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             - Danube Holiday Markets Cruise

Nov 29, 2008
Dec 6, 2008*
Dec 13, 2008
Dec 20, 2008*

2009 Departures
* Please call us to inquire about 2009 prices and itinerary details

Sunday, Nov 29, 2009
Sunday, Dec 6, 2009*
Sunday, Dec 13, 2009
Sunday, Dec 20, 2009*

River Empress

1-888-942-3301

Certain restrictions apply. All rates in U.S. dollars. Prices, savings offers, and other terms subject to change without notice. Images, logos, photographs etc. on this page is copyrighted by Uniworld. It is presumed to be accurate and is subject to change without notice.

Delights along the Danube
Four countries—Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany—await your arrival for one unique festive party after another. From the large Christmas Markets of Vienna to the more intimate Christmas Markets of Bratislava, Passau and Salzburg—each combines timeless traditions with elegant pageantry.

A joyous start to your holiday festivities
Many of our holiday traditions and customs—Christmas trees, Silent Night, gingerbread, nutcrackers, St. Nick, candy canes—come to us from Germany and Austria. Warm your hands and your spirits with a mug of glühwein as you walk the Holiday Markets looking for unique treasures to adorn your Christmas tree. Discover the heart and soul of Slovakia as you tour beautiful Bratislava and enjoy its Christmas Market. While Bratislava’s Christmas Market was only established in 1993, you will see how it has quickly embraced the holiday traditions of its Austrian and Hungarian neighbors.

Embrace the glory and magic of this holiday season
Celebrate Mozart’s musical genius in one of Vienna’s well-known concert halls. Participate in a gingerbread baking demonstration in Passau. Listen to the sweet sounding voices of a children’s choir in Salzburg. And cherish all the glory and magic of the season in grand European style as you sail along the Danube during the holiday season.

Who will enjoy this cruise: Music aficionados will especially take pleasure in the “sounds of the season” from the classical vibes of Vienna to an organ recital in Krems to carolers and choral groups singing in Christmas markets. And collectors of handicrafts and ornaments will find one-of-a-kind pieces in any of the numerous Christmas markets we explore on this unique cruise.

BUDAPEST TO PASSAU - 9 DAYS

DAY 1: Depart Home Gateway City to Budapest

DAY 2: Budapest (embark)
Arrive in Budapest where you’ll be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship. (D)

DAY 3: Budapest
Featured Excursion: Budapest city tour and Christmas Market. Explore Budapest as you travel through the UNESCO-listed Castle Hill district; see dramatic vistas from the 19th-century Fisherman’s Bastion, and the famous Chain Bridge, an early 19th-century bridge that was the first bridge to connect Buda with Pest. And in the center of it all is the Christmas Market, where you’ll get to shop for traditional Hungarian wares and delightful treats like apricot brandy and cinnamon-spiced gingerbread. (BB, L, Captain’s Welcome Dinner)

DAY 4: Bratislava
Featured Excursion: Bratislava city tour and Christmas Market. Straddling both banks of the Danube, Bratislava is quite a melting pot of cultures. Bratislava’s very first Christmas Market was established in 1993, but the Slovakians have quickly embraced the holiday traditions of their Austrian and Hungarian neighbors, and it is renowned for stalls with folk handicrafts from the region. (BB, L, D)

DAY 5: Vienna
Featured Excursion: city tour with Christmas Market and an evening Mozart and Strauss concert. Irresistible Optional Tour: Visit Schönbrunn Palace and stroll through the Christmas Market. Decorative lights blanket the city and aromas of roasted chestnuts and rich Viennese coffee fill the air at this magical time of year. With your panoramic city overview, travel the stately Ringstrasse and see St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Visit Vienna’s main Christmas Market, sitting in front of Vienna’s City Hall, with neo-gothic architecture resembling a wedding cake. Later in the evening, you’ll celebrate Mozart’s musical genius in one of Vienna’s well-known concert halls. (BB, L, D)

DAY 6: Krems, Scenic Cruising Wachau Valley
Featured Excursion: Visit to Benedictine Göttweig Abbey with organ recital* *Organ concert may take place in different location if Göttweig visit falls on a Catholic holiday.
The spectacular location on a prominent hill on the eastern edge of the world famous Wachau Valley has earned Göttweig Abbey the nickname Austria’s “Monte Cassino.” The abbey, with its monumental imperial staircase and ceiling fresco, is among the sights that you will visit. A special treat for you during the visit is an organ recital. After lunch, depart Krems, and enjoy a scenic cruise through the UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley. (BB, L, D)

DAY 7: Linz (Salzburg)
Featured Excursion: Full-day excursion to Salzburg with walking tour and lunch at the fortress. Your full-day excursion to Salzburg includes a walking tour of the Old Town, a visit to the city’s cathedral, a special lunch in the Hohensalzburg Fortress Restaurant and—an exclusive Uniworld treat—a Christmas carol performance of a local children’s choir. In the afternoon, let the tradition and ambiance of Salzburg’s Christmas Market, located at the foot of the Hohensalzburg Fortress and around the venerable cathedral, enchant you. The Salzburg Christmas Market is a feast for all the senses as the delicious scent of mulled wine wafts around booths adorned with beautiful decorations. (BB, L, D)

DAY 8: Passau
Featured Excursion: Passau walking tour and Christmas Market, gingerbread making and floral decoration demonstration. Quaint and peaceful describe Passau. Your guided walk starts in the medieval section of Passau, and takes you past St. Stephan’s Cathedral, the New Residence, Town Hall, and to the confluence of three rivers that converge in Passau. At Passau’s Christmas Market, set against the glorious backdrop of St. Stephan’s Cathedral, you’ll find unique crafts, including Bavarian-style houses and glass ornaments. And as an added treat, you’ll see both gingerbread making and floral decorating demonstrations. (BB, L, Captain’s Farewell Dinner)

DAY 9: Passau (disembark), transfer to airport in Munich
Disembark the ship in Passau and transfer to the airport in Munich for your flight home, or extend your stay in the beautiful city of Prague.
 

