Eastern Europe to the Black Sea (2012)

Depart the U.S. on your flight to Budapest, Hungary.

 

Arrive today in Budapest. You are met at the airport by a Grand Circle representative and assisted to your private Grand Circle river ship. Tonight, meet your fellow travelers for a Welcome Drink and an included dinner onboard.

After breakfast, join us for a briefing by your Program Director. Then set out to explore Budapest on an included city tour. Budapest is situated on both sides of the Danube River, with Buda (the right bank) to the west and Pest (the left bank) to the east.

In Pest, you'll see Heroes' Square, with its Millennial Column set off by equestrian statues of historic ninth-century Magyar leaders who conquered this region. The adjoining colonnade displays more statues of kings, dukes of Transylvania, and liberty fighters who influenced the history of Hungary.

 

As your tour takes you over the Danube bridges into Buda, you can see how the imposing Parliament Building dominates Pest on the opposite side of the river. Then, turn your attention to beautiful and historic Buda. Here, you'll visit Castle Hill, where a massive castle complex with its protective ramparts has been designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Mostly destroyed during World War II, the Royal Palace has been lovingly restored, approximating its former splendor, and it now includes the Hungarian National Gallery.

In your free time, you can also visit the Church of Our Lady, formerly used for the coronations of Hungarian kings. Its popular name of Matthias is in recognition of the Renaissance king who ruled in the 15th century and whose heraldic sign—a raven—is displayed on one of the towers of the church. Dating to the 13th century, the structure is an interesting mix of architectural styles used during reconstruction of the building at different times in its history. Note that during the 150-year Turkish occupation of Hungary, the church served as Eski Djami (Old Mosque) for the Turks. Inside the church, you can view art of Bertalan Szekely and Karoly Lotz, 19th-century Hungarian painters.

After lunch on board, you can relax on the ship or explore more of this grand city.

Budapest offers some particularly fine museums and galleries. The Hungarian National Gallery contains excellent examples of Hungarian art from the Middle Ages on. The collection is comprehensive and somewhat massive, so give yourself plenty of time to enjoy it. The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Budapest History Museum are also worth a visit.

Or join us for an optional tour exploring Hungarian Jewish Heritage. You'll visit the Great Synagogue (the largest in Europe, Moorish but with Byzantine, Romantic, and Gothic elements), the Kazinczy Street orthodox synagogue (the center of traditional orthodox Jewish life here), the Emanuel Memorial Tree (a sculpture in the form of a weeping willow tree, a memorial to Hungarian victims of the Holocaust), and the Jewish Museum.

When you return to the ship, your Program Director will describe the approaching port area and town prior to arrival so you can prepare for the next day's tour, and so you'll be able to make the best use of your free time at the next day's port-of-call. These are called "port talks," and take place every evening during your cruise.

Tonight share a Welcome Dinner onboard, followed by a scenic cruise through the center of Budapest.

This morning, you can join an optional tour of Herend and Lake Balaton. First, discover Herend, a town world-famous for its hand-painted porcelain. You’ll learn how these beautiful, delicate creations are made on a visit to the Herend Porcelain Museum. Then, enjoy a picturesque drive along Lake Balaton—the largest body of water in Central Europe—and stop for lunch in a traditional Csarda (tavern) before visiting the ancient and imposing Tihany Benedictine Abbey.

Or spend the morning making your own discoveries. Your afternoon is at leisure.

Enjoy dinner onboard tonight. Afterwards, you may choose to attend a Discovery Series discussion on Hungarian traditions presented by a local expert in your ship’s lounge. Later tonight, your ship sets sail for Kalocsa.

Your morning is at leisure to explore on your own. A shuttle bus will be available to take you into town.

Or join us for an optional Kalocsa Visit with Horse Show excursion. This tour includes a visit to the Paprika Museum and a village house museum, followed by some free time to stroll the village. Then, head to a genuine Hungarian horse farm to watch the legendary csikos (horse herders—similar to American cowboys) display their skills.

Enjoy lunch on board this afternoon as the ship sails toward Croatia.

After docking this morning and passing through customs in Vukovar—site of the worst artillery shelling of the Croatian-Serbian war—you’ll take a short walk through the town and see some of its scars, as well as witness its revival. Then you’ll set out to explore Osijek, the administrative and economic center of eastern Croatia.

Situated on the Drava River, about 15 miles from the mouth of the Danube, this area was populated even in prehistoric times, and the first urban settlement was erected by the Romans. But the area's advantageous geographical location made it prey to assault throughout the centuries. It was destroyed by the Huns, rebuilt in the Middle Ages, destroyed by the Turks, and rebuilt again in the 18th century. As a result, Osijek boasts an eclectic architectural heritage, which you'll see on your included city tour.

Among the more notable sites are the Tvrdja, a unique urban and military complex that lies in the center of the city and was built between 1712 and 1721 by the new Austrian authorities; the neo-Gothic Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, with a 290-foot spire; and the striking, 690-foot modern pedestrian bridge that rises over the Drava.

Reliving its own cruel history in our era, Osijek was heavily damaged during the Croatian-Serbian war that waged from 1991 to 1995. Now peaceful, the city is experiencing a rebirth of civic pride and cultural and economic achievement.

Following your walking tour, you will visit with students at a local school that’s supported, in part, by Grand Circle Foundation. Please note: The school visit is not possible on weekends, or during the summer or national holidays, when school is not in session.

