Graz: The city is situated on the Mur river, in the south east of Austria, some 200 kms southwest of Vienna. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a green and heavily forested area.
Graz is the second largest city in Austria and has a long tradition as a student city: its six universities have over 40,000 students. Graz's "Old Town" is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe. In 1999, it was added to the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. Graz was sole Cultural Capital of Europe for 2003.
Semmering Pass: The Semmering Railway traverses a mountain pass in the Eastern NorthernLimestone Alps connecting Lower Austria and Styria between which the Alps form a natural border. The railway reaches an elevation of 898 metres, and was significant as the first railway built across the Alps.
Constructed from 1848, and opened in 1854 the railway was the brainchild of engineer Carl Ritter von Ghega who rejected the use of iron and steel in favour of brick construction. Using 65 million bricks and 80,000 flagstones it was hailed as one of the greatest feats of civil engineering from this pioneering era of railway building. It runs through a spectacular mountain landscape and there are many fine buildings designed for leisure activities along the way. In 1998 the entire 42 kilometre route, with its 16 viaducts and 15 tunnels, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Vienna: Vienna, situated in the very east of Austria is its capital city, as well as the country's cultural, economic and political centre. The city has one of the finest cultural, architectural and artistic heritages in Europe.
There are many popular sites associated with composers who lived in Vienna including Beethoven's various residences and grave. Mozart has a memorial grave at the Hapsburg gardens and at the St Marx cemetery, where his grave was lost.
The days of the Habsburgs are recalled by the Imperial Palaces of the Hofburg and Schnbrunn, whilst there are more than 100 art museums, and the world's oldest zoo. Vienna's many churches also draw large crowds, the most famous of which is perhaps St Stephen's Cathedral with its trademark colourful tiled roof.
In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Veliko Turnovo: Situated on four hills this UNESCO World Heritage site overlooks the River Yantra.
Veliko Turnovo became capital of Bulgaria in the 12th Century and for 200 years was the most important centre of the area until falling to the Ottoman Empire in 1393. Ottoman rule continued until the 19th Century.
Located in the area are a number of Bulgarian Monasteries. Behind their austere façades are magnificent frescos and murals.
Prague: Prague, sometimes known as the city of a hundred spires, had developed by the 10th Century into an important trading centre where merchants from all over Europe gathered.
Situated on the River Vltava, the first bridge was built in 1170, to be replaced by the current Charles bridge in 1357.
The city boasts one of the worlds’ most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance to Neo-Classical and Art Nouveau, having suffered considerably less damage during World War II than some other major cities in the region.
Berlin: This once divided city has seen some dramatic changes since reunification, from the re-building of the Reichstag to the construction of the Potsdamer Platz commercial centre.
Take a boat ride on the River Spree, visit the famous Zoo, go shopping in Kurfurstendam or see the Babylonian Street in the Pergamon Museum – there’s just so much to see and do. Now the capital of Germany has once again become a thriving metropolis.
Lake Balaton: Lake Balaton, located in Hungary, is the largest lake in Central Europe, and a popular regional tourist destination. Due to Hungary being landlocked, it is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea". The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalised Si is the only outflow.
The lake's surface is 104 m above sea level, but it is very shallow, its mean depth is only 3.2 m and and at its deepest is only 12.2 m. It has a length of 77 km and a width ranging from 4 to 14 km.
The high tourist season extends from June until the end of August. The average water temperature during the summer is 25C, which makes bathing and swimming possible. Other tourist attractions include sailing, fishing and other water sports, as well as visiting the nearby countryside and hills; wineries on the north coast and night life on the south shore. Badacsony is a famous volcanic mountain and wine growing region as well as a lakeside resort.
Hévíz: Lake Hvz is located near to the western end of Lake Balaton, five miles from Keszthely. It is the largest thermal lake in the world, with a very strong flow of water believed to replenish the lake completely each day. The waters are reputed to have curative effects, and there is a thriving health tourism industry in the area.
The Festetics family realised the curative effect of the lake and started its development as a spa in the middle of the 18th century. However, its development ceased until in 1868 the building of the bathing resort, suitable for accommodation of guests began. In 1905 Reischl Vencel, a brewery owner from Keszthely, became the tenant of the bath and remained so for 35 years. Reischl built comfortable modern hotels, restaurants, and health spa facilities introducing resident doctors for the first time. The result was that after 1905 Hvz as a bath had an overnight success and became famous all over the country with visitor numbers expanding exponentially.
Budapest: Budapest is at the crossroads of Europe and is the perfect start (or finish) for the Danube Express.
