The Blue Danube Discovery from Budapest to Prague

13 days from Budapest to Prague (WBN)

$3565 pp double Cat D     $4364 pp double Cat B (with French Balcony)

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Cruise Highlights

MEALS

SUPERIOR HOTELS - (D) Deluxe (SF) Superior First-Class (F) First-Class

TRANSPORTATION

NOTE

The following list of optional excursions and on-board packages are examples only for this vacation. These optional excursions might or might not be offered. Whether it's a special dinner, a local show or a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into an historical site, optional excursions are a wonderful way to enrich your vacation even further. Plus, they give you flexibility. We include the must-see sites and experiences, and we also understand that people take interest in different activities and may want to craft a more personal vacation by hand-picking optional excursions that appeal to them.

We know that many times travelers celebrate special occasions on vacation and you can now pre-purchase celebration and drink packages before your cruise departure. We offer special birthday, anniversary and wedding vow packages. These packages include all the elements you need to celebrate with family & friends.

Availability of optional excursions is subject to sufficient participation, weather conditions, seasonal suitability, days of operation, group interests, and general feasibility for your vacation. The approximate value listed gives you a good, general idea of what you can expect to pay but may vary once you are on your vacation. Some information provided might be in a foreign currency; you can use our online currency converter for exchange rate information.

Once you have booked your vacation, Avalon Waterways provides the ability to pre-purchase excursions and packages, register for your cruise and provide emergency contact information online.

CITY: Budapest 

Budapest's Night Lights
Buda and Pest two cities of the same capital divided by the river Danube and connected by beautiful bridges like the "Chain Bridge" or the "Elisabeth Bridge". Join your local expert on a drive up to the hills of Buda for a breathtaking view overlooking the roofs of Budapest, and the latest gossip in town . . .
Approximate value: €20 EUR per person

Communist Budapest
From 1947 to 1989, the Hungarian Communist Party held sway. Although the regime was not as deferential to the Soviet Union, the collective economy and fear of the secret police shaped the lives of Hungarian citizens. Today the former headquarters of the AVH, the dreaded secret police, are a museum. Budapest was clearly tied to the East in the bipolar Cold War world. Still, there are vestiges of Lenin's legacy. Our local experts will explain why on the lawn beyond the Hungarian Parliament flies a flag with a hole in the center.
Approximate value: €33 EUR per person

Hungarian Dinner and Folklore Show - Folklore Kiraly
The Hungarian Violins at times with melancholy and in the next moment hot and spicy like paprika is something that is so typical for Hungary. The music combined with dancers in their colorful costumes and their high leather boots, stomping that you can almost see the flints flying. And on top of it the show takes place in one of the finest restaurants of Budapest with a buffet dinner of Hungarian Specialties, from the spicy Goulash to the dessert, one might want to die for...
Approximate value: €59 EUR per person

Hungarian Dinner and Folklore Show - Folklore Le Meridien
The Hungarian Violins at times with melancholy and in the next moment hot and spicy like paprika is something that is so typical for Hungary. The music combined with dancers in their colorful costumes and their high leather boots, stomping that you can almost see the flints flying. And on top of it the show takes place in one of the finest restaurants of Budapest with a buffet dinner of Hungarian Specialties, from the spicy Goulash to the dessert, one might want to die for. . .
Approximate value: €67 EUR per person

Hungarian Food and Wine Pairing Dinner
Explore and enjoy the very best of Hungarian cuisine with expert pairings of native wines from the country's top regions. The Hungarian Violins are melancholy one moment and in the next moment, hot and spicy like paprika - something that is typical for Hungary. A Gypsy band will entertain you while a chef and a sommelier will guide you through an extraordinary Hungarian culinary journey.
Approximate value: €64 EUR per person

Hungarian Puszta Farm with Horse Show and Lunch
Admire the unsurpassed qualities of the Hungarian Equestrian virtue at an active stud farm on the Great Hungarian Plain. Enjoy the sight of the proud horses as they lead the festive procession. Take a typical country wagon ride and learn about the life on the typical Hungarian farm. Experience the well-known Hungarian hospitality in the most natural environment of the Puszta Farm. The Hungarians have been inseparable from their horses for more than a thousand years. Do not miss this unique opportunity to experience the Hungarian countryside and its authentic ways.
Approximate value: €59 EUR per person

