When asked to describe what he likes about our new Essence of the Elbe: Hamburg to Prague River CruiseTour, Roman Cangar, Regional General Manager for the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers, and Central and Eastern Europe, doesn’t hesitate. “I think the combination of natural landscapes with scenic historic sites is a perfect balance,” he says. A native European (born in Slovakia) who has been with Grand Circle for a decade, Roman brings a lifetime of experience with the region’s rivers to his efforts in shaping our newest River Cruise offering.
He’s thrilled that this itinerary offers travelers a rare opportunity. “This is a part of Europe that has not been accessible to many travelers for almost five decades,” he says. “The towns along the Elbe have unique things to see and memorable places to visit that most Americans have not yet enjoyed. I think our travelers will be as excited as I am.”
Here, Roman shares his five favorite features of this new vacation—discoveries that he knows our travelers will enjoy:
The City of Dresden
Some 65 years ago, Germany’s “Baroque pearl” was almost completely leveled by World War II bombing. But what leaves the strongest impression on visitors these days is not its destruction, but its resurrection. Dresden didn’t just replace what was lost—it reconstructed its greatest buildings, restoring them to their pre-war glory, even though it took decades for some gems, like the Church of Our Lady, to welcome visitors again.
The Town of Tangermunde
Perched on a small hill above the Elbe, Tangermunde is truly a hidden gem. Its architecture is transporting, from the 14th-century St. Stephen’s Church to the red brick Town Hall, with its latticework cut-outs and blue-on-white decorations. Half-timbered houses that outline the cobbled streets and a fortified castle dating from the late 1300s add to the mystique of this timeless setting.
The Bastei in Swiss Saxony
Nicknamed “Swiss Saxony” for their resemblance to the Swiss Alps, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains provide one dramatic vista after another, rising high above the riverbed. But perhaps the highlight of the region is the Bastei. Towering 900 feet high—with a pedestrian bridge at the 650-foot mark—it has been a source of wonder to visitors, poets, and painters for centuries.
Meissen Porcelain Manufactory
In Germany, the true gold is white. Since the early 1700s, high-quality porcelain has been known as “white gold” in Meissen, an Elbe-side town that has been the home of kings, artists, and scientists in its 1,100-year history. The alchemist who was first to perfect the process was the same who had failed to create gold for the King—and you'll be able to witness this process in an Exclusive Discovery Series visit to the 300 year-old factory.
Prague’s Old Town Square
With its pink, pale blue, and yellow facades in a variety of Medieval, Gothic, and Baroque styles, Prague’s Old Town Square is an enchanting locale for visitors and locals alike. But its heart is the Orloj, or Astronomical Clock, on the south wall of the Old City Hall. The Orloj is a stacked trio of distinct components: One depicts the time, another a calendar dial, while the third is the main attraction: “The Walk of the Apostles.” Every hour, a figure of Death pulls a cord and opens doors, through which the twelve apostles proceed. When the last one returns to his hideout, the chimes of the hour finally ring.
Explore some of these hidden gems—and more—on our Essence of the Elbe: Hamburg to Prague River CruiseTour.