PHOTOGRAPHY: (Left to right) Melk Abbey on the Danube River; local beer in Prague; sculpture in Bratislava DANUBE DREAMS PRICED FROM $2,299 INCLUDED FEATURES CRUISE Deluxe 7-night cruise in an outside stateroom with Avalon s exclusive Comfort Collection Beds sm SIGHTSEEING Your day-by-day itinerary indicates in UPPERCASE all inside visits, special features, and guided sightseeing. All included guided sightseeing is conducted by a Certified Local Guide. Choose the sightseeing pace that suits you: Leisurely, Traditional, or Independent (where available). LOCAL FAVORITES SM Special onboard and onshore experiences presented by entertainers, artisans, and experts, designed to enrich your cruise. ATTEND AN ONBOARD PERFORMANCE OF SLOVAKIAN & INTERNATIONAL MUSIC. Personalize your onboard and onshore experiences by choosing from a variety of included or optional excursions, visits & activities. Go online to customize your cruise experience. See page 188 for more information. MEALS ON BOARD Meals are indicated by breakfast (B), lunch (L), and dinner (D) Captain s welcome & farewell receptions with sparkling wine and canapés Welcome dinner Daily Afternoon Tea Daily Night Fare Farewell dinner Complimentary sparkling wine with breakfast; soft drinks with lunch; and wine, beer, or soft drinks with dinner are included daily on board your vessel SUPERIOR HOTELS Prague Hilton Prague* (SF) or Hilton Prague Old Town* (SF) Budapest Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge* (D) (Cruise WBP) *or similar 92
2 PRAGUE CZECH REPUBLIC GERMANY PASSAU LINZ WEISSENKIRCHEN GREIN MELK 7 VIENNA BRATISLAVA Danube River SLOVAKIA Start/End City AUSTRIA HUNGARY BUDAPEST Cruise WBP stays 2 additional nights in Budapest CRUISE WPB - EASTBOUND 10 DAYS PRAGUE TO BUDAPEST CRUISE WBP - WESTBOUND 12 DAYS BUDAPEST TO PRAGUE DAY CITY / HIGHLIGHT DAY CITY / HIGHLIGHT 1 Prague: welcome to Prague 2 Prague: guided sightseeing, see the Astronomical Clock and visit Hradčany Castle grounds 3 Prague Passau (Embarkation): travel by motorcoach to Passau; onboard welcome reception 4 Passau: guided walk in Passau 5 Linz, Austria Grein: guided walk in Grein, visit the historical theater 6 Melk Weissenkirchen: guided visit of the Benedictine Abbey in Melk; choice of guided walk in Weissenkirchen or enjoy a Wachau wine tasting 7 Vienna: guided sightseeing 8 Bratislava: guided sightseeing, visit St. Martin s Cathedral 9 Budapest: guided sightseeing, see Fishermen s Bastion and Heroes Square 10 Budapest (Disembarkation): your vacation ends this morning 1 Budapest: welcome to Budapest 2 Budapest: guided sightseeing, see Fishermen s Bastion and Heroes Square 3 Budapest (Embarkation): onboard welcome reception 4 Bratislava: guided sightseeing, visit St. Martin s Cathedral 5 Vienna: guided sightseeing 6 Vienna: choice of museum visit; time at leisure 7 Weissenkirchen Melk: choice of guided walk in Weissenkirchen; guided visit of the Benedictine Abbey in Melk; wine tasting 8 Grein Linz: guided walk in Grein, visit the historical theater 9 Passau: guided walk in Passau 10 Passau (Disembarkation) Prague: travel by motorcoach to Prague 11 Prague: guided sightseeing, see the Astronomical Clock and visit Hradčany Castle grounds 12 Prague: your vacation ends this morning T R A V E L. A V A L O N W A T E R W A Y S. C O M. A U 93
DANUBE DREAMS - WPB DAY 1 Arrive in Prague, Czech Republic. Welcome to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. This fascinating city straddles the Vltava River with domes, cupolas, spires, and pinnacles highlighting its skyline. The remainder of the day is free to start exploring. DAY 2 Prague. Prague is a 1,200-year-old city preserved in time, and, unlike other Central European capitals, it was not bombed during the 20th-century wars. A LOCAL GUIDE will show you its best-known treasures, such as the Old Town s Astronomical Clock, built in 1410 and once the envy of all of Europe; HRADČANY CASTLE GROUNDS; St. Vitus Cathedral; and the Charles Bridge, the oldest bridge in Prague. Browse the shops for hand-cut crystal or art books. Mix