CITY: Vienna 

A Visit of Schönbrunn Imperial Palace
Schonbrunn, the former summer residence of the Imperial family, is considered one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. The Habsburgs resided here for the better part of the year in numerous rooms to house the large Imperial family in addition to representational rooms. Emperor Franz Joseph, who later married the enchanting Sisi and reigned from 1848 to 1916, was born here in 1830. The monarch spent his last years entirely in the palace, which became the property of the new Republic of Austria only two years after his death. Today, the palace is part of UNESCO's cultural heritage due to its historic importance, its unique grounds and its splendid furnishings. Follow our local expert and visit Empress Sisi's former summer residence, afterwards take your time to stroll through the park or enjoy a demonstration of how the famous Viennese Apple Strudel is made - Samples to taste included.
Approximate value: €46 EUR per person

Klimt - Art Nouveau in Vienna
The upper Belvedere houses the impressive collection of Austrian art dating from the middle ages to the present day. At the heart of the displays of "art around 1900" is the world's largest Gustav Klimt collection. The glittering highlights are Klimt's golden pictures "The Kiss" and "Judith", and masterpieces by Schiele and Kokoschka. Gustav Klimt would have celebrated his 150th birthday in 2012. Prominent works by the French Impressionists and the outstanding collection of Viennese Biedermeier paintings are further attractions at the Upper Belvedere.
Approximate value: €39 EUR per person

Royal Waltz Concert
Would a stay in Vienna be the same if you were not able to listen to the tunes of the "Blue Danube Waltz" or the "Radetzky" March? Your Cruise Director will accompany you to one of Vienna's famous Concert Halls. Avalon will make preferred seating arrangements. In order to celebrate this evening in style, have a glass of sparkling wine in the intermission, before you listen to the famous tunes brought to you by opera singers and watch the elegant ballet dancers as they interpret some of the most well known classical tunes from Vienna.
Approximate value: €51 EUR per person

CITY: Linz 

Romantic Austria - a countryside excursion to the Salzkammergut Lake District
The picturesque mountain lakes, the luscious green of the hills and fields, the striking mountain cliffs and the romantic villages - these are just few reasons that attracted countless writers, composers and creative artists who found for centuries inspiration in the magnificent landscape of Salzkammergut region, shared between the provinces of Salzburg, Upper Austria and Styria - the famous Austrian Lake District. The literal translation of the Salzkammergut is 'salt chamber estate' and refers to an area where salt was mined and which was formerly under the control of the Imperial Chamber in Vienna. Today, the term has developed into a brand name for one of the loveliest holiday regions of Central Europe with over 50 lakes, which are of drinking water quality and range from turquoise to emerald. Let us reveal to you the unspoiled beauty of Gmunden and St. Wolgang region and some of the most panoramic routes in Austria.
Approximate value: €64 EUR per person

Salzburg - Mozart's Sound of Music
True, Salzburg is the birth-place of Mozart and you will find the face of the city's most famous son everywhere. Salzburg is also the setting for the Sound of Music movie, which has shaped the city's perception in the minds of generations. But Salzburg is much more. It is a city with history based on the salt trade from the nearby Alpine Mountains, it is a city of beautiful baroque buildings, and a city perched between the mountains and green waters of the Salzach river. It is a city with a long cultural heritage and in the small busy lanes like the "Getreidegasse" with its wrought iron signs you might get a feeling, how busy this city always was. Today we would like to show you Salzburg and its past, we will show you the Austrian Lake district and our local experts will talk about what it takes to be Austrian and to live in this country today.
Approximate value: €67 EUR per person

CITY: Regensburg 

Excursion to Weltenburg Abbey and the Danube Gorge
The Danube Gorge has both a gentle and a strange beauty. In a magnificent show of force, the Danube has carved its way through the Swabian Alb to create a stunning landscape - a wild, romantic stretch of river with sheer cliffs rising over 300 feet out of the water. At its upper end the Weltenburg Abbey is located on a peninsula directly beneath the cliffs of the Gorge. It was founded by Irish or Scottish monks in 620 and is one of the oldest abbeys in Bavaria. The present Benedictine abbey dates back to the 18th century when it was extensively rebuilt in baroque style. Their ceiling frescos of the Heavenly Jerusalem blend seamlessly with the abbey interior and are particularly noteworthy. Important is also that Weltenburg Abbey houses the oldest abbey brewery in the world, as the monks have been brewing beer since 1050. A beer and a "pretzel" are a welcome refreshment.
Approximate value: €41 EUR per person

