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Maximum Elevation: 1,776 ft.

BLACK SEA

Danube River

SLOVAKIA

ROMANIA

SERBIA

HUNGARY

CROATIA

AUSTRIA

Kalocsa

Danube River

Vukovar Iron Gate

Ruse

Veliko Turnovo BULGARIA

Arbanassi

Bucharest

Budapest

Brasov

Snagov

SLOVENIA

MOLDOVA

Constanta Cernavoda

Svishtov

Belgrade

Solt

Vidin

The Black Sea To BudapeST

voyage at a GlanceM 7 Cruise Days

day deSTinaTion

1 Arrive Bucharest

JWMarriottBucharestGrandHotel 2 Bucharest

M 3 Bucharest / Constanta / Embark Cernavoda

M 4 Ruse, Arbanassi, Veliko Turnovo

M 5 Vidin

M 6 Cruise Iron Gate & Kazan Narrows

M 7 Belgrade

M 8 Vukovar

M 9 Kalocsa, Solt

10 Disembark Budapest

LeMéridienBudapest 11 Budapest 12 Depart Budapest

“We loved our Bucharest to Budapest cruise, our first

trip with Tauck... your Cruise Director, Tauck Director

and local guides were the best we’d ever had – no idle

comment, since we have visited nearly 40 countries

with well-regarded companies. We are fans of Tauck

and will be recommending you to our friends. ”– Theodore A. Ellwein, IL

AdmireBudapest’simpressivecityscapealongtheDanube(above);discoverart-nouveautreasuresinConstantaontheBlackSeacoast

Call your travel agent or Tauck at800-468-2825 www.tauck.com 43

Maximum Elevation: 1,776 ft.

BLACK SEA

Danube River

SLOVAKIA

ROMANIA

SERBIA

HUNGARY

CROATIA

AUSTRIA

Kalocsa

Danube River

Vukovar Iron Gate

Ruse

Veliko Turnovo BULGARIA

Arbanassi

Bucharest

Budapest

Brasov

Snagov

SLOVENIA

MOLDOVA

Constanta Cernavoda

Svishtov

Belgrade

Solt

Vidin

1. arrive BuchareSTTour begins: 6:00 PM, JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel. A transfer is included from the Bucharest Airport to the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, an elegant “city within a city” adjacent to the immense People’s Palace in the heart of Romania’s capital. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight. Meals D

2. Bran caSTle / Snagov MonaSTeryYou have a choice of sightseeing today of sites connected with Vlad Tepes, the historic inspiration for the fictitious Dracula. Take a full-day excursion to Transylvania’s Bran Castle, used as a fortress by Tepes in the 1400s. Or take a boat to tiny Snagov Island and visit Snagov Monastery, on whose grounds Tepes is buried, as well as the art-filled Caldarusani Monastery. Meals BL

3. BuchareST or The coaST / M eMBark Ship More sightseeing choices await you prior to embarking on your cruise later today. You can choose to explore Bucharest on a sightseeing tour including the massive People’s Palace and the

TAUCK VALUE INCLUDES:• Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck

Directors and Tauck Cruise Director

• All private Tauck shore excursions – $585 Value!

• Two nights at a hotel in Budapest city center and two nights in Bucharest at a hotel next to Parliament

• A chance to meet Bulgarian contemporaries and sample local cuisine at a home-hosted lunch in Arbanassi, and visit a Croatian family in Vukovar

• Visits to Bucharest’s massive People’s Palace and to the Baroque Bishop’s Palace Library in Hungary

• Traditional Romanian folk wedding performance in the popular Black Sea resort of Eforie Nord

• Passage through the celebrated Iron Gate, a dramatic series of gorges and narrows on the Danube River

• Choice of Romanian excursions – to Bran Castle in Transylvania, or to Snagov Monastery, reputed burial place of the original Dracula, and Caldarusani Monastery

• Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as noted

• 28 meals (11 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 9 dinners) –wine with dinner aboard the riverboat, and select meals in local restaurants; service charges, taxes, porterage and applicable fuel surcharges

Romanian Athenaeum. Or drive to the popular seaside resort of Eforie Nord to attend a Romanian folk show recreating a traditional wedding, complete with Romanian wine and lunch, and take a guided tour of the key port city of Constanta, home to numerous Greek and Roman antiquities. Continue on to Cernavoda, where you’ll board your riverboat for your Danube River cruise. Meals BLD

4. M WelcoMe To BulgariaCruise to Ruse, Bulgaria, for cultural excursions to nearby towns. Sample local cuisine at a home-hosted private lunch in Arbanassi – a unique opportunity to meet and dine with your Bulgarian contemporaries – and visit the Archangels Michael & Gabriel Church. Travel to neighboring medieval Veliko Turnovo, with its ancient walled fortress and castle nestled atop three hills on the Yantra River. After rejoining your riverboat in Svishtov, you’ll be entertained by local Bulgarian performers aboard ship before dinner featuring traditional Bulgarian cuisine. Meals BLD

5. M cruiSing The Blue danuBe / vidin There’s something special about just “kicking back” and watching the scenic heartland of Eastern Europe unfold during a leisurely morning cruising the Danube, enjoying picture-perfect views of the

Follow“VladtheImpaler”tohisBranCastlefortress(top)orhissupposedburialplaceatSnagovMonasteryinRomania

44

passing landscapes. Attend an onboard lecture and demonstration on Iconography before joining us for a walking tour of Vidin’s cobblestone streets, including a visit to Baba Vida fortress. Meals BLD

