A Dream Danube Cruise Filled with Nature and Culture

Fly into Munich and travel to Deggendorf, a town that sits on the edge of the Bavarian Forest National Park and the river Danube, for embarkation. Board your ship by 5 p.m. and enjoy a welcome reception, take your time exploring the ship, and dine on board tonight.

While you sleep peacefully, you’ll make your way overnight to Engelhartszell, Austria, where you’ll visit the stunning Rococo-style Engelszell Abbey and explore its Sensory Garden, complete with its stone labyrinth, herb garden, and vineyard. It’s a feast for the senses, including your tastebuds: You’ll sample cheese and beer made by the resident Trappist monks. Be sure to fuel up, as the next outing is a scenic guided hike along the trails of the Danube’s Schlögen Oxbow, a dramatic bend that’s been carved out over the centuries.

Today you’ll join a sobering guided tour of Mauthausen Concentration Camp, one of the largest and most brutal Nazi camps of World War II, where upwards of 120,000 people perished between the years of 1938 and 1945, until American troops entered the camp on May 5, 1945. In the afternoon, you’ll cruise onward to Grein where a guided tour will take you to visit the historical theater and Burg Clam Castle to meet its owner the Count—you’ll gain insight into life in a medieval castle and the history of the Counts of Clam who have been living here for more than 550 years.

Welcome to Austrian wine country! Today you’ll have a choice of several fabulous outings, including a guided canoe tour in which you’ll paddle around the Austrian waterways and see the shoreline scenery from a new perspective. Oenophiles rejoice: You can opt for an interactive Wine World Experience with tasting of locally made vintages or enjoy a guided tour that showcases the production of regional fruits, vegetables, wine, and other goods. Relax on board afterward, as you set sail for Vienna. Tonight, you might decide to take an optional excursion to attend a Royal Waltz Concert in an elegant hall in Vienna.

Take an insider’s tour of Vienna which brings you behind the scenes of her sights and attractions—you’ll meet locals, have the chance to prepare some Viennese fare and enjoy other surprises along the way. Art fans will want to partake in the guided sightseeing tour that includes a tour of Belvedere Palace, where you’ll feast your eyes on Gustave Klimt’s renowned Kiss painting. Swoon!

The Belvedere is a large complex with two Baroque palaces (Upper and Lower), orangery, stables, and beautiful park space in the 3rd District that was built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy. While the gardens and architecture alone make it worth a visit, its grandiose interiors and art collections are not to be missed.

In the afternoon, take time for a leisurely stroll through the pedestrian Kärntnerstrasse and savor a piece of Sachertorte or other Viennese delights at one of Vienna’s justly famed coffeehouses. You’ll treasure every moment in this capital city, whose rich cultural legacy was informed by famed residents ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to Sigmund Freud.

Rise and shine early on your second day in Vienna for a guided walking tour to see the city in her best light and enjoy breakfast at a Viennese café. Even more magnificent art awaits on guided tours of the Habsburg family’s private art collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, one of the world’s most important museums, where you’ll delight in Italian and Dutch master works. History buffs will especially enjoy a trip to the Museum of Military History, or Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, commemorating the past of the Habsburg Empire. Focusing on Austria’s military history from the 16th century up to 1945, exhibition halls are broken down into the Thirty Years’ War and the Ottoman Turks, the Napoleonic Wars, World War I, and World War II.

Today you’ll step back in time in the town of Visegrád, where you’ll join a guided excursion to the Medieval Knights Tournament at Visegrád’s Lower Castle. There, you’ll see targeting and fighting demonstrations by members of the St. George Knightly Order. In the afternoon, relax on the Sky Deck as you sail into Budapest and take in the magnificent views of the stately Parliament Building. Budapest is referred to as “The Pearl of the Danube,” and for good reason. It’s a spectacularly beautiful city. Take some free time this afternoon to explore this vibrant city and head back to ship for a farewell dinner on board this evening. A perfect send-off after a perfect trip.