Introducing Incantato Dolce Vita: "Enchanted Christmas Markets of Germany and Austria"

Incantato Dolce Vita Tours proudly present the second opportunity for individuals and small groups to join our unique journeys that are usually reserved to already existing groups only. However, with the lauch of our Dolce Vita lines, we are now welcoming past travelers from our tours as well as new guests that appreciate our approach to international travel. Enchanting Christmas Markets is a tour that will run with as little as 30 travelers at a great low price. Since people from all over the US and Canada are invited to join, this is a land-only package. Here is a quick summary of the package: + Experience some of the grandest and most historical, well-known Christmas Markets as well as unique celebrations in charming off-the-beaten path towns and villages. Soak up settings, ambience and atmosphere unmatched in the U.S. and bring home memories to last a lifetime.

+ Ample opportunities to purchase one-of-a kind handmade Christmas decorations and unique presents at a fraction of the cost charged in the U.S.

+ Plenty of free time for sightseeing or just relaxing, last but not least German spa treatments are divine, but very affordable.

"Enchanted Christmas Markets of Germany and Austria" is a festive journey for all senses - see, feel, taste, smell, and hear what makes the European Holidays so very special. As you travel with a local Incantato Tour Manager throughout Germany and Austria, you will soon make new friends and experience the joy of being a real traveler and not just a tourist.

Taste traditional European Christmas specialities, warm up with mulled cider or traditional Gluehwein, grilled Bratwurst or crispy potato pancakes, learn how to make Stollen and other festive treats, meet local Artisans.

This unique seven day journey to Germany and Austria is currently scheduled for arrival in Frankfurt on December 2 and departure from Munich on December 8, 2012. Additional dates may be offered after this date fills up and as always we can gladly offer special departure dates for already existing groups.

As always, Incantato will provide all the arrangements in Europe — comfortable 4 star hotels, transportation in a private deluxe bus with Incantato driver, buffet breakfast daily and three traditional dinners,and you will be accompanied by an expert Tourmanager from arrival to departure, plus get to meet local expert guides for four city tours. Again, all you need to do is book your own flights from your nearest international airport to Frankfurt and back from Munich once the tour is confirmed.

The tour cost for this very inclusive package is $1616 USD per person in a shared double room based on 30 participants. We can offer single rooms at a supplement, but recommend you find a friend or two or three to travel with as it saves you this hefty surcharge imposed by the hotels (and not us as Incantato Tours does not mark-up single rooms supplements) and you do have more fun with your friends joining for sure.

Now here comes the important fine print: The tour cost is based on 1 Euro = $1.50 USD. Any currency fluctuation over +/- 2% affects the overall tour price and result in an increase or decrease. For more information, a detailed itineray and the registration form, please email us to dolcevita@incantatotours.com. We offer a $50 early sign-up discount if you register and deposit for your tour before January 7, 2012 as that is the closing date for most 2011 Christmas Markets in Europe. Your deposit is fully refundable if the tour does not operate due to lack of participants.

Incantato Dolce Vita- Danube River Cruise overview

Budapest (Hungary)

Bratislava (Slovak Republic)
Wien (Austria)
Dürnstein (Austria)

Melk (Austria)
Linz (Austria)

Passau (Germany)

Vilshofen (Germany)

Incantato Dolce Vita- Danube River Cruise Itinerary

 

DAY 1 Saturday, April 2, 2011
Overnight Flight to Budapest


DAY 2 Sunday, April 3
Welcome to Central Europe
Your Incantato Tour Manager welcomes you at Budapest airport and brings you to the cruise ship for a champagne reception and check-in at the MS Amalyra river cruise ship. The afternoon is at leisure to rest and explore the Hungarian capital city before you gather for a welcome dinner aboard with traditional Hungarian fare and Gypsy music. Don’t forget that typical local wines are served complimentary aboard during dinner every night.

DAY 3 Monday, April 4
Budapest Sightseeing – Sunset Sail
Enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour with a local guide ending in the Castle District. Lunch will be served on the ship and the afternoon is at leisure for additional sightseeing and shopping. After another gourmet dinner, and once the sun sets over the Danube, your floating hotel will start the journey to Slovakia, and seeing Budapest by night from the water is a very special treat. Some of you may even want to experience the sunset sail-away from the rooftop hot-tub where a local brandy will be served as you bid farewell to Hungary.

