western europe & russia

Blue Danube: Tauck River Cruise

Linda Young
Cruising on the Danube in a beautiful riverboat is indeed a treat, but Tauck makes it even more special with a great itinerary and awesome tours & events!

We began our tour in the lovely city of Prague in the Czech Republic. Our city tour included the Old Town, the Prague Castle and the famous Strahav Monastery's grand libraries. We ended our stay in Prague with one of our favorite events on the trip - a Gala evening of dinner & music with members of the Czech nobility at the Renaissance-era Nelahozeves Castle.

The next day, we traveled to Regensburg, Germany, the oldest city on the Danube, for a city tour & lunch. Built in the 12 century, the stone bridge into the town is a marvel of medieval construction still in use today. Then we boarded our riverboat, the Swiss Emerald, and set sail on our Danube adventure.

Passau, Germany was our first port destination and we enjoyed our tour of this Baroque city. The Cathedral of Saint Stephens was particularly interesting since it houses Europe's largest organ with 17,774 pipes.

Our full day excursion to Salzburg, Austria was a cruise highlight. Salzburg, Mozart's hometown, has many lovely sights. We enjoyed the Mirabelle Gardens and the historic district before having lunch in an authentic Austrian restaurant, Café Tomaselli. That evening onboard the Emerald, Austrian musicians and dancers entertained us.

The cruise continued through the Wachau Valley with its well-preserved medieval landscapes. We enjoyed a walking tour of Durnstein, Austria, with its 16th Century houses, a former Monastery, & the Castle ruins. After a wine tasting in the village, we went back to the boat for another fabulous dinner.

Vienna...our next stop...

our trips

Albums of western Europe

England

Egham Great Fosters

England

London & Countryside

The difficulty in London is deciding what to do from among the hundreds of options. But there is one place that draws me like a magnet: Westminster Abbey. Here you will find the Christenings, the crownings, the marriages, the fervent prayers, and the final benedictions for the kings, queens, and...

England

Yorkshire

Finland

Helsinki

France:

Paris Gourmet

Germany

Berlin

Berlin, Germany, is an amazing journey through time, culture, incredible collections of antiquities, and architectural anomalies. In one miniature city, you can travel from ancient times through the fabulous museum collections of Egypt and Persia to the newest museums depicting the persecution of...

Ireland

Dublin

As the song says, "Irish eyes are smiling!" And yours will too, when you visit the beautiful Emerald Isle. On a recent tour of the southeastern part of the Republic of Ireland, I truly fell in love with the green Irish countryside, the rugged coast, the fabulous Manor House hotels, the sheep...

Netherlands

Amsterdam

Everywhere, a spot of local color, from tulips, daffodils and hyacinths abloom in flower boxes or in grand gardens... in historic windmills preserving a vanished way of life... at a chef-topped lunch in a terraced countryside castle... in gabled houses dressed in maritime lore along Amsterdam's tree-lined canals... in Dutch paintings... and more.

Russia

Moscow

Onion domes in brilliant jewel colors tell you instantly that you are not in a familiar western country. Moscow's buildings remind you of home, but you know there is something exotic that you must discover. It does not take long to sense the excitment in the air, nor to notice all the attractive young women in the fur jackets and leather boots, in the world's most expensive city. That is, if you are a tourist.

Russia

St. Petersburg

Peter the Great took a team of a hundred artisans and craftsmen to London and the Netherlands to learn the skills necessary to build the palaces of St. Petersburg, and this carried over into the love of fine art as Catherine the Great acquired the works of artists which began the collection of the Hermitage. People return from a visit to Russia thinking that St. Petersburg is the show piece of the country.

Scotland

Edinburgh

And then there is Scotland...home of golf and St. Andrews, the bagpipes, the clans and the tartans, Robert the Bruce and Mary Queen of Scots, the Highlands and the Borders, castles, crags, salmon and haggis, Edinburgh and the Military Tatto. Scotland has always been the feisty one that stood...

Sweden

Stockholm

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about us

Owner Linda Young and her staff have traveled on six continents and visited well over one hundred countries and all of the fifty states. These experiences by land, as well as extensive cruising on all the deluxe cruise lines, make us uniquely qualified to help you choose the perfect trip. Our clients participate in many delightful experiences that are unknown to others.

contact info

(864)232-8880
550 East McBee Ave | Greenville, SC 29601