Along the river Danube, Budapest and the Balkan peninsula (port-to-port cruise)

We'll set off by coach to visit Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, which is also one of the oldest cities in Europe with a history stretching back some 7000 years. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers, close to the Morava Corridor which links the countries of the Danube to the Aegean Sea. The town has a fortress sitting atop one of the highest hills in Belgrade as well as a commercial center and port. We'll start off our visit with a guided panoramic tour of the city, during which you will have the opportunity to admire Belgrade's National Theatre and National Museum, the Royal Palace which currently houses the City Assembly of Belgrade, the Ancient Royal Palace and more. We'll stop to visit the Orthodox Temple of St Sava. The construction of this church began in 1939 but is still a work in progress, given that the Second World War followed by Tito's dictatorship put a halt to it. Construction only started again in 2001 and is funded exclusively by charitable donations. We'll head back to the city center by coach for some free time before our guides take us to Kalemegdan Park, the largest and most beautiful park in the city where the Belgrade Fortress is located, overlooking the confluence of the Danube and Sava. Return to the ship by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• Times are approximate.
• The order of the visits can change.

What better way to explore Belgrade than on a bike? You'll cycle along the history-filled streets with your guide who will explain the city's recent past from World War II to current times. The main topics are history and politics of Yugoslavia, social issues, economy, lifestyle and architecture.
A half hour break with a drink will be provided during the tour.

Main stops: Brankov’s bridge, Staro Sajmiste (former concentration camp), SIV / Palace fo Serbia (former seat of government of Yugoslavia), Hotel Yugoslavia, Historic city center of Zemun and view on Kalemegdan Fortress

PLEASE NOTE

• The total length of the tour is 12 kilometers.
• The speed on the tour is very low, so everybody can enjoy it; given one has a basic experience with riding a bike.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• Attention: children are under the responsibility of their parents and must be autonomous by bike.
• Helmets are provided on all our cycling tours.

Departure by coach from Giurgiu with your guides to discover the Romanian capital of Bucharest. According to legend, the city was founded by a shepherd named Bucur (which means joy in Romanian). Bucharest has suffered greatly from its communist past but after the year 2000, due to the advent of significant economic growth, the city has modernized. You will start the visit with a panoramic tour of the city giving you an overview of the various monuments of the capital. You will take the coach to the Bucharest Eco-museum*, an authentic village in the city where you will discover the habitats of the different regions of Romania and their handcrafts. The visit will end with a photo stop at The Palace of Parliament, a gigantic neo-classical style marble construction designed by Ceausescu and then you will visit the Orthodox Church. You will leave the city by coach to reach the boat.

PLEASE NOTE

• Comfortable shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• *The Eco-museum is closed on Mondays and replaced by a visit to the Cernica Monastery.

Optional day trip to Constanta. Departure by coach towards the Black Sea to reach Constanta. Founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC, it now has a population of over 560,000 inhabitants and is the second biggest port on the Black Sea after Istanbul. We will leave Ovidius Square to visit the Museum of History and Archaeology, which brings together items found during archaeological excavations. Across from there, a glass museum houses the vast Roman mosaic, a beautiful polychrome mosaic dating from the 3rd century. Then we will discover an architectural melting pot including the Roman mosque (outsides only) and the Orthodox Church (interior) as well as the Genoese Lighthouse. Don't miss the beautiful view over Old Constanta from the pier. We'll walk along the waterfront all the way to the majestic Casino (outsides only), built in the early 20th century in Austrian Art Nouveau style. It reminds us of Constanta in its heyday, when it used to be the favorite holiday destination of the idle rich. We'll then have lunch at a local restaurant before moving on towards Murfatlar, which produces the best wines in Romania. This winery over 4000ha is the largest in Europe. There will be a wine tasting session in a cellar. Return on board in Cernavoda / Fetesti.

