Day 1 - Friday - Apr 26, 2024
Welcome to Prague, one of Europe's best-preserved and most beautiful cities, with a rich and fascinating history stretching back more than 1,000 years. The Vltava River, the longest in the Czech Republic, runs through the center of Prague with the historic Old Town on one bank and New Town on the other.
Day 2 - Saturday - Apr 27, 2024
Pull back the curtains of your hotel room this morning and you'll see why Prague is known as the City of 100 Spires. More accurately, it should be called the City of 1,000 Spires as a seemingly endless landscape of Baroque belfries, Gothic church spires, and 19th-century clocktowers. You'll take a guided tour this morning, led by an expert local guide who will reveal the city's secrets in all their Gothic glory. The red-roofed Old Town is a charming maze of cobblestone laneways, medieval buildings, bustling squares, and elaborate statues. It's compact and almost completely flat, making it perfect for exploring on foot. Don't miss the Old Town Hall where you can hear the 14th-century Astronomical Clock chime, accompanied by a procession of the 12 Apostles. The rest of the day is at leisure. Perhaps take a stroll through this magnificent city, situated on the Vltava River in central Bohemia. Prague is rich in history and home to some of the world's most striking architectural wonders. Your tour director is on hand to help you plan.
Day 3 - Sunday - Apr 28, 2024
The remaining day is yours to enjoy at leisure.
Day 4 - Monday - Apr 29, 2024
Journey by coach to Budapest where you'll board your luxurious Scenic Space-Ship.
Day 5 - Tuesday - Apr 30, 2024
Divided by the Danube, with Buda on one side and Pest on the other, this city became united in 1873 when a newly built bridge connected the two. The city is an architectural treasure trove comprising styles from Gothic to Art Nouveau and everything in between. It is also well known for its hot springs and thermal baths and has a vibrant nightlife scene. This afternoon is at leisure. Perhaps you may like to hop on board Scenic's e-bikes (electronically assisted bicycles) to explore the city on two wheels or find one of the city's famous ruin bars - housed in abandoned buildings - to enjoy an afternoon drink. Alternatively, make your way back to your luxury Space-Ship to relax in the Panorama Lounge & Bar. You will set sail for Vienna later this afternoon.
Day 6 - Wednesday - May 1, 2024
Today, perhaps wake to a coffee delivered to your suite by your personal butler. Be sure to download the Scenic Tailormade app to listen to river commentary and gain insight into the villages and sites you're passing as you relax onboard while cruising to the Austrian capital. Vienna oozes charm with magnificent Baroque buildings, ample green spaces from parks to vineyards, a vibrant coffee-house culture, and masterpiece-filled galleries and museums.
Day 7 - Thursday - May 2, 2024
Wake this morning with Vienna on your doorstep. A city full of grandeur, Austria's imperial capital is famous for having the world's most beautiful boulevard, Ringstrasse, and for the legacy of the Habsburg monarchy. Also known as the City of Music, Vienna fostered the musical geniuses Mozart and Beethoven, among others. Sigmund Freud also lived and worked here in the late 19th century.
Day 8 - Friday - May 3, 2024
Your Scenic Space-Ship will dock early this morning in the quaint town of Durnstein. Surrounded by vineyards, the city has historical buildings that date back to the 12th century, including the hilltop ruins of Durnstein Castle, where Richard the Lionheart was famously imprisoned between 1192 and 1193. Enjoy some free time exploring this charming town before cruising towards Melk. After your tour, you will return to the luxury of your Space-Ship.
Day 9 - Saturday - May 4, 2024
Day 10 - Sunday - May 5, 2024
You will arrive in Regensburg after lunch, so this morning offers a great opportunity to relax and rejuvenate in the Salt Therapy lounge, located on the Jewel Deck. Boasting a staggering 2,000-year history, Regensburg has one of Germany's best-preserved medieval town centers, with more than 900 of its Romanesque and Gothic buildings listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Within its narrow laneways, the city lays claim to having the highest concentration of bars in the country. Regensburg is also fringed by the Bavarian Forest, home to hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails and deer, wild boar, fox, and otter.
