Tauck World Discovery has just released a special 12-day Musical Magic on the Blue Danube cruise and land tour, which will take guests to visit the homes of history's greatest composers as well as the famous concert halls and palaces where they once performed.
The itinerary begins in Budapest, Hungary, where guests will be treated to a welcome reception and dinner at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, accompanied by a local trio performing Hungarian folk and gypsy music. Whilst in Budapest, guests will also visit the State Opera House, Franz Liszt's reconstructed Budapest flat, the Musical History Museum and the house of Béla Bartók.
Guests will then board ms Swiss Sapphire and cruise down the Danube towards Bratislava, Slovakia. In this historic city, guests will embark on a walking tour and enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to the Opera House. At night, guests will indulge in an interactive traditional Slovak wedding dinner filled with music and dance at a 16th-century winery.
The Austrian cities of Vienna, Melk and Salzburg are the next stops on this itinerary. Highlights include a private Imperial Evening in the Palais Pallavicini; a tour of the 900-year-old monastery Melk Abbey and an excursion to Mozart's hometown in Salzburg.
ms Swiss Sapphire will then sail onto Passau, Germany where guests will explore St. Stephen's Cathedral, home to Europe's largest pipe organ and enjoy workshops, musical trivia and a guest choir rehearsal en route to Regensburg. Guests will then set out for Bayreuth, where they will explore the city and see the final resting place of Wilhelm Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt before traveling to Prague for a two-night stay.
Whilst in Prague, guests will tour the Czech capital's Old Town and visit the Estates Theatre where Mozart himself conducted the premiere of Don Giovanni. Guests will also enjoy an excerpt from the opera at the National Marionette Theatre. Tauck will offer guests an exclusive opportunity to view original Beethoven manuscripts as a string quartet plays the composer's works during a private evening in Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle.
With two sailing dates available on 7 and 21 September 2010, the 12-day Musical Magic on the Blue Danube tour offers fantastic value and is priced from AU$6,559* (US$5,590) per person twin share. This includes most meals (as well as wine with dinners), accommodation, all shore excursions, service charges, taxes and airport transfers.
Guests cruise in the comfort of ms Swiss Sapphire which accommodates no more than 118 guests onboard. A majority of staterooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with French balconies, giving guests the opportunity to enjoy the region's scenic waterways from their very own cabin. Guests also tour in the company of an experienced Cruise Director and Tour Director, along with two onboard 'Maestros' who will enrich the onboard experience with workshops, seminars and performances.
To obtain further information about Tauck or to make a booking, please contact Travel the World on 1300 766 566 or visit www.traveltheworld.com.au.
*AU$ price indicative only and subject to exchange rate fluctuations.
