Beatrice, Portraits of Eastern Europe ex Bucharest to Prague – 23 Aug 2021

14 Night Cruise sailing from Giurgiu to Nuremberg aboard Beatrice. Hotel stay pre-cruise in Bucharest and post-cruise in Prague.

Day 1 – Bucharest
Make your way to the hotel.

Day 2: Bucharest
Get to know the bustling heart of Romania’s capital city with a full day to explore Bucharest on your own.

Day 3: Bucharest, Transfer to Giurgiu (Embark)
Bucharest is a fascinating combination of Communist grandiosity, elegant French-influenced 19th-century buildings and surprising survivors dating from the 1500s. Today in Bucharest you’ll enjoy a panoramic city tour or a walking tour in the old Lipscani district. Later, you’ll travel via motorcoach to Giurgiu, where your ship awaits.

In the evening, a special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

Day 4: Rousse
Bulgaria’s foremost Danube port, Rousse is sometimes called “Little Vienna” for its elegant 19th-century mansions and public buildings.

Choice of Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi with authentic Bulgarian lunch or Rousse walking tour with Ivanovo and Basarbovo Monasteries

Day 5: Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the Danube that once played an important role in medieval Bulgarian politics, as the great fortress Baba Vida attests. It’s your base for an unusual excursion today—a visit to the fascinating Belogradchik rock formations. Or you can head to a local’s home to bake a traditional Bulgarian dish called banitsa.

Choice of Belogradchik red rock valley or Banitza home baking experience

Day 6: Cruising the Iron Gates, Donji Milanovac, Golubac
Today’s main attraction will be the spectacular scenery along the Danube, as you cruise a stretch of gorges known as the Iron Gates. Later, head ashore to explore a Paleolithic site and an extraordinarily well-preserved medieval fortress. All along the way, history lines the banks of the river. Keep an eye out for Trajan’s Plaque, which the ancient Romans erected to commemorate the road they anchored in the steep cliffs above the water, and Golubac Castle, built in the 14th century and attacked successively by the Serbs, Magyars and Turks.

Unwind onboard as you cruise the breathtaking Iron Gates, an 83-mile-long (134-kilometer-long) stretch of scenic gorges that were cut through the Carpathian and Balkan mountains over eons by the Danube River. These gorges, which act as a natural border between Serbia and Romania, are among the most dramatic and beautiful sights in all of Europe. This was one of the swiftest and most dangerous stretches of the river before two dams were built: Iron Gate I and Iron Gate II. Construction on the dams began in 1964 and took 20 years to complete; they have dramatically altered the area’s landscape, raising the water level by 114 feet (35 meters) and drowning several islands and villages.

Day 7: Belgrade
Belgrade, the modern-day capital of Serbia, is one of Europe’s oldest cities, dating back some 7,000 years. Signs of its tumultuous history are visible everywhere, juxtaposed with the city’s vibrant modern-day present.

Choice of Belgrade city tour with visit to the Royal Grounds of Karadjordjevic Dynasty Palace or “Let’s Go” “I Bike Belgrade” tour

Day 8: Vukovar (Osijek), Batina, Mohács
Welcome to Croatia! This ancient country, which has made a remarkable recovery from a brutal civil war, is noted for its beautiful countryside and thriving folk traditions, as well as simple, delicious local rustic food. You’ll dock in Vukovar, Croatia’s biggest port, at the confluence of the Danube and Vuka rivers.

Choice of Vucedol Culture Museum and lunch at a family winery or Home-hosted lunch with Karanac Craft Museum visit

Day 9: Budapest
Located on opposite sides of the Danube, Buda and Pest each have their own distinctive character and allure. Explore this dynamic and multifaceted city with your choice of excursions—you can see it from a local’s perspective on our walking tour, cover more ground with a panoramic tour or “Let’s Go” with a guided bike ride. Vibrant Budapest, Hungary’s capital, offers an enchanting combination of East and West.

Choice of Budapest Communist Tour or Budapest panoramic highlights with synagogue visit

In the evening, a special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

Day 10: Budapest
Other passengers are heading home today, but you are only halfway through your marvelous holiday. Today you are invited to enjoy a full-day visit to Hungary’s Eger wine region for some lunch and, of course, wine tasting.

