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Home , Baba Vida, Bucharest, Danube, Iron Gates, Osijek, Palace of the Parliament

OLLI @ Granite State College presents ...

River Cruise Tour featuring our privately owned 140- to 162-passenger exclusively for American travelers ITINERARY OVERVIEW Eastern to the MAY 21, 2019 : • : , , • : , • Day 1 • Depart U.S. : , Ruse • : Constanta, Day 2-3 • Bucharest, Romania $ Included Tour Bucharest 14 days from 13 days from $ 4795 3395 Day 4-5 • Bucharest • Constanta with international airfare Cruise Tour only from Boston Embark Included Tour Constanta (Optional Extension) Day 6 • Ruse, Bulgaria Optional Tour & Arbanassi Da nube (Optional Extension) Day 7-8 • Vidin • Iron Budapest Included Tour Vidin HUNGARY

ITALY ROMANIA Day 9 • Belgrade, Serbia CCRROAOATATTIA Osijek Vukovar (Optional Extension) Included Tour Belgrade Arrival/ Departure Novi Sad Bucharest Optional Extension BOSNIABBOO & Belgrade Day 10 • Novi Sad Cruise Route HERZEGOHHEERZ VINA SERBIA Ruse Constanta Motor Route Vidin a Included Tour Novi Sad e Total Cruising 1177 miles S Distance (1898 km) Optional Tour BULGARIA k c a l

B Day 11 • Croatia IT’S INCLUDED Included Tours Vukovar • Osijek

International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel Day 12-13 • Budapest, Hungary surcharges, unless you choose to make your own air arrangements Included Tour Budapest Accommodations for 10 nights aboard a private river ship with wireless Internet access Optional Tour Hungarian Jewish Heritage now in all common areas and cabins, and 2 nights at the Sheraton Bucharest or similar ALL meals: Daily breakfasts, 10 lunches, 11 dinners—including 5 meals in local Day 14 • Return to U.S. restaurants—plus onboard house beer & wine, as well as soft drinks Disembark ship 7 included tours with personal headsets and 5 exclusive Discovery Series events— School visit • Home-Hosted Lunch • Gypsy Women discussion • Life Under Communism discussion • Danube-Black Sea Canal transit & discussion OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS all with FREE Single Supplements Local Program Directors, a Grand Circle Cruise Line exclusive: These dedicated Transylvania, Romania experts are with you (and no more than 47 travelers) every step of the way to provide 3-night pre-trip from $645 insider’s knowledge and the perspective that will enrich your experience Prague, Czech Republic Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers 4-night post-trip from $995 All port charges: a value of $145 per person Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage per person, including tips 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next Grand Circle trip—an average of $262

PLEASE MENTION THIS CODE WHEN BOOKING G9-27564

Reservations & Information 1-800-597-2452 • Press 2 www.gct.com/lbs2019 WHAT TO EXPECT

Group Size • Not accessible for travelers using • Travel by 140- to 162-passenger • This trip has a group size wheelchairs or scooters river ship, and 49-seat coach of 38-45 travelers • Travelers using walkers, crutches, or • Changes in water-level depths may other mobility aids must travel with require adjustments to your itinerary Pacing a companion who can assist them • 13 days, with 10 nights aboard a private • We reserve the right for Program Climate river ship, and a two-night hotel stay Directors to restrict participation, • Daytime temperatures range from • Return flights often require or in some circumstances send 58-82°F during cruising season departing in early morning travelers home, if their limitations • June-August are the warmest months impact the group’s experience • Air travel time will be 11-20 hours and • March and November weather can be unpredictable and change quickly will have at least one connection Terrain & Transportation Physical Requirements • Uneven walking surfaces, including steep paths, hills, riverbanks, • Walk 1-3 miles unassisted 25-50 stairs without handrails, and and participate in 2-3 hours cobblestones, which can be slippery of physical activities in wet or colder conditions

