Gardens and Natural Beauty of the Rhine

After arriving in Germany, you'll transfer by coach to your five-star cruise ship moored in picturesque Cologne. The dedicated English-speaking crew will be ready to welcome you on board and help you to your cabin. After settling into your spacious and tastefully furnished accommodation, there'll be time to familiarise yourself with the ship before your first delicious dinner in the restaurant. 

At the confluence of two of Europe's most prominent rivers - the Rhine and the Moselle - lies the German Corner, or Deutsches Eck, in one of Germany's oldest and most beautiful cities: Koblenz. Immersed in two millennia of history, it was founded by the Romans, and successively occupied by the Franks, chosen as a residence of the German prince electors, conquered by the French and fortified by the Prussians! All have left their marks in the city's rich array of castles, churches and historic buildings.

Today, we'll enjoy a walking tour from the German Corner to the Schlosspark. Connecting the city centre with the Rhine, we'll wander through the palace gardens, boasting a modern interpretation of Prussian gardening, which showcases the harmony between nature and human creativity. Adorned with striking fountains, charming pergola walkways, and vibrant blooms, the garden offers a captivating tapestry of colours and scents - there's plenty to delight a budding gardener! Later, you can explore Koblenz's patchwork of narrow streets and squares at leisure - maybe taking in a little shopping - before heading back to the cruise ship for our first relaxing lunch.

After lunch, we'll travel just outside of Koblenz to Sayn Castle, a captivating gem nestled in the heart of the Middle Rhine Valley. Originating from the 12th century, this once Royal residence now graciously welcomes the public, offering a rich tapestry of history and natural beauty to explore. Here, you'll have the freedom to wander at your own pace. You could meander through the splendid palace park with its arboretum and serene ponds or climb to the medieval castle, perched high above the Rhine, to take in the view. Don't miss the ethereal butterfly garden, where you can watch beautiful butterflies gracefully dancing around you amidst vibrant tropical plants. This tropical paradise is home to palm trees and banana trees, trickling waterfalls and the colourful flourish of exotic butterflies from South America, Africa and Asia - like the Chinese Atlas moth and the blue Morpho of Brazil.

We'll return to the ship in time for dinner and, as you sit down to dine, we'll gently slip our moorings and head to Boppard, where we'll moor overnight. After dinner, delight in the upbeat sounds of Rhenish folk music with a live performance on traditional instruments.

Known as the ‘Pearl of the Rhine’, Boppard is renowned for its storybook medieval atmosphere of cobbled streets and ancient houses. Here we’ll enjoy a guided tour led by one of our local experts, with highlights including the beautiful white stone St. Severus and Carmelite churches, the marketplace with the ruins of the fortress and the old town with its charming winding alleys and half-timbered houses.

We take a chairlift to Gedeon’s Corner to enjoy a fantastic view of the dramatic, almost U-shaped river bend. It's the largest bend on the entire river and is best admired from above. From one viewpoint the river actually looks like four separate lakes, thanks to the way the river bends.

Returning to our ship for lunch, we'll begin an afternoon of cruising. Our voyage takes us through one of the most scenic parts of the river: the Rhine Gorge - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and area of outstanding natural beauty. Here the waters narrow to one-fifth their normal width and flow more swiftly. Sheer valley walls soar 600 feet and magnificent birds of prey glide on the thermals above. This really is a bucket-list moment, so as the river twists and turns, make sure you’re up on the sun deck to experience these incredible views up close.

Ruins of ancient castles teeter on the valley slopes, built by wealthy princes eager to display their power and influence and to extort tolls from passing river traffic. Legends abound here, most famously that of the Lorelei - murmuring rock – where enchanting maidens lured unsuspecting sailors to watery graves. Look out for birds of prey floating above as we cruise on passing quaint villages – Saint Goar, Bacharach and Kaub – all famed for their wine production.

Overnight we'll cruise further downstream to Mannheim, and, after breakfast, we'll take a short drive to Heidelberg, undoubtedly one of Germany’s most perfect architectural treasures and all the more remarkable because it escaped being bombed during the Second World War.

