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Europe River Cruise Vacations

Uniworld River Cruises, Castles Along The Rhine, Cruise Vacation Package

Duration: 9 Days / 8 Nights
Priced From: $ 1749 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: Oct, Nov, Mar - Nov
Ship: River Ambassador
From: Basel to Amsterdam

This tour really lives up to its name with castles, castles and more castles. Gracing the shores of the Middle Rhine Valley are more medieval castles than in any river valley in the world. The fairy tale castles, combined with the breathtaking landscape of terraced vineyards and old-world towns, create a dreamlike setting so much so that the Rhine became synonymous with the Romantic Movement in the 1800s.

The Rhine is a journey into the “Age of Romanticism”

Artists, musicians, writers and poets from all over Europe immortalized the Rhine’s unadulterated natural beauty in their songs, art, stories and poetry. Byron, Dumas, Hugo and Heine celebrated it in their writing. Beethoven, Schuman, Schubert, Wagner and Brahms idolized it in their music, and Turner captured it in his paintings.

And even today, the Rhine continues to inspire those who visit, especially Germany’s upper Middle Rhine Valley, spanning approximately 40 miles between Koblenz and Rüdesheim, as it is part of the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites.

Let the Rhine inspire you

As you travel along the Rhine, each bend and twist affords new surprises that are certain to inspire you the way countless others have been inspired for centuries.

Who will enjoy this cruise: Romantics, history enthusiasts, epicures, and nature and wine lovers will look forward to medieval little wine towns, quaint half-timbered buildings, enchanted castles, the Lorelei myth, majestic cathedrals, historical cities and, of course, the Romantic Rhine’s scenic natural beauty.

DAY 1: Depart Home Gateway City to Basel

DAY 2: Tranfer to Basel (embark)  
Arrive in Basel where you’ll be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship. (D)

DAY 3: Breisach (Colmar), Strasbourg  
Featured Excursion: Full-day tour along the Alsatian Wine Road
Starting from medieval Breisach, the gateway to the Black Forest, you cross the Rhine and head for the Alsatian wine route, which hugs the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. Charming villages and lush vineyards, producing great white wines, line this winding scenic route. Experience the charm of medieval Colmar in its historic center and the picturesque timber-framed houses in the village of Riquewihr. (BB, L, Captain’s Welcome Dinner)

DAY 4: Strasbourg  
Featured Excursion: Strasbourg canal cruise
See Strasbourg in the way it has been seen through the centuries—on a canal cruise. In addition to viewing the town’s covered bridges, medieval watchtowers and modern building that houses the European Parliament, you will see “Petite France,” a picturesque district that seems as if it has been lifted from the pages of a fairy tale. (BB, L, D)

DAY 5: Speyer  
Featured Excursion: Speyer walking tour
Irresistible Optional Tour: Heidelberg with visit to the castle and lunch at a historic restaurant
Your guided walking tour through Speyer reveals a medieval town with a grand heritage and a compact historical center dominated by the largest Romanesque cathedral in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its basilica laid out in the form of a Latin cross, and including four towers and two domes. (BB, L, D)

DAY 6: Rudesheim  
Featured Excursion: Castle Vollrads wine tasting
Irresistible Optional Tour: Rüdesheim dinner and entertainment
Rudesheim has a long history dating back to Roman times, and is considered one of the most charming of the Rhine Valley ports of call. The town is famous for, among other things, its long avenue of shops and wine bars, the Drosselgasse. Enjoy the first part of the afternoon exploring the town on your own, and then join us for a visit to the prestigious Castle Vollrads. It is perfectly situated in the vineyard-covered hills, and is ranked as one of the world’s top wine estates for its Rheingau Rieslings. Join us for a unique wine tasting at the castle. (BB, L, D)

DAY 7: Rudesheim and Koblenz  
Featured Excursion: Koblenz walking tour
Irresistible Optional Tour: Enjoy a visit to Marksburg Castle, the best-preserved castle on the Rhine, with wine tasting.
Departing in the morning from Rüdesheim to Koblenz, you’ll sail along one of the most beautiful sections of the Rhine, the scenic 40 miles of the upper Middle Rhine Valley declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. With its vine-filled slopes, its more than 40 castles strung like pearls along the riverbank’s ledges, and the famous Lorelei Rock, the gorge is the perfect embodiment of the romantic Rhine. Arrive in Koblenz, situated on the beautiful corner at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. Your guided walking tour will highlight the appeal of Koblenz – its romantic narrow streets and historical squares, the picturesque alleyways and fountains in the old quarter and the 12th-century churches of St. Florin and Our Lady. (BB, L, D) 

DAY 8: Koblenz and Cologne  
Featured Excursion: Cologne walking tour and cathedral visit
You’ll meet up with your guide on the pier and begin your walking tour. Stroll through the narrow streets of Old Town, passing by tiny squares and little churches as you make your way to the cathedral, the city’s most famous landmark and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took 632 years for Germany’s largest cathedral to be completed, and it is one of the most important gothic churches in Europe. A visit inside features the Shrine of the Three Magi and the beautiful glass windows that survived WWII. (BB, L, Captain’s Farewell Dinner) Note: On Sundays and Catholic holidays, guided tours inside the cathedral will not be possible. 

DAY 9: Amsterdam (disembark), transfer to airport     
Disembark the ship and transfer to the airport in Amsterdam for your flight home, or extend your stay in Amsterdam.

11/09

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