gypsy   band, specially engaged for this cruise, entertains you on board with lively music and you also see a performance by a Hungarian folklore group.

Arrival in the morning at the Bulgarian town of Svistov where, after breakfast, we start the „Veliko Tarnovo" tour. In the meantime the ship cruises downstream to Rousse, where those on the excursions come aboard again. At 3 p.m. the AMADEUS  leaves the harbour of Rousse and heads downstream for the Danube Delta.