Magnificent Europe (Amsterdam to Budapest)

ARRIVE IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – EMBARKATION. Board the ship in Budapest for your Magnificent Europe cruise.

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA. Sail to the “Coronation City of Kings,” where you can join a walking tour or choose instead to enjoy a “Tastes of Slovakia” tour. For those who wish a more active exploration, hike up to Bratislava Castle for magnificent views of the city.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA. The heart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Vienna, remains as renowned today as it has throughout history. The entire city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site awash with Baroque treasures. Your city tour showcases its regal splendors, including the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. Conclude in Vienna’s historic city center and then visit the majestic St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which has stood watch over Vienna for 700 years and is one of the most important and beloved landmarks in Austria. Alternatively, enjoy a guided bike tour through Vienna.

DÜRNSTEIN – MELK, AUSTRIA. Once in Dürnstein, you have a choice of excursions. Partake in a walking tour along cobblestone streets to the beautiful blue Baroque Stiftskirche before enjoying a local wine tasting. For a more active adventure, hike up to the fortress where Richard the Lionheart was once held and enjoy sweeping views of the river and vineyards below. You may also choose to visit a local apricot grower, where you’ll be treated to the finest apricot products in the region. You can also join a guided bike tour along the Danube, and if you would like, you can bike later in the day further along the Danube through the UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley and meet your ship in Melk. Or, cruise to Melk, known for its magnificent Benedictine Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which you will visit later in the day.

ENGELHARTSZELL, GERMANY – PASSAU, GERMANY. Discover Passau in one of three ways. Enjoy a walking tour and marvel at Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Guests looking for a more active morning can choose between a guided bike tour along the Danube, or a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus Fortress. For those who love The Sound of Music, you can also choose to enjoy a full-day excursion to Salzburg and tour the historic center, Mirabell Gardens, Residenz Square and the Old Market. En route to Salzburg, stop at Mondsee, home of the Basilica St. Michael, where the famous wedding scene in the movie was filmed.

REGENSBURG, GERMANY. Explore one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities, Regensburg, on a guided walking tour showcasing the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria. As an alternate option, sample some of Bavaria’s specialties—beer, sausage and pretzels. And for a more active adventure, bike to Walhalla where you will see the neoclassical white marble temple.

NUREMBERG, GERMANY. You have three choices of excursions while in Nuremberg. Enjoy a guided tour through this well-preserved medieval city, showcasing the Imperial Castle, famous town wall and the legendary fountain of the Market Square. Or turn back the pages of a darker history with a guided tour of the city’s most important WWII sites, including the coliseum. You’ll also visit the Nuremberg Trials Memoriam and Courtroom 600, if the courtroom is not in session. Alternatively, partake in a traditional Franconian specialties tasting of famous Nuremburger bratwurst, rotbier (red beer) and lebkuchen (gingerbread).

NUREMBERG, GERMANY. Depart the ship for a guided tour of Kaiserburg, Nuremberg’s Imperial castle and one of the most important palaces of the Old Holy Roman Empire. While wandering through this historical fortress towering high above the city center, you will pass by an exhibition of military artifacts, from weapons to suits of armor, as well as architectural models that show the castle through the ages. Following your Kaiseburg tour, we will head to the former home of Albrecht Dürer, arguably Germany’s most famous artist and Nuremberg’s most famous resident. It is within these walls where he lived and worked for nearly 20 years in the early 16th century, and you will be able to view some of his and other artists’ works during your tour.

BAMBERG, GERMANY. Explore enchanting Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in one of three ways. Join a guided walking tour of this medieval gem to see its cathedral, Old Town Hall and elegant old mansions. Or taste your way through the city sampling smoked beer, pralines, and Hornla, a pastry. And for a more active adventure, join a guided bike tour.

WÜRZBURG, GERMANY. You have several choices of excursions. Enjoy a city tour of Würzburg, bursting with Baroque splendor. Or visit Würzburg’s Baroque Residenz Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that features an opulent interior, including a grand fresco by Tiepolo. Or stretch your legs while hiking to Würzburg Castle. Alternatively, go to Rothenburg, the best-preserved medieval town in Germany. The town is so pretty that the imagery of Walt Disney’s Pinocchio was very much influenced by sketches of Rothenburg. (B,L,D) *Not combinable with other tours on this day.

WERTHEIM – MILTENBERG. Wertheim is considered to have one of Germany’s most beautiful city centers. While here, join a walking tour, hike to the ruins of Wertheim Castle or go to a pretzel bakery for a delicious tasting. Later in the day, enjoy a scenic cruise to Miltenberg, the “Pearl of the Main River.” While on your walking tour, you’ll discover why this medieval town seems to leap from the pages of a fairytale with its 14th- and 15th-century half-timbered, gabled houses; the famed Crooked House; and the venerable Royal Inn. For those who would like a more active adventure, hike to the Miltenberg Castle, offering majestic views of the town and river.

RÜDESHEIM, GERMANY – RHINE GORGE, GERMANY – LAHNSTEIN, GERMANY. Wine connoisseurs will want to go on a walking tour through the vineyards where you’ll stop to sample wines at three different tasting stations. Or choose to drink up the stunning views by soaring high above the vineyards with a gondola ride to the Niederwalddenkmal Statue. For a more active adventure, join a guided bike tour along the scenic Rhine River or hike through the town’s vineyards. Later in the day, let Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum charm you, or taste one of the town’s special delights, Rüdesheimer coffee. (B,L,D

COLOGNE, GERMANY. Cologne is home to one of Germany’s most revered Gothic masterpieces, the Cologne Cathedral. Join a guided tour through the Old Town and to the Cologne Rathaus, Germany’s oldest town hall, the Old Market and the Heumarkt. Plus, taste the city’s famous Kölsch beer, only made in Cologne. As an alternative, explore the historic and modern architectural styles on display inside the Cologne Cathedral, a 13th-century Gothic marvel and UNESCO World Heritage Site. This cathedral was the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion, and it withstood 14 hits from aerial bombs during World War II. Active adventurists will instead want to join a guided bike ride along the Rhine.

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS. There are 165 canals in Amsterdam, and you’ll get to enjoy some of them on your canal cruise.

AMSTERDAM. Disembark the ship and you prepare for your flight home.