Our Grand European Cruise combines Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat with Budapest to the Black Sea to create an unforgettable 24-day North Sea to Black Sea tour through the heart of Europe, including a 21-day cruise aboard one of our three exclusive luxury riverboats – MS Swiss Sapphire, MS Swiss Emerald or the new-for-2009 MS Swiss Jewel. This remarkable Danube, Main and Rhine River tour by riverboat takes you through the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. Glide past grand cathedrals, medieval monasteries, and historic citadels – as well as through the Main-Danube Canal and the Iron Gate of the Danube. Our private, inclusive shore excursions take in many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and in-depth exploration of cities including Amsterdam, Köln, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade and Bucharest.
• Day 1: Embark on your cruise in Amsterdam
A transfer is included from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport directly to MS Swiss Emerald, MS Swiss Sapphire or the new-for-2009 MS Swiss Jewel. Tour starts at 4:00 p.m. in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Your two-week Danube, Main and Rhine cruise begins with dinner aboard the riverboat.
Meals: Dinner
• Day 2: Art in Amsterdam
See acclaimed art by Dutch Masters, including Rembrandt's The Night Watch, at Amsterdam's renowned Rijksmuseum. Then enjoy views of Amsterdam's remarkable architectural styles on a luncheon boat cruise along Amsterdam’s 17th-century canals.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 3: Köln, namesake of Eau de Cologne
Next stop on your North Sea to Black Sea tour is Köln (Cologne), Germany. A guided walking tour includes the lofty Kölner Dom, elaborately decorated with pinnacles and buttresses – it is the tallest Gothic structure in the world, and took over 600 years to complete. Stroll through Köln's Hohe Strasse pedestrian area at your leisure in the afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 4: Koblenz or Marksburg Castle, and merry music machines
Dock in Koblenz, and choose either a walking tour of Old Town, or a trip to 13th-century Marksburg Castle, built high above the Rhine. Relax on an afternoon’s cruise through the scenic Lorelei Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett – an eclectic collection of mechanical musical instruments housed in a 15th-century castle in Rüdesheim – precedes tonight's entertaining dinner in an old-world German restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 5: Rhine Cruise to the Main River
Visit Miltenberg, a walled medieval city with a hilltop castle and Roman roots. Then enjoy the views as your North Sea to Black Sea tour continues from the Rhine into the Main River, through scenic valleys studded with castles, cathedrals, and fortified towns.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 6: Discover Rothenburg and Würzburg
Today's travels take you to medieval Rothenburg, on Germany's "Romantic Road," to see its Gothic cathedrals and gabled houses. Later, a visit to charming Würzburg reveals the town's 18th-century Residenz and the ornate Alte Mainbrücke, a bridge over the River Main.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 7: Bound for Bamberg
Continue your North Sea to Black Sea tour as you cruise along the Main, then journey to the Bavarian town of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated atop seven hills. After discovering the town’s lovely gardens, medieval architecture and 13th-century Gothic cathedral with its four imposing towers on a walking tour of Old Town, you'll have time to explore this charming town on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 8: Main-Danube Canal & historic Nürnberg
Cruise the Main-Danube Canal, which ultimately makes this North Sea to Black Sea tour possible by linking the Rhine and Danube rivers; the idea goes back as far as Charlemagne, but wasn't realized until the 1990s. Pass through 16 locks as the waterway traverses the mountains. Continue on to historic Nürnberg, where you can choose between a tour of city sites associated with World War II and its aftermath – including the famous Court House – or a tour of the walled medieval town and a visit to the home of 16th-century painter Albrecht Dürer.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 9: Ancient Regensburg
Stop in the well-preserved medieval town of Regensburg, once a campsite for the Roman legions. On a walking tour, see the Steinerne Brücke, a medieval stone bridge over the Danube; Altes Rathaus, the 15th-century town hall that was once the seat of the Imperial Diet; and towering Dom St. Peter.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 10: Explore Baroque Passau
Dock in the German port city of Passau, dating back to Roman times. Spend time exploring this lovely Bavarian town, known for its Baroque architecture and stained glass, on a walking tour. Continue this North Sea to Black Sea tour by cruising the Danube in the afternoon, bound for Melk, Austria.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 11: Medieval Austrian abbeys and castles
Stop in the town of Melk, Austria, for a guided tour of its 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey, perched on a rocky outcrop above the river. Inside this Baroque masterpiece are fine frescoes, early manuscripts, and a high altar. Enjoy views of medieval castle ruins while cruising through the Wachau Valley. Stroll through picturesque Dürnstein on a walking tour; high above the town lie the ruins of a castle where King Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom during the Crusades.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 12: Music and more in Imperial Vienna
