Budapest to the Black Sea

Join our representative at London Heathrow airport for pre-flight refreshments, before boarding the accompanied flight to the Budapest where Royal Crown awaits.

Setting sail in the evening, we witness the spectacular bridges and landmarks of Budapest’s illuminated waterfront.

Our morning is spent exploring Serbia’s second largest city, Novi Sad. Overlooking the Danube, Novi Sad is a city of history and culture overlooked by the impressive Petrovaradin Fortress.

The pretty town of Sremski Karlovci has a huge history that belies its modest size. Originally home to an ancient Roman Fortress, the village became a major cultural and spiritual centre during the 18th century, a legacy still visible in its beautiful baroque edifices. Sremski Karlovci is also famous for its local wines, and we visit a local winery to sample the regional varietals.

Our tour of Serbia’s ancient capital reveals the story of this remarkable city and highlights include the Orthodox Cathedral, the Square of the Republic and the mighty Kalemegdan Fortress which once contained the whole city within its walls and affords breathtaking river views over the Sava towards the Danube.

The highlight of our tour is a private visit to the Royal Place. Built between 1924 and 1929, with the private funds of His Majesty King Alexander I, today the palace is inhabited by

Crown Prince Alexander who, if in residence, will welcome us to his home at our exclusive reception.

Dominating a rocky promontory where the river narrows, the 14th century fortress of Golubac guards the entrance to the Iron Gates Gorge. It was a formidable structure, fought over by the Ottomans, Bulgarians, Hungarians and Serbs.

This afternoon, we will cruise through the Iron Gates, which originally consisted of four narrow gorges and three wide basins until a huge lock and dam was built in the 1960s to control the speed of the river and make navigation safer. A haven for wildlife and birds, the Iron Gates is one of Europe’s most dramatic natural wonders and areas of outstanding beauty. The spectacular fjord- like scenery is to be enjoyed as Royal Crown sails between the Carpathian and Balkan mountains.

The rocks of Belogradchik are rock sculptures situated in the fore hills of the western Balkan mountain range. They contain groups of rock figures resembling people, animals, fortresses and pyramids, their red colour contrasting beautifully with the green broadleaf forests, the lush meadows and small vineyards around the site.

From Svishtov, we venture to Veliko Turnovo, the evocative capital of the medieval Bulgarian Tsars and dramatically set amidst forested hills, divided by the Yantra River. Commanding pride of place is the impressive Tsarevets fortress, citadel of the second Bulgarian empire, which is complemented by scores of churches and other ruins, many of which are still being unearthed.

The village of Arbanassi became a wealthy crafts and trade hub during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today Arbanassi is a picturesque open-air museum of cultural heritage and architecture. We re-join Royal Crown in Ruse.

We spend the day relaxing on board as we sail along the border of Romania and Bulgaria. Watch the scenery glide gently by from the comfort of the Sun Deck or perhaps attend a lecture by our guest speaker.

Arriving in Sulina at sunset, this most easterly point of our journey is where the River Danube meets the Black Sea. The Danube stretches for 2,845km and kilometre markings can be seen along the length of the river; today, we celebrate the end of its journey at ‘Km 0’ with Champagne on the Sun Deck.

Tulcea is the gateway to the Danube Delta, and from here we embark on a boat tour of this UNESCO protected aquatic wilderness which has the third largest biodiversity in the world, hosting over 5,500 flora and fauna species. Resident species include cormorants, white tailed eagles and glossy ibises whilst millions of Egyptian white pelicans arrive here every spring to raise their young.

We disembark Royal Crown in Fetesti, before being transferred to Bucharest airport for our flight home.