The charm and elegance of Hebridean’s Royal Crown awaits your arrival in the German border city of Passau in readiness for our cruise to the Austrian city of Melk for a guided tour of the Benedictine Abbey with its Marble Hall, Library, State Apartments and Austrian Baroque Abbey Church.
Scenic cruising takes us to Esztergom, one of the oldest towns in Hungary. Once the capital, Hungary’s largest neo-classical Basilica is home to the Cathedral Treasury, the country’s richest ecclesiastical treasury.
Continuing through Hungary we visit the present day capital of Budapest. Comprising of two cities we first explore Buda with spectacular views from Gellert Hill before crossing the Danube to Pest and travelling along its broad avenues to Hero’s Square. We return to the ship for lunch.
In the afternoon, provided parliament is not in session, we enjoy a guided tour of the House of Nations, the Hungarian parliament building.
Our second capital city is Bratislava, capital of Slovakia and the only capital city to border two countries - Austria and Hungary. Our guided walk through the old town takes us to St. Michael’s Gate, St. Martin’s Cathedral and the Primate’s Palace. Dinner is on board Hebridean’s Royal Crown, after which we have an opportunity to attend a recital in a Franciscan Church.
Sailing along the Danube, the romantic city of Vienna, the former Imperial capital of the Habsburg Empire, beckons. Standing in the ruins of two earlier churches and completed in 1160, our morning visit is to St Stephen’s Cathedral. Following lunch on board, the world famous Spanish Riding School, which has been cultivating the art of equitation for more than 400 years, plays host to our afternoon visit.
Making time for a short stop at Krems with its UNESCO World Heritage Site historical centre, one of the most beautiful in Europe, there is an opportunity to taste the local wine. Krems has been a centre of wine production since time immemorial.
From Krems we cruise over the German border to Passau where we disembark Hebridean’s Royal Crown for the journey home.