PASSAU TO BUDAPEST - 9 DAYS

DAY 1: Depart Home Gateway City to Munich

DAY 2: Transfer to Passau (embark)
Arrive in Munich Airport where you’ll be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship in Passau. (D)

DAY 3: Passau
Featured Excursion: Passau walking tour and Christmas Market, gingerbread making and floral decoration demonstration. Quaint and peaceful describe Passau. Your guided walk starts in the medieval section of Passau, and takes you past St. Stephan’s Cathedral, the New Residence, Town Hall, and to the confluence of three rivers that converge in Passau. At Passau’s Christmas Market, set against the glorious backdrop of St. Stephan’s Cathedral, you’ll find unique crafts, including Bavarian-style houses and glass ornaments. And as an added treat, you’ll see both gingerbread making and floral decorating demonstrations. (BB, L, Captain’s Welcome Dinner)

DAY 4: Linz (Salzburg)
Featured Excursion: Full-day excursion to Salzburg with walking tour and lunch at the fortress. Your full-day excursion to Salzburg includes a walking tour of the Old Town, a visit to the city’s cathedral, a special lunch in the Hohensalzburg Fortress Restaurant and—an exclusive Uniworld treat—a Christmas carol performance of a local children’s choir. In the afternoon, let the tradition and ambiance of Salzburg’s Christmas Market, located at the foot of the Hohensalzburg Fortress and around the venerable cathedral, enchant you. The Salzburg Christmas Market is a feast for all the senses as the delicious scent of mulled wine wafts around booths adorned with beautiful decorations. (BB, L, D)

DAY 5: Scenic Cruising Wachau Valley, Krems
Featured Excursion: Visit to Benedictine Göttweig Abbey with organ recital* *Organ concert may take place in different location if Göttweig visit falls on a Catholic holiday.
In the morning, enjoy a scenic cruise through the UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley. The spectacular location on a prominent hill on the eastern edge of the world famous Wachau Valley has earned Göttweig Abbey the nickname Austria’s “Monte Cassino.” The abbey, with its monumental imperial staircase and ceiling fresco, is among the sights that you will visit. A special treat for you during the visit is an organ recital. (BB, L, D)

DAY 6: Vienna
Featured Excursion: City tour with Christmas Market and an evening Mozart and Strauss concert. Irresistible Optional Tour: Visit Schönbrunn Palace and stroll through the Christmas Market. Decorative lights blanket the city and aromas of roasted chestnuts and rich Viennese coffee fill the air at this magical time of year. With your panoramic city overview, travel the stately Ringstrasse and see St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Visit Vienna’s main Christmas Market, sitting in front of Vienna’s City Hall, with neo-gothic architecture resembling a wedding cake. Later in the evening, you’ll celebrate Mozart’s musical genius in one of Vienna’s well-known concert halls. (BB, L, D)

DAY 7: Bratislava
Featured Excursion: Bratislava city tour and Christmas Market. Straddling both banks of the Danube, Bratislava is quite a melting pot of cultures. Bratislava’s very first Christmas Market was established in 1993, but the Slovakians have quickly embraced the holiday traditions of their Austrian and Hungarian neighbors, and it is renowned for stalls with folk handicrafts from the region. (BB, L, D)

DAY 8: Budapest
Featured Excursion: Budapest city tour and Christmas Market. Explore Budapest as you travel through the UNESCO-listed Castle Hill district; see dramatic vistas from the 19th-century Fisherman’s Bastion, and the famous Chain Bridge, an early 19th-century bridge that was the first bridge to connect Buda with Pest. And in the center of it all is the Christmas Market, where you’ll get to shop for traditional Hungarian wares and delightful treats like apricot brandy and cinnamon-spiced gingerbread. (BB, L, Captain’s Farewell Dinner)

DAY 9: Budapest (disembark), transfer to airport
Disembark the ship and transfer to Budapest Airport for your flight home.

PRAGUE

Prague (pre- or post-optional extension)
Truly one of the most captivating cities in Europe, the "City of Spires" is a delightful way to begin or end your holiday along the Danube. Pre-Christmas season in Prague is even more special with its rows of brightly decorated wooden huts offering Czech handicrafts, and the spectacular Christmas tree in Old Town square set against a dark gothic skyline is an absolute treat to behold.

Included in your 4-day grand city stay:

• 3 nights at the Superior First Class Hotel Imperial (or similar) with breakfast daily

• Fully hosted by expert Uniworld representatives

• Prague city tour

• Ship-to-hotel and hotel-to-airport transfers, or airport-to-hotel and hotel-to-ship transfers

Only $699 per person
(single supplement $349)

Note: This extension is for cruises that begin or end in Passau (2008 Danube Holiday Market), begin or end in Regensburg (2008 Grand Danube Holiday Markets), or begin or end in Nuremberg (2008 European Holiday Markets).