Sail into Salzburg on 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music

Saga’s Salzburg and the Beautiful Wachau Valley river cruise features a two-night hotel stay in the musical city of Salzburg to ensure guests have time for a few of their ‘favourite things’ during the special anniversary year of The Sound of Music.

Whether it is climbing every mountain or searching high and low for The Sound of Music film locations, passengers will be well-placed at the four-star NH Hotel which is close to Mirabell Palace Gardens where Maria and the Von Trapp children sang Do-Re-Mi.

Nearby is Leopoldskron Palace, the lakeside residence used as the von Trapp family home, and Hellbrunn Palace where the romantic Liesl sang '16 going on 17'.

The city offers much more, too, with the magnificent cathedral and narrow lanes lined with burgher's houses, cobbled streets and horse-drawn carriages. Salzburg was the birthplace of Mozart and his former home can be found on Getreidegasse.

After the musical interlude, Filia Rheni II will sail on to Linz, a historic city on a curve of the Danube, and Passau, the 'Venice of Bavaria'. Here is the meeting point of three rivers – the Danube, Inn and Ilz.

Melk, with its medley of architectural styles from across the centuries, will be the next port of call before cruising along the Danube through the glorious Wachau Valley to Krems, a region ringed by vineyards. Guests will arrive in Bratislava to discover the charms of the 2,000-year-old city which was the capital of Hungary in the late Middle Ages and part of the Eastern Bloc between 1948 and 1993.

The last, but definitely not least, stop will be Vienna - home to the waltz, coffee houses and one of the world's finest opera houses. Explore the city where Marie-Antoinette grew up and where Mozart died. In the evening enjoy an optional after-dinner concert in the heart of the city featuring works by Mozart or Strauss.

10 nights from £1498, departing Heathrow (with local flight options from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle and Norwich) to Munich on April 23 and October 21. Extend the holiday by two nights in Vienna from £249.

The cruise is exclusive to Saga passengers and the price includes UK travel service, two nights in hotel, all meals, wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner on the ship, welcome cocktail party, entertainment and activities on the ship, two excursions, all gratuities, porterage and travel insurance.

(Photo credit to Saga Travel)

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