with the locals in Wenceslaus Square, an important meeting point and where people demonstrated against the communist regime; watch performers and shop at the market stalls on Charles Bridge; sample the local plum dumplings and Pilsner; stroll along the Vltava River; or wander around Prague s medieval Old Town, dating from the 10th century. (B) DAY 3 Prague Passau, Germany (Embarkation). After lunch, drive to Passau, ideally located at the confluence of the Rivers Inn, Ilz, and Danube, where your river cruise vessel is docked. Before dinner, meet your crew for a welcome reception. (B,D) DAY 4 Passau. Passau is a maze of narrow cobblestone streets lined with beautiful patrician houses. St. Stephen s Cathedral, a masterpiece of Italian baroque architecture, houses one of the world s largest church organs with 17,774 pipes. Join your Local Guide for a WALKING TOUR through this charming 94
PHOTOGRAPHY: (Clockwise from left) Local cuisine; Old Town and the Astronomical Clock, Prague; Trinity Column, Linz; street performer; Danube River town, and find out much more about the City of Three Rivers. Later, set sail for Linz, where you arrive in the evening. (B,L,D) DAY 5 Linz, Austria Grein. Linz is Austria s third-largest city and an important river port where culture plays a significant role in everyday life. This morning is free to do as you like. Simply relax on board, choose from a variety of optional excursions, or explore Linz on your own. See the 13th-century Hauptplatz, Austria s largest medieval square, and the Trinity Column, built in 1723 as thanks for the city escaping the ravages of the plague, war, and fire. Perhaps wander around the old castle grounds and take in the beautiful views of the river, or visit the neo-gothic New Cathedral, Austria s largest church, with capacity for 20,000 visitors. Once you depart for Grein around Noon, enjoy the views of the peaceful riverscapes from the comfort of the Sky Deck. In the late afternoon, arrive in the attractive country resort of Grein, nestled at the foot of a bluff in the shadow of its castle. Take an included GUIDED WALK through town and visit its unique historical THEATER, the oldest in Austria still holding regular performances. A behind-the-scenes peek to learn about some of the curiosities of this rococo-style, 167-seat theater will certainly tell you much about life as it was and as it now is in this small town. The turreted houses on the main square make excellent photo subjects. (B,L,D) DAY 6 Melk Weissenkirchen. Today, an included GUIDED VISIT of the magnificent BENEDICTINE ABBEY in Melk acquaints you with one of Europe s largest monasteries. The abbey houses an ornate library with over 80,000 printed books and 2,000 manuscripts. You ll be captivated by the splendor of the church with its frescoed ceilings, stunning high altar, marble statues, and 210-foot-high cupola. The view from the terrace T R A V E L. A V A L O N W A T E R W A Y S. C O M. A U 95
PHOTOGRAPHY: (Clockwise from upper left) Local talent in Budapest; Viennese café; Hungarian Parliament, Budapest; handcrafted embroidery of the abbey over the Danube and surrounding countryside is breathtaking! Then, reboard your ship and sail into the picturesque Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stop in Weissenkirchen ( White Church ) for either a GUIDED WALK through this pretty little town, or join a WINE TASTING. Wine plays an important role in this region and is so much more than just a drink. Wine is life, culture, inspiration, and the result of a lot of hard work. The local varietals are excellent! Once you leave Weissenkirchen on your way to Vienna, be sure to look out for the magnificent baroque Stiftskirche of Dürnstein, with its blue façade. (B,L,D) DAY 7 Vienna. Wake up this morning in Vienna, known as the City of Music and the place that inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss. Once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire, Austria s magical capital on the blue Danube is a showcase of gilded architecture. This is home to the lavish