Take a regal Danube cruise with TWO royal experts...
See the palaces adored by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as you sail with Kate Williams and Katie Nicholl
TRACE a fascinating chapter of Royal history on this journey from the heart of Germany to Budapest, the Hungarian capital. See the boyhood home of Prince Albert, discover the castle so loved by Queen Victoria she wished she could live there, and visit the town where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned after the Crusades.
This is a special Royal-themed cruise with guest appearances from leading historian Kate Williams, a TV presenter and award-winning author of books about our two longest-serving monarchs, and Katie Nicholl, The Mail on Sunday’s Royal Correspondent.
Beginning with a two-night stay in Bavaria, you will embark on a seven-night cruise along the Danube. Enjoy the graceful sophistication of Vienna, explore medieval monasteries overlooking the Danube, discover the spectacular Wachau Valley, then dock in splendid Budapest.
REASONS TO BOOK Kate Williams
Kate will join readers in Bavaria, a region rich with links to our Royal Family. As well as a talk and Q&A when she will discuss her books – Becoming Queen Victoria and Young Elizabeth: The Making Of Our Queen – she will accompany visits to Ehrenburg Palace and Rosenau Palace.
Royal retreats
Explore some of the places that were dear to Queen Victoria and her family, including Ehrenburg Palace where her mother grew up. You will also visit the birthplace of Prince Albert, the Rosenau Palace. This is a place which so entranced Queen Victoria that she wrote: ‘If I were not who I am, this would be my real home.’
Emerald Waterways ship
Your journey will be made in impeccable style on a beautiful Emerald Waterways ship, the ideal way to navigate the waters of the Danube. As well as being one of Europe’s most cutting-edge rivercruise experiences, your ship offers excellent service and free drinks on this particular voyage.
Katie Nicholl
The Mail on Sunday’s Royal Correspondent is a treasure trove of anecdotes and facts about the Royals. She will join readers for a talk and Q&A and a visit to the Vienna’s Sisi Museum in the Hofburg Palace.
Cultural treasures
Beyond the Royal connections, there is a wealth of culture around every turn of the river. Discover where Mozart and Strauss worked their genius in Vienna, admire the beauty of the Wachau Valley, see the 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey in Melk – and much more.
Great cities
Beginning in Nuremberg, where you will be based for two nights, you will see many of the region’s most entrancing cities. Embark from Passau, known for its baroque architecture, admire the genteel charms of Vienna and the culture of Linz, explore Bratislava (additional cost) and finish in Budapest, the grand Hungarian capital on the banks of the Danube.