Imperial Cities of the Danube

Join our representative at London Heathrow airport for pre-flight refreshments, before boarding the accompanied flight to Munich and onward transfer to Nuremberg where Royal Crown awaits.

Constructed at the confluence of three rivers, the Inn, Ilz and Danube, the Baroque design of Passau is dominated by large squares, romantic promenades, winding lanes and majestic bridges. Framed by the Veste Oberhaus castle and the pilgrimage monestary Mariahilf, the historical city centre of Passau looks like a floating ship. We take a guided walk through the 2,000 year old city which culminates in a visit to the breathtaking Cathedral of St Stephen, which houses one of the world’s largest pipe organs.

We while away the afternoon on board as the stunning scenery of the UNESCO protected Wachau Valley glides gently by.

The enchanting Artstetten Castle is situated high above the Danube in a charming park and is flanked by seven characteristic towers. This is a place of commemoration for Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie Duchess of Hohenberg. Both were assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914 and have found their final resting place here. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand Museum provides us with a look into the eventful life of the crown prince and his family.

On the banks of the Danube River, the ancient city of Dürnstein is best known for its grape growing, historic character, and castle that imprisoned English King Richard the Lionheart. Narrow cobbled streets surrounded by historic buildings are hidden behind a fortification wall, all waiting to be discovered on our walking tour. From Dürnstein, we travel to the picturesque wine-growing village of Weissenkirchen to sample the excellent local wines.

Sailing further east, the romantic city of Vienna and former capital of the Habsburg Empire beckons. A panoramic tour of this elegant capital takes us around the famous Ringstrasse and the Old Quarter, including St Stephen’s Cathedral and one of the oldest opera houses in the world.

In the evening, we are treated to a private tour, exclusive concert, drinks reception and dinner at the magnificent imperial palace of Schönbrunn, the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. At the end of the 17th century, Emperor Leopold I

commissioned the Baroque architect, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, to design an imperial hunting lodge for his son, Crown Prince Joseph, later to become Emperor Joseph I. Replacing the château de plaisance,

built on this site for the dowager empress Eleonora of Gonzaga in 1642, it was to grow into a palatial imperial residence over the course of the 18th century. During the reign of Maria Theresa, as an imperial summer residence, Schönbrunn Palace became the glittering focus of court life. From this time on, it played host to the leading statesmen of Europe.

Our cruise continues along the Danube into Slovakia, where we visit the capital, since the country’s independence in 1993, Bratislava. Bratislava is a mosaic of illustrious history: a medieval and Gothic old town, baroque palaces commissioned by Hungarian nobles, and the crowning castle, rebuilt to Renaissance finery.

Our tour of the old town includes many of the city’s historic buildings, such as the only remaining medieval fortification, St Michael’s Gate, St Martin’s Cathedral, the Baroque Grassalkovich Palace and the Neo Classical Primate’s Palace.

We conclude our visit with a string quartet recital in the gothic Klarissen Church, part of a complex of medieval buildings forming the former Convent of Poor Clares in the old town of Bratislava.

We disembark Royal Crown in Budapest for a short city tour, before being transferred to the airport for our flight home.