and passing pleasure boats and freighters. The afternoon is spent back onboard your riverboat, cruising through the quiet Rhine River Valley, past small cities, churches, ancient walls and castles, as you make your way to Bingen, a town known for excellent vintners. A special evening awaits in a village nearby at Reichenstein Castle, built in the 11th century, complete with a working drawbridge and a grilled door designed to be lowered quickly in the event of attack. Enjoy your tour and dinner inside the castle, which 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 After a morning on the riverboat enjoying an insightful talk and a tasting of local specialties, arrive in Speyer, one of the oldest cities in Germany and an early favorite of the Romans. Choose whether to tour Speyer this afternoon or head for Heidelberg Castle. For centuries the Rhine River was a major transport hub, and a source of wealth for generations through trade and taxation; no town demonstrates that more than Speyer, which thrived on trade in the 10th and 11th centuries, when construction on its double-domed cathedral began. On a 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
Dating from the Middle Ages, Heidelberg Castle is just one of the romantic castles to see – and investigate – along your journey
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. Afterwards, relax over a refreshing bier at one of the town’s many inviting biergartens, a delight in any season. On the other hand, if you choose to spend the afternoon on an excursion to Heidelberg, Germany’s oldest university town, you’ll discover narrow lanes, shops and pubs housed in 17th-century structures in the Altstadt – all full of life thanks to the vibrant student population. On the hillside above the city, visit the romantic ruins of Heidelberg Castle, which over the centuries has captured the imagination of painters such as Turner, composers such as Schumann, and writers, including Goethe and Twain, who both spent time here. (Twain wrote about the castle’s striking red sandstone ruins in his travelogue A Tramp Abroad.) Heidelberger Schloss, as it is known in German, is a grand and sprawling palace that was 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 the city of Heidelberg and the Neckar River Valley below impress along with the feeling of 600 years of history. Meals BLD
Stretch your legs and your imagination by bicycling beside the river in Germany and checking out towns and villages straight out of fairy tales
Call your travel agent or Tauck at 877-519-1035
6. STRASBOURG / BADEN-BADEN SPA You’ll wake to find your riverboat docked on the Rhine surrounded by the hills of southern Alsace, many checkered with vineyards. Your morning introduces Strasbourg, France, the Alsatian cultural capital of a region that for centuries was caught in a tug of war between Germany and France. As
www.tauck.com/river-cruises 79
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 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108