Danube River Cruise: Vienna to Bucharest

Quite rightfully, Vienna is often called the “Musical Capital of the World”. Enjoy a concert in the heart of Vienna at Kursalon Wien, an exclusive and splendid building of the 19th century built in the Italian Renaissance style. In the very place where Johann Strauss used to direct his orchestra from the position of first violin, enjoy the essence of Vienna’s classical music! The Salonorchester Alt Wien, one of the best-known interpreters of classical Viennese music, presents an evening full of Viennese charm with waltzes, polkas, arias and duets, as well as operetta and piano concerto melodies. Accompanied by excellent opera vocalists and our enchanting ballet soloists, Vienna’s classical music reveals itself as a living firework display for all the senses.

Travel by motor coach through the Serbian countryside for a visit to Krusedol Monastery, located on the nearby mountain of Fruska Gora where more than 15 Serbian orthodox monasteries were built in medieval times. Well renowned for its fresco paintings dating from the early 16th century, the monastery is also a burial place for legendary personalities throughout Serbian history, such as King Milan Obrenovic and Duchess Ljubica. On the way back, stop in Sremski Karlovci, center of wine production in the region. Here we’ll visit the Zivanovic family whose members have been producing their private label “Bermet” wine for over a century and whose products have been enjoyed by members of the Habsburg Monarchy as well as the Russian Tsars! Our hosts will welcome us to their large garden, including a wine cellar, and the “Museum of Honey”. In this lovely ambiance we’ll enjoy several varieties of wine including “Bermet”, accompanied by their own organic honey!

This tour connects different points over time and opens the way through the history of this part of Europe.

Disembark the ship right by the impressive fortress of Golubac. Start your tour with a visit of this important witness of the local history. Established in the 13th century by the Serbs, the fortress played an important role at this strategic point of the river, being held at times by Hungarians, Ottomans, again Serbs. Today the impressive fort with 9 towers will take you to Lord of the Rings World. Afterwards, the drive along the first section of the Danube gorge will offer you great panoramas from above. Then, at the eco-ethno complex “Kapetan Mišin breg”, while enjoying a great view of the gorge complemented by culinary specialties and the sounds of wooden flutes, you can listen about the tradition and culture of the Djerdap cuisine and the way of preparing this traditional fare. Within the compound you will find an open-air gallery called “Man, wood, water” which is a collection of sculptures made of wood and stone. At the same location there is a wine museum that opened in 2013. Inside you will find an impressive collection of top domestic and international wines. Afterwards, reach the archaeological site of Lepenski Vir, home to the oldest stable human settlement in Europe, dating back to 6000 BC! An impressive glass & steel structure right in the middle of the nature offers shelter to the Museum, comprising the site itself with the foundations of the houses, artifacts of that period, and a media center where you will watch a movie related to the discovery.

Take the tour to the most famous natural phenomena in the region, Belogradchik Rocks. This rocky fairy-tale is spread from west to east and it is 30km long and 3km wide. The most attractive rocks are around the town and named as The Madonna, The Monks, The Rider, The Dervish, The Bear, Adam and Eve, The Castle, The Little Shepherd, The Mushrooms, The Lion and many others. The Belogradchik fortress is situated at an altitude of 610 m above sea level. Experience the memorable view from the top of the fortress.

Important Note: This tour is only recommended for active walkers, as it requires going up steps and slopes for a full experience.

Refurbished in 2020, the MS Vivienne features 2 decks with French Balconies and offers an upscale experience. All 73 cabins feature a PIN-coded safe, internal telephone, flat-screen television offering several European channels, an individually controlled air conditioning and heating system, Vanity desk and chair, hair dryer, and private bathroom with glass-enclosed shower. Cabins are distributed over three decks with the main deck featuring smaller upper windows that do not open (Category D), middle deck featuring panoramic windows that do not open (Category C) or floor-to-ceiling windows with French Balconies (Category B), and the upper deck featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with French balconies. Dine in the restaurant located at the rear of the upper deck, enjoy the lounge at the front of the upper deck, or relax on the sun deck and as an added convenience, an elevator connects the middle and upper decks. The on-board currency is the Euro and the ship accepts Visa and Mastercard for incidentals.

Identical to its sister ship, the MS Vivienne, the MS Aurora was renovated from the hull up in 2020 and features 2 decks with French Balconies and offers an upscale experience. All 73 cabins feature a PIN-coded safe, internal telephone, flat-screen television offering several European channels, an individually controlled air conditioning and heating system, Vanity desk and chair, hair dryer, and private bathroom with glass-enclosed shower. Cabins are distributed over three decks with the main deck featuring smaller upper windows that do not open (Category D), middle deck featuring panoramic windows that do not open (Category C) or floor-to-ceiling windows with French Balconies (Category B), and the upper deck featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with French balconies. Dine in the restaurant located at the rear of the upper deck, enjoy the lounge at the front of the upper deck, or relax on the sun deck and as an added convenience, an elevator connects the middle and upper decks. The on-board currency is the Euro and the ship accepts Visa and Mastercard for incidentals.