Grand European Cruise (2012)

Depart the U.S. today on your flight to Amsterdam.

Arrive today in Amsterdam. You are met at the airport by a Grand Circle representative and transferred to the pier to embark on your river ship.

Enjoy a light lunch onboard and time before dinner to relax after your flight, or do some exploring on your own. Amsterdam is a thoroughly modern city that has taken extraordinary measures to retain its Old World charm and historical significance. The narrow Dutch houses with their tidy window boxes and hand-scrubbed stoops and sidewalks will charm you. The city is easy to get around in and explore on your own. You may want to spend time in Dam Square, the heart of the city. This is the spot where the Amstel River once flowed. Due to flooding caused by high river tides, a dam was built—thus, the square’s name. Or relax and do some people-watching in Rembrandt and Leidse squares.

During your cruise, whenever you have leisure time at a port along your route, you’ll receive a "port talk" about the pier area and town prior to arrival so you can make the best use of your free time. Tonight, you'll gather for your first port talk. Then get better acquainted with your Program Directors and traveling companions over a Welcome Drink.

After breakfast, join us for a boat tour introducing you to Amsterdam’s famed canals, providing a matchless perspective on the city’s remarkable architecture and relaxed pace. You also see the Mint Tower, which has retained its name even though gold and silver coins were minted here for only a few years, and other city highlights.

After lunch back onboard your ship, you'll have free time to explore Amsterdam on your own. Later, enjoy a "Sail Away Party" as the ship begins its cruise on the Rhine River towards Germany.

This evening, meet your crew and fellow travelers at the Captain's Welcome Reception and Dinner.

This morning, continue sailing and enter German waters. Arrive in Cologne in the afternoon for an included tour. Cologne was a Roman settlement called Colonia Agrippina after AD 50 and came under Frankish control in the fifth century. You can still see the ruins of Roman temples scattered through the city, and the Roman Gate near the cathedral was once part of the medieval town walls. During the 15th century, the city flourished as a member of the Hanseatic League.

Your tour will end at Cologne’s magnificent Gothic cathedral—the Dom. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cathedral largely escaped the World War II damage that ravaged the city and the rest of Germany. There’s evidence that Allied forces had orders to avoid damaging this beautiful structure. It is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, boasting beautiful stained-glass windows, an ornate gold shrine on its elaborate altar, and the intricate detail common to 14th-century Gothic churches.

The rest of the afternoon is yours to spend at leisure or to continue your explorations. You may want to go inside the cathedral, or perhaps explore the Roman Germanic Museum to see its magnificent mosaic floor, discovered in the ruins of a Roman villa.

Share your day's experiences over dinner onboard tonight.

 

This morning, enjoy a walking tour of Koblenz, set at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. Originally established as an outpost of the Roman Empire and named Castellum apud Confluentes, the town became a city in the 13th century and served as a haven for French refugees during the French Revolution. During your tour, you'll see the highlights of the Old Town. You'll then disembark in Rudesheim, where you'll enjoy an informative stroll, followed by an included dinner off the ship, featuring traditional folk music normally played in beer halls, at a restaurant popular among local
residents.

In the morning, you can explore Rudesheim at your own pace, or join us on an optional excursion to Marksburg Castle, one of the most beautiful castles along the Rhine River. The only 13th-century castle in the Middle Rhine unchanged by war or reconstruction, it offers a rare glimpse into the daily life of the time. Walking through the three towers and the connecting rooms, you will fully feel what it was like to live in a castle. You’ll climb a stone staircase leading to the romantic bed chamber (the only room heated with a stove), see the great hall with its enormous fireplace (large enough to grill a steer whole), and take in a commanding vista from the east bank of the Rhine as you stand atop the towers. Then we stop at a family-owned micro-brewery. Here we will try a Bratwurst mit Kraut (sausage) and a home-brewed beer as we mingle with the locals at the beer garden. 

Please note: This optional tour contains a considerable amount of uphill walking and uneven surfaces. 

