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DAY 1, Sat Arrive in Berlin and transfer to Potsdam for embarkation. This evening, enjoy a Captain's welcome dinner on board (D): CRUISE
DAY 2, Sun Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in Magdeburg, a city which features a striking contrast of medieval monuments and modern architecture. You may choose to visit the historic Old Market and its Baroque City Hall as well as the famous 'Magdeburger Reiter' (Horseman of Magdeburg), or view the Romanesque monastery, the oldest preserved building of the city dating back to the 11th century. Other sites include the Gothic Cathedral of Magdeburg with its famous display of the "Foolish and the Wise Virgins," the tomb of Emperor Otto and the crypt remains built in the 10th century (B, L, D): CRUISE
DAY 3, Mon This morning, arrive in Wittenberg, otherwise known as Lutherstadt. Enjoy the day at leisure to explore the city on your own, or visit the 15th century All Saints' Church, the Schlosskirche ("Castle Church"), where Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the doors in 1517. Visit the Luther House Museum and Wittenberg Castle as well (B, L, D): CRUISE
DAY 4, Tues Cruise to Meissen where you can choose an optional excursion which includes the famous porcelain factory, with time to sample some authentic Saxon wine. Rejoin the ship in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. You may choose to explore the Green Vault, with its exquisite collection of jeweled objects d'art in gold and silver, or the Schloss Moritzburg, a hunting lodge originally built in the 16th century and later remodeled in the 18th century. Developed during the reign of Augustus the Strong, the spectacular chateau is surrounded by a beautiful park reserve and lake (B, L, D): CRUISE
DAY 5, Wed Today, enjoy an optional excursion of the grounds of Pillniz Palace and the historic mountaintop Fortress of Königstein. The Königstein Fortress ("Saxon Bastille"), located on a plateau more than 1,000 feet above the winding Elbe River, dates from the 12th century and served as a state prison until 1922, incarcerating prisoners the likes of the Crypto-Calvinist Caspar Peucer and the Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin (B, L, D): CRUISE
DAY 6, Thurs This morning, explore the small market town of Litomerice independently. After lunch, continue to Melnick (B, L, D): CRUISE
DAY 7, Fri This afternoon, arrive in Prague, a city which, despite having suffered two World Wars, has retained much of its original beauty. Enjoy an optional walking tour of this historic city, home to a wealth of significant sites including Wenceslas Square, Old Town City Hall and the Charles Bridge, an impressive stone Gothic bridge, built in 1172, and featuring 30 Baroque statues on each side, the most notable of them being that of St. John of Nepomuk, a Czech martyr saint who was thrown from the bridge and killed during the reign of Wenceslas IV. This evening, enjoy the Captain's gala farewell dinner on board (B, L, D): CRUISE
DAY 8, Sat Disembark and transfer to the airport for your departure flight (B).
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