DAY 4 Tuesday, April 5
Bratislava - City Tour & Beer Tasting, Vienna by Night
Good morning in Slovakia and welcome to Bratislava. After an orientation tour of the
historical city center, a special Slovakian beer tasting awaits the Incantato Dolce Vita group. Learn
about and taste the two traditional styles from various local breweries. After some free time, the ship continues on to Vienna and docks in the Austrian capital for two nights.

DAY 5 Wednesday, April 6
Vienna Sightseeing & Heurigen Evening
“Willkommen in Wien˝: Your guided tour includes the city‘s highlights followed by a Vienna brew pub visit and talk with an Austrian brew master. The afternoon is at leisure to visit museums, shop or just people watch. Upon return to the ship, a traditional Heurigen evening with Austrian specialties and live music awaits you.

DAY 6 Thursday, April 7
Beautiful Danube Valley: Dürnstein & Melk -Abbeys and Apricot Delicacies
Visit the picturesque town of Dürnstein and taste some of the local products like Marmalade or Schnapps made from the indigenous Marille, an Austrian apricot, then take a guided bicycle tour or visit the stunning Benedictine Abbey of Melk. Today will feature not only one, but two wine-tastings, first off the ship at Weinresidenz Sonnleitner, then aboard your floating hotel as the journey continues towards Linz.

DAY 7 Friday, April 8
Visit Linz and Optional Excursion to Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov
Prior to saying “Auf Wiedersehen Austria”, visit Linz- home to Bruckner, Mozart, and some really good beers. Those of you who don’t mind a few hours bus ride can choose between an optional excursion to Salzburg or crossing the border to the Czech Republic and South Bohemia to experience Cesky Krumlov‘s historic city centre and a medieval-style luncheon in a cellar restaurant that was a former prison. Tonight, continue on to Germany.

DAY 8 Saturday, April 9
Hallo Deutschland: Ancient Passau & Vilshofen “Oktoberfest”
Upon arrival in Germany and Bavaria, visit the historical fairy-tale town of Passau, founded by the Romans over 2000 years ago. See how the locals eat, drink and dress. If there is still space in your suitcase, you may want to add some Lederhosen or a Dirndl for special occasions like tonight’s “Oktoberfest” in charming Vilshofen. Eat, drink and be merry in the rustic atmosphere of a local beergarden, accompanied by folk music, song and dance. Upon return to the ship, the party continues as this is your last night on the cruise.

DAY 9 Sunday, April 10
Scenic Drive to Prague
Embark from the ship after breakfast and head to the heart of the Czech Republic by bus to visit its capital city Prague with a local guide. Your tour includes the Royal Castle District, Charles’ Bridge and historical city center. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure for some last minute shopping, a final beer tasting and is followed by a fun farewell dinner.

DAY 10 Monday, April 11
Departure home to Charlotte or Prague Extension.
As the official Incantato Dolce Vita Tour comes to an end, the flight group returns home today via Munich airport which features its own brewery. However those of you making your own travel arrangements may well decide to stay a few days longer in or around Prague.

Floating Hotel on the Danube: MS Amalyra, a four-star boutique vessel

Built in 2009, 360 feet long and 38 feet wide - that could be your home on the Danube river during your performance tour 2011 from Budapest to Vilshofen. The MS Amalyra was designed and built in Holland by Europe's best ship builders and under the watchful eyes of Europe's top Caterers. There are 2 lounges located on the Upper Deck from which you can enjoy panoramic river views, the Panorama Lounge which accommodates up to 150 passengers, and the smaller Adagio Lounge in the Aft of the ship, which can also be reserved for group meetings. A wellness area is located in the aft area of the Violin Deck. This generously designed space includes a glassed-in fitness room, massage and beauty salon. Each ship has an elevator, which very few river cruise ships feature. The onboard culinary staff offers menus comprised of soups, fresh produce, high quality choice cut meats, and fresh fish and seafood. Start your day with a breakfast buffet and choose from a rich assortment of breads, croissants and pastries, a variety of fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals, and smoked salmon. In the evening, be the guest for an elegant dinner or a traditional theme night with a feast of regional specialties.

