Budapest - Vienna & Prague 2026-27

The three splendid capitals of Central Europe in a single tour, to take your breath away. The Danube flows through two of these splendid cities, each with its own character: Vienna with its elegant, ever-festive imperial architecture, and Budapest, which offers itself to everyone with a riot of lights, bridges and public baths. Prague, on the Vltava, enchants with its characteristic historic centre where time seems to have stood still.

Budapest, the union of three cities: Óbuda, "ancient Buda"; Buda, the upper town, on the left bank of the Danube; and Pest, the lower town, on the right bank of the river. The history of Budapest begins with the oldest city, Óbuda, occupied by Celtic tribes until the Roman conquest in the 1st century BC. Óbuda, which the Romans called "Aquincum", was founded in the year 89 on an ancient Celtic settlement. For four centuries it was the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia. The name Aquincum comes from the word "aqua", water, a reference to the many thermal springs in the area that brought Budapest such fame. Buda began as a Roman colony, founded in 14 BC. In 896 AD, a union of seven Magyar tribes defeated the Romans, colonising the region and settling in Aquincum, which later (in the 13th century) was named Óbuda, and where two new cities were founded, separated by the river: Buda and Pest. Hungary was born as a nation in the year 1000 with the coronation of its first king, Stephen I, and in 1222 the country's first Magna Carta was granted. The Mongols invaded and destroyed the city in 1241, and King Béla IV ordered its reconstruction, giving rise to the new Buda, facing ancient Óbuda. Buda became the capital of the country in 1361, when the area began to flourish, reaching its peak in the 15th century under the great King Matthias Corvinus. In 1526 Pest fell into the hands of the Turks and in 1541 Buda suffered the same fate. Buda became the Turkish capital, while Pest was depopulated. The Turks held power until 1686, when they were driven out by the Habsburgs and Budapest became part of the Austrian dominions. The Habsburg era was truly prosperous for the city, and many churches and public buildings were built. In 1784 Joseph II founded a university in Budapest and in 1849 the first permanent bridge over the Danube, the world-famous Chain Bridge, was inaugurated. During the European revolutions of 1848 the Hungarians rose up against the Austrians; the revolutionary movement was soon put down and Habsburg authority restored. In 1867 the history of Budapest saw the creation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and a golden age began for the capital and the nation. Industrial activity was concentrated in Pest, which became the most populous part of the capital. In 1873 Óbuda, Buda and Pest were finally united under the name of Budapest, and the city became the second most important in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, after Vienna. After the First World War, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye - by which Austria renounced the rights of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy - separated Hungary from Austria, creating the independent Hungarian State. After the signing of the Treaty of Trianon in 1920 (the agreement imposed on Hungary by the Allies) and the fall of Béla Kun, Hungary lost the territories of Slovakia, Ruthenia, Transylvania, the Banat of Temesvár and Croatia, more than two thirds of its territory, and Budapest became a capital too large for so small a state. In the Second World War Budapest was bombed by the Allies, who partly destroyed it. When the conflict ended, the city fell into the Soviet orbit. In October 1956 the city rose up against the government and Soviet influence. This revolutionary movement was suppressed by the intervention of Soviet troops. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, Hungary abandoned Communism and finally regained its freedom, giving birth to the Republic of Hungary. In 2004 Hungary joined the European Union.

Schönbrunn Palace.

The former summer residence of the Habsburgs is renowned for its luxurious Imperial Apartments and magnificent garden. The Palace was once home to Empress Maria Theresa, Emperor Franz Joseph, Empress Elisabeth and their retinue. It is one of the most beautiful Baroque buildings in Europe. Habsburg property since 1569, in 1642 Eleonora Gonzaga, wife of Ferdinand II, had a noble residence built there and christened it "Schönbrunn". Construction began in 1696, after the Turkish siege, and the palace and its garden underwent radical changes after 1743, in the time of Maria Theresa of Austria. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site by virtue of its historical value, unique setting and sumptuous furnishings: 1,441 rooms at the disposal of Emperor Franz Joseph and "Sissi". Emperor Franz Joseph was born in this very palace in 1830, and the monarch spent the last years of his life here. The Palace has 1,441 rooms in all; of these, only 45 are open to visitors. The interiors are furnished in Rococo style. In the Hall of Mirrors at Schönbrunn Palace, the child prodigy Mozart played at the age of six. In the Round Chinese Cabinet, Maria Theresa used to hold her secret conferences with Chancellor Prince Kaunitz. In the Vieux-Laque Room, Napoleon held his councils. In the Blue Chinese Salon, Emperor Charles I signed his renunciation of government in 1918, marking the end of the monarchy. The Millions Room, panelled in rosewood and decorated with precious miniatures from India and the Orient, is considered one of the most beautiful Rococo rooms in the world. The Great Gallery hosted the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15. The park of Schönbrunn Palace is open to visitors free of charge all year round and boasts impressive fountains, statues, monuments, trees and flowers and the sumptuous Gloriette. The Imperial Carriage Museum, the Crown Prince Garden, the Orangery Garden, the maze, the zoo, the Palm House and the Desert House are also part of the palace park and can be visited on purchase of a ticket.