14 Nights Europe River Cruise

When overlooking Budapest from the Royal Palace wall or the Fisherman's Bastion of "Castle Hill," it's easy to see why Budapest is called " The Pearl of the Danube." Its grand buildings and beautiful bridges are architectural marvels, especially when the flood lights illuminate them at night. Hungary's capital has broad avenues, leafy parks and elaborate bathhouses and thermal spas. The River Danube serves as a good orientation landmark with Buda on the hilly left side and flat Pest on the right. The sights in Buda include "Castle Hill", Gellért-hegy and its prominent Liberty Statue, and the Citadella. Pest is the commercial center or downtown "Belváros" with highlights such as Vaci Street known for window shopping, fine restaurants and casual cafes.

Austria's capital has always attracted artistic genius. Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Kafka and Freud were either born or moved here. Strauss waltzes and apple strudel are what come to mind to most visitors, but its most striking features are its Schwarzenegger-sized Alps and monumental Baroque edifices.

Durnstein is a small town on the Danube river in the Krems-Land district, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.

Passau, a German city on the Austrian border, lies at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers. Known as the Three Rivers City, it's overlooked by the Veste Oberhaus, a 13th-century hilltop fortress housing a city museum and observation tower. The old town below is known for its baroque architecture, including St. Stephen's Cathedral, featuring distinctive onion-domed towers and an organ with 17,974 pipes.

The city hails back to Roman times. See the mighty Porta Praetoria and the magnificent merchants' houses dating back to the Middle Ages. Visit Steinerne Brucke (Stone Bridge) which connects the main part of the ceith with the settlement on the Danube's other bank. Tour the Petersdom cathedral's sumptuous baroque interior and two Gothic towers. Try Bavarian cooking at the Alte Wurstkuche (Old Sausage Kitchen).

Set on the vine-clad banks of the Main River and embellished with beautiful baroque masterpieces and delightful Franconian wineries, this lively university city of Wurzburg serves as a suitably picturesque starting point for Bavaria's Romantic Road.

Wertheim is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of around 23,400. It is located on the confluence of the rivers Tauber and Main. Wertheim is best known for its landmark castle and medieval town centre

A romantic wine village located along Germany's Rhein River.

The capital and cultural centre of the Netherlands is dually considered a gracious, formal cultural centre and the most offbeat metropolis in the world. Some of the best art in the world, including that by Van Gogh, is showcased in over 40 fine museums. Its attractive canals and gabled houses are a popular subject for local burgeoning painters.