Incantato Impressions: Danube River Cruise

Bratislava's vast wine history

The capital of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava, is located amidst the Small Carpathian Wine Region, one of the six registered wine areas in the Slovak territory. The Small Carpathian Wine Region is the oldest wine-producing region in the nation.

The first references to wine production in Bratislava dates back 2,600 years, prior to the arrival of the Celts to the land. Later, the Celts and then especially the Romans diligently pursued the tradition of viticulture, when the legionnaires, in times of peace, planted and cultivated vineyards under the orders of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus. The viticulture survived and developed even after the fall of the Roman Empire, especially during the period of Great Moravia.

The growth and development of Bratislava’s viticulture has perpetually flourished since the 13^th century when commercialized distribution of wine took hold to satisfy the demands of the locals. Second only to the castle region, Bratislava townspeople are among the largest population of vineyard owners in the Small Carpathians. The high quality of the wine has secured a permanent market throughout the centuries. Through both local and foreign trade, the town has continued to thrive. Throughout history, regular buyers of Bratislavan wines have included such great rulers as Louis I the Great, Sigmund, and Ladislav V. Queen Maria Theresa loved the local wines, her favorite being the Fränkisch from Rača.

The most widespread grape varieties in the past were Veltlínske zelené (Green Veltliner), Silvánske zelené (Green Silvaner and Red Silvaner), Fränkisch and Portugal for the red varieties.

As early as the 13^th century, some Bratislava wine growers had the right to serve wine freely on tab in inns. Tradesmen, tapsters, and publicans also professionally served wine house-to-house, from their own homes, and public wine inns. Drunkenness at these public inns rarely resulted in the loss of face and good reputation, as the main reason for drinking was to relieve oneself of “devouring” worries.

Presently, Bratislava and its surrounding communities are part of the most important Slovak wine producers and represent the highest quality local wine production. Today the whole region actively “lives” with wine. Each year, the Small Carpathian Wine Region attracts a vast international crowd by hosting grape-picking festivities, open cellar days, the blessing of young wine, celebrations for Saint Urban—the patron saint of wine growers and producers, wine tastings, and a wine trail, in addition to a plentiful variety of wine bars, cellars, and shops.

Along with their top quality wines, the Slavs also flaunt their good hosting skills with their traditional cuisine. Local wine bars and restaurants also serve such regional specialties as knofle (dumplings), osuchy (dry-baked dough), dolky (baked pancakes), sciskance (potato pancakes), sulance (gnocchi), and a variety of hearty soups. Dessert consists of decadent pastries, doughnuts, cookies, and scones. The region’s most famous dish, however, remains traditional goose or duck served with potato pancakes. Regardless of one’s desired meal, Bratislava wine restaurants will always offer a perfectly paired glass of high quality wine to compliment the dish.

Vienna Sightseeing Tip: The Mumok

The Mumok (Museum Moderner Kunst/Museum of Modern Art) is the biggest museum of contemporary art in Central Europe, and Vienna’s greatest. The Mumok is always worth a visit, if only for its architecture. And inside it’s just as impressive, since the curators can draw from an extensive collection and present interesting focal points. There are five levels with works by Pablo Picasso, Nam June Paik, Andy Warhol and Günter Brus, ranging from Pop Art to Photorealism and from Fluxus to New Realism. 230 pieces were given to the museum by the German industrialist and art lover Peter Ludwig and his wife Irene in 1981. The Mumok regularly organizes special exhibitions and is known for its large collection of art related to Viennese Actionism. The Mumok is located in the Museumsquartier in Vienna, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Wien. It is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, Thursdays till 9 pm. This sightseeing tip originates from the website www.redguide.at.

Austrian Wine

Want to learn more about Austrian wines? Allow us to direct you to the official Tourism Austria website
Austria’s wine regions are both beautiful and easy to visit. In fact, once you step off the plane in Vienna, you have already arrived in one of the world’s most unique wine region. Vienna. Then about one hour south east of Vienna lies the Burgenland, and one hour west of Vienna is the region of Lower Austria with many beautiful valleys. Many of them along the Danube.
We also recommend visiting the following website: Austrian Wine, NYT on Austrian Wines, Wikepedia on Austrian Wines that features the different varieties and wine producing regions in a beautiful way with excerpts to follow.

