| This
special Danube cruise has been carefully created
specifically for lovers of classical
music, with special programmes on board and ashore.
Its highlights are besides concerts
aboard and ashore, the performances in the world famous
opera houses of Budapest
On this musical cruise you therefore at last have sufficient
time, space and leisure not only
to prepare yourself carefully for each musical event,
but also to allow the pleasure of it to
linger on for a suitable length of time afterwards.
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CLASSICAL MUSIC ON THE DANUBE
DAILY PROGRAM PASSAU-BUDAPEST-PASSAU
Day 1
Embarkation on the vessel in Passau, the city where
three rivers meet. The ship leaves port in the afternoon
and takes you
through a lovely stretch of the Danube known as the
Schloegener Schlinge. After these first scenic impressions
of the
Danube, our cruise director will welcome you with
a cocktail before the official welcome dinner. Enjoy
a musical welcome on
board with pieces by Haydn and Schumann.
Day 2
In the afternoon the ship moors in the city of Bratislava,
which was founded over 2,000 years ago. Now capital
of Slovakia, it
was also capital of Hungary for a while during the
late Middle Ages, which is a good illustration of
how the chequered
histories of these central European countries are
inter-related. A sightseeing tour (€ 30) reveals the city’s
major sights. From
13th-century Bratislava Castle, you’ll enjoy
breathtaking views overlooking three countries-Slovakia,
Austria and Hungary.
After dinner on board you can enjoy an included evening
concert in the Clarisse Church.
Day 3
After lunch you reach Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
Budapest is a city made up of two parts: Buda and
Pest, built on
opposite banks of the Danube. Buda is the older and
more graceful part, with its cobbled streets and
medieval architecture,
while Pest is the administrative and commercial centre,
with wide avenues and impressive 19th-century public
buildings. East
meets West in this fascinating city, and this can
be seen in the variety of shops and restaurants.
This
morning you may join a
city sightseeing tour (€ 30), or look around
Budapest at your leisure. In the evening you might
choose between
an opera
performance in the State Opera (program t.b.a.)or
a classical concert in the Duna Palota ( € 45).
Day 4
In the morning you can explore the city on your own.
After lunch the vessel leaves Budapest. Passengers
who booked the
excursion to Szentendre and Esztergom (€ 35)
will leave the vessel. In the meantime the ship cruises
to Eztergom where it
docks in the evening to pick up the participants
of the excursion. Departing form Budapest you drive
along
the Danube to the
small artist’s village of Szentendre. After
a walk you continue to the imposing ruins of Visegrad,
from where you have a
marvellous view of the Danube „knee”.
Next stop is Esztergom, the highlight of this tour.
The
city is dominated by the 1820
built and largest neo-classical basilica of the country,
one of the largest churches in Europe. Following
the visit of the
Basilica, we await you with a wine tasting before
you board the vessel in Esztergom. In the evening
you can
enjoy a classical
concert on board.
Day 5
At midday, the vessel puts into port at Vienna. The
afternoon is at your disposal to discover the metropolis
on the Danube.
The city of music and joie de vivre where Sachertorte
and Heuriger are just as famous as St. Stephen's
Cathedral and the
Imperial Palace. See all the important sights on
our Vienna sightseeing tour (€ 30) or explore
this city full of tradition on your
own.
After dinner on board you have the possibility to
participate in the optional excursion “Sound
of Vienna” (€ 46) where the
Salonorchester „Alt Wien“, one of the
famous interpreters of classical music, sparks off
a unique firework of the most
beautiful on its highest level. You also can book
an optional visit in either the State Opera Vienna
(L´elisier d´amour) or the
Volksoper Vienna (Die Fledermaus).
Day 6
In the morning you will see the Vienna of the Great
Masters with a matinée in a Viennesse Palais
(included). After lunch on
board you can participate in the optional excursion
to Schoenbrunn castle (€ 35), one of Vienna’s
most beautiful buildings.
The castle was built on the template of Versailles,
the residence of the Sun King Louis XIV. At the long-time
summer
residence of the Habsburgs visit the ceremonial rooms
and then have the opportunity to make a walk in the
beautifully
designed gardens of the palace. Alternatively you
can book the visit to the Hofburg Imperial Palace
(€ 35). For more than
seven centuries, the great empire of the Habsburgs
was ruled from the Imperial Palace. Later this evening
you can enjoy
another concert on board.
Day 7
In the morning you will dock in Weissenkirchen in
the Wachau. During an included wine tasting in the
Teisenhofer Hof you
can listen to traditional music of the Wachau – “Schrammel-Musik”.
After lunch on board you may join an excursion through
the Wachau (€ 39) – including a city walk
of Dürnstein and the visit of the famous Melk
Abbey. Participants of this excursion
return to the vessel in Emmersdorf in the later afternoon.
On the last evening of your journey on the Danube,
the captain of
the vessel will be delighted to welcome you to the
Captain’s Gala Dinner, followed by a farewell
concert on board.
Day 8
The vessel arrives at Passau, the town where the
rivers meet. Disembarkation after breakfast. End
of the program.
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