known for excellent vintners. A special evening awaits in a village nearby at Reichenstein Castle, complete with a working drawbridge and a grilled door built to be lowered quickly in the event of attack. The castle sits on a rocky ridge high above the Rhine in the deep Lorelei Valley – where the mythical siren, “Lorelei,” was once said to bewitch passing sailors. Meals BLD
5. SPEYER OR HEIDELBERG CASTLE For centuries the Rhine River was a major transport hub and a source of wealth for many, through trade and taxation; today you’ll have a choice of visiting Speyer, a town that thrived on trade in the 10th and 11th centuries when construction on its double-domed cathedral began. On a guided visit to Speyer Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Center, you may be surprised by its use of natural glass windows, rather than stained glass, and its roof made entirely of stone – the first ever in Europe. Buried in its crypt are some 300 years of early German emperors. Next, on a visit to Speyer’s impressive Technik Museum, you’ll find exhibits dedicated to every form of technology that moves, from vintage cars to the Russian BURAN space shuttle – and a Boeing 747 jumbo jet and U9 submarine that you can go inside. Afterward, relax over a refreshing bier at one of the town’s many inviting biergartens, a Rhine summer delight. Alternatively you may spend the day on an excursion to Heidelberg, Germany’s oldest university town. Narrow lanes, shops and pubs housed in 17th-century structures in the Aldstadt are kept lively by the cadence of student life. On the hillside above the city, you’ll visit the romantic ruins of Heidelberg Castle, celebrated in writing by many, including the German poet Goethe and Mark Twain,
who both spent time here. Twain wrote about the striking red sandstone ruins of Schloss Heidelberg In A Tramp Abroad; this grand palace was a home to Bavarian royalty from the 13th to 18th centuries. Today you’ll find an imposing ensemble of buildings from different architectural periods, reflecting the architectural ambitions of successive residents, surrounding a central courtyard. From its terrace and gardens, the sweeping views of Heidelberg and the Neckar River Valley below impress along with the feel of 600 years of history. Meals BLD
6. STRASBOURG / SPA TREAT OR CASTLE VISIT You’ll wake docked on the Rhine this morning, surrounded by the hills of southern Alsace, many checkered with vineyards. Your morning introduces the Alsatian cultural capital of Strasbourg, France, where centuries of being passed between German and French control are reflected in the dual languages and feel of the city. Strasbourg is home to the charming canals and half-timbered houses of La Petite France, stately city residences, a Gothic cathedral, and plenty of winstubs, traditional Alsatian beer pubs. Its skyline includes the modern offices of the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights; along with Geneva, it is one of only two European cities with these kinds of international institutions. At the City Hospital, you’ll sample a selection of Alsatian wines downstairs in its 600-year-old wine cellar; for centuries, wine was accepted in lieu of payment for services. Alsatian wines are typically white: Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat. Not necessarily sweet, but elegant and complex, they are bottled in the tall narrow bottles customary to German wines, but crafted with a French flair. À votre santé! The
Spend your time as you wish with choices that include bicycling along the Rhine’s castle route and feeling renewed after a spa visit. Call your travel agent or Tauck at 877-519-1035
www.tauck.com/river-cruises 83
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100