Wine Cruise on the Danube

In the evening, you will enjoy an atmospheric cruise through Budapest, also known as the “Paris of the East”, which is festively lit up at night, revealing Budapest’s most beautiful side. A folklore show on board will complete the experience.

Budapest, the “Queen of the Danube”, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has managed to retain a charm of its own with the help of renovations in recent years. The Danube flows through the heart of the city, dividing it into two parts: Buda and Pest. The tour first takes you through Pest, past the Great Market Hall with its outstanding gourmet shops and stalls.

You will see splendid Baroque buildings such as the Hungarian State Opera in Neo-Renaissance style and the incomparable parliament building, which was finished in 1904 and has been an emblem of the city ever since then. There’s an opportunity for a photo stop at the Heroes’ Square, famous for its monuments to many Hungarian kings. Continue aross one of the seven bridges into Buda and go up to Castle Hill, where you will visit St. Matthew’s Church and the famous Fisherman’s Bastion (provided that it is open to the public). Enjoy the unforgettable view over the city before returning to the vessel.

Get to know the capital of the young Slovakian Republic. The driving tour passes St. Martin’s Cathedral and the Grassalkovich Palace and continues to the castle hill above the old town, where you will have a stunning, panoramic view of the city and surrounding areas. 

Afterwards a guided walking tour leads you through the old town.  Take a leisurely stroll from Michael’s Gate through the historic city center, admire sights such as the Primatial Palace and St. Martin’s Cathedral, a former coronation cathedral for Hungarian kings, as well as the Academia Istropolitana, the oldest university of the city, dating back to the 15th century. See the main square with the old City Hall, the Opera House and Maximilian Fountain. From the Main Square we continue to a cosy cozy out of the way place to enjoy the famous Pressburger rolls with nut and poppy seed filling.  We will end our walk at the historical Opera House in front of glorious Ganymede’s Fountain. Afterwards, you are free to explore or walk the short distance back to the ship.

From Bratislava, cross into Austria’s renowned Burgenland wine region and visit Leo HILLINGER Winery in the village of Jois. With its sunny climate, proximity to Hungary and vineyards stretching toward Lake Neusiedl, Burgenland has a long-standing reputation for exceptional red and sweet wines.

Today, the HILLINGER estate brings a modern approach to the region’s winemaking traditions and is one of Austria’s largest organic wine producers. Take a guided tour of the winery, then sample six wines while taking in views of the vineyards, the Leitha Mountains, and Lake Neusiedl.

While it may take days or weeks to fully discover Vienna, this tour will give you an overall impression of the most important sights Vienna has to offer. First, you will drive along the famous Ringstrasse, passing several magnificent buildings like the stunning opera house, the parliament, the Court Theatre and Vienna’s imposing city hall.

The panoramic drive is followed by a guided walk through the city center where you will get to know Vienna at its fullest. Begin at the well-known Hofburg Imperial Palace, walk along the Kohl market and finish at Vienna’s iconic St. Stephen’s cathedral. Before returning to the ship, enjoy free time to stroll along the pedestrian area.

Trade the traditional winery tour for a day at one of Vienna’s beloved Heurigers. At Mayer am Pfarrplatz in Heiligenstadt, wine is only part of the experience. Surrounded by vineyards, this beloved wine tavern is the perfect place to experience the local wines, flavors and festive spirit that make Vienna’s Heuriger culture so special.

Sample a selection of Viennese wines while enjoying live music and dancing in the warm, welcoming atmosphere of the tavern. The historic setting also holds a special connection to Ludwig van Beethoven, who lived here in 1817 while working on his Ninth Symphony! 

Meet Vienna's ballet soloists in the lounge. Two talented dancers will perform the traditional Viennese Waltz and some other connected dances, share interesting details about the history and teach you a few steps of this elegant ballroom dance.

Explore Dürnstein, a hidden gem in the heart of the magnificent Wachau Valley. This peaceful village offers the unique combination of breathtaking scenery, traditional architecture and a surprising array of local culinary delicacies. As you walk past the town hall and castle ruins, your guide will make stops for you to savior treats made with the local specialty – Apricots.  Indulge your taste buds with a sip of an Apricot juice, brandy or liquor, before continuing your walk to the charming 700-year old Schloss Dürnstein.  Standing just outside the castle walls, you have a mustn’t miss photo opportunity of the towering cliffs and vistas along the mighty Danube.  Make a stop to explore the famous Abbey and afterwards, you are invited for a glass of wine to toast the end of your Dürnstein exploration.

Journey through the heart of the Wachau, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape where the Danube flows past dramatic vineyards supported by centuries-old dry-stone walls. Hand-built by medieval monks, these terraces are a defining feature of the region and help create the unique conditions that shape its celebrated wines.

Visit Nikolaihof Wachau, an extraordinary wine estate with nearly 2,000 years of history and Roman foundations dating back to 63 A.D. Wine has been produced here since ancient times, and the estate’s historic walls still hold traces of its remarkable past. Tour the estate and discover the traditions behind its wines before enjoying a tasting that offers a true taste of the Wachau.

Rising above the Danube, Stift Göttweig has been a landmark of the Wachau and Kremstal landscape for centuries. Founded in 1083, the Benedictine abbey has deep roots in winemaking, with vineyards documented as part of the monastery from its earliest days.

Step inside this historic estate to see how wine became part of monastic life and continues to play a role today. After visiting the winery, sample a selection of Stift Göttweig wines and savor a taste of the region’s long-standing wine culture.

Melk Abbey is an Austrian Benedictine abbey and one of the world’s most famous monastic sites. The impressive Baroque abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 and is the biggest monastery complex of the Austrian baroque period. The abbey’s church, with frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr, and the impressive library with countless medieval manuscripts and frescos by Paul Troger are particularly noteworthy.

A guided tour takes you through the abbot’s chambers, along the imperator’s walk, through the marble hall, the balconies and the library.

A two-hour coach ride will bring you to Salzburg — the city of music. The old town with its world-famous Baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centers north of the Alps. It was adopted by UNESCO in 1997 and is included on its list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. During the guided tour through the old town you will see the birth house of Mozart (exterior only), as well as other well-known attractions such as the ‘Getreidegasse‘, the gorgeous cathedral of the town and the area of the Salzburg festival. On arrival, you will see the fortress ‘Hohensalzburg’ from abroad.

After enjoying an included lunch, you will head to the picturesque village of Mondsee, best known as a film location for the famous movie “The Sound of Music”. Enjoy the beautiful scenery as you return to the ship.

Discover the upper Austrian state capital Linz on a walking tour. It was a provincial and local government city of the Holy Roman Empire, and an important trade center, connecting several trade routes. As the city where the Habsburg Emperor Friedrich III spent his last years, it was, for a short period of time, the most important city in the Empire. It lost its status to Vienna and Prague after the death of the Emperor in 1493.

There are many things worth seeing in Linz. Take a stroll down the main street, which leads to the main square. In addition to the medieval town square in the historic old town and the Mozarthaus, you can see the Renaissance villas, the old cathedral with the Bruckner organ or the new cathedral. Visits depend on Cathedral and Mass openings/times.Visible from afar is the pilgrimage basilica on the mountain Poestling, the landmark of the town.

A modern counterpart are the Lentos art museum and the Ars Electronica centre, with its striking glass facade offering a diverse play of colour in the darkness. If time allows, you can taste a piece of the famous Linzer Torte (Linzer Cake).