DETAILS
This outstanding travel program features seven countries and the enchanting eastern Danube River Valley, an untouched region steeped in natural beauty. Cruise for nine nights aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe Amadeus Silver III and spend two nights in Bucharest, where splendid architecture has earned it the nickname “Little Paris.”
- Pricing from
- $4,995
Early booking savings of up to $1,760!
- Trip Type
- Group Travel Tour, International River Voyages
- Departure Dates
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Sep 26, 2024 - Oct 8, 2024
Vienna – Pre-Program Option
September 24 to 27, 2024 (Tour Begins: September 25)
Vienna showcases an open‑air museum of splendid Baroque architecture in its historical center—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the famous Ringstrasse, see this remarkable city’s most important landmarks. Visit Hofburg Palace and see the Gothic‑style Stephansdom (Saint Stephen’s Cathedral). Learn more about the Austrian Empire in Schönbrunn Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Habsburgs’ summer estate. Accommodations are for two nights in the 5‑star InterContinental Vienna hotel.
Price per person, based on double occupancy: $985
Price per person, based on single occupancy: $1,370
Transylvania – Post-Program Option
October 8 to 11, 2024 (Tour Ends: October 10)
Extend your tour by three nights to explore the treasures of medieval Transylvania. Highlights include the 19th‑century Peles Castle; the imposing, 14th‑century Bran Castle (believed to have inspired the Dracula story); the Black Church in Brasov; the UNESCO World Heritage‑designated Sighisoara; and UNESCO‑inscribed Prejmer, the largest fortified church in southeast Europe. Spend two nights in the Aro Palace in Brasov and one night in the 5‑star InterContinental Athénée Palace Hotel Bucharest.
Price per person, based on double occupancy: $1,095
Price per person, based on single occupancy: $1,370
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Grace Gary
> Grace Gary’s relationship with the National Trust began when, while in graduate school, she was chosen as a National Trust Maritime Intern. She’s hard to pin down on how many years ago that was, but she admits to having served as a lecturer on more-than fifty Trust tours over a span of more-than thirty years. She is also the author of two titles in the Trust’s “Information” series and served as director of the Trust’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. She also served as executive director of Preservation Pennsylvania, Longue Vue House and Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg’s Tourism Leadership Program, and Nemours Mansion and Gardens. While at Nemours she oversaw an $80 million restoration program, which received the highest award from the AIA ever bestowed on a restoration project. She and fellow National Trust Tours lecturer Dwight Young also co-authored “Nemours: A Portrait of Alfred I. DuPont’s Home,” which was published by Rizzoli. She is a graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and has a Master’s in architectural history from the University of Virginia, where she had the privilege of living on the Range in one of the original, Thomas Jefferson-designed rooms.
A non-refundable administrative fee of $300 per person will apply for all cancellations received more than 7 days after booking and before other fees take effect at 120 days:
120 days $300 per person admin fee after 7-day grace period from booking
120 – 91 days 25% of full invoice fare
90 – 61 days 50% of full invoice fare
60 – 31 days 75% of full invoice fare
30 – 0 days 100% of full invoice fare
Separate airfare Terms & Conditions apply
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY
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day 1
Depart the U.S. for Vienna, Austria
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day 2
Vienna, Austria/Embark Amadeus Star
Arrive in Vienna the next day and embark the deluxe Amadeus Star. Attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception and dinner this evening.
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day 3
Vienna/Bratislava, Slovakia
In Bratislava, enjoy a walking tour of the Old Town. See the Gothic 14th‑century St. Martin’s Cathedral and the elaborate Primate’s Palace, a breathtaking 18th-century landmark. Stroll through St. Michael’s Gate, the only remaining portion of the city’s medieval fortifications.
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day 4
Budapest, Hungary
Start the day on the Buda side of the river to see Castle Hill and visit St. Matthias Church and the Fisherman’s Bastion. In Pest, see the Parliament Building, the second largest in Europe. At UNESCO‑inscribed Heroes’ Square, admire monuments honoring Magyar chiefs who established the Kingdom of Hungary. Along Andrássy Avenue, see the Hungarian State Opera House and the Chain Bridge that links Pest to Buda.
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day 5
Kalocsa
Enjoy a scenic drive through Hungary’s protected puszta and visit a farm to see a performance of Hungarian horsemanship. Learn about the history of paprika on your way to Kalocsa, where you will visit the Folk Art House and the Bishop’s Palace.
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day 6
Vukovar, Croatia/Novi Sad, Serbia
In Vukovar, see 18th‑century Eltz Manor and the iconic Grand Hotel, famously purchased by the city’s Labor Movement in 1919. Visit the Baroque Church of Saints Philip and James. Enjoy a walking tour of Novi Sad’s Old Town to see the Name of Mary Church, Town Hall, and the 17th‑century Petrovaradin Fortress, nicknamed the “Gibraltar of the Danube.”
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day 7
Belgrade
Embark on a tour of Belgrade, featuring Terazije Square and Temple of St. Sava. Visit Kalemegdan Fortress and the famous “House of Flowers” museum dedicated to former Yugoslavia’s leader, Josip Broz Tito.
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day 8
Donji Milanovac/ Iron Gates
Visit Lepenski Vir to see the impressive exhibition center of Paleolithic artifacts. Later, enjoy spectacular views of the Danube Gorge and cruise past the Iron Gates.
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day 9
Nikopol, Bulgaria/ Veliko Tarnovo/Ruse
Marvel at Arbanasi’s perfectly preserved Konstantsaliev House, a unique, fortress‑like structure originally built at the end of the 17th century and reconstructed several times—today serving as an ethnographic museum. Next, visit the Church of the Nativity before continuing to the city of Veliko Tarnovo, one of Bulgaria’s oldest settlements. Explore the historical center of this “City of the Tsars” and see the 12th-century Tsarevets Fortress.
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day 10
Constanţa
In Constanța Old Town, see the poet Ovid’s statue in Ovidiu Square, the Great Mahmudiye Mosque, and the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. Enjoy a Captain’s Farewell Reception on board this evening.
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day 11
Feteşti/Bucharest, Romania/Disembark river boat
Your land tour in Bucharest begins with an exploration of the city that includes lunch at a local restaurant and a visit to the immense Palace of Parliament, the world’s second largest administrative building. Check in to the InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest.
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day 12
Bucharest
Today you will visit the National Museum of Art of Romania, located in the Royal Palace in Revolution Square, and the National Village Museum. The largest of its kind in Europe, this open-air ethnographic museum features a collection of 50 buildings representing the history and design of Romania’s rural architecture. Enjoy a farewell reception at the hotel this evening.
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day 13
Bucharest/Return to the U.S.
Check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport for a flight back to your home city.
Everything you need to know about the tour
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