Jewish Heritage Cruise This Fall featuring Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
Thursday, September 01, 2011 -
Jewish Heritage Cruise featuring Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.
Immerse yourself in hundreds of years of Jewish Heritage history while cruising down the romantic Danube river aboard the AMA Amalegro. Rabbi Shmuley will be aboard offering private lectures and cocktail parties for our exclusive group.
The trip starts with an optional 3 days in Prague then concludes in beautiful Budapest. All shore excursions, meals on board, (including wine and beer with dinners), cocktail parties and lectures on board are inlcuded with the fare. Fares start at $2099 plus taxes, not inlcuding airfare. (Discount group airfares are available) Optional Prague excursion is $690 and includes some meals.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, don't miss out, cabins are very limited so book now. You can only book the Rabbi Shmuley cruise through www.renocruise.com, or call 877-528-9344 toll free. Details of the cruise are below.
Day 1, DEPART USA. Board your overnight flight to Prague, Czech Republic.
Day 2, ARRIVE IN PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC. Arrive in Prague and transfer to your hotel. The balance of the day is free to start exploring this beautiful city.
Day 3, PRAGUE. Today’s Jewish Heritage Tour starts off with a tour of Josefov, the former Jewish Ghetto, which was the largest and oldest in Europe and now houses the second largest Jewish museum in the world. After a visit to the Old New Synagogue, the oldest working synagogue in the world, you will tour the Jewish Cemetery in Zizkov. This cemetery, established in 1680, is known as the first Jewish cemetery in Olsany and is the resting place of a number of prominent Jews, including many Rabbis and scholars and novelist Franz Kafka. Or join the Prague city tour; this tour reveals why Prague is considered one of Europe’s most attractive cities. Begin with a scenic drive through Prague seeing the Dancing House and the Metronome overlooking the Vltava River before
arriving at the thousand-year-old Hradcany Castle for a visit. Afterwards, walk over Charles Bridge to the Old Market Square. The evening is free to mix with the locals at Wenceslas Square, shop for souvenirs or enjoy one
of the charming cafés or restaurants. Or, this evening, an optional Folklore Dinner Show provides an opportunity to learn about Czech music, dance and traditions. (B)
Day 4, PRAGUE. Join the optional tour to Terezin, the infamous Nazi WWII concentration camp, now a memorial to those who perished. Originally the fortress city of Theresenstadt, the Nazi concentration camp of Terezin was
first used as a police prison by the Prague Gestapo, it went on to be a Ghetto and concentration camp for Jews from all over central Europe. (B)
Day 5, PRAGUE – KARLOVY VARY – EMBARKATION – NUREMBERG, GERMANY. Depart from Prague after breakfast. Enjoy a short stop in Karlovy Vary, better known by its German name, Carlsbad, which is famous for its Bohemian Spas. After lunch, drive through the pastoral countryside to Nuremberg, the capital of Franconia.
Tonight, meet your fellow passengers at the Gala Welcome Dinner. The ship will moor overnight in Nuremberg.
