Cruising the Danube River

Depart the U.S. on independent flights.

Arrive in Vienna, Austria. Embark the deluxe Amadeus Star and attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception and dinner this evening.

Dock in Slovakia’s capital of Bratislava in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. In this festive “little big city,” 21st-century life unfolds amid 9,000-year-old history. Enjoy a walking tour of the Staré Mesto (Old Town), which showcases beautifully restored medieval, Renaissance and 19th‑century architecture that is among the finest in Central Europe. Visit the Gothic 14th-century Cathedral of St. Martin, where 19 Hungarian kings and queens were crowned, and the elaborate Primate’s Palace, famous for its rare collection of 17th-century English tapestries. See St. Michael’s Gate, Bratislava’s oldest preserved medieval fortification, built in 1300, and the eclectic 14th-century Old Town Hall, embedded with a cannonball fired by Napoleon Bonaparte during his siege of the city in 1809. Overnight: Amadeus Star (B, L, D)

Referred to as the “most Hungarian Habsburg,” Austrian Archduke Joseph Anton Johan is credited with creating in Budapest an imperial capital that rivaled the scale and flamboyance of Vienna. Swathes of historical Budapest have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status including the embankments of the Danube, featuring grandiose monuments of the centuries-old twin cities of Buda and Pest; the medieval Buda Castle Quarter, site of the Roman city of Aquincum; and the illustrious palaces, mansions, and squares of elegant Andrássy Avenue. In Pest, see the Gothic Revival, limestone Parliament Building, the second largest parliament in Europe, completed in 1904. At UNESCO-inscribed Heroes’ Square, admire monuments honoring Magyar chiefs who occupied the Carpathian Basin and established the Kingdom of Hungary in AD 896. Along Andrássy Avenue, see the 19th-century, neo-Renaissance Hungarian State Opera House, one of the world’s most beautiful performing arts venues. Cross the landmark Chain Bridge, the first stone bridge to link river‑level Pest to the hills of Buda. On Castle Hill, visit the late-19th-century, neo-Romanesque Fisherman’s Bastion which affords exceptional city views, and the astonishing Gothic-style St. Matthias Church, where Charles I, the last Habsburg ruler, was coronated in 1916. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in Budapest. Overnight: Amadeus Star (B, L, D)

Enjoy views of Hungary’s scenic, protected Puszta, one of Europe’s largest expanses of rolling grassland plains, where pastoral traditions have prevailed for over two millennia. Visit a horse farm to see a performance of authentic Hungarian horsemanship and enjoy a traditional lunch of regional specialties in the farm’s restaurant. In Kalocsa, known for its intricate, brightly hued Hungarian embroidery, visit the House of Folk Art and Paprika Museum for further insight into this local art form and the traditional methods of cultivating paprika—the spice referred to as “red gold.” Overnight: Amadeus Star (B, L, D)

Visit remarkably renewed Vukovar, “The Hero’s Town.” See restored landmarks and monuments that stand as powerful symbols of resistance, including 18th-century Eltz Manor, a paradigm of Croatian Baroque architecture; the iconic Grand Hotel, famously purchased by the city’s Labor Movement in 1919; and the imposing red-brick water tower. Visit the Baroque Church of Sts. Philip and James and see its intricate stained-glass windows.

“The Athens of Serbia,” Novi Sad is Serbia’s vibrant second city. Enjoy a walking tour of the pedestrian-only Stari Grad (Old Town) to see the city’s most beautiful buildings—the neo-Gothic Name of Mary Church and the neo-Renaissance Town Hall. Crowning the Old Town, the 18th-century Petrovaradin Fortress, the “Gibraltar on the Danube,” is Europe’s second largest fortress. On a panoramic tour of quaint Sremski Karlovci, see the lovely 19th-century Patriarchate Court and the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas with its impressive twin bell towers. Savor two regional favorites—wine and honey—with tastings in a local wine cellar and the Museum of Beekeeping. Overnight: Amadeus Star (B, L, D)