Hofburg Imperial Palace complex with its Vienna Boys Choir and dazzling Lipizzaner stallions; the neo-renaissance Vienna Opera House; and awe-inspiring St. Stephen s Cathedral plus, countless other sights you ll see on your GUIDED SIGHTSEEING TOUR. Stroll through the pedestrian Kärntnerstrasse, and be sure to take a break and enjoy a piece of decadent Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel in a neighborhood café. (B,L,D) DAY 8 Bratislava, Slovakia. At the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains is Bratislava, the dynamic capital of Slovakia. Join your Local Guide for a tour of the city, including a GUIDED WALK of its fascinating Old Town, where winding cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways twist and turn to reveal the Town Hall, one of the oldest stone buildings in the city. Also visit gothic ST. MARTIN S CATHEDRAL, coronation church for the Kingdom of Hungary from the 16th to 19th centuries. This afternoon is free to explore on your own. (B,L,D) DAY 9 Budapest, Hungary. Spanning the banks of the Danube, Budapest is one of Eastern Europe s liveliest cities. Whether you re seeing the sights, shopping for handcrafted 96
DATES & PRICES US$ CRUISE WPB: PRAGUE TO BUDAPEST Ship Dept.# Start Prague Land/Cruise Cruise Only Panorama 0330** Wed 30 Mar 2739 2299 Panorama 0413** Wed 13 Apr 3089 2649 Panorama 0427 Wed 27 Apr 3439 2999 Visionary 0428 Thu 28 Apr 3439 2999 CRUISE WBP: BUDAPEST TO PRAGUE Ship Dept.# Start Budapest Land/Cruise Cruise Only Panorama 0406** Wed 06 Apr 3319 2449 Visionary 0408 Fri 08 Apr 3319 2449 Panorama 0420 Wed 20 Apr 3519 2649 Panorama 0713 Wed 13 Jul 3819 2949 ALL DEPARTURES ARE GUARANTEED. ** Special interest cruise Port charges: $147 Gratuities to Local Guides & excursion drivers are included. Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available. Extra nights per person in Prague: in single room from $205 to $315 in twin room from $120 to $175 Extra nights per person in Budapest: in single room from $240 to $295, in twin room from $140 to $170 Prices shown above include cruise in Category E in a deluxe outside stateroom on Indigo Deck. To upgrade to a higher category, add per person: Category Decks Price D Indigo Deck $199 B Sapphire Deck $1,049 A Sapphire Deck $1,099 P Royal Deck $1,199 Royal Suite Royal Deck $1,899 Cruise Only: WPB Arrive Passau Day 3 for embarkation between 4 pm and 5 pm. Depart Budapest Day 10 upon disembarkation. WBP: Arrive Budapest Day 3 for embarkation at 3 pm. Depart Passau Day 10 upon disembarkation. NOTES: In the event of water level problems or any problems of a technical nature, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or to alter the program. Included visits and special features are subject to change. If a change is necessary, a substitute will be offered. Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); the responsibility for obtaining a visa rests with the traveler. embroidery or Herend porcelain, or basking in the coffee house culture over a rich cream cake in the renowned Gerbeaud Café, Budapest s unique energy is positively palatable. On your INCLUDED TOUR, see Heroes Square as well as the massive hilltop castle complex with its remarkable Fishermen s Bastion and 11th-century Matthias Church, the coronation spot of several Hungarian monarchs. Be sure to take note of the city s eight bridges many famous sights in and of themselves which connect ancient Buda on the right bank with Pest on the left. You may even want to walk across Chain Bridge, built in 1849 and a symbol of Budapest. (B,L,D) DAY 10 Budapest (Disembarkation). Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B) ** SPECIAL INTEREST CRUISES: BEER TASTING: Departure 0330 includes special lectures and tastings at no additional cost. HABSBURG HISTORY CRUISE: Departure 0413 includes special lectures and features at no additional cost. JEWISH HERITAGE: Departure 0406 includes special lectures and features at no additional cost. See pages 20-21 for more details. T R A V E L. A V A L O N W A T E R W A Y S. C O M. A U 97