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Overview
Dates May 23 — Jun 06, 2009
Activity Level Moderately active
Travel in the footsteps of explorers, invaders, missionaries, and merchants who used Europe's great rivers to crisscross the continent, from alpine Switzerland through France, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Follow their route on a modern-day cruise along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers aboard the luxurious, privately chartered riverboat, Casanova. See the majestic, Bernese Alps, the vineyards of Wachau Valley, and the grand European capitals of Vienna and Budapest. Admire the splendid Benedictine monastery in Melk, and explore the medieval city of Bamberg. Regional wines and cuisines, dazzling palaces, resplendent gardens, and privately arranged musical performances add to the richness of this program.
To download a full brochure for this program, click the PDF button at the top right side of this page.
Map
Itinerary
- Day 1 — U.S. / Zurich, Switzerland
- Day 2 — Zurich / Interlaken
- Day 3 — Bernese Alps
- Day 4 — Basel / Embark
- Day 5 — Strasbourg, France
- Day 6 — Mainz, Germany
- Day 7 — Wurzburg
- Day 8 — Bamberg
- Day 9 — Nuremberg
- Day 10 — Regensburg
- Day 11 — Melk / Weissenkirchen, Austria
- Day 12 — Vienna
- Day 13 — Vienna / Bratislava, Slovak Republic
- Day 14 — Esztergom, Hungary / Budapest
- Day 15 — Budapest / Disembark / U.S.
Highlights
- Ascend the Bernese Alps by cog railway for spectacular views of the Eiger North Wall and the Jungfrau and Monch peaks.
- Enjoy a guest lecture and tour at Vienna's Kunsthistoriches Museum, one of Europe's most treasured art repositories.
- Sample fine regional wines in the Wurzburg Residence, bratwurst in Nuremberg, and savory Hungarian specialties in Budapest.
- Visit a replica of Johannes Gutenberg's workshop and see a copy of the Gutenberg Bible.
- Attend a Mozart concert in Vienna and a performance of Schrammel, Austrian country music, in Weissenkirchen.
- Cruise the Main-Danube Canal, winding 106 miles through rural Bavaria, the Franconian Alps, and the scenic Altmuhl Valley.
Program Leaders
Ursula Rehn Wolfman
Ursula Rehn Wolfman grew up near the French/German border and holds a doctorate in European art and literature. She is passionate about the area's art, architecture, literature, and music, as well as its food and wine, and has shared this fascination with travelers on many past European tours. Her lectures will focus on the relationship between the area's architecture, art, music, and literature from the Romanesque era through the Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods to the 19th and 20th centuries.
G. Robert Hamrdla
G. Robert Hamrdla has taught German and Central European history at Stanford since 1972, first in German Studies and International Relations, and currently in the Continuing Studies program. He also spent five years working in Europe as director of Stanford's overseas programs in Beutelsbach, Krakow, and Berlin. Bob has been a study leader on numerous European river journeys as well as in the Czech and Slovak Republics.
Sponsors
Smithsonian Journeys
Stanford Travel / Study
Accommodations
Cruise Ship
The Casanova
Built in 2001 and refurbished in 2005, the deluxe Casanova carries 96 passengers in 48 cabins. Cabins on the Verdi deck have full-length French doors that open inward; cabins on the Rialto Deck have large windows. Standard cabins on both decks are 140 square feet and the two junior suites are 160 square feet, and all are beautifully appointed with built-in closets, desk, shower and toilet, television, telephone, and four-channel radio. Hairdryers and terry robes are available upon request. Bedding is a European-style duvet with feather pillows and eiderdowns (synthetic materials are available upon request). The Casanova offers five meals daily in a dining room that accommodates all guests at a single seating. The ship's amenities include a bar, lounge, sun deck, hair salon, laundry facilities, and an infirmary with a doctor. The best crew-to-passenger ratio of any European river vessel--one crew member for every 2.5 passengers--ensures the highest quality of service and attention.
Program Rates
Airfare
U.S. domestic and international airfare is not included in the program rates. Please call for assistance with your air travel arrangements.
Program Rates
From $8,990 per person, double occupancy.