Jewels of Central Europe & Jewish Heritage - Cruise Only

On this Europe river cruise vacation, you’ll sail along the Danube, Main, Rhine, and Moselle Rivers. Board your ship in vibrant Budapest, Hungary, then see some of the most intriguing cities of Austria and Germany, before ending your cruise in Luxembourg. On the first portion of your cruise, from Budapest to Nuremberg, also discover the European Jewish Heritage through dedicated sightseeing in Vienna and Regensburg, and an onboard lecture about Jewish culture and history.

Sail out of Budapest, past the impressive Parliament Building on the Danube River, to Austria’s elegant capital of Vienna. There’s a guided walk in the quaint village of Dürnstein, in the heart of the Wachau Valley, and a visit to the magnificent Benedictine Abbey of Melk. You’ll be introduced to the treasures of Passau, Regensburg, and Nuremberg, and take an excursion to Bavaria’s capital, Munich. On the banks of the Main River, you’ll find small towns tucked away behind defensive walls and towered gates. These picturesque Bavarian villages are a photographer’s dream.

Visit Würzburg and the impressive Bishop’s Residenz, then sail into the Rhine River and stop in Rüdesheim—a quintessential Rhine Valley town. Later, cruise the wide, peaceful curves of the Moselle River Valley, famous for its picturesque scenery, and arrive in the wine village of Bernkastel surrounded by Germany’s largest expanse of vineyards. Before you leave, we’ll introduce you to some of the famed Moselle wines.

In Trier, Germany, believed to be even older than Rome—having been populated over a thousand years before the Romans arrived—a Local Guide will show you the sights, including the Porta Nigra, the only surviving fortified gate from the original Roman settlement. Disembark in Luxembourg and take home many happy memories of this fascinating European river cruise!

City Highlights

Day 1 Budapest (Embarkation): welcome to Hungary; onboard welcome receptionDay 2 Budapest–Vienna: cruising; onboard lecture about Jewish culture Day 3 Vienna: choice of guided sightseeing, or Jewish history tourDay 4 Dürnstein–Wachau Valley–Melk: choice of guided tour, or hike up to the castle ruins in Dürnstein; scenic cruise through the Wachau Valley; guided tour of the Benedictine Abbey in Melk; wine tasting on boardDay 5 Passau: guided walkDay 6 Regensburg: Jewish history guided walk, beer tasting on boardDay 7 Nuremberg: choice of guided sightseeing, or Rally Grounds tour in Nuremberg, or Roth guided tourDay 8 Nuremberg. Munich excursion: excursion to Munich, guided sightseeing, see the MarienplatzDay 9 Bamberg: guided walk, see the Old Town HallDay 10 Würzburg: guided sightseeing, visit the Bishop’s ResidenzDay 11 Main River Village: guided walkDay 12 Rüdesheim–Rhine Gorge: visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum in Rüdesheim; special treat; cruise through the Rhine GorgeDay 13 Bernkastel: guided walk; wine tastingDay 14 Trier: choice of guided city sightseeing or “Roman Trier,” see the Porta NigraDay 15 Remich (Disembarkation): your vacation ends this morning

Notes

In the event of water level problems or any problems of a technical nature, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or to alter the program.Included visits and special features are subject to change. If a change is necessary, a substitute will be offered.Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.

PRODUCT_LINE: AVALON-WBR0-T1-2019