CITY: Prague 

Dinner and Folklore Show
Czech Kitchen is not considered to be light and refined, but its variety and taste is amazing. And Czech people normally need a good portion of their food when they start singing and dancing their folk songs from Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia. Typical folk instruments such as the hammer-dulcimer, the fujara (a shepherds pipe) and the bag-pipe enhance their musical heritage. Join in for an evening of food and fun in one of Prague's typical restaurants.
Approximate value: €57 EUR per person

Prague - Jewish Heritage Tour
Located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River, Prague's Jewish Quarter (known as Josefov) was once one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe, with a rich and varied history dating back to the 10th century. The circumstances leading to WW II and the country's post-war Communist regime did little to revive the hopes and religious rights (or indeed living standards) of those who survived, with many deciding to emigrate to the US, Western Europe or Israel. Today, whilst only 1500 or so Orthodox Jews live in what remains of the traditional Jewish Quarter, it has once again become a thriving - and fascinating - part of Prague. Follow our local expert on a tour to the Jewish Museum, the Jewish Cemetery and the Synagogues and get an inside view of Jewish Life in the past and today.
Approximate value: €41 EUR per person

Prague's Secrets Revealed
It is quite possible to escape the touristy side of Prague. And just as before, it requires knowing just which street to turn down or even which unsigned walkway to pass. Knowing where to turn from the Old Town Square, you can leave all the crowds behind and find yourself shockingly alone in a twisting Medieval street, quiet as can be - with only the sound of your shoes clicking against the cobblestones or a tram swooshing by a few streets away. And in this street, it's also still possible to find the most interesting places when you least expect them. The houses and doors often look the same from the outside. To the naked eye, the street may even seem residential. There are no big flashing lights pointing out the history that lies behind these facades of Prague. It needs a local expert, who shows you these secrets and tell you the stories of what happened here and there . . .
Approximate value: €20 EUR per person

Tasting Bohemian Wines
From the time of Princess Ludmilla, who was born in Melnik, the Castle has become the residence of the queen widows of Bohemia. Under Emperor Charles IV Melnik became a royal city. Over the centuries, the Estate of Melnik has been pledged to different noble families. In 1542 the Castle was reconstructed in Renaissance Style. The surrounding vineyards of Melnik form part of the Czech wine region, one of the northern-most viticultural areas of Europe, and are the largest in Bohemia. The vineyard land of this region is composed from single localities of protected south-facing slopes of river valleys planted at lower altitudes. The great unpredictability of the weather in any particular vintage has led Czech winemakers to tend to the long-term care and maturation of wine in barrels.
Approximate value: €47 EUR per person

Terezin - The Fortress of Theresienstadt and its History
Terezin was established at the end of the 18th century as a fortress; still surrounded by its massive ramparts, the town lies at the confluence of the rivers Labe (Elbe) and Ohre (Eger). The Main and Lesser Fortresses at Terezin, although modern for their period, gradually became obsolete, and having lost their military function fell into disregard. Only in the relatively recent past has Terezin once again entered the world's public consciousness as a tragic symbol of the sufferings of the tens of thousands of innocent people who died here during the Nazi occupation of their homeland. Ghetto Theresienstadt has long been remembered for its culture, its famous prisoners, and its visit by Red Cross officials.
Approximate value: €46 EUR per person

Wonderful Dvorak - Chamber Music Concert
Dvorak was neither conservative nor radical. His works display the influences of folk music, mainly Czech polka rhythms. But Dvorak performed also in the United States, he was for sure one of the first composers working globally. His Slavonic Dances show his very strong roots in the culture of his homeland, yet he was not afraid of letting Indian dances and songs influence his 9th Symphony: "From the New World". Enjoy an evening with tunes and themes of Antonin Dvorak, this great Czech Composer and find out a bit more about his works and his music.
Approximate value: €46 EUR per person

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