Cruise through Eastern Europe’s hotspots

From the famous Iron Gate, to Vienna, the “City of Waltzes”, to the enchanting Black Sea, you’ll cruise through the classic sites and emerging hotspots of Eastern Europe on Trafalgar’s 15-day Eastern Europe Explorer river cruise.

This cruise offers you an eclectic mix of archaeological highlights, natural wonders and intriguing cosmopolitan cities, with some of the exciting destinations on your cruise being Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Vukovar, Belgrade, Kostolac, Iron Gate, Vidin, Belogradchick, Rousse, Silistra, Oltenita and Bucharest.

You’ll visit the Serbian archoelogical site at Viminacium, a former Roman outpost with wide streets, luxurious villas, extensive baths and an amphitheatre, recently opened to the public. Later in your holiday, before taking a Black Sea cruise to Balchik, you’ll visit the Archaeological Museum at Varna, home to artifacts from the excavations in the Varna Acropolis, as well as the Gold Treasures of Varna dating back 6000 years.

Your cruise will take you to some of the world’s most famous castles, including the UNESCO-listed Castle Hill district in Budapest, and Bran Castle in Bucharest, home to Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Bram Stocker’s Dracula. You will also be delighted by many amazing natural wonders such as the magnificent landscapes of the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains, along with the fairytale stone world surrounding Belogradchick, made of weathered red sandstone in fantastic formations.

As you cruise, you will not only pass through magnificent landscapes and charming towns, you are able to enjoy exciting onboard entertainment, including onboard lectures from cultural experts local entertainment and participate in the Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Dinners.

Trafalgar’s 15-day Eastern Europe Explorer river cruise is priced from $4475 per person, twin share (excluding airfares). Departures are available from 8 April to 12 October, 2007.

The cruise price includes guided city tours with all-English speaking guides, scenic overland shore excursions, accommodation in a luxury outside stateroom, all meals onboard the ship, all transfers and the services of an experienced cruise manager.

As a city steeped in history, yet on the cusp of current trends, Vienna has a lot to offer travellers and with Trafalgar, you can choose to explore this city in more depth on a pre or post cruise optional extension. Priced at $980 per person, twin share, your four-day fully hosted grand city stay includes three night’s accommodation, breakfast daily, transfers and a tour of the Palaces at Belvedere.

Trafalgar’s river cruise program offers a relaxing, hassle free way to explore Europe. Travellers are delivered into the heart of Europe’s most enchanting destinations on an unforgettable journey aboard Trafalgar’s deluxe fleet of intimate vessels.

With 60 years of experience, Trafalgar has perfected the art of providing travellers with hassle-free, seamless holidays in the United Kingdom, Europe, USA and Canada. Trafalgar’s commitment to value, quality, and innovative new ways to travel ensures your holiday will be an experience to remember. It really is a case of “Dream. Pack. And leave…the rest to us”.

For a copy of Trafalgar’s 2007 River Cruise Book or for more details on Trafalgar’s full range of holidays visit the website at www.trafalgar.com or email [email protected]

Report by The Mole