6. SAMPLING SERBIAN CULTURE IN BELGRADE Founded as a Celtic settlement in the 3rd century BC, Belgrade is steeped in history. Awaken dockside in Serbia’s cosmopolitan capital, where a lecture aboard ship paves the way for today’s guided sightseeing excursion. Visit Tito’s Memorial; see Slavija Square, the Parliament, City Hall, Republic Square and the National Theatre. Tauck also takes you inside the beautiful Royal Palace of Dedinje in Belgrade, built in the 1920s for the Yugoslavian royal family and now home to HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia and his family. Enjoy time at leisure to explore the sights on your own or join us for an optional excursion to Kalemegdan Fortress, returning to the boat for a late afternoon happy hour. The fun continues after dinner when local entertainers come aboard to perform a folkloric show with music and dancing. Meals BLD
7. THROUGH THE DANUBE’S IRON GATE Be on deck to watch the scenic heartland of Eastern Europe unfold during a leisurely morning on the Danube River today. Winding lazily for much of its length, the Danube suddenly narrows into a series of high cliffs to create four steep, spectacular gorges comprising the Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate of the Danube. Pass through these dramatic landscapes as you cruise along the Romanian-Bulgarian border. Look for a monument to the 2nd-century Dacian King Decebalus, a Romanian national hero, carved into the Danube’s rocky bank; it’s Europe’s tallest rock sculpture, completed in 2004 after a decade of work by a dozen sculptors. Savor views of the Transylvanian Alps as you cruise to Bulgaria. Meals BLD
8. BULGARIAN ARCHITECTURE & ART A leisurely morning cruise takes you to Bulgaria, the oldest state in Europe. Enigmatic and off limits during four centuries of Ottoman Rule and decades behind the Iron Curtain, today the country is a treasure trove of natural beauty and history. Disembark after lunch in Ruse, referred to by many as
Call your travel agent or Tauck at 877-519-1035
www.tauck.com/river-cruises 69
THE PALACE OF PARLIAMENT, also known as the “House of the People,” is a really
big deal. One of the largest administrative buildings in the world, this monumental building kept 20,000 workers and 700 architects busy round-the-clock for five years until it was – almost – completed to the satisfaction of the ambitious Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Eye-popping in grandeur and dressed in miles of silk drapery, magnificent handwoven carpets, rich marble and cherrywood flooring, patterned ceilings and walls, the interior is opulent and extravagant – and overwhelmingly spacious. Ceausescu envisioned hosting all the functions of state here, as well as living here with his family. His plans were thwarted during the Romanian Revolution of 1989 when he was forced to flee the capital and later, caught and executed, for, among other things, squandering his countrymen’s livelihood. Today, the new government and the National Museum of Contemporary Art occupy part of the mansion – and as a Tauck guest, you will enjoy a gala farewell dinner here, a very special honor exclusive to Tauck!
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