The mighty Danube bisects the city. On the Buda side are the Royal Palace, Fisherman’s Bastion and Gellert Hill, in Pest are the business districts, Cathedral and City Park.
Budapest is built on hot water springs and has many spas and hot-water baths.
Kecskemét: Kecskemét lies in the centre of the Great Hungarian Plain about 50 miles south of Budapest and is the administrative centre for the area.
It was settled by goat herders over a thousand years ago and is famous for the production of apricot brandy and processing of fruit.
It has an attractive city centre with a magnificent Town Hall and many art nouveau buildings.
Keszthely: First settled by the Romans, Keszthely lies at the western end of Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe.
Situated in a large park to the north of the town lies the Festetics Palace originally built in 1745 and enlarged to over 100 rooms in the nineteenth century to a French design.
Keszthely has become a destination for many of the tourists visiting Lake Balaton in the summer.
Wieliczka: Wieliczka Salt Mine, situated about 10 km from the centre of Cracow, was one of the world’s oldest operating salt mines when in 1996 active mining ceased. It had been producing table salt since the Medieval Times. The mine is over 300km long and was excavated to a depth of 327m below ground.
Throughout its long history miners established a tradition of carving statues of historic and mythical figures, chambers, chapels and even an underground lake from the rock salt. This astounding mine is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is now open for tourists to visit.
Auschwitz: Auschwitz, in Polish Oswiecim, situated 50 kilometres west of Cracow, was the largest of the World War II Nazi concentration camps.
From 1941 until liberated by the Soviet Army on January 27th, 1945 more than one million prisoners, 90% of whom were Jewish, died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz Birkenau.
In 1947, in remembrance of the victims, the Polish state founded a museum at the site. Now around 700,000 visitors annually, pass through the iron gate crowned with the cynical motto “Arbeit macht frei” (“Work makes you free”).
Cracow: Cracow, in Polish Kraków, situated on the Vistula river at the foot of Wawel Hill, is one of the oldest and largest cities of Poland.
The former residence of the Polish kings and national capital until 1596, the city is considered by many to remain the spiritual heart of Poland due to its history of more than a thousand years.
In 1978 UNESCO placed Cracow on the list of World Heritage Sites, the same year as Cracow’s archbishop, Karol Wojtyla, was elevated to the papacy as John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.
Gdansk: Historically an important seaport since medieval times, the city is famous as the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, which hastened the demise of Communist rule in Eastern Europe.
Gdańsk is situated at the mouth of the Motlawa river, with access to the Vistula, whose waterway system connects 60% of the area of Poland.
The city prospered in the 16th and 17th centuries and has many fine buildings from the time of the Hanseatic League, including the main pedestrian thoroughfare flanked at both ends by elaborate city gates.
Malbork: Founded in the 13th Century by the Teutonic Knights, Malbork is noted for its Gothic Castle, one of the most striking in Europe. Under continuous construction for nearly 230 years it is the world’s largest brick castle and, together with its museum, has UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Malbork, originally Marienburg, is situated on the Nogat river, around 100 kilometres from the Baltic coast.
The whole region, once known as Prussia, is renowned as a source of amber.
Warsaw: Warsaw is Poland’s largest city and capital, situated roughly half way between the Baltic coast and the Carpathian mountains, on the Vistula river in the heartland of the Masovian plain.
The city has been devastated many times in its history, but most recently in World War II, some 85% of its buildings were destroyed. The Old Town has been rebuilt and, with the entry of Poland into the European Union in 2004, the city is experiencing the biggest economic boom of its history.
Brasov:
The main attractions in the Braşov area are Bran Castle and Peleş Castle.
Bran Castle, dating from the 15th century, was once the home of Prince Vlad Tepes and is often referred to as Dracula’s Castle.
In contrast, Peleş Castle is a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture and was completed in 1883. The interior is an opulent display of elegant design and historical artefacts. Its 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows, walls covered with Cordoba leather, Meissen and Sèvres porcelain, ebony and ivory sculptures.
Sighisoara: Sighişoara is one of the most beautiful towns in the heart of Transylvania.
For several centuries Sighişoara was a military and political stronghold and German architectural influences are visible throughout the entire city.
One of its most famous attractions is the Clock Tower (Council Tower), built in the 14th Century. This was the control tower of the main gate of the 2,500 foot long defensive wall. The tower has seven foot thick walls and was used to store ammunition, food reserves, archives and the city's treasures.
Tatra Mountains: The Tatras form the central, highest and most beautiful section of the Carpathian mountain range and are a natural border between Poland and Slovakia. Although considerably smaller than the Alps they are classified as having an Alpine climate.
