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THE ROMANTIC RHINE: AMSTERDAM TO BASEL


A guided cruise on Amsterdam’s historic canals gives you a unique perspective... and carries you to the Rijksmuseum where perspective takes on new meaning


1.  ARRIVE AMSTERDAM / EMBARK SHIP Tour begins: 4:00 PM, Amsterdam. A transfer is included from Schiphol International Airport or Amsterdam Centraal railway station to your riverboat; check-in time aboard ship is 4:00 PM for all guests. Join your fellow river cruisers for a discovery briefing this afternoon when you’ll hear about your river travels ahead, followed by a welcome reception and dinner onboard to celebrate the start of a fantastic journey. You will be cruising aboard a riverboat custom designed by Tauck to cater to your comfort... and to provide a non-stop parade of riverboat delights that may surprise you! Meals D


2.  AMSTERDAM / DUTCH COUNTRYSIDE In a city indelibly linked to water, it’s fitting that your day begins with a cruise on Amsterdam’s 17th-century grachten (canals), which fan out in crescent-shaped rings from the northern waterfront. On the drive to board your canal boat, you’ll hear an orientation talk on the historic city, which at its heart feels more like a village than the compact center of a cosmopolitan city. Landmarks include Centraal Station, built at the end of the 19th century and still a place in constant motion – with people, bicycles, trams, and buses; De Waag (Weigh House), once a fortified gate that today houses a popular outdoor café; and the Mint Tower, a gate in the city wall (circa 1400) that marks the intersection of two canals, tram paths, a pedestrian-only shopping street, and the outdoor city flower market – an ever


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busy, ever interesting crossroads. Once aboard the canal boat, on a guided tour, you’ll glide beneath curved bridges filled with pedestrians and cyclists, and sometimes trams and cars, passing by the narrow houses of Dutch Golden Age merchants who pragmatically stored their goods on the upper floors, safe from flooding. After a guided visit to view the prized collection of art at the Rijksmuseum, drive to the old university town of Utrecht where your riverboat awaits. Have lunch onboard and enjoy insightful commentary as your riverboat charts a course through the gentle Dutch countryside en route to Germany. A cocktail hour, dinner, and an evening activity in the ship’s intimate lounge add to the day’s fun. Meals BLD


3.  GERMANY AND KÖLN CATHEDRAL Overnight your riverboat crosses into Germany. Spend the morning relaxing and taking in the scenic sights along the river as you prepare for your afternoon arrival in Köln (Cologne), a city that was the capital of a Roman province as long ago as 50 AD. Sightseeing here begins with a guided walking tour of this city on an intimate scale to discover its pedestrian-only shopping streets, abundant cafés and traditional beer halls. There are medieval churches, avant-garde museums, and the waterfront on the River Rhine. On today’s shore excursion, you will see the immense twin-towered Kölner Dom, whose construction took a mere six centuries. Completed in 1880, this Gothic cathedral was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, in


tauck.com/river-cruises 71


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