An Incantato Favorite: Esztergom, Hungary

The Basilica of Esztergom, the cathedral of the Primate of Hungary, is the first in rank, and also the largest among the churches in the country. The church in the place of the present Basilica was founded by King St. Stephen during the first decade of our statehood.
At a time when the king himself had been staying in Esztergom, it was consecrated in honor of St. Adalbert, and was called „beautiful church". It had been completely destroyed during the time of the wars with the Turks. Only one of its side-chapels escaped destruction.

The construction of the present basilica was started by Prince-Primate Sándor Rudnay, according to plans by Pál Kühnel and János Packh, in classicist style. The laying of the foundation-stone took place in 1822. The construction had taken almost 50 years, because of long intervals due to the vacancy of the archbishops seat, and because of the 1848 War of Independence. Changes had been made by József Hild in the original plans. Finally the basilica was consecrated on August 31, 1856 by Prince-Primate János Scitovszky during the mass composed for the occasion by Ferenc Liszt.
The altar paintings are the work of the Venetian master Michelangelo Grigoletti. The frescoes were painted by a master from Munich Ludwig von Moralt. The statues were carved by the Italian sculptors Pietro Bonani and Pietro della Vedova, and by the Austrian Johann Meixner. Three Hungarian sculptors also worked for the basilica: the statue of St. Stephen the martyr is the work of István Ferenczy, the large statue of János Simor is that of Alajos Strobl.
The statues made by György Kiss can be seen at the side altars. The crypt of the basilica is the burial place of the Hungarian primates beginning from Ambrus Károly (1809). Auxiliar bishops and most of the members of the Basilicas chapter also have been buried here. The tomb-stones of some famous medieval primates like Dénes Széchy or János Vitéz can also be seen in the crypt.
A wonderful panorama of the Highlands (north-west) and of the Pilis Mountains (south-east) can be enjoyed from the cupola.

Incantato Welcomes You to Passau, Germany

Discover the city of three rivers: the blue Danube, the green Inn and the black Ilz. Passau, in the southeast of Germany, is located at the Austrian border. Situated at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz, Passau is known as "The Three Rivers City". The earliest evidence of human settlement dates back to the Neolithic. Passau was part of the Roman Empire for more than 400 years. It became an Episcopal seat in the year 739 AD. Passau was an independent prince bishopric for over 600 years. Finally in 1803, Passau was annexed into Bavaria. The setting of the Old Town, created by Italian baroque masters in the 17th century, shows soaring towers, picturesque places, enchanting promenades and romantic lanes. In the heart of Passau on the Old Town’s highest point rises St. Steven’s Cathedral, in which the world’s largest cathedral organ sounds. Sitting high above the rivers, the majestic fortress "Veste Oberhaus" on the Danube’s side and the Pilgrimage Church "Mariahilf" on the Inn’s side frame the city.Passau, with its unique charm and its atmosphere, is one of the most beautiful and spectacular German cities on the Danube.

In the year 2012 Passau is celebrating its 350th anniversary as a baroque town built in the Italian baroque style. There will be numerous events all year-round, such as concerts in the Cathedral, festivals, symposia, lectures, music performances, guided tours, etc. based on the theme “Baroque“. The ultimate highlight of the “Year of Baroque“ was the “Baroque Festival“ in Passau´s city center from August 31st to September 2nd, 2012.

Incantato Presents Interesting Facts about the Danube River

Where is the source of the river Danube?

The Danube begins as a small mountain stream deep in the Black Forest near Donaueschingen, Germany. That small stream soon becomes the second largest river in Europe (the Volga is the largest one).

The Upper Danube is home for how many capital cities?

four: Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), and Belgrade (Serbia)—more than any other river in the world. 

Through how many countries does the Danube flow?

Ten: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine 

The length of the Danube:

1,777 miles

Where does it end?

In the Black Sea.

Did You Know?

• The Danube Delta was first declared a nature reserve in 1938 by the Council of Ministers and recognized as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1992. The area is home to 12 habit types, 300 bird species and 45 freshwater fish species.
• The Danube is mentioned in the title of a famous waltz by Austrian composer Johann Strauss, "An der schönen blauen Donau" (On the Beautiful Blue Danube), composed as Strauss was traveling down the Danube River. This piece is well known across the world and is also used widely as a lullaby. Listen to Herbert von Karajan conducting "An der schönen blauen Donau" with the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTqlLKBKFhg
• Another famous waltz about the Danube is "The Waves of the Danube" by the Romanian composer Ion Ivanovici (1845–1902), and the work took the audience by storm when performed at the 1889 Paris Exposition.
• The German tradition of landscape painting, the Danube school, was developed in the Danube valley in the 16th century.
• The Parliament House in Bucharest is the world's largest parliament building at a whopping 3.55 million square feet.
• The Blue Danube was the name of the first nuclear weapon of the British army.

