DAY 1
ARRIVE BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
Arrive in Budapest, a city occupying both sides of the Danube River and founded in 1873, when right-bank Buda and Obuda joined left-bank Pest. Budapest’s broad avenues and turn-of-the-century architecture have earned it the name “the Paris of Eastern Europe.” Like Paris, it is a cultural mecca for writers, artists and musicians. Meet your LTA Guardian Angel, privately transfer to your hotel, and settle in for the evening.
HOTEL | BUDAPEST
DAY 2
BUDAPEST | ACROSS THE BRIDGE IN PEST
Today, discover Pest, starting with a private visit to the Liszt Academy of Music. Continue exploring the city as you view Heroes’ Square and stop to see the Great Synagogue as well as St. Stephen’s Basilica, whose south tower houses the largest bell in Hungary. Then, visit the Central Market Hall to view the vast array of food and crafts on sale throughout its three floors, including cheeses, sausage and other local specialties, and enjoy time at leisure for lunch on your own. Later, visit the Parliament Building before spending the remainder of your afternoon at leisure. This evening, embark on a private candlelit dinner cruise of the romantic Danube, enjoying live music while you dine and watching the glittering lights of Budapest drift by in the night.
HOTEL | BUDAPEST
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 3
BUDAPEST | MATTHIAS CHURCH & FISHERMAN’S BASTION
This morning, cross the Danube River to explore the Buda side of the city. Visit Matthias Church, the 13th-century coronation cathedral of Hungarian kings, and Fisherman’s Bastion, which offers spectacular views of the city. Built in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque styles, the bastion is named for the guild of fishermen who defended this part of the city during the Middle Ages. Enjoy your afternoon at leisure, relaxing in your luxurious accommodations or exploring this romantic city on your own, perhaps dining at one of Budapest’s fine restaurants.
HOTEL | BUDAPEST
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA & VIENNA, AUSTRIA | A CULTURAL CAPITAL
Journey overland to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, for a guided walk through its old town, once a jewel of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Then, embark by high-speed catamaran for a quick cruise along the Danube River to Vienna, Austria. Described as Central Europe’s cultural capital, Vienna is a beautiful city with extraordinary charm and flair, replete with stunning buildings and steeped in musical heritage. Its Old World elegance recalls a time when Vienna was a center of vast political and cultural influence.
HOTEL | VIENNA
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 5
VIENNA | VISIONS OF THE IMPERIAL CITY
Begin your day with a panoramic tour of Vienna, viewing the Prater and its Giant Ferris Wheel. See the Secession Building and the famous Hundertwasser House, and then visit the Belvedere Gallery, where you view many works by the brilliant and controversial symbolist artist Gustav Klimt, including The Kiss. In the afternoon visit Schönbrunn Palace, the former residence of Habsburg monarchs. It was here that a six-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart once performed for the Viennese Royal Court. This evening, relax at your leisure.
HOTEL | VIENNA
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6
VIENNA | AUSTRIAN TREASURES
Join your local guide for a walking tour of marvelous Vienna. At the Hofburg Palace — former seat of emperors and current residence of the president of Austria — visit the Imperial Treasury to admire its glittering collection of imperial regalia. Then, continue to the Gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The most famous landmark in the city, it was restored to its former splendor after being destroyed in a fire during World War II. Spend your afternoon at leisure.
HOTEL | VIENNA
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7
POPICE, CZECH REPUBLIC | WINES OF A UNIQUE TERROIR
Travel to Prague, stopping en route at the Sonberk winery in the Czech countryside for a tasting of its signature vintages. Continue to Prague, where you check in to your hotel. Prague is a city of beauty, with its stunning UNESCO-listed Old Town full of cobbled lanes and hidden courtyards that are a paradise for the aimless wanderer.
HOTEL | PRAGUE
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8
PRAGUE | HISTORY REMEMBERED
Today, explore the city’s Castle District, starting with a private visit to the Baroque library halls of the Strahov Monastery to view its incredible frescoes, which reside amid detailed stucco ceiling decorations. Stroll in the peaceful quiet, looking up at the mural devoted to the intellectual progress of mankind, and let yourself contemplate a bygone era. Then, admire the religious artifacts at the Loreto Chapel, a remarkable Baroque monument that remains a place of pilgrimage. Also view the towering, Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, which houses the tombs of Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors, including that of Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia, legendary subject of the beloved Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas.” Cross the famous Charles Bridge, an iconic landmark of Prague completed in 1402, to embark on a walking tour of Josefov, the city’s Jewish Quarter, which remained a walled ghetto until 1848. View the birthplace of Franz Kafka (part of the Jewish Museum complex), best known for his existentialist novel The Metamorphosis. Proceed to visit the Old Jewish Cemetery, site of 12,000 graves, and the Old-New Synagogue, Europe’s oldest active synagogue, completed in 1270. Afterward, your evening is at leisure.
HOTEL | PRAGUE
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 9
PRAGUE | DESIGN YOUR DAY
This morning, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities.
Attend a Traditional Puppetry Workshop, creating your own marionette to take home, at the National Marionette Theater.
Set Out on a Foodie Walking Tour, savoring tastes of Czech cuisine, from pastries to goulash to beer.
Relax with a Spa Experience at your hotel, in a haven for the body and spirit, choosing from an array of treatments.
The remainder of your day is at leisure.
HOTEL | PRAGUE
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 10
DEPART PRAGUE
Transfer to the airport to board your flight home.
Meals: Breakfast