Belgrade traces its origins from the Stone Age, which was then followed by Romans, Byzantines, Serbs, Turks, and Austrians, each leaving a lasting impression. Enjoy a walking tour featuring historical Terazije Square and the domed Temple of St. Sava, Serbia’s patron saint. Visit the strategic Kalemegdan Fortress, one of the world’s oldest fortifications, commissioned by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in AD 535. Tour the famous “House of Flowers” memorial dedicated to former Yugoslavia’s longstanding leader, Josip Broz Tito. Overnight: Amadeus Star (B, L, D)

Tour Lepenski Vir, an exceptional Paleolithic site (6500 to 5500 BC) and archaeological exhibition center. Stone idols found in Lepenski Vir, including the famous 9,000-year-old Foremother sculpture, represent the oldest stone sculptures in Europe. Enjoy spectacular views of the Danube Gorge in its dramatic glory. Cruise through southeastern Europe’s picturesque scenery, passing the Golubac Fortress, guardian to the legendary Iron Gates, naturally carved by the Danube River. Overnight: Amadeus Star (B, L, D)

Dock in Nikopol and travel to the 12th-century hillside village of Arbanasi, where nearly 90 historical buildings are protected monuments. See its distinctive stone houses, famous for their fortified Bulgarian architecture and richly decorated interiors. Learn more about the comfortable life of a 17th-century merchant in the perfectly preserved Konstantsaliev House and admire elaborate icons and frescoes in the 15th-century Birth of Christ Church. Continue to the medieval town of Veliko Târnovo, capital of the Bulgarian Empire between the 12th and 14th centuries. Following lunch in a local restaurant, enjoy a brief walking tour of the historical town center and see the impressive 12th-century Tsarevets Fortress. Reboard the ship in Ruse. Overnight: Amadeus Star (B, L, D)

The principal Romanian seaport of Constanţa was established in the sixth century B.C. as the Greek trading settlement of Tomis. The port later became a part of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Today, it remains an amalgam of these historic civilizations. Explore Constanţa’s Old Town on a walking tour and view the Roman poet Ovid’s famous statue in Ovidiu Square. See the many elegant mansions and hotels constructed during the 19th century when King Carol I revived the city. This afternoon, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and time at leisure. En route to the ship, stop in Adamclisi where the Tropaeum Traiani commemorates Roman Emperor Trajan’s victory over the Dacians in AD 102. Attend the Captain’s Farewell Reception and dinner on board the ship this evening. Overnight: Amadeus Star (B, L, R, D)

Disembark the ship in Feteşti and drive through the rolling Romanian campii (plains) to the fascinatingly diverse capital city of Bucharest. Along the Grand Boulevard, visit the monumental Palace of Parliament, Nicolae Ceaușescu’s most infamous architectural vision, and the open-air National Village Museum. Check into the Five-Star Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, ideally located on Piaţa George Enescu, named after Romania’s illustrious composer. Overnight: Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest (B, L)

Disembark the ship in Feteşti and drive through the rolling Romanian campii (plains) to the fascinatingly diverse capital city of Bucharest. Along the Grand Boulevard, visit the monumental Palace of Parliament, Nicolae Ceaușescu’s most infamous architectural vision, and the open-air National Village Museum. Check into the Five-Star Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, ideally located on Piaţa George Enescu, named after Romania’s illustrious composer. Overnight: Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest (B, L)

Disembark the ship in Feteşti and drive through the rolling Romanian campii (plains) to the fascinatingly diverse capital city of Bucharest. Along the Grand Boulevard, visit the monumental Palace of Parliament, Nicolae Ceaușescu’s most infamous architectural vision, and the open-air National Village Museum. Check into the Five-Star Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, ideally located on Piaţa George Enescu, named after Romania’s illustrious composer. Overnight: Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest (B, L)