Black Sea Explorer River Cruise

Your Black Sea adventure begins in Bucharest, the capital of Romania where you will witness Ceaucescu’s imposing Palace of Parliament, the largest building in Europe and then journey through the farmland and valleys of the Transylvanian Plateau, passing medieval towns and castles as you venture into the Carpathian Mountains. You will visit Bran Castle, originally a stronghold of the Teutonic Knights and more widely known as the legendary home of Count Dracula.

Next is Cernavoda to board your luxury Scenic ‘Space-Ship’, your home for the next seven nights. You will visit the seaside town of Constanta; the resort town of Mamaia; Russe; the UNESCO World Heritage-listed village of Arbanassi; Veliko Tarnovo, a town with a rich historical past dating back to 3,000 BC; and the former Roman fortress town of Svistov in Bulgaria before re-boarding your ship. Next you will cruise the spectacular Iron Gate, a narrow gorge carved by the Danube between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains, which forms a natural border between Serbia and Romania.

In Serbia’s capital Belgrade, one of the oldest capital cities in Europe and site of the famous siege in 1456 which ‘decided the fate of Christendom’, you will visit Tito’s memorial, Fortress Kalemegdan and St Sava Church. In Vukovar you will be invited into the home of a local family for a home cooked traditional lunch and an opportunity to learn about everyday life in Croatia, before continuing to Ilok, famous for its old cellars, for a wine and cheese tasting. The Baroque Hungarian provincial town of Kalocsa is renowned for its decorative embroidery and paprika production, and is where you will visit a Hungarian Puszta horse farm.

You will disembark your Scenic ‘Space-Ship’ in Budapest and visit the Communism Heritage and Memorial Park or rejuvenate at the Budapest Thermal Baths and Spa. You will also tour both Buda and Pest, linked by the famous Chain Bridge, the medieval town on Castle Hill and dine on sumptuous Hungarian cuisine.