Dancing through vineyards, waltzing on the shore of castles and enjoying the expanse of water- a cruise on the river Rhine promises all of this and much more. Enjoy this mythical river and the beauty surrounding it.

Historical Relevance

The river Rhine is considered to be highly romantic. But in the past, the Rhine has witnessed a lot of bloody confrontations and gore through the centuries. It has also witnessed the first act of Franco-German reconciliation, making what is today’s unified Europe. The century old castles along the river are a testimony to the embattled history of this region.

Cruise and bask in the glory

The Rhine is the longest river in Germany; it starts from the Alps and flows into the North Sea through Switzerland, Germany, France and Holland. Hence, the most popular way to explore Europe is through boat cruises. The luxurious Rhine boat cruises are one of the favourites among all other European river cruises. Some of the riverboats go through the Rhine River only, while others include waterways in Austria, Hungary, Germany or the Netherlands. But all assure you an experience of a lifetime. While on the cruise you stop over to see Basel, Switzerland’s second largest city. It boasts of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali works, which can be seen at the museum of fine art. You can also see the medieval town hall and grab a fantastic view of the River from Wettstein Bridge. Enjoy a visit to Strasbourg, a town in the middle of France’s Alsace region, nurturing a fine blend of French and German influences. Another popular halt is Bamberg in Germany, known for its famous smokebeer and the 11th century cathedral of Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich II.

A divine detour

Some of the Rhine River cruises also sail to Koblenz in Germany, seen at the convergence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers. The landscape is a poet’s delight; it has woodlands, lakes and meadows, good enough to inspire words from anyone. The Rhine meets the Moselle at Koblenz and passes through the ancient fortress town of Boppard. It hits the famous Lorelei Rock while going into the wine country town of Rudesheim, popular for its spirited Drosselgrasse of restaurants and taverns. The Rhine continues going south from Mainz via the romantic Heidelberg, the oldest university town in Germany. Some of the river cruises also venture into other waterways stopping at Passau, Vienna, Budapest, and Amsterdam.

Lovers Paradise- Castles and Vineyards on the Rhine:

On the shores of the middle Rhine Valley one can find more medieval castles than in any other river valley across the globe. You will be awestruck to see these fairytale castles entwined with magnificent landscape of terraced vineyards. The Rhine overlooks hills dotted with impressive castles starting from Koblenz. The more popular castles are the fortified castle of Ehrenfels, Stahleck Castle, the Mouse Tower and the majestic fortified castle of Pfalzgrafenstein, seen soon after the Lorelei. Some of these castles are ruins now, while others have escaped years of battle and fire. The river also flows past through ancient wine villages of Pfalz, Cochem, Bernkastel and Piesport to Trier. Most of Germany’s vineyards thrive on the Rhine River as it flows through a wide fertile valley after the Baden vineyards.

Packages:

Depending on the budget and time constraints, the river cruises can be between 3-16 days. Longer journeys would even include hotel stays. One can choose from a wide variety of short river excursions showing only one city or landscape and the longer ones encompassing the entire river Rhine. A boat cruise can be booked online or by phone. A long cruise would typically cost about $2000-3000 based on the season and the kind of accommodation. June, July and August are the best time to go cruising on the Rhine. There are international flights coming into most of the big cities of Germany like Bonn and Strasbourg or Amsterdam to Switzerland. Depending on the starting point of the cruise take a flight to the nearest international airport.

Immerse yourself in the mighty fortresses, romantic castles and ancient wineyards that artists, musicians and poets have immortalized in their art, songs and poetry.