You'll have lunch aboard ship and then dock in Mainz, where you go ashore for a walking tour. On your tour, you’ll see the town’s great eleventh-century Romanesque Cathedral. The Gutenberg printing press and Bible are housed here in the new Gutenberg Museum—re-opened in 2000. The inventor Johannes Gutenberg was born in Mainz, probably in 1397. He began his career selling Bibles and sometimes supplemented his income by creating and selling indulgences—papers that could be purchased and used as "coupons" by the faithful to absolve them of some of the time they had earned in Purgatory. It was probably in an effort to absolve himself of some of his own monetary debts that he began looking for ways to produce more indulgences.His search led to the printing press when he created uniform-sized metal molds for letters that allowed him to create error-free repeatable text. This was the beginning of the creation of moveable type that transformed the world. You are free to relax over dinner onboard tonight.

Join a full-day tour of Heidelberg. You begin by touring the impressive ruins of the city’s Gothic castle (setting for the opera The Student Prince) where you’ll have an expansive view of the surrounding area. Your tour continues with a guided walk in the city.

 

From here, you’ll enjoy lunch in a traditional Gasthaus that has been part of Heidelberg’s Old Town for centuries. After some free time to make discoveries on your own, you return to the ship in time for dinner onboard.

Disembark for a walking tour of Wertheim, a charming fairy-tale town located at the meeting of the Main and Tauber rivers. Admire the imposing ruins of its castle, set on a hill overlooking the town. Enjoy the rest of the morning exploring Wertheim on your own. You may want to climb the stairs to the castle and follow the trail around the castle walls. Or you could visit the renowned Glass Museum in Wertheim. Its exhibitions trace the history of glassblowing and showcase many exquisite pieces, from the historic to the contemporary.

In the early afternoon, we visit with a local family and share coffee and cake during a Home-Hosted Kaffeklatsch. This is a great opportunity to experience what life is like for a typical family in this section of Europe.

 

In the early morning, start sailing from Wertheim to Wurzburg. As you cruise, take part in an interactive discussion on Europeans Today.

This afternoon, we’ll dock in Wurzburg, a city on the Main River in Bavaria. Founded in the tenth century, Wurzburg was home to several powerful prince-bishops for many centuries. We’ll enjoy an informative walk here. Perhaps you'll view the Residenz, commissioned by prince-bishop brothers Johann Philipp Franz and Friedrich Karl von Schonborn. The complex was almost completely destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt to its original grandeur prior to the war.

Spend the day on the water as we cruise the Main River and sail into Schweinfurt, Germany, this afternoon. Or, disembark during a stop in Gerlachshausen for an optional tour of Rothenburg. This lovely old town sits on the Tauber River and boasts undamaged 14th-century city walls and beautifully preserved fortifications. During your walking tour, you’ll see stately towers and imposing burghers’ houses. After an included lunch, you have the afternoon free to make your own discoveries in this charming town before transferring to meet the ship in Schweinfurt.

Go ashore this morning for a walking tour with a local guide of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in AD 902. Bamberg began to prosper in the twelfth century and was the center of southern Germany’s Enlightenment in the late 18th century. The great German philosopher Hegel lived here, and Bamberg was the second city (after Mainz) to introduce book-printing.

Today, Bamberg boasts 2,000 buildings listed as historical monuments, and its old city center is Europe’s largest existing group of historic buildings. The city was awarded the title of “World Cultural and Natural Heritage of Mankind” by UNESCO in 1993. On your tour, you’ll see two grand former residences of the prince bishops—the imposing 16th-century Old Court and the New Residence—and many of the city’s impressive churches.

You have some free time to explore Bamberg on your own before returning to the ship. Later this afternoon, you'll set sail for Nuremberg.

After breakfast, we disembark for an included tour of Nuremberg, Bavaria’s second-largest city and the most important city in Franconia, with a local guide. Once the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire, Nuremberg evokes its exalted past with its imposing medieval Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle). However, its more recent history is intricately linked to its role in World War II.

Nuremberg was devastated by bombs in World War II. After the war, much of the city was rebuilt, and its Old World charm was painstakingly restored. Today, the city thrives as a bustling industrial and commercial center. Nuremberg’s many celebrated craftspeople specialize in fine metalwork and toy-making, and every year the city draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to its month-long Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market).

 

During your included tour here, you’ll see remnants of the old medieval city walls and you’ll pass sections of the Old Town. You'll also have the opportunity to visit Room 600, site of the Nazi war crime trials. You’ll then browse the cobbled main market square and admire the intricately carved, 62-foot-high Schoner Brunnen fountain towering there. Before you leave, make sure you turn the fountain’s brass ring for good luck!

