15 Nights | Grand European Discovery
Discover the riches of four nations as you cruise along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers.
Travel along three majestic rivers—the legendary Rhine, the meandering Main, and the enchanting Danube—and be inspired at every turn. Encounter some of the prettiest towns in Europe—Strasbourg, Heidelberg, and Bamberg—and tour Austria’s imperial capital, Vienna. Explore legendary landmarks, including Melk Abbey and the Würzburg Residenz. Tradition, history, art, and a host of irresistible flavours are yours to discover on one grand journey.
Who will enjoy this cruise
Those longing to experience Old World Europe and some of the Continent’s finest wines and culinary delights—all paired with the breathtaking scenery found along Europe’s historic waterways.
Exclusive special music event
On select departures May through September, guests will enjoy an extraordinary treat: an exclusive, onboard concert by Elisabeth von Trapp, granddaughter of legendary Maria and Baron von Trapp (whose story inspired The Sound of Music).
Grand European Discovery is a combination of:
Rhine Discovery & Prague (cruise only)
Danube Discovery & Prague (cruise only)
TRUE ALL-INCLUSIVE BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISING™: All gratuities onboard and onshore; unlimited beverages onboard including an extensive selection of distinctive wines, craft and regional beers, spirits, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages; shore excursions with local experts as your guide; free Internet and Wi-Fi; and all arrival and departure day transfers.
Information is subject to change.
You will visit the following 13 places:
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in north-eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin department. In 2006, the city proper had 272,975 inhabitants and its urban community 467,375 inhabitants. With 638,670 inhabitants in 2006, Strasbourg's metropolitan area ("aire urbaine") (only the part of the metropolitan area on French territory) is the ninth largest in France. The transnational Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau has a population of 884,988 inhabitants.
Heidelberg
Heidelberg is a German city situated in the south-west of the country. The fifth largest city of the German State of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Freiburg im Breisgau, Heidelberg is part of a densely populated region known as the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. As of 2009, over 145,000 people live within the city's area. Heidelberg lies on the River Neckar in a steep valley in the Odenwald. Heidelberg — having been a former residence of the Electoral Palatinate in the past — is the seat of the University of Heidelberg, which is well-known far beyond its and Germany's borders. Heidelberg is also a popular tourist destination due to its romantic and picturesque cityscape's character, including the Heidelberg Castle and the baroque style Old Town. The US Army has had a military base in Heidelberg since 1951.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million (2.4 million within the metropolitan area, more than 25% of Austria's population), and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th-largest city by population in the European Union. Vienna is host to many major international organizations, such as the United Nations and OPEC. The city is also known for its Imperial palaces, including Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs’ summer residence. Apart from being regarded as the City of Music because of its musical legacy, Vienna is also said to be "The City of Dreams" because it was home to the world's first psycho-analyst – Sigmund Freud.
Basel
Basel is one of the important cities of Switzerland. One of Switzerland's underrated tourist destinations, Basel has a beautiful medieval old town centre, a vibrant Carnival, and several world class art museums built by architects like Renzo Piano, Mario Botta and Herzog & De Meuron. Basel is also rich in architecture old and new, with a Romanesque Münster (cathedral), a Renaissance Rathaus (town hall), and various examples of high quality contemporary architecture, including more buildings by Herzog & De Meuron, Richard Meier, Diener & Diener, and various others. Located in the Dreiländereck (three countries' corner), Basel is a gateway to the Swiss Jura mountains and nearby cities of Zürich and Lucerne, as well as the neighbouring French region of Alsace and the German Black Forest.
Nuremberg
Nuremberg is a city on the river Pegnitz and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. When people think of Nuremberg, they usually think of gingerbread, toys, Christmas, the Reich Party Rally Grounds, or the Nuremberg Trials. But the old town of Nuremberg is much more than this and indeed Nuremberg probably comes closest to many tourists' expectations of a typical German city: On the one hand one can find half-timbered houses, gothic churches within a medival city wall in the shadow of the towering imperial castle, which was one of the most important residences of the emporers of the Holy Roman Empire.