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| Day 1 |
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DEPART THE US ON YOUR OVERNIGHT FLIGHT(S) TO EUROPE.
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Depart the US on your overnight flight(s) to Europe.
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| Day 2 |
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ARRIVE BUDAPEST * EMBARK SHIP
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When you arrive in Hungary after your overnight flight, our local representative will meet you and arrange your transfer to your privately-chartered ship. Settle into your river view cabin, and then gather for a Welcome Briefing and dinner. (Or, depart 3 days earlier and begin with our optional 3-night extension in Prague.) D
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| Day 3 |
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BUDAPEST SIGHTSEEING
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Draped over several hills on a gentle curve in the Danube, the city created by the merger of the towns of Buda and Pest is an architectural gem of baroque buildings, interesting streets and squares, and lively shops, coffeehouses, and restaurants. Not unexpectedly, the city center along the Danube has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today you’ll get to know the city on an included panoramic tour. On the Buda side of the river, you’ll visit historic Matthias Church, and storybook Fishermen’s Bastion, which offers stunning views of Pest (including the imposing Parliament House). Travellers who took the city tour on their pre-extension will instead enjoy an included tour to Szentendre, a riverside town near Budapest known for its museums, galleries, and artists. Later, you’ll celebrate setting sail at the Captain’s Welcome Party and Dinner. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B, L, D
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| Day 4 |
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VIENNA * SESSION WITH DIANE REHM
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Enjoy the “Blue Danube” through the ship’s panoramic windows while you eat breakfast. Then attend a talk about Europe’s rivers, their important role in times past as “highways” and their continued prominence in daily life and commerce. After lunch you’ll arrive in elegant Vienna, where you have a choice of two included tours: a tour of sites associated with the great composers who worked in Vienna—Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss among them—or a visit to the splendid baroque Schönbrunn Palace.* In the late afternoon join Diane Rehm for the first of three discussions of topics of common interest. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 5 |
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VIENNA SIGHTSEEING * HOFBURG PALACE
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Attend a morning lecture on Vienna’s great musical tradition. Then disembark for a panoramic tour of the elegant Ringstrasse,* the “Inner Ring” boulevard built under the Habsburg monarchs on the site of the old city walls and lined with some of the city’s grandest museums, theaters and imperial buildings. Visit the Hofburg Palace, seat of the Habsburg Empire, to see its fabulous collections of art and other treasures. The day ends on a high note with a private classical music concert. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 6 |
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WACHAU VALLEY CRUISING * MELK ABBEY
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Leave Vienna in the morning and enjoy your cruise through the beautiful Wachau Valley,* with commentary from the ship’s Bridge. The valley’s hilltop castles and walled villages, nestled among vineyard-covered hills, create a beautiful riverscape that has changed little since medieval times. Later stop in Melk for a guided tour of the magnificent golden Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe’s largest baroque monasteries, which provides a spectacular view of the Danube and beyond. This evening enjoy regional entertainment on board. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 7 |
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LINZ • EXCURSION TO SALZBURG, AUSTRIA
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Disembark in Linz, Austria, for a full-day excursion to Salzburg,* the birthplace of Mozart and location of The Sound of Music. See the highlights of this charming city including Salzburg Cathedral, the 15th-century Franciscan Church, the Mirabell Palace, Mozart’s birthplace and the 900-year-old Hohensalzburg Fortress, the best-preserved and largest fortification in Europe. The ship will meet you in Passau, Germany, before dinner. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 8 |
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PASSAU, GERMANY
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Take a guided walking tour of Passau. One highlight you can view from almost anywhere in the city is enormous St. Stephen’s Cathedral, last rebuilt in its current baroque style in the 17th-century. Inside the Cathedral you’ll hear a concert on the world’s largest pipe organ, an instrument with 231 registers totaling 17,388 pipes! As you listen, admire the Cathedral’s magnificent golden pulpit and beautiful frescoes. Reboard the ship for your second late-afternoon discussion with Diane Rehm, followed by dinner. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 9 |
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REGENSBURG, GERMANY
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On a morning walking tour of Regensburg, touch ancient Roman stones at Porta-Praetoria Arch and cross the medieval Stone Bridge. This afternoon you’ll hear a lecture about the Main-Danube Canal, an engineering marvel which you’ll traverse this evening and tomorrow morning. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 10 |
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MAIN-DANUBE CANAL • NUREMBERG, GERMANY
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Having passed through the locks of the Main-Danube Canal, you arrive at Nuremberg this morning. Hear a lecture on Nuremberg, which serves as an example of the typical history of a German town. On your city tour of Nuremberg, explore the city’s World War II history by visiting the Documentation Center and the Rallygrounds. You’ll receive money for lunch at a restaurant, and in the afternoon you are free to stroll, visit the German Toy Museum or see the home of the and in the afternoon you’ll enjoy either a visit to the home of the Renaissance artist and printmaker Albrecht Dürer. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 11 |
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BAMBERG, GERMANY
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Discover why Bamberg* is considered by many to be Germany’s most beautiful city. On your walking tour of its lovely Old Town, you’ll see many examples of the city’s fine gothic and baroque architecture. Bamberg is also the center of a rich Bavarian beer-brewing tradition; consider relaxing in a beer garden with mug of hearty ale. On the ship, hear a lecture about the European Union and its Expansion to the east, and enjoy evening entertainment by local performers. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 12 |
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SCENIC CRUISING
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Spend a day of scenic cruising as you follow the winding course of the Main from Bamberg to Miltenberg. Enjoy the amenities and good company aboard ship. In the afternoon, join Diane Rehm for a third conversation about radio and the wide-ranging subjects of mutual interest. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 13 |
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MILTENBERG, GERMANY
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Take a guided walking tour of Miltenberg, a medieval town of cobblestone streets and timber-frame houses built on the banks of the Main, with wooded hills beyond. Later watch a demonstration of the art of glassblowing on board. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 14 |
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RUDESHEIM, GERMANY
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You’ll be enchanted by the Rhine Valley wine town of Rüdesheim, where you’ll choose to take a cable car to Niederwald Monument or visit Siegfried’s Musikkabinett. Then, listen to the Legend of the Lorelei as you sail past the quaint villages, fairytale castles, and dramatic cliffs of the Rhine Gorge. The day ends in style with the Captain’s Farewell Party & Dinner. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B, L, D
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| Day 15 |
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COLOGNE, GERMANY
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Enjoy your day in Cologne, where the Rhine runs through the city very close to the great Cathedral. Admire this gothic masterpiece that rivals the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris with its flying buttresses and sneering gargoyles. Inside you’ll find the gilded Shrine of the Three Magi behind the high altar. Returning to the ship for lunch, enjoy a final afternoon of scenic cruising with your travel companions. Deluxe River Cruise Ship B/L/D
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| Day 16 |
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DISEMBARK AMSTERDAM * ARRIVE HOME OR ENJOY 3-NIGHT POST EXTENSION
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Disembark the Deluxe River Cruise Ship in Amsterdam and transfer to the airport by private motorcoach for your flight home—or choose the Post-Cruise Extension in Amsterdam that will give you three days and nights to enjoy the museums, canals and other features of this historic and dynamic city. B |
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