Explore the heart of Europe with Viking’s Shannon Tiger
Hi thank you for joining us to learn more about Vikings Grand European tour I am delighted to bring this itinerary to you you will be traveling for 15 days on Viking through two of the most popular Rivers the Ry River and the Dan River you’ll be going through through four
Different countries and have 12 included guided tours on this journey today I’d like to take you in the direction from Amsterdam to Budapest however you can go from Budapest to Amsterdam I love to show the map and how the rivers sit on this map you can see Amsterdam and Budapest anchoring this itinerary
However I did want to make sure you took note to Prague Prague is very conveniently located to this itinerary so I do encourage you consider our three night Prague extension whether that’s a pre or post extension also want you to take note to The Rivers starting with
Amsterdam going on the Ry River heading to the mine River to the mine danub canal and then to the danu river a fantastic way to get the most of your journey and experience both of those Rivers we’re going to start in Amsterdam where you will definitely have the opportunity explore this elegant city
Which was born in the Dutch golden age and highly recommend that you tour the city through the city’s famous glass topped boats you can travel throughout the canals there are over 165 of them and it spans about 31 miles and also you’ll see many bridges over 1200
Bridges in addition to the bridges and the canals you will also see the Beautiful gabled houses and the Gilded Mansions I would also encourage if you’re deciding to go during tulip season to visit the konov gardens tulip season is at the end of March April and early May and you will have the
Opportunity to go to what is considered the garden of Europe in addition to the konov gardens I highly recommend going to the museum District where you’ll be able to head over to the reiches museum or to the van go Museum you can also consider going to the anrank house and I
Do encourage that the reservations are made in advance in the morning we will be setting sail to kinder which is a UNESCO world heritage site it was built in the 18th century and there are 19 windmills which is the largest concentration of windmills in the Netherlands and of
Course this network of windmills was there for flood management what makes this tour so fascinating is not only will you see the windmills from the outside but you will have the opportunity to tour the windmills on the inside and see living quarters the living quarters were in their time U
Manned by the windmill master and the windmill Master’s family so it’s really quite neat you can also choose to an optional tour out to a Dutch farm and learn a little bit about Dutch cheese making but don’t worry if you don’t do that we will have a sampling of
Delicious Dutch cheeses taking place on board our vessel while we’re watching a presentation on the Dutch Golden Age our next Port of Call will be cologne cologne is Germany’s fourth largest city we will have a fabulous walking tour we dock right there in the Heart of Cologne and you can see from
This image how gorgeous the beautiful Dom is the Dom is cologne’s Iconic Cathedral it is done in a Gothic type of architecture you will have the opportunity to do a walking tour learn all about the Dom and go into the Dom uh and also you will have the opportunity
To see the streets of cologne we do spend a day here so in the afternoon if you would like to take some free time the program director can guide you and you can go back into cologne or you can join us for an optional tour one of them
Having the opportunity to go into the spires of the cathedral in the afternoon you will also have the opportunity if you like to tour palaces to go to the brwal UNESCO Palace this is also a UNESCO world heritage site this Palace is known for the phenomenal Gardens that
Surround it but also you will have the opportunity to tour inside the palace you can uh see the really extravagant Chambers and decorated rooms and it’s really quite lovely and then you will return to the ship in the evening we do have something super fun which is colog
Spirited beer cultural tour where you’ll have the opportunity to sample K beer this is a light crisp beer it is brewed here in Cologne and there are many different versions of it so we will take you to a few Brew houses and then we will enjoy a fabulous Brew House dinner here in
Cologne Kon is our next city that we’re going to be visiting and it is a traditional German Country Town it’s at the Confluence of the Ry and the Mosel Rivers it was founded more than 2,000 years ago you will have a walking tour if you choose this included tour here in
Coons you will meet your guide at the city’s Fame German corner and then you will actually have an opportunity to walk the beautiful cobblestone streets and the guide will point out all of the influences from ancient Rome to the Middle Ages to the the Napoleonic error another option for you is the eron
Brinstead Fortress she’ll be taking a cable car all the way up to the top of the Fortress we also have an opportunity to go to Marksburg Castle I have been to Marksburg castle and it’s fascinating it’s quite hard to find a castle from the Middle Ages the 13th century that
You can tour inside but here at Marksburg Castle you do have the opportunity to tour the castle inside and the grounds and of course again have the most beautiful views of the Ry Valley we’ll be now traveling to the franconian town of milenberg on the mine River so we’re leaving the Rin River
Going to the mine River this is a very Lively and romantic River it’s nestled amongst Germany’s fine wine producing regions the morning is spent sailing along the beautiful mine River and it’ll wind its way through the spart region which is home to the actual Snow White we’ll also have a fun glass blowing
Demonstration on board so I do encourage you to enjoy and take part in the live demonstration after lunch we will actually stop in miltenburg which is known for its beautiful half timbered homes and Germany’s oldest Inn we will take miltenberg by foot and it is a