Day 11: Budapest, Cruising the Danube River
Located on opposite sides of the Danube, Buda and Pest each has a distinctive character and allure all its own. Explore this dynamic and multi-faceted city with your choice of excursions—you can see it from a local’s perspective on a walking tour, or cover more ground with a panoramic tour. Or choose our Jewish Heritage excursion offering you a detailed introduction to Jewish Budapest.

Choice of Budapest panoramic highlights with St. Stephen’s Cathedral or Budapest walk with local treats

Day 12: Vienna
The grand dame of the Danube, Vienna was the heart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and remains, to this day, the political and cultural center of Austria. Klimt painted here; Beethoven and Mozart composed here; Freud developed his theories here. It’s a treasure trove of splendid architecture, astonishing art collections and inviting cafés—and today it is yours to explore. A city tour will show you the architectural highlights of the Austrian capital as well as the legendary Belvedere Palace. Or, indulge your passion for fine art and fine food with a fascinating and memorable panoramic tour. Or explore Jewish Vienna via our Jewish Heritage excursion.

Choice of Viennese highlights with Belvedere Palace or Vienna panoramic highlights with Old Town food and art walk

Day 13: Emmersdorf (Spitz)
You’ll want to find a comfortable seat in the lounge or on the Sun Deck today as your ship cruises through the Wachau Valley toward Emmersdorf and Spitz. Over the eons, the Danube cut a gorge through the foothills of the Bohemian mountains, resulting in a 19-mile (30-kilometer) stretch of riverine scenery so beautiful, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Landscape. Castle ruins dominate hilltops; baroque church towers appear on the riverbanks, marking historic villages and splendid abbeys; and apricot orchards and vineyards cling to the rocky slopes. Some of Austria’s finest white wines are produced from grapes ripening on the dry-stone terraces above the river, where grapes have been grown for 2,000 years. Your ship will dock in Emmersdorf, midway through this glorious landscape.

Choice of Private Artstetten Castle reception with a member of Habsburg royalty or Spitz village visit and meet the former Count of Spitz

Day 14: Engelhartszell, Passau
Your ship cruises through a scenic highlight of the Danube early this morning, the Schlögener Schlinge—a hairpin loop in the Danube that was once very hazardous for ships and is now a lovely, serene stretch of water—and leaves Austria behind today. Your first German port of call is Passau, where three rivers meet—the Inn, the Ilz and the Danube—and three nations almost meet: Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, making for a fascinating cultural mosaic. Get to know the town and its main claim to fame, Europe’s largest pipe organ, or join an invigorating riverside hike or bike ride.

Choice of Passau walking tour or “Let’s Go” hike along the Ilz River

Day 15: Regensburg
Bavaria’s first capital, Regensburg, owes its impressive historical lineage and rich architectural heritage to 600 years as a Free Imperial City, a fact recognized by UNESCO in 2006. Today, you’ll discover how the beautifully preserved medieval city coexists with a vibrant modern urban center.

Choice of Regensburg walk with Thurn and Taxis castle visit or BMW factory visit

Day 16: Roth, Nuremberg
Nuremberg will forever be associated with the post-WWII Nuremberg trials, but the city’s profound historical and cultural significance stretches back many centuries before that.

Onboard, come out on deck or find a window seat where you can watch the ship navigate a series of locks as it travels across the “continental divide” and through one of the modern world’s greatest feats of engineering—the Main-Danube canal. A special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.

Day 17: Nuremberg (Disembark), Transfer to Prague
Disembark the ship early and set your sights on the “city of a hundred spires” as you transfer to Prague via motorcoach.

Day 18: Prague
A magnet for generations of artists, writers, scientists and composers, Prague is famous for its dynamic energy and elegant ambiance (and the beers here are pretty amazing too). A thousand years of architecture, from ornate Gothic to fanciful postmodern, has been beautifully preserved here.

Choice of Prague Old Town and Charles Bridge walking tour or Hradčany Castle visit

Day 19: Depart Prague
You’ve experienced the best of the Danube River and Prague, sampling myriad culinary delights and exploring fascinating stops along the way. Now your journey comes to a close.