From the Danube to the Rhine Gorge: Vienna to Koblenz

Travel to Vienna and embark Spirit of the Danube.

Depart 0000.

Vienna is the capital of Austria: home to the waltz, coffee houses, the Prater wheel and one of the world's finest opera houses. It is the city where Marie Antoinette grew up and where Mozart died, and for 600 years was the centre of the Hapsburg Empire.

Explore Vienna independently using our complimentary shuttle service this morning. This afternoon, an included excursion will reveal the highlights of the city, including the Ringstrasse and Opera House.

Arrive 1200. Depart 1800.

This historic town features architectural styles from across the centuries. Its jewel is the abbey which sits on a bluff above the town. This masterpiece of baroque architecture has been the spiritual and cultural centre of Austria for more than 1,000 years.

Arrive 1300. Depart 1700.

Passau is located at the confluence of the Danube, the Ilz and the Inn rivers. The surrounding wooded hills create a scenic backdrop to the city's towers, spires and red-roofed houses.

The wealthy past of this cultured city is reflected in its many fine buildings, including the baroque St Stephen's Cathedral, and the old and new Bishop's Palaces.

Arrive 0900. Depart 1400.

The city of Regensburg has been a religious centre since the 7th century and has numerous medieval churches.

Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries the city enjoyed great wealth thanks to its trade links in Europe and there are many examples of fine Romanesque and Gothic architecture still to be seen in the UNESCO-listed old part. The Stone Bridge, completed in 1146, influenced bridge-building elsewhere, including the Charles Bridge in Prague.

Arrive 1300. Depart 1900.

The Imperial Castle, Kaiserburg, dominates the skyline of this medieval city, which has undergone a great deal of restoration since it was heavily bombed in World War Two. In 1935 the Nazis built a stadium here in which they held their rallies and, later, Nazi war criminals were tried in Nuremberg by the Allies.

The artist Albrecht Durer lived here from 1509 to 1528 and his house is now a museum. An included excursion will reveal the elegant architecture and major sights of this historic Bavarian city.

Arrive 0800. Depart 1200.

Bamberg was, like Rome, built on seven hills and because of its mixture of imposing architectural styles and baroque town houses is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its Imperial Cathedral is set on Cathedral Hill and Altenburg Castle is located at the town's highest point. You can explore further during an included excursion.

Arrive 0900. Depart 1900.

An important city in the Middle Ages, Würzburg features numerous baroque buildings erected by the prince-bishops of the Schönborn family in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Residence Palace, one of Europe’s most renowned baroque castles, was built here between 1720 and 1724 for the prince-bishop Johann Philipp Franz, who commissioned master builder Balthasar Neumann to create the 'palace of all palaces'.

Enjoy an included tour of Würzburg and visit to the Residence Palace.

Arrive 1300. Depart 1700.

Miltenberg is set in the attractive Main valley, between the Odenwald and the Spessart Mountains. The oldest part of the city lies on the left bank of the Main below a steep wooded hill, crowned by a 13th-century castle. The old town, enclosed within ancient walls and gates, is home to picturesque streets of half-timbered houses and old wine taverns.

Scenic Cruise, Middle Rhine Gorge.
Arrive Koblenz, 1700.

Koblenz, meaning 'merging of the rivers', is situated on the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. At the exact point where the two rivers meet, the Deutsches Eck, there is a monument with a huge equestrian statue of Emperor Wilhelm I. Above the town sits the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, a citadel built by the Prussians between 1816 and 1832.

Disembark Spirit of the Danube and begin your return journey.