YOUR ITINERARY

DAY 1 Depart U.S. on a panoramic tour. This is an old 700 architects and around 1.5 million city that has served as the of factory workers to complete the DAY 2 Bucharest, Romania and later Romania since 1659. project. Ceausescu passed away before Arrive today in Bucharest. You are Today, it is noted for its broad, tree- the massive undertaking was finally met atthe airport by a Grand Circle lined , well-kept parks, and finished in 1994. mix of architectural styles that combine representativeand transferred to your Dinner is on your own this evening. hotel. Depending onyour arrival time Neo-Classical 19th-century structures B—River Ship and hotel check-in policy, you may not with monumental 20th-century be able to check into your hotelroom edifices (the latter built for the DAY 4 Bucharest • Constanta • immediately upon arrival at your hotel. most part to satisfy the late dictator Embark ship Your Program Director will advise you Nicolae Ceausescu). You’ll view the After enjoying the morning at leisure, of your check-in status and activity (commemorating the we’ll gather for lunch in a local schedule for theday when you arrive. achievements of World War I soldiers) restaurant before transferring to and drive along Victory Avenue to You have the balance of the day to relax Constana where you’ll embark your Revolution Square, where recent events after your overseas flight. private Grand Circle river ship, which in history are inscribed. Celebrate your arrival in Romania with will be your home throughout your After lunch on your own, enjoy the a Welcome Drink, and get acquainted Black Sea cruise. rest of the afternoon at leisure. withyour traveling companions and your Tonight, meet your fellow travelers over Perhaps you’ll visit the majestic Program Director. This evening, enjoy dinner onboard. of the Parliament, the second dinner at your hotel. largest administrative in the B,L,D—River Ship D—River Ship world—and certainly one of the most DAY 5 Constanta • Danube-Black impressive. Dive into the controversial DAY 3 Bucharest Sea Canal transit • Captain’s history of how the massive palace came Welcome Dinner If you began your European discoveries to be under the Romanian dictator early with our optional pre-trip Nicolae Ceausescu. After an earthquake This morning, enjoy a guided tour of extension in Transylvania, Romania, devastated the city in 1977, Ceausescu Constanta, a Romanian Black Sea port you will join the group today. This took advantage of the land and recruited that is the country’s oldest continually morning, get acquainted with Bucharest

Reservations & Information 1-800-597-2452 • Press 2 www.gct.com/lbs2019 inhabited city. Dating back more natural border between Romania and DAY 8 Iron Gates• Life Under than 2,500 years, Constanta boasts Bulgaria. Communism discussion a wealth of fascinating You may spend your day at leisure You have a day of leisurely cruising, and history. Myth holds that Jason exploring Ruse independently, or you and a good opportunity to observe life and the stopped here after could join us for an optional excursion to along the banks of the Danube from your recovering the legendary Golden Fleece. discover two key Bulgarian historic sites: comfortable deck chair as your Program On your included tour, you’ll explore the Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of Bulgaria Director provides insights about the beguiling city center, the Cathedral of from 1186 until 1394, and Arbanassi, a . After breakfast, enjoy a bridge Saints & Paul, the mosaic-paved historical village of Bulgarian heritage. commentary about the Danube River. Roman Edifice of Tomis, the You’ll enjoy time on your own in both Later in the morning, join us in an Constanta Casino, and other highlights locations to make your own discoveries, Exclusive Discovery Series discussion of this beloved city. and you’ll enjoy an included traditional on Life Under Communism with your Following lunch, your Danube and Black lunch in a local restaurant in Arbanassi. Program Director. Then, after lunch Sea begins by sailing into B,L,D—River Ship onboard, join the chef in the (the the Danube-Black Sea Canal, a 40-mile ship’s kitchen) for a special tour. engineering marvel begun in 1949, but DAY 7 Vidin, Bulgaria Throughout the day, you’ll cruise along not fully completed until 1987. You’ll This morning, enjoy panoramic views of a stretch of the Danube that was once pass through the canal’s lock system Bulgaria route to Vidin. After lunch, a raging river pounding through deep and cruise by the of you’ll arrive in Vidin, Bulgaria’s main gorges. In the 1960s, Yugoslavia and Murfatlar and . port on the Danube. Here we’ll enjoy Romania cooperated on a joint venture This evening, celebrate the start of an included walking tour and a visit to that raised the level of the Danube with your Eastern European odyssey at the , a medieval fortress of two a series of hydroelectric called the Captain’s Welcome Dinner. walls and four towers. Baba Vida was the Iron Gates. The Danube is now placid B,L,D—River Ship city’s main defense in the between the Iron Gates, the craggy two- and also the most important fortress of mile long gorge now underwater. In the DAY 6 Ruse, Bulgaria • Optional Veliko northwestern Bulgaria. Please note: Some morning, you’ll pass through Iron Tarnovo & Arbanassi tour walkways at Baba Vida have tough and II; you’ll continue through Iron Gate I uneven surfaces and dark passageways. Early this morning, arrive in Ruse, which later this afternoon. is situated where the Danube forms a B,L,D—River Ship B,L,D—River Ship