(B,D)
Day 6, NUREMBERG – CROSSING THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE – DIETFURT. Enjoy a guided morning tour of this historic city of Nuremberg during the time of the Third Reich. Designated the “City of the Reichsparteitage”
(Nazi Party Rallies), visit Zeppelin Field and see Hitler’s Party Rally grounds. See the Justice Palace where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946, visit court room 600, and the Coliseum. Or join the medieval tour of Nuremberg
and see the storybook 900 year-old ramparts that surround this historic city and the Imperial Castle. Previously one of Europe’s greatest trade towns, see some of the original medieval city walls and towers constructed around
Nuremberg. Visit and learn about the legend of the Beautiful Fountain. Afterwards, spend your free time discovering more of cultural Nuremberg. Return to the ship for your cruise through the Main-Danube Canal and the highest point of your journey - 1,332 feet above sea level before descending through stair-step locks past the charming Bavarian town of Dietfurt. (B,L,D)
Day 7, REGENSBURG. This morning’s scenic cruising takes you through the final stretch of the Main-Danube Canal to arrive in magnificent Regensburg, one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities. The Jewish community of Regensburg dates to classical times when the city was known as Ratisbon. Your tour will explore the oldest Jewish Ghetto in Germany. A guided tour will show you the site of the Regensburg Synagogue, Jewish Cemetery “Judenau” and Oscar Shindler’s House. Or you can choose to participate in the Regensburg walking
tour. During your guided tour of one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities, see the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall, and the Porta Praetoria - gates to a Roman fort built in 179 AD. Marvel at
beautiful churches, the famous towers of the wealthy medieval families, and one of the oldest bridges crossing the Danube. An optional afternoon tour of the Audi Museum is also available. (B,L,D)
Day 8, PASSAU - LINZ, AUSTRIA. After breakfast, arrive in picturesque Passau, where the Inn and Ilz Rivers join the Danube. Your city tour takes you on an exploration of this fairy tale locale founded more than 2,000 years
ago. Or, substitute the city tour with the optional excursion to Salzburg, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for the “Sound of Music”. For those staying on board, enjoy a scenic cruise from Passau to Linz,
Austria. After dinner, take a walk through this delightful town, Austria's third largest city and a major river port.
(B,L,D)
Day 9, MELK - VIENNA. Cruise through the narrow Strudengau and reach the Wachau Valley early this morning. Your guided tour takes you to Melk's magnificent Benedictine Abbey. Return to the ship for lunch after which you
will cruise the romantic Wachau Valley. Arrive in Vienna, the "City of Music" before dinner. Explore the magnificent Austrian capital on your own, or participate in the optional Mozart and Strauss concert. This excursion
is an after dinner tour, from the ship, in Vienna. The concert will be held in one of the truly great formal concert houses of Imperial Vienna, such as the Hofburg Palace or Palais Auersperg. This unforgettable evening will
feature a mixture of both Mozart & Strauss; the most popular compositions of each. Following the concert, there will be an illumination tour of the Ringstrasse, before returning to the ship. (B,L,D)
Day 10, VIENNA. This morning’s tour puts the city’s rich Jewish Heritage in the foreground. Highlights of this tour include the Jewish Museum, Judenplatz, Sigmund Freud’s House, Jewish Cemetery and the Jewish Quarter in
Vienna’s 2nd District. Or join our Vienna city tour. Savor the Baroque elegance of romantic Vienna during your guided sightseeing tour, including the impressive Vienna Opera House, the majestic Ringstrasse, and the aweinspiring
St. Stephen’s Cathedral. In the afternoon, spend your free time strolling along the main shopping street, Karntnerstrasse, or sampling some of Vienna’s famous pastries. In the alternative, join an optional tour to the Imperial Schönbrunn Palace. Enjoy dinner as you continue your journey pass Slovakia and cruise overnight to Budapest, Hungary's vibrant capital. (B,L,D)
Day 11, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY. This morning, your sightseeing tour takes you to the Sankt Stephan Park where you can visit the statues of Raoul Wellenberg and Gabor Sztehlo, both credited with saving thousands of Hungarian Jews during WWII. Afterwards, visit the Jewish District where you will have a walking tour with highlights such as the Dohany St. Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Tree of Life. Or join the Budapest city tour. This morning excursion includes sightseeing in Buda & Pest. From historic Buda Castle, enjoy
a splendid view of the twin cities spread over both banks of the river. Your tour also features the distinctive Fisherman’s Bastion, the marvelous Royal Palace, St. Stephen’s Basilica, the famous Heroes’ Square, and much
more. In the afternoon join our optional 1956 Hungarian Revolution Tour. See the Parliament Building still bearing bullet holes from the Soviet intervention. Also, visit the “House of Terror,” a feared location of the
Hungarian secret police. Tonight enjoy a Gala Farewell Dinner. Afterwards, the ship will sail a special “Illuminations Cruise” past the illuminated river front of Budapest. (B,L,D)
Day 12, DEPART BUDAPEST. Your fascinating cruise comes to an end as you transfer to the airport for your
onward flight. (B)
Contact www.renocruise.com for more information on this great cruise!