Berlin
The Danube Express is waiting for you when you arrive, late evening, at Berlin Ost station. Step aboard and your sleeping car attendant shows you to your private accommodation. Make yourself comfortable in your compartment or join fellow travellers in the lounge as the train sets off towards the Polish border and the Baltic Coast.
Gdańsk & Malbork
Morning sees arrival in the charming city of Gdańsk. Historically a free city, it became synonymous with freedom as the birthplace of Solidarity and home of the flame that set in motion the collapse of communism. City tour highlights include the reconstructed Old Town with its picturesque Burgher houses and quaint harbour, St Mary’s, the world’s largest brick-built church and the Neptune Fountain. Lunch is taken en route to Malbork, once a stronghold of the Teutonic Knights. Here there is a visit to the castle, a magnificent 13th Century edifice standing on the banks of the River Nogat and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Back on board, relax with a drink before dinner in the restaurant car as the Danube Express heads south.
Cracow & Zakopane
Arrive in the fabulous city of Cracow, the ancient Royal Capital of Poland, now also a UNESCO World Heritage site. A guided tour provides an insight into the city’s colourful past, from Wawel Castle to the Old Town with its medieval Market Square, magnificent Cloth Hall and in St Mary’s Church, an elaborate gothic altarpiece, carved by Veit Stoss. During lunch, the train climbs through spectacular mountainous terrain to the ski resort of Zakopane where there is free time to admire unrivalled views of the Tatra Mountains. This majestic natural landscape continues as you dine and the Danube Express heads towards the Slovak border.
Košice & Budapest
Wake and enjoy the passing scenery as the train travels through the valley of the Hornad River to Košice. Here a walking tour encompasses the well preserved historical city centre, the focus of which is St Elizabeth’s Cathedral, one of the most beautiful examples of Gothic architecture in the world. Crossing the Hungarian border, lunch is served as the Danube Express heads west between the northern mountains and the Great Hungarian Plain. Sit back as the countryside drifts by, reaching Budapest Nyugati station late afternoon.
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