Really nice intimate way to get to know one of Germany’s most delightful Riverside towns and you also have a chance to catch a quick glimpse of milenberg Castle which was built also in the 13th century and uh it’s absolutely stunning on day six we’re going to be
Heading to wburg which was very heavily damaged in World War II wburg has since been completed and restored it is a prestigious University City filled with a lot of Baroque architecture this morning you’ll have the opportunity to go to The wbur’s Bishop’s Inn um which is one of Germany’s largest and most
Ornate palaces it’s also a UNESCO world heritage site this is going to be your included tour and here’s a few pictures of the lovely frescos that will be found inside the wburg Bishop’s residence if you’d like you can climb the forberg Hills we have a wonderful hike as well
If you’re feeling a little active that morning you can see how beautiful that hike is and how stunning it is to go into the hillside next up we’re going to be continuing along the M danub Canal this morning and we’re going to be arriving in the lovely Bamberg in the early
Afternoon here we’ll have a wonderful walking tour of Bamberg which is also a medieval city and it was founded in 902 and of course a UNESCO world heritage site it’s really neat because you’re walking tour will include a visit to the Magnificent 11th century cathedral which is reworked in late Romanesque style in
The 13th century and then also the picturesque City Hall so if you look at the picture here you will notice the city hall which is in the middle of the bridge and it’s really quite an interesting spot to have a city hall um but it’s lovely and we will cap our tour
Off with some distinctive smoke flavored beer before returning on the boat the monks produced the beer there was a fire in Bamberg and they continued to drink the beer with a smoked flavor so hence Bamberg is noted and um for having delicious smoked flavored beer on day eight we’re going to be
Heading to to Norberg this city was nearly destroyed in World War II and yet it still has its remaining medieval city walls which stretch over three miles you’re going to meet your guide at the ship and then we’re going to delve right into norberg’s very complex past it’s a
Medieval city that’s surrounded by 14th century walls and there’s a lot of gates and watchtowers that are fully intact it grew into a toy Mak capital of Europe where Craftsmen also shaped metal into inspiring sculptures and carved wood and other materials into decorative crafts however on this tour your highlights
Will be going out to the Zeppelin Fields um this is the Nazi grounds where all the rallies were held and staged uh in the 1930s and then you’ll also pass the Palace of justice and then you will end your tour um at the castle with the
Opportunity to uh be able ble to walk and enjoy the market and what Norberg is very much known for which is its gingerbread this is a picture of the Palace of Justice this you’ll be passing by or you can choose to do the Norberg and World War II optional tour I have
Done this tour myself and it is fascinating because you’ll have the opportunity to head out to the Zeppelin field you’ll also go to the document Center which is truly a place where you’ll learn all about Nazi propaganda then head to the Palace of Justice if the courtroom is open for us we will
Have the opportunity u meaning there’s not any Court being held to actually go into the courtroom and learn all about the Norberg War crime trials and then of course afterwards you’ll have the opportunity to go back into Norberg and um walk the streets go to the market and
Of course get your gingerbread so you can take that home to your love ones next up we’re heading to one of my favorite cities which is Regensburg will arrive there in midday and we’re going to see this amazing UNESCO world heritage site this is a very well-preserved medieval city that was
Untouched in World War II which is fantastic it’s the oldest city on the danu and not only is it the oldest city that has uh fantastic 13th and 14th century beautiful partition houses and St Peter’s cathedral but also it is the home of the oldest Sausage Kitchen in
Germany and you will have the opportunity if you choose to enjoy some delicious sausage from this restaurant we’ll have a fabulous walking tour that’s included on the grand European tour alternatively you can head out to Munich and spend a full day in Munich uh this would be a great opportunity for
You to go see the capital of Bavaria it is a full day tour and it is filled with culture and history all in Munich in Pau which is on day 10 we’re going to uh arrive in the morning this city is known as the city of Three
Rivers it’s where the in the ILS and the danu river meet we’re going to have a fabulous walking tour here the town has very narrow cobblestone streets uh beautiful Square where there’s the most amazing St Stevens’s Cathedral this is a very ornate church it’s one of Europe’s churches that houses the largest pipe
Organ over 177,000 pipes you’ll have the opportunity to go into St Stevens’s Cathedral listen to a concert it’s absolutely Fab fabulous and so moving I happen to love Pau as just a wonderful City the streets are just fabulous so do the extra shopping maybe taking a coffee
Uh along the streets and you will certainly enjoy all the colorful buildings and the history behind Pau that you’ll learn on your walking tour an optional tour for you is to go out to salburg where you can see the city of mosart and The Sound of Music it is so
Picturesque salburg and we will be out there where you’ll be spending the entire day you learning all about the Beloved film The Sound of Music and the birthplace of mosart so he did not indeed he was not born in Vienna although he did spend most of his time
In Vienna the other thing that you’ll be enjoying while you’re in salburg is Austria’s oldest restaurant and you’ll be able to have some lunch there but of course while you’re dining and having lunch there you’ll be listening to some classically trained singers and musicians that will serenade you with
Songs and the spirit of course of The Sound of Music we’re now heading out to milk where we’ll be going to milk Abby this is um all in the a very important wine growing region uh and you’ll see as you’re traveling on the danu river beautiful picturesque villages hillt top