Day 11 - Monday - May 6, 2024
You will arrive in Nuremberg, Bavaria's second-largest city, early this morning. Boasting an Old Town protected by an ancient city wall, where the most enchanting Christmas markets are held every year, this city is dominated by one of the most significant imperial forts of the Holy Roman Empire, the 12th-century Imperial Castle, which was the preferred residence of German kings. Behind its charming facade, Nuremberg also has a turbulent history. During WWII, the city was favored by the Nazis for party rallies, the boycotts of Jewish businesses began here, as did the laws that denied Jewish people German citizenship - known as the 'Nuremberg Laws'. By 1945, the city was reduced to rubble, including large sections of the Imperial Castle and Old Town. Allied powers - the US, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union - held the Nuremberg Trials here between 1945 and 1946, when Nazi Germany leaders were tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This afternoon, you will sail towards Bamberg. Sip on a specialty tea or coffee in the Panorama Lounge & Bar or join a lecture to gain insight into the history and culture along the river.
Day 12 - Tuesday - May 7, 2024
Built on seven hills, this UNESCO World Heritage-listed town has surprises at every turn. Intersected by rivers and canals, enchanting Bamberg has an Old Town resplendent with cobblestoned streets and well-preserved medieval buildings. A charming Old Town Hall which occupies an island on its own, a Gothic and Romanesque-style cathedral, and the Old and New Residences - comprising an episcopal palace, a pretty 'Little Venice', and a 12th-century castle that teeters on the highest of the seven hills are some of the incredible places you'll see during your guided city tour. Back onboard your Space-Ship, you may wish to spend time in the wellness center with a soothing massage.
Day 13 - Wednesday - May 8, 2024
After a leisurely morning onboard your Space-Ship, you will arrive in Wurzburg. This Baroque city straddles the Main River in the heart of Franconian wine country. Surrounded by undulating vineyards, Wurzburg is home to a UNESCO World Heritage-listed palace, a dominating hilltop fortress, the 15th-century Old Main Bridge, and three universities, including Bavaria's oldest.
Day 14 - Thursday - May 9, 2024
This morning, you will arrive in the historic town of Wertheim, sitting on the picturesque banks of the Main and Tauber rivers. After touring, you will embark your luxury Space-Ship in Miltenberg and set sail for Rudesheim. Enjoy some of the all-inclusive onboard entertainment this evening as you sail through the night.
Day 15 - Friday - May 10, 2024
This morning, you will disembark in Rudesheim, a pretty town surrounded by steep vineyards that have been cultivating wine for a staggering two millennia. The charming town center is filled with half-timbered houses lining cobbled streets, quaint shops selling trinkets such as cuckoo clocks, as well as a smattering of wine taverns and open-air beer gardens. This afternoon, relax onboard the Sun Deck and admire the scenic landscapes as you cruise along the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rhine Gorge in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a 65-kilometer stretch of the river that is dotted with some 40 hilltop castles and fortresses that span a period of 1,000 years. Sailing down this section of the river is like being transported through the pages of a fairy tale book. The Rhine is abounded in myths and legends; folklore that has been passed on for generations, including the story of Lorelei. This enchanting female was betrayed by her sweetheart and spent her days bewitching men. As her punishment, she was sent to a nunnery, however on her way she jumped to her death in the river. Legend has her spirit casting spells on sailors who passed the rock, where a bronze statue sits today.
Day 16 - Saturday - May 11, 2024
You will arrive in Cologne today, a city known for its liberal and laidback lifestyle, its unique beer culture, auto industry, and the jaw-dropping cathedral that dominates its skyline. Settled by the Romans, this major cultural center for the Rhineland was built during the Middle Ages but was largely destroyed during WWII. The magnificent Gothic cathedral, an enormous UNESCO World Heritage-listed site that dates to 1248, was badly damaged but stood tall above the ruins of the city.
Day 17 - Sunday - May 12, 2024
Amsterdam is a treasure trove of architectural beauty, masterpiece-filled galleries, tranquil scenes of boats putting along 16th-century canals, narrow cobbled laneways filled with boutiques and cafes, and streets busy with cyclists criss-crossing their way about town. Often referred to as the Venice of the North, much of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed canal system exists today as it did hundreds of years ago, lined with well-preserved canal houses and intersected by charming bridges.
Day 18 - Monday - May 13, 2024
Disembark in Amsterdam after a farewell breakfast this morning, taking with you a lifetime of memories. This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above.; Note: Massage/spa treatments at additional cost.