7 Night Cruise sailing from Passau roundtrip aboard Amadeus Diamond.

Since its debut in 2009 the AMADEUS Diamond has set new standards in European river cruising. This river cruiser is a nothing other than a floating luxury hotel, impressing its passengers from the moment they step on board. Allow this grand vessel to lure you away from normality - perhaps by inducing you to read an absorbing book in a chaise lounge on the sundeck, or to sample a relaxing massage. Get to see fascinating countries and meet interesting people over a convivial cup of coffee in the AMADEUS-Club or, while practising your golf on the putting green on the sundeck.

This fascinating journey takes you along one of the most beautiful stretches of the Danube right in the heart of the once brilliant imperial and royal Austro-Hungarian monarchy.

From the Bavarian city of Passau (where three rivers meet) the cruise goes downstream to Budapest, the city often described as the 'Queen of the Danube'. You pass through four European countries (Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia) and three capitals (Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava) and varied scenery such as the Schlögener loops below Passau, the picturesque Wachau district of Austria (steeped in legends), and the 'knee' of the Danube at Visegrad in Hungary; you also see the imposing cathedral of Esztergom in Hungary and the Benedictine abbey of Melk in Austria. This cruise encompasses both art and culture in places that bear witness to thousands of years of European history.

Highlights of this cruise:

Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north.

Tourism in Passau focuses mainly on the three rivers, the St. Stephen's Cathedral and the "Old City". With 17,774 pipes and 233 registers, the organ is the second largest in the world. Organ concerts are held daily between May and September.

Passau is also known for its gothic and baroque architecture. The town is dominated by the Veste Oberhaus and the former fortress of the Bishop, on the mountain crest between the Danube and the Ilz rivers. Right beside the town hall is the Scharfrichterhaus, an important jazz and cabaret stage on which political cabaret is performed.

Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. Cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, its extensive World Heritage Sites includes the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes' Square and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the world. Other highlights include a total of 80 geothermal springs, the world's largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building.

Most of Budapest's famous sights are concentrated on Castle Hill on the Buda side, in downtown Pest and along the riverside walkways. The main sights on Castle Hill are the Royal Palace, the National Gallery, the Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church. In downtown Pest the main sights are the Parliament Building, St Stephen's Basilica, the Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum and the Eötvös Lorand University.

Budapest is also known for its many hot and thermal springs. Budapest has 118 hot springs that supply the city's many bathhouses and spas with warm therapeutic spring water. Such was the reputation of its springs that in 1934, the Budapest was declared the "City of Springs."

Vienna
Vienna is a unique blend of the historic and the modern with a wealth of architecture and artistic and musical heritage. Many of the world's most important composers, including Beethoven and Mozart, have lived and performed behind Vienna's Baroque façades. In addition to this Baroque splendor, there are excellent examples of Art Nouveau architecture .

The heart of Vienna is the Innerestadt where some of Vienna's most popular tourist attractions can be found, along with pedestrianized streets lined with countless shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. The center point is the Graben (literally 'moat'), which is a wide square lined with shops and pavement cafes under large umbrellas. Following the demolition of the city walls in 1857, the Ringstrasse was laid out and some of Vienna's most beautiful buildings were built along it, between 1858 and 1865. Among the most important are the Staatsoper (State Opera House), Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts), Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum), Parlament (Parliament), Rathaus (City Hall) and Burgtheater.