PLEASE NOTE

• Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Lunch included.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

We'll set off by coach to visit the town of Novi Sad. Capital of the autonomous region of Vojvodina, Novi Sad is also the second largest town in Serbia, going by the size of its population. The town has a long and troubled history since it was under the rule of Celts, Romans, Franks, Barbarians and Turks until it became part of the Habsburg empire. It was known as "Petrovaradin” in the past, and the name Novi Sad (meaning ‘new plant') only came into use in 1748. The history of the town was further troubled during the 20th century when after the First World War, the Balkan territories were in turn united and separated under different names, until in 2006 when the town finally became part of an independent Serbia.
We'll visit the city center on foot. The Austro-Hungarian old town, with its baroque buildings, grew up around the ancient fortifications. We'll get the chance to visit the Episcopal Church as well as an orthodox church before we continue up the main street to Freedom Square where we'll find the Town Hall, dating from 1895. The coach will be waiting for you near Freedom square to finish the visit with a panoramic tour up the main boulevards leading to the boat.
Our coach will continue to the little village of Sremski Karlovci where we'll visit the Cathedral of St Nicholas, built in typical baroque style in 1758, and the first ever secondary school of Serbia dating from the end of the 18th century which has a library housing around 18,000 books. We'll take time to admire one of the most well-known of the town's monuments, the Four Lions Fountain, built in 1799 to celebrate the town's first ever waterworks. Return on board in Novi Sad.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended (cobbled and dirt roads in the fortress).
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

Discover the fourth largest city in Croatia from the seat of a bike! The old part of the town, Tvrda, was built at the beginning of the 18th century and is a dream to cycle through. It is the best-preserved, largest ensemble of Baroque buildings in Croatia and consists of a Habsburg star fort built on the right bank of the Drava River. We'll return through several of the city's parks and a main avenue boarded by beautiful Art Nouveau buildings. Our tour will finish up in front of the cathedral before returning to the ship.

PLEASE NOTE

• PLEASE WEAR COMFORTABLE, STURDY SHOES AND APPROPRIATE CLOTHING ACCORDING TO THE WEATHER.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• Attention: children are under the responsibility of their parents and must be autonomous by bike.
• Helmets are provided on all our cycling tours.

In the company of our guides, we will begin our tour with a visit of Osijek, a town in the East of the historical Croatian region of Slavonia. The town was founded by the Slavs, who built a river port on the ruins of the Roman town in the 7th century. In 1526, the Turks took possession of the town and remained there for over 160 years, making Osijek the capital of Ottoman Slavonia. But in 1687, they suffered a heavy defeat in Harkany and left the town without a fight. It was looted by the Austrians, who left nothing of its Ottoman splendor. The Austrians built a citadel over the demolished Turkish town.
Our tour will first take us to the upper town for a view of the Church of St Peter and St Paul. Commonly referred to as the Cathedral, this imposing red brick church dominated by its 90m spire was built under the impetus of Bishop Strossmayer, a native of Osijek. We'll then move on to the Old Town with a visit of the 18th century fortress built between 1712 and 1721 by architect Maximilien Gosseau d'Hennef who designed the citadel's civilian and military buildings, giving the whole a remarkable architectural unity. Afterwards, we'll walk up to the main square with its Holy Trinity monument.
Return on board.

PLEASE NOTE

• Comfortable shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

We'll set off by coach to visit the town of Ruse, one of the largest ports in Bulgaria. It was founded by the Romans under the orders of Emperor Augustus. During the Ottoman Empire, it was the most important town of the empire located on the Danube.
In the company of our guide, we'll discover the fascinating architectural heritage of the town, a rich mixture of Bulgarian and Romanian cultures. We'll get the chance to admire the Dohodno Zdanie (the Old Theatre), built in 1902 by architects Raul Brank, Georg Lang and Frank Scholz; the Monument of Liberty, a masterpiece by Florentine architect and sculptor Arnoldo Zocchi; the Catholic Church with its multi-colored stained-glass windows and so on. We'll end our visit with a tasting of a local pastry and wine. We'll have some free time to go shopping before our coaches take us back to the ship.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

Departure by coach to Veliko Tarnovo, the medieval capital of Bulgaria but also the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which was established at the heart of the country. The name "Veliko Tarnovo” first appeared at the end of the 12th century, when the city became the country's capital. The city remained known through time as the majestic and flourishing capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Veliko Tarnovo, with its medieval fortress of the Tsarevets Kings, is one of the oldest cities in the country and the regional administrative center.
We'll have lunch in a restaurant offering a wonderful view over the ruins of the fortress.
We'll move on towards Arbanassi in the afternoon. Located 4 km away from Veliko Tarnovo, this is one of the most visited villages in Bulgaria and is today listed as an "Architectural and Historical Reserve”. We'll visit the Church of Nativity, the oldest in Arbanassi. The naos, which is today strictly reserved for men, was originally an independent church whose murals date back to 1597. We'll continue with a visit of the Konstantzaliev family's house, an eye-catching structure with monumental architecture rich in details that was built in the 17th century. After our visit, we'll return on board by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

• Lunch included.
• Full day excursion, good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.