Table Of Content
That being said, we were thrilled when we received an unexpected offer from Viking River Cruise. This was our chance to try a certain ease of travel and to see what it’s like to experience a trip with guides and planned meals. After being wowed by the castles, we docked in Rudesheim around 5 pm just in time for dinner. The only problem was, not many restaurants were open so we spent our time wandering around this charming little town of vine covered, story book buildings. We loved getting to know the friendly crew including Captain Wim, Sara our Program Director, and Mohamed (or Mo as everyone called him) the Hotel Manager.
Tulip Season
Quieter and narrower than the Rhine, the tributary winds through wine-growing regions that were first cultivated in Roman times. You will stop at Cochem, the prettiest town on the Moselle, where the old town is filled with half-timbered houses. Perched on a 300-foot promontory is Cochem Castle, the highest fortress on the Moselle which dates back more than 1,000 years. To see Cochem from another perspective you can take a guided bike tour along the riverbank or join an evening excursion celebrating the wine, music and legends of the Moselle. In addition to drinking beer, we also enjoyed soaking up Cologne’s history through this walking tour of the town’s narrow, lively, rebuilt North German streets. There are lots of optional night tours too like the popular Cologne’s Beer Culture Dinner but we enjoyed touring the beer halls on our own so we were happy to eat dinner on the ship.
DAY 7 Breisach, Germany
Find out what made this castle so intriguing in this story, Marksburg Castle with Viking River Cruises. What’s more, Viking offered specialties from each region we were passing through. I loved the fact that I got to try Swiss, German, French, and Dutch food all onboard! They also have a permanent menu that includes classics like Caesar salad, steak, and burgers, but I ordered most of my meals from their rotating menu.
Rhine River Cruises
They mixed and mingled with the guests and one morning when we found the Captain sitting alone at breakfast in the main dining room, we joined him and had a great time chatting. It’s all about the food and the breakfasts on the ship were fabulous! Breakfasts were casual buffets while lunches and dinners were more formal sit down meals.
Best Hotels with Lazy Rivers (Per Travel Experts)
What's it Like Taking a Winter River Cruise in Europe? - Cruise Critic
What's it Like Taking a Winter River Cruise in Europe?.
Posted: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers a unique taste of the world. As full-time travelers and influencers, we usually travel slowly with a week or even a month in each location. Though it was great to hit five countries in twelve days, it wasn’t so great to have to leave each one so quickly.
Post-Extension: The Best of Norway & Scenic Train
The Netherlands is a small country, and Kinderdijk is only about 95 kilometers (59 miles) away from Amsterdam. As such, the Hermod was already passing through Utrecht by bedtime. We docked at Amsterdam very early in the morning on our final day. The landscape here is so pretty, and one of the highlights of this visit was being able to see the inside of a mill. All in all, a short visit to Kinderdijk was a great way to wrap up our final full day on the Viking Hermod. After visiting the cathedral, I walked across the Hohenzollernbrücke, which is one of the most notable “love lock” bridges in Europe.
Discover Rhine Getaway
A comfortable motor coach transfer will take you to and from your Viking ship. If you enjoy city breaks then Viking's 12-day Cities of Light sailing is the cruise for you. Wherever you are, Viking ships dock in the heart of each city so the sights are on your doorstep. There's no better way to enjoy cities than on a Viking river cruise where your comfortable Longship is your floating boutique hotel. Sailing from one destination to the next at a leisurely pace, instead of traffic-filled highways you will admire an ever-changing panorama of riverside scenery. We dock this morning in Kehl and disembark for a guided tour of Strasbourg.
Castles & cathedrals
Visit Basel, considered the Swiss capital of culture with its charming old town steeped in tradition. Sample flavors of the Alsace region, explore Frankfurt, one of Europe’s high-powered business hubs, and visit lesser-known historic towns in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Turreted castles and a fascinating history exude a rich tapestry of medieval charm. You’ll have to make this decision for yourself, but beer and wine are included with each meal even if you don’t purchase the unlimited drink package. I did the math, and you’d basically have to drink two additional cocktails each day (outside of lunch and dinner) to make the package worthwhile.
I took 8 million photos so it’s impossible to share them all in one post. I’ll break up this trip into two posts so stay tuned for part two next weekend. In recent years, the Elba river has occasionally suffered from extreme low water levels – perhaps due to global warming?
Feel free to ask questions or leave your reviews and tips in the comments. When we had our fill of Cologne, we enjoyed strolling across the Love Locks Bridge to get back to the ship. The afternoon was spent on board taking in the scenery as we cruised along the Rhine. If you like to socialize and want a formal 3-course menu dinner, try the formal dining room on the main floor.
Air fare offer applies to select gateways; air fare offer may vary across gateways and itineraries; call for details. See the Town Hall in this UNESCO-listed medieval city; sample its distinctive rauchbier. We passed cows cooling off in the shallow riverbanks, a few small Dutch villages, and not much else until we approached Amsterdam.
More importantly, the climb is essentially one long spiral staircase – with visitors going both directions on it! Frankly, being on a spiral staircase for that long with only the occasional narrow gothic window was disorienting and dizzying. If you want to climb a church tower, I suggest going up to the top of the Notre-Dame in Strasbourg instead.
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