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Jewels along the Danube and Bucharest

Set sail from the ‘three rivers city’ of Passau and embark on an unforgettable journey through Eastern Europe. Discover the delights of Strauss’ famous Danube from the comfort of MS Arena, taking time to explore scenic and historical stops along the way. Take in the beauty of the Wachau Valley as you visit the Austrian town of Melk, a cluster of terracotta rooftops among a forest of green. You can take advantage of a full day in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Vienna, plus time in the breathtakingly beautiful city of Budapest. We also visit Belgrade and spend a full day in Bucharest as well as Bratislava and Linz on this captivating river adventure.

Your Tour Includes

  • 14 nights’ cruise on a full board basis
  • Services of a Cruise Manager & Cruise Director
  • Welcome drink & Captain’s Gala Dinner
  • Complimentary tea, coffee and Wi-Fi
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Itinerary

We travel by coach or rail to our hotel in Germany for an overnight stay.

After breakfast, we journey by coach or rail to Passau, a beautiful city in Lower Bavaria. It is here where we will board our ship – the MS Arena - Passau is known as the ‘three rivers city’ due to its unique location where the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers meet. Those travelling by air will join us today. Dinner will be served onboard this evening as we relax and set sail towards the historic Austrian town of Melk.

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We arrive in Melk this morning, which is filled with quaint cobbled streets and striking buildings. It is also overlooked by one of the most splendid monastic houses in Austria – the Benedictine Abbey, which you can visit on our optional excursion this morning. Melk Abbey is a place where Monks live in accordance with the rules of Saint Benedict. The Baroque abbey was built be-tween 1702 and 1736 and is visited by 550,000 people every year. It’s known for its tranquillity and stunning views overlooking the Danube River and the town of Melk. We enjoy lunch on board the ship before sailing onwards to Vienna, arriving later this evening.

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We spend a full day experiencing the delights of Vienna, a cosmopolitan city full of character and charm. As well as being a World Heritage Site the ‘City of Music’ was also the once the home of Beethoven and Mozart. There is plenty to see and experience in this wonderful city.  There’s the chance to join our optional city tour to visit the Hofburg led by a local guide who’ll highlight grand palaces, baroque castles, magnificent squares and striking monuments. The Hofburg was not only the centre of the vast Hofburg Empire for more than 600 years, but also the main residence of the imperial family.  We return to the ship for lunch, the afternoon is free to explore at leisure. Alternatively, you can join our optional excursion to the Spanish Riding School. Admire the amazing feats of the famous white horses of Vienna in the superb arena. We set sail this evening towards Budapest.

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We arrive in Budapest around lunchtime where we enjoy lunch onboard the ship. This afternoon there’s the chance to join our optional tour of this fascinating city in the company of a local guide. Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with an extensive area recognised as a World Heritage Site. Look out for the Royal Palace, Fisherman's Bastion, the Parliament building, St Stephen’s Basilica, Heroes’ Square and the Chain Bridge. We also include a wine tasting at a Hungarian wine producer before we transfer back to the ship for dinner on board.

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This morning is free for you to explore Budapest at your leisure. There is plenty to see, including lots of stunning architecture such as St Stephen’s Basilica, the Hungarian parliament building & Matthias Church just to name a few. We set sail at lunchtime towards Mohacs and onwards to Belgrade.

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We arrive in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, which lies at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. There’s the opportunity to join our optional panoramic city tour in the company of a local guide this afternoon. We drive out to the hill above the confluence of the Sava and the Danube and take in the Belgrade Fortress. We continue, passing some of the key highlights including the Cathedral Church of St. Michael, the Archangel which is a Serbian Orthodox cathedral church decorated with 18th-20th century gold works. We continue by the Town Hall which was built with elements of the Renaissance period and represents one of the most significant buildings of Serbian modern architecture. We also drive by one of the greatest orthodox cathedrals in the world – St Sava Cathedral. We include a light refreshment plus there’s some free time to explore at leisure on the famous Knez Mihailos street. We enjoy dinner onboard this evening and sail overnight towards Giurgiu

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Enjoy a full day cruising through the breath-taking scenery of Eisernes Tor, the Iron Gate, which is the largest river gorge in Europe and carves a channel through the Carpathian Mountains. The views are spectacular, with the Dierdap National Park on the southern side of the Danube in Serbia, and the Portile de Fier Nature Park on the northern side in Romania. It’s a fantastic day to spend relaxing on the sun deck.