Germany's unique beer tradition

Beer reigns as one of the recognized and popular characteristics of German culture. The nation is home to approximately 1,300 breweries, second only to the United States’ 1,500. The German beer market stands independently from the rest of the world’s beer market due to the German brewers’ adherence to the Reinheitsgebot, or “purity order,” instated in 1516 that requires all German beers to be made only with water, hops, and barley-malt. The law also requires any beers not using barley-malt, such as what and rye, to be top-fermented (warm-fermented). The Germans fall only behind the Czechs and Irish in their per capita consumption of beer.

Germany brews a wide variety of beers. Germany’s top fermenting beers include Weizen, Weizenback, Roggenbier, Berliner Weisse, Leipziger Gose, Altbier, and Koelsch, which range from 2.5 to 8 percent alcohol by volume. Germany’s bottom-fermenting, or cold-fermenting, beers include Helles, Schwarzbier, Pilsener, Export, Spezial, Dunkel, Rauchbier, Bock, Dunkler Bock, Doppelbock, Eisbock, and Muerzen. These varieties are commonly found on tap throughout American bars and range from 4.5 to 15 percent alcohol by volume.

German beer tradition includes leaving some beers unfiltered. Kellerbiers, German for “cellar beer,” are unfiltered lagers conditioned in a similar manner to cask ales. Strength and color will vary, but Kellerbiers most commonly appear a deep amber color with an approximate 5 percent alcohol content.

Zwickelbiers take their name from the traditional practice of the brewery boss taking a sample from the barrel with a special pipe tool called a “Zwickelhahn.” Zwickelbiers are an unfiltered lager like Kellerbier, though with a slightly different conditioning process that gives the lager more carbonation. Zwickelbiers tend to be younger, lower in alcohol content, and less hoppy than Kellerbiers. Many US breweries will use the terms Keller of Zwickel to market unpasteurized beer. German whet beers, Weissbier, are available in unfiltered, Hefeweizen form, or filtered, Kristallweizen form.

Enjoy the locally brewed beers of historic Regensburg

Regensburg, located along the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, lies to the west of the Bavarian Forest in Bavaria, Germany. Regensburg serves as the capital of the Bavarian administrative region of Upper Palatinate, and the city’s medieval center is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The first settlements in Regensburg date back to the Stone Age when the Celts originally settled near the present city. The Romans are accredited for founding the city in approximately AD 90 when they built a small cohort fort in what is now the Regensburg suburbs. The Roman fort Castra Regina, meaning “fortress by the river Regen,” was built for Legio III Italica in AD179 during the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The fort’s location became the core of Regensburg’s Altstadt, or “Old City.” Saint Boniface re-established the Bishopric of Regensburg here in 739.

A stone bridge crossing the Danube from Regensburg was completed in 1146, securing the city’s role as a city of wealthy trading families. Regensburg became the cultural center of southern Germany, known for its gold work, fabrics, and beautiful town square.

Regensburg became the World War II Area Headquarters of Military District XIII in the early 1940s, but unlike most other major German cities, Regensburg survived the war relatively undamaged. The city’s slow economic recovery in the post-war era ensured that historic buildings were not torn down, and when the upswing came surged through the city in the 1960s, they mindset favored preservation and restoration of the city’s heritage and historical sites.

The fully-restored historical town square consists of many stunning sights, including the German Gothic Dom Cathedral originally founded in 1275, the Romanesque Basilica of Saint James, the old parish church of Saint Ulrich which houses the diocesan museum of religious art, the fourteenth century town hall, the Golden Tower, and the Gothic villa of the King of Bavaria. Visitors also enjoy visiting Saint Emmeram’s Abbey, now known as Schloss Thurn und Taxis, a huge castle owned by the powerful Thurn and Taxis families.

Although some wine is still grown on the river banks in Regensburg, the city’s main drink is surely beer. The city boasts three functioning breweries and two brew pubs, producing a variety of beer styles, from lighter Pils to heavy Dunkels; wheat beer (Weizen) is also locally made. A popular pub favored by the locals is the "Kneitinger" at the Arnulfsplatz 3. Also the beergardens near the Danube "Alte Linde" and "Spital Garten", both reachable from the Stone Bridge, offer a perfect way to taste Regensburg-brewed beer. The Bischofshof beer can be tasted next to the cathedral in the court of the “Bischofshof,” the brewery’s former location.