Reservations & Information 1-800-597-2452 • Press 2 www.gct.com/lbs2019 DAY 9 Belgrade, Serbia • Gypsy available for your use. Your Program discover Novi Sad on your own. Perhaps Women discussion Director will have suggestions for various you’ll choose to explore the local sights and activities for learning Fortress, built between 1692 and 1780 Early this morning, we’ll arrive in and discovery. by the Austrians as a defense against Belgrade, the capital of Serbia (and invading Turks. Declared a historical former capital of Yugoslavia), one of This evening, join a local gypsy woman monument 200 years later, this partially Europe’s oldest cities, and the center of for an Exclusive Discovery Series restored fortress is now a museum. Delve political and cultural life in the country. discussion. She’ll provide insight into deep into its strange past, including a Belgrade and the rest of Serbia are just what her day-to-day life looks like, the twelve-mile network of underground now emerging from many years of stigma surrounding gypsy women, and tunnels, a mysterious well with supposed repressive rule, with a welcoming spirit how she’s breaking tradition and paving links to black magic, and an iconic clock for visitors. the way for a new generation in this tower on which the size of the minute dynamic country. Enjoy tonight’s dinner Enjoy a full morning in Belgrade, and hour hands are reversed. onboard. beginning with an included tour around Or, join us on an optional excursion to this grand old city, which was built B,L,D—River Ship Sremski Karlovci, a culture-rich centuries ago along important east-west Novi Sad just ten miles southeast of Novi Sad. trade routes and used as a gateway to DAY 10 • Optional Sremski Spend the afternoon exploring the town, from the . You’ll Karlovci tour including visits to a beekeeping museum see the Town Hall, St. —the largest After breakfast this morning, enjoy and a 300-year-old wine cellar. Orthodox cathedral in the world—and the an included tour of Novi Sad, Serbia’s Kalemegdan fortress. You also explore cultural hub and second-largest city. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local the Tito Memorial, erected to honor Josip The beauty of the city is in its name— restaurant. Broz Tito, who held Yugoslavia together Novi Sad in English translates to “new B,L,D—River Ship as an independent country in the turmoil garden.” Nestled along a bend in the that followed World War II and the Danube River, Novi Sad is peppered DAY 11 Vukovar, Croatia • Osijek • subsequent Cold War. After your tour, with myriad historical and cultural School visit • Home-Hosted Lunch • enjoy lunch onboard. monuments, verdant parks, bustling Batina squares, a thriving pedestrian zone, and a Please note: The Tito Memorial is closed After docking this morning and passing history-rich fortress standing tall on the on Mondays. through customs in Vukovar—site of the right bank of the river. worst artillery shelling of the Croatian- After lunch back onboard the ship, After lunch onboard, the remainder of Serbian war—you’ll take a short walk explore the city on your own—you’ll the afternoon is at leisure to further through the town and see some of its have a shuttle bus to and from the city

Reservations & Information 1-800-597-2452 • Press 2 www.gct.com/lbs2019 scars, as well as witness its revival. to the west and Pest (the left bank) to Tonight, dinner is onboard. Then you’ll set out to explore Osijek, the the east. B,L, D—River Ship administrative and economic center of In Pest, you’ll see Heroes’ Square, eastern Croatia. with its Millennial Column set off DAY 13 Budapest • Optional Hungarian Jewish Heritage Situated on the River, about by equestrian statues of the ninth- tour • 15 miles from the mouth of the century Magyar leaders who conquered Captain’s Farewell Dinner Danube, the area the city occupies was this region in the ninth century. The Spend the day enjoying the wonders populated even in prehistoric times, adjoining colonnade displays more of Budapest on your own. Or, join an and the Romans erected the first statues of kings, dukes of Transylvania, optional tour exploring Hungarian urban settlement. But its advantageous and liberty fighters who influenced the Jewish Heritage. You’ll visit the Great geographical location made it prey to history of Hungary. , the largest in Europe, assault throughout the centuries. It was designed in a Moorish style but with As your tour takes you over the Danube destroyed by the , rebuilt in the Byzantine, Romantic, and Gothic bridges into , you can see how the Middle Ages, destroyed by the Turks, elements. Then you’ll see the Kazinczy imposing Parliament Building dominates and rebuilt again in the 18th century. Orthodox Synagogue, the center of Pest on the opposite side of the river. As a result, Osijek boasts an eclectic traditional orthodox Jewish life here; the While in historic Buda, you’ll visit architectural heritage, which you’ll see Emanuel Memorial Tree, a memorial to Hill, where a massive castle, including its on your city tour. Hungarian victims of the Holocaust; and protective ramparts, has been designated the Jewish Museum. Among the more notable sites are the a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mostly Tvrdja, a unique urban and military destroyed during World War II, the After lunch onboard, the remainder complex that lies in the center of the Royal Palace has been lovingly restored, of the afternoon is at leisure to make city and was built between 1712 and approximating its former splendor, and further discoveries on your own in 1721 by the new Austrian authorities; a now includes the Hungarian National Budapest. Celebrate your discoveries on neo-Gothic Cathedral of Saints Peter Gallery. In your free time, you can also the last night of your Danube River and and Paul, with a 290-foot spire; and a visit the Church of Our Lady, formerly Black Sea cruise at the Captain’s Farewell striking, 690-foot modern pedestrian used for the coronations of Hungarian Dinner. bridge that rises over the Drava. Reliving kings. Its popular name of Matthias is Please note: The Hungarian Jewish Heritage its own cruel history in our era, Osijek in recognition of the king optional tour is not available Saturdays and was heavily damaged during the who ruled in the and whose on regional holidays. Croatian-Serbian war that waged from heraldic sign—a raven—is displayed B,L,D—River Ship 1991 to 1995. Now peaceful, the city is on one of the towers of the church. experiencing a rebirth of civic pride and Dating to the 13th century, the structure DAY 14 Bucharest • Return to U.S. cultural and economic achievement. is an interesting mix of architectural After breakfast, disembark and transfer styles used during reconstruction of the Following your walking tour, partake in to the airport for your flight home. Or building at different times in its history. two Exclusive Discovery Series events. travel overland to Prague, Czech Republic Note that during the 150-year Turkish First, visit with students at a local school for your post-trip extension. occupation of Hungary, the church (when in session) supported, in part, by served as Eski Djami (Old Mosque) for B Grand Circle Foundation. Then, enhance the Turks. Inside the church you can your appreciation for everyday Croatian view art of Bertalan Szekely and Karoly life as you join a local family for a Lotz, 19th-century Hungarian painters. Home-Hosted Lunch. After lunch onboard, you’ll enjoy free Later this afternoon, transfer by time to relax or explore Budapest on motorcoach to Batina, where you’ll your own. meet your ship. Dinner is onboard this evening. Budapest offers some particularly fine B,L,D—River Ship museums and galleries. The Hungarian National Gallery contains excellent DAY 12 Budapest examples of from the After breakfast, you’ll set out to explore Middle Ages on. The collection is Budapest on an included city tour. comprehensive and somewhat massive, Budapest is situated on both sides of the so give yourself plenty of time to Danube River, with Buda (the right bank) enjoy it. Parliament, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Budapest History Museum are also worth a visit.