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We arrive in Giurgiu this morning. From here, we include a full day excursion by coach to the Romanian capital city of Bucharest - on our sight-seeing tour with a local guide. We will explore the wide tree-lined boulevards and admire the many landmarks the city has to offer including the Arch of Triumph, Kisseleff Boulevard and Parliament Place which is the seat of the Romanian Parliament and is also the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. We also include lunch in a local restaurant too, giving you a flavour of Romanian food and culture. We return to ship in Giurgiu for dinner onboard and overnight sailing.

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Today we have a full day cruising back through the magnificent Iron Gates which are the longest string of gorges in Europe, covering 84 miles and date back to the Roman Empire. Passing through Serbia and Romania, you’ll see the tallest rock sculpture in Europe of Decebalus, the Dacian King, the most famous and narrow section of the Iron gates known as The Great Kazan, ancient carvings and a National Park as you relax onboard and watch the scenery drift by as we head towards Belgrade.

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We arrive back in Belgrade at around lunchtime today where there’s the opportunity to join an optional tour visiting the Royal Palace, which was built between 1924 and 1929, where the Crown prince Alexander and his family sometimes occupy. We also see Tito`s Memorial where you’ll have the opportunity to explore the museum and visit Tito's Tomb. We set sail this evening for Mohacs.

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We spend a relaxing day and evening cruising towards Bratislava - the Slovakian capital that lies in the southwestern part of the country.

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We arrive in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava this evening, where we are berthed overnight. The city is dominated by Bratislava Castle, which stands on a plateau 85 metres (279 feet) above the Danube. It was built in the 9th century, converted into a Gothic anti-Hussite fortress under Sigismund of Luxemburg in 1430, became a Renaissance castle in 1562, and was rebuilt in 1649 in the baroque style.

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This morning you’re free to explore Bratislava at leisure, or you can join our optional excursion taking in this historic capital and the Primate's Palace by train and foot.  Primate's Palace is not only a beautiful building, but also the place of important historical events. In the gallery you will be able to admire a unique collection of six English tapestries depicting the ancient legend "Hero and Leandro’s”. Our local guide will tell you the love story as well as the entire history of these tapestries. This afternoon we continue cruising along the Danube towards Linz.

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We arrive in Linz this afternoon where there is the chance to join our optional excursion, visiting the charming baroque old town and Linz Castle, in the company of a local guide. In the centre of the old town, you’ll find one of the largest squares in Austria, lined by pastel-coloured facades. There’s also the fortress-like castle, built high above the city by Emperor Friedrich III. We include entrance to the castle which is now a museum housing a wonderful collection of nineteenth and twentieth century artworks. We set sail this evening for an overnight sailing to Passau.

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After a truly memorable cruise we bid farewell to our captain and crew and travel by coach or rail to our overnight hotel in Germany. Those travelling by air will be transferred to the airport for the return flight to the UK. 

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After breakfast we continue our return journey home to the UK.


Accommodation

Our new 4-star ship has all the ingredients of an unforgettable river cruise; comfort, style and the crew’s unfaltering attention to detail is everything.

MS Arena is completely deserving of its place in our premier cruise collection! Whether you’re cruising the Dutch Waterways, the rivers Rhine, Moselle or Danube, all the way to the Black Sea, this elegant, 4-star ship promises everything you’d wish for – and more – making for an unforgettable river cruising experience.