We return to the ship for lunch.

Later, you might join us for an optional tour of the new Documentation Center on the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds. During your tour here, you’ll visit many of its fascinating historical sites, including the massive stadium where Hitler held his notorious rallies. In 1998, the city of Nuremberg held an architectural competition for the Center’s design, for which designers had to fit the proposed Center in the Congress Hall, and deal with the site’s intimidating architecture and ominous premise. Today’s optional tour features the winning center and surrounding grounds, including the Zeppelin Field, where the Nazi Party held rallies for up to 100,000 spectators.

Tonight, after dinner onboard, you are invited to attend an exclusive Discovery Series discussion on German Life Since 1933. During the night, you cross the European watershed (at 1,332 feet, the highest point of the canal). This ridge of higher land divides the areas drained by the two different rivers, the Main and Danube. Here, rain north of the watershed flows to the North Sea, and rain to the south flows to the Black Sea.

Tonight, as we sail to our next destination, we break out the Champagne to toast our crossing of the watershed.

This morning, we sail to Kelheim and Regensburg. You can enjoy leisure activities aboard ship.

Or, delve deeper into the Danube's scenic splendor this morning during an optional excursion from Kelheim to the Weltenburg Monastery, a Baroque construction of stucco, polished marble, gilt, and painted ceilings. There, you have the opportunity to reflect in the cool stillness of the abbey—Germany's oldest, founded at the beginning of the seventh century by the Abbot Eustasius. The compound also houses the oldest monastery brewery in the world. Here, visitors have enjoyed its famous dark brew for nearly 1,000 years, and you can too, while sitting in the courtyard beer garden beneath ancient chestnut trees. Later, you board a ferry for a ride through the beautiful Danube Gorge, Donaudurchbruch, the river’s narrowest and deepest stretch. From your ship’s outdoor deck, you'll enjoy close-up views of towering Jurassic-era limestone cliffs as you wend your way along this scenic passage. Your ferry ride takes you back to Kelheim, where you’ll discover the town’s impressive Befreiungshalle, or Liberation Hall. Built by Bavarian King Ludwig I in the mid-18th century, the tower-like structure honors the German tribes who banded together to defeat the French during the Napoleonic wars of 1813-1815. You’ll then transfer by motorcoach to Regensburg, where the ship has cruised to meet you.

After lunch onboard, enjoy a walking tour of Regensburg, Germany’s largest medieval city. Since the historic city center was undamaged during World War II, it remains beautifully preserved. Your tour features the Old Town Hall and the famous Stone Bridge (Germany’s oldest bridge), constructed during the twelfth century. You also see soaring St. Peter’s Cathedral, a Gothic church adorned with beautiful stained glass. Admire the narrow medieval streets and the relics of Regensburg’s Roman past at the ruins of Castra Regina fort—the Porta Praetoria—containing a stone inscribed in AD 179, when Marcus Aurelius was emperor.

After your tour, enjoy time to explore on your own, or join our discussion of Germany Today before dinner onboard.

 

After breakfast, you enjoy a guided walking tour of Passau, situated at the confluence of the Danube, Ilz, and Inn rivers. Called the Dreifluessestadt (City on Three Rivers), Passau is an elegant town that has served as a German cultural and intellectual hub for centuries. You see the impressive Bishop’s Residenz, the 14th-century Town Hall. You'll walk to the Dom, the lavish St. Stephen's Cathedral. This magnificent 17th-century cathedral contains one of the world’s largest pipe organs, with 17,774 pipes and 234 resounding stops. If you visit from May 2 through October, you can enjoy the public performances (given daily except Sunday at noon) on your own. The cathedral’s original Gothic plan is still evident through the 17th-century reconstruction it received in the grand Baroque style. One of its most striking features is the gorgeous octagonal dome that hovers over the intersection of the nave, where the congregation sits, and the transept, which runs perpendicular to it.

Your afternoon is at leisure.

Our evening cruise carries us into Austria, the third country on our itinerary. Join your traveling companions for a cocktail, toasting the close of your cruising days with this group. Then, the crew bids you an official adieu at the Captain’s Farewell Dinner, as the ship cruises toward Melk.