Castles will be heading uh to milk which lies at the Confluence of the danu and The Milk River and it’s at the base of the Vel Valley we’ll have the opportunity to go into the 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey you can see it is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and
Inside the gorgeous stunning frescos the beautiful staircase that everybody is so fascinated with the actual Abby sits high above the cliffs and has a wonderful view of the blue danu and having the opportunity to experience these 900-year-old abies in this region is really quite amazing uh it is known
Now um to be a library and it is a home to a wide range of mediable manuscripts we’re going to be sailing Through The Vow Valley this is Vineyards beautiful emerald green Rolling Hills Charming towns castles and you can see how stunning the Topography is of this region this is perhaps the most
Celebrated area of the danu the vako valley and also is deemed a UNESCO world heritage site you’ll also have an opportunity to experience a Vel Valley Winery this is where a lot of white wines were made the gruner grape is a very popular grape of this region so you
Will enjoy a wine tasting experience a fully guided tour and we encourage that as an optional experience for you and now we’re heading to the fabulous city of Vienna the city that’s known of the city of walon this is Austria’s capital city and it’s Europe’s Center of classical music
Strauss and mosart compos so many of their finest pieces here in Vienna and today you will take an included tour of the capital we’ll ride along the ring stasa or you can choose to take a walking tour into the city so you can do
Uh enter the City by motor coach or by a walking tour and the ring straw that actually used to be the city walls but the city walls were replaced with with this uh beautiful Road uh where you’ll see some of the most beautiful Baroque architecture and also have the
Opportunity to see uh the world famous opera house here in Vienna St Stevens Cathedral and hoffberg Palace after touring the city we will take you back to the ship for lunch if you choose and your program director as well as uh Guest Services can help you go back into
The city if you want to tour on your own however there are so many amazing alternatives for you to choose to do in the afternoon we have a tour behind the scenes at lipin aner Stallions this is the elegant Spanish riding school that was commissioned of course by the
Hapsburgs and it is right there in the former Imperial Palace in the evening we have a mosar and Strauss concert this is a beautiful classical experience where they were performing for us in Period costumes and you have the opportunity to go into a historic venue and witness
This period all come to life as the costume singers in my case a violinist that was absolutely amazing uh performs for you and there was also some dancing uh and so I highly encourage you to consider taking that optional tour shunbun Palace is one of my favorite
Optional tours here in uh Vienna you’ll have the opportunity to go to one of the most magnificent homes of the hapsburg dynasty this is where Maria Teresa fell in love with this home that was a hunting lodge but then she decided she was going to make it even more
Impressive and believe it or not it is often referred to as a mini versa and last but not least we are now at the last Port of Call which is the danu river the danu river divides hungary’s Capital it used to be the Buddha side
And the PES side and it over the last few decades became Budapest and it is one of the continent’s most iconic cities you will absolutely love it and this city lights up at night so here you will enjoy a tour tour with a local tour guide it’ll be a panoramic tour that
You’ll begin in the modern pesh side you’ll have the opportunity to go to The Elegant Andy Avenue which is like the shums aliz of Budapest as well as drive- through hero Square which is a monument that is filled with monuments and plazas on the Buddha side it’s really quite
Neat because you’ll go across the river the two sides were connected by the lovely Chain Bridge so the sites that you will see from the Buddha side overlooking the Dan River to the pesh side you could see the picture here how stunning the parliament looks and you’ll
Also have some great views of the Chain Bridge from here um as well as while you’re on the Buddha side you will be touring the fisherman’s Bastion the mat’s church you also may have the opportunity to go to the Royal Palace and the most magnificent views of the
PES side your tour here on the grand European tour will conclude and you’ll be then moving on to your extension or flying home our extensions on the grand European tour include two nights in Budapest you can also do the three nights in Prague uh which I do highly
Recommend while you’re in this region we also have two nights in Amsterdam and and uh we also have the ha and Amsterdam and when you join us on an extension your hotel is included as well as your transfers so that is an important note for you to make so once again thank you
So much for enjoying this presentation hopefully just as much as I enjoyed presenting it to you we appreciate all of you for listening in and learning more about the grand European tour uh thank you to our travel advisors and to all of our passengers and we look
Forward to seeing you on board vik Ging
Discover how you can traverse three of Europe’s great rivers—the Rhine, Main and Danube—on a single journey, our 15-day Grand European Tour. Follow along as Shannon Tiger, Viking’s East Coast-based Business Development Director, passionately highlights the cultural treasures and historic landmarks awaiting you in guest-favorite cities, including Budapest, Vienna and Cologne. Then, uncover the best of The Netherlands, from Kinderdijk’s UNESCO-listed windmills to Amsterdam’s impressive network of canals. To learn more or leave a comment, you may reach out anytime at vikingfamily@viking.com
Broadcast on Viking.TV on February 14, 2024.
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