Protecting Yourself and Your Investment: Travel Insurance

Dear St. Boniface Choir Travelers, 

As indicated on your registration form, it is mandatory for all tour participants to obtain travel insurance to protect your investment in case you have to cancel for a medical situation, loss of luggage or various other reasons.

Our recommended insurance option is described below along with an online link to Travel Guard. We highly recommend this company based on a long and excellent relationship. 

TravelGuard has a variety of policies including a family plan.

In order for us to keep track of travel insurance for your group, please sign up through these links connected with Incantato Tours.

Click here to get a Travel Guard Insurance quote.

Travel Insurance

Incantato Tours strongly recommends getting Travel Guard travel insurance for your upcoming journey as they have been a very reliable partner and provide excellent services, but we also know that you may have a different preferred supplier or are already covered under another policy. Again, travel insurance with trip cancellation coverage is mandatory for all Incantato Tours travelers. 

Not only are you covered medically should anything happen when traveling, but with TravelGuard's policies, you also protect your investment should you have to cancel or interrupt the trip.There is also coverage for delayed and lost luggage etc.

Here is a direct line to purchase travel insurance online and can you do so with your credit cards and also select the option that is best for you.

In the meantime, have a look at the most comprehensive coverage option The Protect Assist Gold below.

Protect Assist (Gold) -

Comprehensive Travel Protection for the World Traveler

Trip Cancellation JUST ADDED! - Trip Cancellation due to employment loss or layoff if employed with the same employer 1 year or longer Trip Interruption and Travel Delay Emergency Medical and Emergency Medical Transportation Baggage and Travel Document Protection Baggage Delay and Lost Baggage Tracking NEW - Cancel For Any Reason option now available NEW - Cancel For Work Reasons option now available NEW - Children age 17 and under covered at no additional cost IMPROVED -Trip Cancellation limit increased to $100,000 (from $15,000),  IMPROVED - Trip Interruption coverage increased to 150% of Trip Cost IMPROVED - Travel Delay required hours reduced to 5 hours (from 12) ProtectAssist special features: Best coverage for Weather Related Cancellations Pre-existing Condition Exclusion Waiver* Default/Bankruptcy Protection* $50,000 Flight Accident Insurance* 24-Hour "LiveTravel" Travel Agency Emergency Cash Transfers Identity Theft Restoration * These additional benefits apply If you are purchasing within 15 days of making your initial trip deposit or payment, however, coverage may still be purchased at any time up to 24 hours prior to departure. Increase your coverage with these valuable additions to your Protect Assist Plan: Cancel For Any Reason – 50% reimbursement of nonrefundable expenses if you cancel your trip for any reason, up to 48 hours prior to your departure. Only available when this plan is purchased within 15 days of initial trip payment. Cancel For Work Reasons – Offers additional work-related reasons for cancellation or interruption. Also includes our exclusive “Business Assistant” services if you have work obligations during your travels. Only available when this plan is purchased within 15 days of initial trip payment. Umbrella Package – Medical Expense limits are doubled and coverage is upgraded to primary. Emergency Medical Transportation limits are doubled and benefits upgraded to take you home or to the hospital of your choice. $25,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage will be added Optional coverages cannot be purchased separately. Must be purchased with base ProtectAssist plan.

Comprehensive non-insurance travel services* automatically included with plan!With the ProtectAssist plan, every customer also has access to these valuable travel services when they travel:
· Arrangements for last-minute flight changes
· Hotel finder and reservations
· Rental car reservations
· Emergency medical assistance
· BagTrak® -- lost baggage tracking
· Pre-trip health and safety advisories
· Live e-mail and phone messaging to family and friends
· Cash transfers
· Airport transportation
· Golf course reservations
· Event ticketing
· Floral services
· Identity Theft restoration

Business Assistant* (available when Optional Cancel for Work Reasons coverage is purchased)

*Non-Insurance services are provided by AIG Travel Assist.

Eligibility

Citizenship: All Nationalities

Residency: United States

New York, Oregon, and Washington residence please call to purchase
Some rider options are not available and other restrictions may apply
Destination: Worldwide
Ages: All Ages
Max Trip Length: 365 Days