6. M Full day cruiSing / iron gaTeEnjoy a full day’s cruise along Bulgaria’s border with Romania, gliding through the Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate of the Danube, where the river courses through a series of spectacular gorges. Savor great views of the Transylvanian Alps, and look for a monument to the 2nd-century Dacian King Decebalus carved into the Danube’s rocky bank; it is Europe’s tallest rock sculpture. Your riverboat crosses into Serbia this afternoon. Meals BLD

7. M Belgrade, SerBia’S capiTalAwaken dockside in Belgrade, the cosmopolitan capital of modern Serbia at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. The city’s roots date back to a Celtic settlement in the 3rd century BC. Today’s sightseeing in Belgrade includes visits to Tito’s Memorial, St. Sava Church, and Kalemegdan Fortress. You’ll also see Slavija Square, Parliament and City Hall. A folkloric group entertains with Serbian music tonight. Meals BLD

8. M cruiSe To croaTia An onboard lecture on Croatia’s turbulent history by a local expert sets the stage for your excursion to the 10th-century city of Vukovar. Once renowned for its elegant Baroque mansions and now recovering from the 1990s war, the city today is a mix of old and new; meet a Vukovar family who have recently returned after years of conflict to rebuild their lives. Meals BLD

9. M kalocSa and SolT, hungaryKalocsa, Hungary, is celebrated both for its paprika and its folk art. Learn about the colorful history of paprika production

in Hungary on a visit to the Paprika Museum, and tour the magnificent Rococo-styled paneled library in the 18th-century Baroque Bishop’s Palace, considered among the finest libraries in Europe. Tonight, join us aboard the riverboat for the Captain’s farewell cocktail reception and dinner. Meals BLD

10. diSeMBark riverBoaT / explore peST Disembark in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, divided by the Danube into the sections of Buda and Pest. Begin your discovery of Pest with a tour of the opulent 1884 neo-Renaissance State Opera House, commissioned by Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph. Ironically, the Emperor himself attended only one performance here, but Empress Elisabeth, or “Sisi,” was a regular patron whose influence still lingers throughout the building. Continue exploring the city’s mix of architectural masterpieces, viewing City Park, Heroes’ Square, Central Market Hall, the neo-Gothic Parliament building, and tree-lined Andrassy Avenue. Dine à la carte tonight at a choice of local restaurants that tempt with a taste of regional Hungarian cuisine. Meals BD

11. diScover Buda A morning at leisure in one of Europe’s most fashionable cities precedes a guided tour of Buda including Castle Hill, featuring the 13th-century Royal Castle, and a drive past Gellert Hill. Visit the imposing 19th-century Fishermen’s Bastion overlooking the Danube, and the adjacent 700-year-old Matthias Church (may be closed on some days due to services) on a walking tour; spend the rest of the day as you wish in exhilarating Budapest. Meals B

12. Journey hoMeTour ends: Budapest, Hungary. A transfer is included from Le Méridien Budapest to Budapest’s Ferihegy Airport; allow 3 hours for flight check-in. Meals B

VisitBucharest’sPeople’sPalace(left)–sobigthatpartsofitwereneverfinished–andenjoyahome-hostedlunchinBulgaria

Call your travel agent or Tauck at800-468-2825 www.tauck.com 45

8-day cruiSe-only FroM $3,290 pluS airFare(7 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches & 7 Dinners)

12 dayS FroM $4,290 pluS airFare (11 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches & 9 Dinners)

8-day cruiSe-only

daTe MCAT 1 M CAT 1 M CAT 2 M CAT 3 M CAT 4 M CAT 5 M CAT 6

Jun 8 $3990 $4990 $5240 $5840 $6140 $6740 $7440 Jun 15* $3990 $4990 $5240 $5840 $6140 $6740 $7440 Sep 18 $3990 $4990 $5240 $5840 $6140 $6740 $7440 Sep 25* $3790 $4790 $5040 $5640 $5940 $6540 $7240 Oct 4 $3590 $4590 $4840 $5440 $5740 $6340 $7040 Oct 11* $3290 $4290 $4540 $5140 $5440 $6040 $6740

Cruise Price Per Person MS Swiss Sapphire or New-for-2011 Riverboat

Date

* Indicates Bucharest to Budapest direction. Single prices start at 40% over the double price; please inquire at time of booking or visit www.tauck.com for complete single pricing, additional 8-Day Cruise-Only price categories, and up-to-the-minute space availability. Cruise will be on ms Swiss Sapphire or Tauck’s new-for-2011 riverboat; ask at time of booking.

Special Singles Savings – $1000 per cabin – on September 25 and October 11 departures. Certain restrictions apply; ask at time of booking.

Land / cruise price per person, based on double occupancy, includes cruise fare, most meals, port charges, wine with dinner aboard ship, shore ex cur sions, applicable fuel surcharges, and gratuities to Tauck Directors, Tauck Cruise Director, ship staff, local guides & drivers, as well as on all included meals.

International Airfare is additional. Call Tauck for special rates on international air, in coach or business, for travel originating in the United States (subject to availability).

Itinerary Changes – Although not expected, Tauck reserves the right to alter the sequence of ports or omit or substitute scheduled ports or attractions at any time without prior notice. For Budapest to Bucharest itinerary, go to www.tauck.com for details – east and west itineraries are similar. Museums and attractions may be subject to closure due to state, local or religious holidays.

Note: This cruise includes a fair amount of walking in each city.

Please ask at time of booking about additional hotel nights before or after your cruise, or about our Cruise Protection Product.

Go to www.tauck.com for riverboat deck plans and specifications.

CruisetheDanubepastKingDecebalusandGolubacFortress;attendaRomanianfolkshowintheBlackSearesortofEforieNord