You will arrive at Melk early in the morning. From your ship, you'll be able to see the formidable Melk Abbey as it rises up from the surrounding countryside along the Danube. After breakfast, you can disembark to explore on your own or join an optional excursion to the dramatic 900-year-old Baroque abbey. This magnificently ornate structure has a long and storied history. Strategically situated on a steep, cliffside perch, Melk Abbey's earliest incarnation was as a Roman border post. Later, it served as a tenth-century Babenberg fortress. It became a Benedictine monastery in 1089 and earned a distinguished reputation for medieval scholarship. Its library includes more than 70,000 books and 2,000 manuscripts, chiefly from the ninth through the 15th centuries.

Umberto Eco, author of the well-known book The Name of the Rose, a murder mystery of monastic intrigue, was inspired by the grandeur of Melk Abbey. Heinrich von Melk, a Benedictine brother from Melk Abbey who wrote the ironic poem "About Priestly Life," is one of the novel's main characters. The novel contains a great deal of scholarly information about the Middle Ages (Eco is known primarily as a scholar) and the compelling politics of medieval religion. The book's setting is fictional, but the story climaxes with a devastating fire that mirrors the real history of Melk Abbey, which was ravaged by fires in 1297 and 1683. The stately Baroque edifice that stands today, with its twin towers and 208-foot-high dome, dates from its reconstruction in 1736.

The Abbey houses a remarkable cherub-filled library of thousands of books and manuscripts, and 365 windows—one for each day of the year. The interior of the Abbey's church is a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and gold—with a magnificent carved pulpit and shimmering ceiling frescoes. During your tour, you'll get the chance to observe and explore it up close, learning more about Melk Abbey's fascinating story. The cost of this optional tour includes a wine tasting in the Abbey's restaurant.

After setting sail again, your travel on the river takes you through the lovely landscape of the Wachau Valley—past terraced vineyards and lush flowering fields—on your way to Vienna. This afternoon, enjoy an Apfelstrudel demonstration onboard in the galley.

In the early evening, you arrive in Vienna, Austria's capital. This evening, you can relax or spend the evening exploring on your own. Come with us on an optional Musical Vienna tour this evening. Vienna without music wouldn't be Vienna. So, subject to availability of tickets, you can enjoy an unforgettable evening in one of Vienna's famed concert halls. You'll hear enchanting performances of some of the most wonderful melodies of classical Austrian music by professional singers.

 

After breakfast, you'll enjoy a tour of Vienna, including the Ringstrasse, probably the greatest achievement of the Emperor Franz Joseph. In 1857, the Emperor ordered the demolition of the ancient city walls, which were no longer needed as fortifications and which were impeding the growth of the city. In their place was constructed an elegant 2.5-mile-long boulevard, encircling the Innere Stadt. The Neoclassical buildings along the Ringstrasse bring together all the greatest architectural styles in an exuberant celebration of all that seemed possible during the Industrial Revolution.

You then walk to a typical Viennese coffeehouse, and stop in for coffee and cake. Our stroll continues along the city sidewalks, passing by the well-known Hofburg Palace, home to many generations of the Habsburg family, and the renowned Spanish Riding School.

Enjoy lunch and dinner onboard as you sail to Budapest.

 

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.

After breakfast, join us for a briefing by your Program Director. Then, in your free time, you can explore at your own pace. You might 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.

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.

Tonight, join your fellow travelers for the Captain's Welcome Dinner.

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 Csárda (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. Afterward, you may choose to attend a Discovery Series discussion on Hungarian traditions—presented by a local expert in your ship’s lounge.

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. We'll visit a Paprika Museum and a village house museum. After some free time to stroll the village you'll transfer to Bakodpuszta to enjoy a horse show followed by a carriage ride. 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, the area of the city 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 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; a neo-Gothic Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, with a 290-foot spire; and a 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 of 1991-1995. 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. 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. Please note: The school visit is not available on weekends, or during the summer or national holidays, when school is not in session.

 

Witness the sights 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 an exclusive 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 Iron Gate II.

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, the grand Casino, 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 an included lunch at a local restaurant and 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 heroics 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. Tonight, enjoy dinner at your hotel. Please note: If you have chosen the optional post-trip extension to Transylvania, you will continue your motorcoach ride to Sinaia.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.