Magnificent Europe for European History and Politics Enthusiasts

Highlights

• Welcome reception
• Canal cruise
• Choice of guided walk or Jewish Heritage walk
• Cruise through the Rhine Gorge; visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum in Rüdesheim; enjoy a special treat
• Guided walk
• Guided sightseeing, visit the Bishop’s Residenz
• Guided sightseeing, see the Old Town Hall
• Choice of guided sightseeing of Nuremberg or Nuremberg Rally Grounds tour or guided sightseeing of Roth
• Guided walk; enjoy a snack at the Historische Wurstküche; beer tasting
• Guided walk
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What's this trip about?

From Amsterdam to Budapest, and many exciting stops along the way, you’ll be immersed in the culture of Central Europe in a unique way on this timeless river cruise vacation. You’ll be joined on board by a diplomacy expert who has worked at the UN on the NATO/Warsaw Pact, and on EU security and economic issues; as well as the Seconded National Expert for the European Commission’s DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusions. They will hold lectures and mini-panel discussions while sailing. Amsterdam is Holland’s lively capital—both historical and modern. This popular city is set amongst sophisticated architecture and classic squares and canals. See the treasures of this 700-year-old city from a unique perspective—on a canal cruise along the elegant grachten. On to Germany where there’s a guided city walk in Cologne—a 2,000 year-old city known for its gothic architecture. Sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, the most beautiful stretch of the Rhine River and stop in the charming wine town of Rüdesheim. There’s guided sightseeing in Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, and Regensburg, and you’ll sail the Main Danube Canal connecting the Main and Danube rivers. First stop in Austria is Melk for a visit to the magnificent Benedictine Abbey, then sail through the picturesque Wachau Valley to Dürnstein, famous for its blue and white baroque Stiftskirche. And in the last days of your vacation, local experts will introduce you to three capital cities: Vienna, Austria, also known as “The City of Music” because it inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss, where you can choose between regular sightseeing or joining a respected political journalist to see the city from a more historical and political point of view; Bratislava, Slovakia, where winding cobblestone streets twist and turn in the Old Town and you visit St. Martin’s Cathedral; and finally, lively Budapest, Hungary, with its unique energy and countless must-see sites! Here, you’ll learn about Communist Budapest and visit Memento Park with gigantic monuments of the Communist Dictatorship. This truly is a river cruise to remember!

Accommodation