Get an overview of Vienna, Austria, with a morning sightseeing tour of this historic city. Then take your choice of a tour of Schönbrunn Palace, built to rival Versailles, or a tour of the Imperial Silver Room inside the Hofburg, the Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. Tonight, attend a private Imperial Viennese Evening at a traditional palace, which features dinner and live Viennese music.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 13: Baroque in Bratislava
Wake up this morning in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, where 17 centuries of history are chronicled on a walking tour. Highlights are Baroque palaces from the Habsburg era, along with St. Martin's Cathedral, the Opera House, Slovak Philharmonic Hall, and a visit to Old Town Hall.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 14: Relax at a spa and explore Budapest
Your riverboat arrives in Budapest, Hungary's capital, today, the mid-point of your North Sea to Black Sea tour. After relaxing on a visit to a spa this morning, spend some time exploring the remarkable city of Budapest – divided by the Danube into the separate sections of Buda and Pest – on your own this afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 15: Discover Budapest on the Danube
Explore sites on both sides of the Danube, including patriotic Heroes’ Square; the Parliament building, a neo-Gothic masterpiece; Fishermen’s Bastion; and the famed stained glass windows in Matthias Church. Note: Matthias Church may be closed on some departures due to services.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 16: Horses and folkways in Hungary
A horse-drawn wagon ride takes you to the Equestrian Center, where you'll see Puszta horsemen demonstrating traditional skills. Then cruise to Kalocsa, celebrated for its paprika and folk art, where you'll visit the beautiful Baroque library in the Bishop’s Palace, housing one of the finest early collections in Europe.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 17: Cruise to Croatia's historic cities
Your discovery of the lower Danube continues as your North Sea to Black Sea tour cruises into Croatia. Travel overland to the fortified city of Osijek, which still has its Viennese-style mansions. Visit the ancient Tvrda Citadel, standing guard over the city, and the medieval Church of the Holy Cross. Later, explore the Baroque city of Vukovar, once showcasing 18th-century mansions, but now poignantly symbolizing the effects of the 1990s war. Your riverboat cruises to Serbia this afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 18: Serbia's cosmopolitan capital, Belgrade
Dock early morning in Belgrade, Serbia's modern capital at the juncture of the Danube and Sava rivers. Sightseeing includes Tito's Memorial, St. Sava Church, and Kalemegdan Fortress. Also view busy Slavija Square, Parliament, Republic Square and City Hall.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 19: The Iron Gate, King Decebalus and more
Continuing this North Sea to Black Sea tour, relax on a day's cruise past the fields and vineyards of Eastern Europe. Pass into Romania and through the Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate of the Danube, a two-mile-long series of narrow gorges between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. As you cruise, look for the massive monument to the 2nd-century Dacian King Decebalus – Europe's tallest rock sculpture – carved into the riverbank, as well as views of the Transylvanian Alps.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 20: Big day in Bulgaria
Your journey along the lower Danube cruises to Svishtov, Bulgaria, for excursions to nearby towns. Explore the medieval capital of Bulgaria, Veliko Turnovo, whose ancient walled fortress and castle are set atop three hills overlooking the Yantra River. In nearby Arbanassi, you'll have an opportunity to meet and share local specialties with your Bulgarian contemporaries at a private, home-hosted lunch.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Day 21: Romania’s Black Sea coast
Dock in Cernavoda and stop in Constanta en route to the resort town of Mamaia, Romania, set at the edge of the Black Sea; you may want to take a walk along one of Mamaia's fine beaches – the only ones in Europe sporting pure-white sand. Please join us aboard the riverboat this evening for the Captain's farewell reception and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 22: Bucharest beckons
After disembarking the riverboat in Cernavoda to end the cruise portion of your North Sea to Black Sea tour, travel through the Romanian countryside to Bucharest, capital of Romania and once regarded as the "Paris of the Balkans." A sightseeing tour includes Revolution Square and the Triumphal Arch; erected to commemorate Romania's reunification and those who fell in World War I, it is a smaller but exact copy of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. You'll also pay a visit to the massive People's Palace, the world's second-largest building after the Pentagon.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 23: Castles and monasteries in Romania
Your have a choice of sightseeing in Romania today. Opt for a full day's excursion to tour Peles Castle in Sinaia, built for Romania's royal family in the 1880s. Or visit isolated Snagov Monastery – said to be the final resting place of Vlad Tepes, the historical model for the character of Dracula. Return to Bucharest for dinner at your historic hotel, a key Bucharest landmark since it opened in 1914. Note: Some departures may visit Bran Castle instead of Peles Castle due to weekly closures.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 24: Homeward bound
Your unforgettable North Sea to Black Sea tour by riverboat ends in Bucharest, Romania. A transfer is included to Bucharest Airport.
Meals: Breakfast
*****All itineraries are subject to change without notice.
This tour is also offered Westbound
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