Reservations & Information 1-800-597-2452 • Press 2 www.gct.com/lbs2019 WATCH VIDEOS & FILMS ONLINE Learn more about to the Black Sea

TRIP EXPERIENCE TRIP ITINERARY PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Get to know Ruse, Bulgaria, by Learn more about your itinerary, Hear what it was like for Tatjana meeting a few people that call like optional tours, exclusive Bojovic to grow up during the this town set on the banks of the Discovery Series events, and more. . Danube home.

Eastern Europe to the Save up to 10% with our exclusive Good Buy Plan Black Sea Here’s how you’ll save up to 10% based on a trip price of $5000

RIVER CRUISE TOUR WITH ROUND-TRIP AIRFARE Months That You Pay in Full DECK Prior to Your Final Payment Due Date Guarantee Your Good Buy Plan Prices shown below include our Prelude Deck H Cabin (90 days prior to your departure date) Price and Receive: Savings: A Serenade Deck $4495 B (Top Deck w/) $4295 12 months or more 10% $500

C Sonata Deck $4095 11 months 9% $450 (Middle Deck w/picture ) D $3995 10 months 8% $400 E $3895 Cantata Deck 9 months 7% $350 F (Middle Deck w/picture window) $3795 8 months 6% $300 G Prelude Deck $3595 H (Lower Deck w/small window) $3395 7 months 5% $250 6 months 4% $200 Depart from: 5/21/19 5 months 3% $150 Boston $1400 4 months through final Additional departure cities are available. Call for details. $50 off $50 payment due date Deposit: $500 per person. Good Buy Plan savings is calculated based on total reservation cost Single Supplement: $595. Single accommodations are limited. To avoid the single supplement, ask about our Roommate Matching Service. GOVERNMENT TAXES AND FEES The following government taxes and fees are now included in your airfare price. Government and other authority taxes and fees: September 11th Security Fee of up to $2.50 USD applies per passenger, per flight segment (maximum charge per trip—$5.00 USD one- way, $10.00 USD round trip). A flight segment is defined as one takeoff and one landing.Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) of up to $18 per passenger. Federal Domestic Flight Segment Fee of up to $3.70 USD applies per passenger, per flight segment (defined as a takeoff and a landing).U.S. or International Departure and Arrival Charges of up to $200 USD may apply depending on itinerary. On select itineraries that include the purchase of a pre- and/or post-trip extension, U.S. or interna- tional departure and arrival charges of up to $300 USD may apply. Call for details. Standard Terms & Conditions can be found on the web at www.gct.com/tc.

Reservations & Information: Call Toll-Free: 1-800-597-2452 • Press 2

PLEASE MENTION THIS CODE WHEN BOOKING G9-27564

CST 2041626-40