The railway skirts the southern edge of the range affording passengers dramatic mountain views, with year-round snow usually visible on several peaks in excess of 2,500 metres above sea level.
Košice: Košice is the second largest city in Slovakia after Bratislava.
Dating from the 13th Century, Košice has many historic sights along its main street. St Elizabeth’s Cathedral is one of the most beautiful Gothic structures in the world and the Forgath Palace built in the early 19th Century now houses the State Science Library.
Formerly part of Hungary, Košice is now the administrative town for the area.
Istanbul: Istanbul, steeped in history, is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city where East meets West.
Not to be missed are Topkapi Palace, The Blue Mosque, The Basilica of St Sophie and the Grand Bazaar. A cruise on the Bosphorus provides a different aspect of this beautiful city and a short ferry ride takes you across the river to Asia. Soak up the atmosphere of the city on Taksim Square.
We are proud to present the Danube Express. With its carriages that have been fully restored to their original glory, we are ready and waiting to whisk you overnight to some of the most fabulously beautiful cities in Central Europe.
Graz: The city is situated on the Mur river, in the south east of Austria, some 200 kms southwest of Vienna. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a green and heavily forested area.
Constructed from 1848, and opened in 1854 the railway was the brainchild of engineer Carl Ritter von Ghega who rejected the use of iron and steel in favour of brick construction. Using 65 million bricks and 80,000 flagstones it was hailed as one of the greatest feats of civil engineering from this pioneering era of railway building. It runs through a spectacular mountain landscape and there are many fine buildings designed for leisure activities along the way. In 1998 the entire 42 kilometre route, with its 16 viaducts and 15 tunnels, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There are many popular sites associated with composers who lived in Vienna including Beethoven's various residences and grave. Mozart has a memorial grave at the Hapsburg gardens and at the St Marx cemetery, where his grave was lost.
Veliko Turnovo: Situated on four hills this UNESCO World Heritage site overlooks the River Yantra.
Prague: Prague, sometimes known as the city of a hundred spires, had developed by the 10th Century into an important trading centre where merchants from all over Europe gathered.
Berlin: This once divided city has seen some dramatic changes since reunification, from the re-building of the Reichstag to the construction of the Potsdamer Platz commercial centre.
Lake Balaton: Lake Balaton, located in Hungary, is the largest lake in Central Europe, and a popular regional tourist destination. Due to Hungary being landlocked, it is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea". The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalised Si is the only outflow.
Hévíz: Lake Hvz is located near to the western end of Lake Balaton, five miles from Keszthely. It is the largest thermal lake in the world, with a very strong flow of water believed to replenish the lake completely each day. The waters are reputed to have curative effects, and there is a thriving health tourism industry in the area.
Budapest: Budapest is at the crossroads of Europe and is the perfect start (or finish) for the Danube Express.
Kecskemét: Kecskemét lies in the centre of the Great Hungarian Plain about 50 miles south of Budapest and is the administrative centre for the area.
the largest lake in Central Europe.
Wieliczka: Wieliczka Salt Mine, situated about 10 km from the centre of Cracow, was one of the world’s oldest operating salt mines when in 1996 active mining ceased. It had been producing table salt since the Medieval Times. The mine is over 300km long and was excavated to a depth of 327m below ground.
Auschwitz: Auschwitz, in Polish Oswiecim, situated 50 kilometres west of Cracow, was the largest of the World War II Nazi concentration camps.
Cracow: Cracow, in Polish Kraków, situated on the Vistula river at the foot of Wawel Hill, is one of the oldest and largest cities of Poland.
Gdansk: Historically an important seaport since medieval times, the city is famous as the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, which hastened the demise of Communist rule in Eastern Europe.
Malbork: Founded in the 13th Century by the Teutonic Knights, Malbork is noted for its Gothic Castle, one of the most striking in Europe. Under continuous construction for nearly 230 years it is the world’s largest brick castle and, together with its museum, has UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Warsaw: Warsaw is Poland’s largest city and capital, situated roughly half way between the Baltic coast and the Carpathian mountains, on the Vistula river in the heartland of the Masovian plain.
Brasov:
The main attractions in the Braşov area are Bran Castle and Peleş Castle.
Sighisoara: Sighişoara is one of the most beautiful towns in the heart of Transylvania.
Tatra Mountains: The Tatras form the central, highest and most beautiful section of the Carpathian mountain range and are a natural border between Poland and Slovakia. Although considerably smaller than the Alps they are classified as having an Alpine climate.
Košice: Košice is the second largest city in Slovakia after Bratislava.
Istanbul: Istanbul, steeped in history, is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city where East meets West.
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