Our day onboard the AmaLea once again began with a delicious breakfast including some delicious fluffy gluten-free pancakes! After breakfast, those heading to Salzburg made their way to the lounge to meet for departure. Salzburg is a full-day tour featuring two stops and some of the most incredible views of the Austrian countryside – perfect of any lover of The Sound of Music. For those not going to Salzburg, there were two additional morning tours – a walking tour and a bike tour – available, however we decided to explore the town of Linz on our own. After a walk through the majestic town square, featuring its baroque architecture, and along the river lined with more modern buildings, we made our way back to the ship for you guessed it – LUNCH! Gluten-free beef stroganoff and linzer tortes were on the menu today. The menus are always built to showcase the local culture and cuisine of each day’s ports of call. Following lunch, it was time for our afternoon tour to Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Czech Republic!
Our bus ride from Linz to Cesky Krumlov took approximately 90 minutes, during which we passed through an adorable Austrian farm town, saw many beautiful rolling hills (all the while singing “the hills are alive with the sound of music” in our heads), and even passed through the Czech Bohemian Forest before we arrived in Cesky Krumlov. After a short walk, we made our way over a bridge crossing the Vltava River and walked into what I can only describe as what felt like a movie set come to life. Everywhere you looked was another moment that needed to be captured with a picture, but at the same time they just can’t do it justice – this is beauty that you truly have to see in person to believe. Our lovely tour guide took us throughout the city as she told us all about the rich history of the people and architecture of Cesky Krumlov – all very fascinating. AmaWaterways provides handy QuitetVox systems for all tours which allow you to hear the tour guide via an in-ear headphone with great range, which allow you to walk around, explore, and take plenty of pictures as you listen to your guide during your tours. While the entire visit was simply magical, one of the biggest highlights was enjoying a refreshing drink along the river at a lovely vegetarian and almost completely gluten-free restaurant – definitely one that will be a highlight for our guests in October! The journey back to Linz was another beautiful drive that provided a peaceful time for rest as we made our way back to the ship just in time for dinner and evening entertainment.
After dinner we made our way up to the sun deck (or should I call it the moon deck at night? :)) and enjoyed the evening views of Linz from the Danube River over a lovely glass of Austrian wine. Tomorrow we enjoy a morning/early afternoon sail through the Wachau Valley followed by a port of call visit to Weissenkirchen!
