Your day program

DAY 1 GERMANY: PASSAU

2 Regensburg 09:30 20:00

• Regensburg walking tour

• Danube Gorge, Weltenburg Abbey & beer tasting or Thurn & Taxis Palace, brewery with tasting Bavarian evening with regional specialities and local music on board

This afternoon, embark and settle in your cabin. This evening, meet fellow travelers at a Welcome Cocktail, followed by a culinary prepared Welcome Dinner.

Day 2 Regensburg

3 Passau 08:00 10:00

• Passau walking tour or Full-day Salzburg with lunch

Linz 16:30 22:00 Rejoin the ship

• Linz walking tour with Linzer Torte tasting**

4 Emmersdorf 08:00 12:00

Dürnstein 14:00 17:30

Vienna 22:00

5 Vienna 23:59

6 Bratislava 08:00 22:00

7 Esztergom 07:00 08:30

• Melk Abbey — A Baroque Jewel Scenic cruising through the Wachau Valley

• Dürnstein walking tour & Abbey or Winzer Krems — Vineyard and winery

• Vienna — Imperial discovery tour

• Visit to Schönbrunn Palace

• “Sound of Vienna“ classical concert (cat. B)

• Bratislava — Beauty on the Danube

• Schloss Hof — Baroque Palace and Estate

• Esztergom, Visegrád castle and Szentendre

Budapest 13:00 Rejoin the ship

• Budapest — Castle Hill & Historic Wonders

Captain‘s Gala Dinner

Evening cruise Budapest with folklore show on board

8 Budapest Disembarkation after breakfast

Excursions listed in blue are not included in the cruise price.

** not bookable together with the Full-day Salzburg with lunch. Please refer to pages 132—147 for specific shore excursion details. We reserve the right to make amendments to the timetable and program.

For cruise fares and excursion packages, see page 61.

This morning, your vessel arrives in one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval cities. On the morning tour, immerse yourself in the historic atmosphere of the town, which boasts architecture from many different centuries and a 12th century bridge. In the afternoon, choose between a visit to the 600-year-old Weltenburg Abbey, which is situated on the banks of the Danube and houses the oldest monastic brewery in the world, and a trip to the 18th century Thurn and Taxis Palace with beer tasting at their traditional brewery. This evening, enjoy a special Bavarian theme on board with regional delicacies and live music.

DAY 3 PASSAU · AUSTRIA: LINZ

The vessel returns this morning for a short stop at the three-rivers city of Passau, lying at the confluence of the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz. In the morning, take a guided walking excursion. At St. Stephen’s Cathedral, see an organ with 17,774 pipes and 233 registers, the second largest in the world. Passau is also the starting point for the full day excursion to Salzburg with lunch at a local restaurant. For those remaining on board, relax on the Sun Deck and take in the scenery as the vessel moves toward its late afternoon visit to Linz. Join the walking tour and stroll on streets squares boasting unique churches, concert venues, and plenty of artists who come to the city to thrive. Before returning to the vessel, sample perhaps the famous Linzer Torte.

DAY 4 | EMMERSDORF · DÜRNSTEIN · VIENNA

Set on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube, the Baroque Benedictine abbey of Melk awaits you this morning with its frescoes created by pre-eminent artists of the 18th century, and a magnificent library with priceless manuscripts.

During lunch on board, the ship continues to Dürnstein, a picturesque wine growers’ village located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Wachau Valley. Explore the village with a local guide or choose an excursion to a local vineyard to sample some of the region’s famous Grüner Veltliner wines. The ship arrives in Vienna later this evening and remains overnight.

DAY 5 | VIENNA

There is much to see in Vienna: its imperial palaces, the Museum Quarter displaying works by Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and other artists, the impressive buildings along the

”This was my first river cruise and I loved it! The Danube is now one of my big travel highlights.“

Michelle L.

“Ringstrasse“, St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the famous Vienna State Opera among many others. This afternoon, perhaps venture to Schönbrunn Palace, the sumptuous summer palace and gardens of Empress Maria Theresia and the Habsburg Empire.

Cap off your Vienna experience with a “Sound of Vienna“ concert in a local hall. Listen to the “Alt Vienna“ orchestra play popular pieces from Vienna’s classical era. The vessel remains in Vienna until late this evening when it departs for Bratislava.

DAY 6 SLOVAKIA: BRATISLAVA

Wake up this morning in Bratislava, a jewel on the Danube and the capital of Slovakia. Explore the city on your own or with a guided optional tour through the city. See the home of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, the old city walls, the summer residence of the archbishop and the current residence of the president of Slovakia. This afternoon you can choose to travel outside the city to the Schloss Hof Palace and Estate — the Imperial country estate of the Habsburgs acquired by the Empress Maria Theresa.

DAY 7 HUNGARY: ESZTERGOM · BUDAPEST

Relax on board as the vessel makes its way to Budapest, Hungary. For those interested in exploring the Hungarian countryside, the optional excursion departs in Esztergom, with its basilica dedicated to Saint Mary, and continues to Szentendre, known for its art galleries and museums. Rejoin your vessel after it docks in Budapest in time for lunch.

This afternoon, explore the fantastic Hungarian capital of Budapest on a panoramic tour. The unique Chain Bridge straddles the Danube, connecting the Buda side and its Fisherman’s Bastion, with the Pest side and its iconic Hungarian Parliament building. On your last evening on board, the festive Captain‘s Gala Dinner and a lights cruise through the magnificently illuminated metropolis, accompanied by a spirited folklore performance, await you.

Day 8 Budapest

After breakfast, the entire AMADEUS crew bids you farewell and wishes you a safe journey home.

Danube Rhapsody

Your itinerary

DAY/PORT ARR DEP HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAM

1 Passau 17:00 Embarkation from 4 pm

Welcome Cocktail and Welcome Dinner

2 Emmersdorf 09:00 11:30

• Melk Abbey — A Baroque Jewel

Scenic cruising through the Wachau Valley

Journey to the heart of the once-illustrious Habsburg monarchy, along the fabled Danube River. Explore the art and culture of historic Europe as your vessel travels through four countries filled with spectacular scenery. Visit three world-famous capital cities, classical music of Mozart, Strauss, Bartok and Schmidt. Impressive architecture, the natural beauty of the UNESCO protected Wachau Valley along with the flavors of the “Linzer Torte“, “Sacher Torte“ and Austrian wines are just a few of the highlights of this trip.

Dürnstein 13:30 16:00

• Dürnstein walking tour with wine tasting Vienna 21:00 Exclusive private concert on board

3 Vienna 19:00

4 Budapest 11:30

5 Budapest 13:30

• Vienna — Imperial discovery tour

• Visit to Schönbrunn Palace

• Budapest — Castle Hill & Historic Wonders

Evening cruise Budapest with folklore show on board

• Traditions of the Hungarian Puszta or An Authentic Taste of Budapest

• Szentendre, Visegrád castle and Esztergom Esztergom 19:00 19:15 Rejoin the ship

6 Bratislava 08:00 14:00 • Bratislava — Beauty on the Danube

• Schloss Hof — Baroque Palace and Estate Hainburg 16:00 16:30 Rejoin the ship

7 Linz 14:00 22:00 • Linz walking tour with Linzer Torte tasting or Trip to the Pöstlingberg Captain‘s Gala Dinner

8 Passau 07:30 Disembarkation after breakfast

Excursions listed in blue are not included in the cruise price. Please refer to pages 132—147 for specific shore excursion details. We reserve the right to make amendments to the timetable and program.