You'll enhance your appreciation for everyday Croatian life as you join a local family for lunch in their home. Afterwards, you will be transferred back to the ship, crossing through Vukovar.

After dinner, you can enjoy a relaxing evening onboard, enjoying Slavonian music. Later, our ship sails toward Belgrade.

 

Take in the view along the banks of the Danube this morning as the captain weighs anchor for your cruise to Belgrade. Belgrade and the rest of Serbia are just now emerging from many years of repressive rule with a welcoming spirit for visitors.

Enjoy a full morning in Belgrade, beginning with an included tour around this grand old city, which was built centuries ago along important east-west trade routes and used as a gateway to Western Europe from the Balkans. You'll see the old Town Hall, St. Sava Orthodox Cathedral—the largest Orthodox cathedral in the world—and Kalemegdan Castle. You also explore the Tito Memorial, erected to honor Josip Broz Tito, who held Yugoslavia together as an independent country in the turmoil that followed World War II and the subsequent Cold War. After your tour, you have some free time to spend in the city's popular pedestrian zone. Then, enjoy lunch on board. Please note: The Tito Memorial is closed on Mondays.

After lunch, explore the city on your own—you'll have a shuttle bus to and from the city available for your use. Your Program Director will have suggestions for various local sights and activities for learning and discovery.

This evening, join a group of students for an exclusive Discovery Series discussion about their lives in this dynamic country. Enjoy dinner onboard.

 

Today, you cruise along a stretch of the Danube that was once a raging river pounding through deep gorges. In the 1960s, Yugoslavia and Romania cooperated on a joint venture that raised the level of the Danube with a series of hydroelectric dams called the Iron Gates. The Danube is now placid through the Iron Gates, its spectacular two-mile-long gorge now underwater.

Though the river is tamed, the views along the Danube at this point are exceptional. We cruise by fields and vineyards that are sculpted into the riverbank and where farmers pause to watch our passage and wave a greeting.

Before lunch, join us for a Discovery Series discussion about Life Under Communism with your Program Director. You can then linger over lunch as we navigate the Danube. In mid-afternoon, join the chef in the galley (the ship's kitchen) for a special tour. This afternoon finds us passing through Iron Gate I and then Iron Gate II in the early evening.

Join us in the lounge after dinner onboard for a special Crew Show.

 

Early this morning, we pass through customs at Vidin, Bulgaria's fourth-largest city and its main port on the Danube. This is a lively port town with an attractive town square and a pedestrian area.

Then travel to Baba Vida, a medieval fortress of two walls and four towers. Baba Vida was the city's main defense in the Middle Ages, and also the most important fortress of northwestern Bulgaria.

After lunch onboard, we'll set sail for Ruse.

Arrive in Ruse early this morning, which is situated where the Danube forms a natural border between Romania and Bulgaria.

Enjoy time to explore this historic city on your own, or join our optional tour to Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanassi, which includes lunch. First, you'll travel by motorcoach to Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of Bulgaria from 1186 until 1394. This cultural center rewards visitors with views of the fortification wall atop Zarevez Hill, the cobblestoned old city, ancient ruins, and a steep ravine plunging down from two towering promontories.

Then continue on to Arbanassi, an open-air museum of Bulgarian heritage. Its 80 house, five churches, and two monasteries reflect a unique, fortress-like architectural style of the 17th and 18th centuries, when the village flourished. Enjoy free time to make your own discoveries. Perhaps you'll visit the Church of Archangels Michael and Gabriel, whose plain exterior conceals colorful frescoes depicting some 3,500 figures. While here, you'll savor typical Bulgarian fare at a local restaurant.

Return to the ship for dinner onboard.

Early this morning, sail into the Danube-Black Sea Canal, a 40-mile engineering marvel begun in 1949, but not fully completed until 1987. You'll pass through the canal's lock system and cruise by the inland port towns of Murfatlar and Medgidia.

Following lunch, you'll call on Constanta, a Romanian port on the Black Sea that is the country's oldest continually inhabited city. Dating back over 2,500 years, Constanta boasts a wealth of fascinating architecture and history. Myth holds that Jason and the Argonauts stopped here after recovering the legendary Golden Fleece. On your included tour, you'll explore the beguiling old city, St. Peter & Paul Cathedral, the mosaic-paved Roman Edifice of Tomis, and other highlights of this beloved city.

Tonight, celebrate your Eastern European odyssey at the Captain's Farewell Dinner.

 

We disembark shortly after breakfast for motorcoach transfer to Bucharest, Romania. We will arrive in about four hours.

Upon arriving in Bucharest, you’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and then explore the city by motorcoach. This is an old city that has served as the capital of Wallachia, and later Romania, since 1659. Today, it is noted for its broad, tree-lined boulevards, well-kept parks, and mix of architectural styles that combine neoclassical 19th-century structures with monumental 20th-century edifices (the latter built for the most part to satisfy the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu). You'll view the Arc de Triomphe commemorating the exploits of World War I soldiers and drive along Victory Avenue to Revolution Square, where recent events in history are inscribed. You have some time in the late afternoon to relax. Please note: If you have chosen the optional post-trip extension to Transylvania, you will break off from the main group in Bucharest after lunch and continue by motorcoach to the Transylvanian mountain resort of Sinaia—about a 3.5-hour trip. Then, after your three-night extension in Sinaia, you will enjoy the last day of your main itinerary in Bucharest.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at your hotel.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.