Set in an almost idealised German landscape, this jewel sits on the banks of the River Neckar. It's surrounded by forests with an imposing castle dominating the church spires and terracotta gabled roofs of the compact Aldstadt – the romantic Old Town. Its 14th-century university, one of the most prestigious in Europe, lends Heidelberg a genteel atmosphere similar to its ‘twin’ town – Cambridge. During the 19th century, it was the centre of Germany’s Romantic Movement, on the route of the ‘Grand Tour’ and visited by many artists including JMW Turner, who captured its splendours for eternity.

There are few more delightful places to explore, as you’ll discover on our guided walking tour, which reveals its principal attractions – including the magical stone bridge with its twin white towers – and local secrets. We’ll visit the breathtaking Heidelberg Castle and its beautiful gardens, a true testament to timeless beauty and romance. Considered a masterpiece of their time, the gardens - which are built on several terraces - were commissioned by Prince Elector Friedrich V for his wife, Elizabeth. As we wander past flower beds, mazes and arbours, adorned with numerous sculptures, our guide will explain the history of the garden and point out some of the more illustrious blooms. Take in the orange trees grown in the garden's greenhouse and relax to the sounds of water trickling from waterfalls and fishponds before time at leisure in the old town for lunch.

This afternoon, we'll continue to Schwetzingen Palace to enjoy a tour of its superb grounds. Built on the site of a former castle, dating back to 1350, the palace reached the height of its splendour under Prince Elector Karl Theodor during the 18th century, who instructed the most notable landscape gardeners of the time to create the exquisite gardens, the design of which survives today. The gardens are a baroque masterpiece. Stroll the painstakingly tended paths and leafy avenues, admiring the vibrant blooms from far and wide and a host of eye-catching sculptures. An assortment of whimsical buildings – a small Temple of Apollo, a Bathhouse in the style of an Italian villa and the Turkish Garden’s Mosque with its intricate oriental decoration lend an exotic touch. The 18th-century English-style park is one of the earliest of its kind in Germany and garden lovers will enjoy ambling around the lake, with the many tree species mirrored in its tranquil water. 

(Please note lunch today will not be provided).

By breakfast, we’ve arrived in France and the charming city of Strasbourg, the capital of the Alsace region. The city centre is a mosaic of winding alleys and lanes lined with crooked, half-timbered houses largely unchanged since the 14th century. During its history, Strasbourg has been both German and French, and you see influences of both in its language, cuisine and appearance, creating a truly individual ambience.

This morning, we'll explore this delightful city on a walking tour with a local guide who will lead us to its enchanting centre – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll take in the Petite France quarter of pretty canals lined with classic pastel-coloured houses crisscrossed with timbers and with flower-filled window boxes, the famous multi-towered Ponts Couverts, or covered bridges, and of course, the Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral, which Victor Hugo memorably described as a ‘veritable tiara of stone’.

We'll return to the ship for lunch and this afternoon, we'll drive away from the Rhine River towards the Vosges mountains. Our destination is a 1.5-hectare garden, located at the bottom of the Saverne Pass. Founded in 1898, the Rose Garden of Saverne is the second oldest rose garden in France. Today, this enchanting garden is home to a diverse collection of over 800 varieties of roses, ranging from time-honoured classics to exuberant and fragrant blossoms, bushes to ground covers and tea hybrids - you'll spot all the latest novelties! You don't have to be a gardening hobbyist to enjoy a visit to this serene garden - it's a delight for the senses!

We’ll return to the ship in Strasbourg for dinner, and afterwards unwind to a medley of live music and songs performed on board by a professional duo.

As we start our journey back downstream, after a leisurely breakfast, why not head up to the sun deck and take in the views from the comfort of a sun lounger? Or perhaps retire to the lounge to chat over a coffee with newly made friends. Wherever you land, a leisurely morning sailing is the perfect excuse to relax and watch the idyllic scenery slipping past through the panoramic windows: rolling hills and fertile vineyards, home to the Liebfraumilch wines of the region, oxbow lakes, long deserted by the river flow and now havens for bird and wildlife.

By late afternoon, we'll arrive in Rüdesheim – if you imagine a typical Rhine town, then this would be it! Narrow crooked streets lead down to the sweeping river with a backdrop of wooded and vine-covered slopes. We’ll board the Winzerexpress road train for a tour of the sights and the surrounding vineyards, enjoying some superb views of the town and river below. There's a little free time before dinner this evening, so why not explore on your own to discover a delightful marketplace lined with pastel facades and cosy taverns at Rüdesheim’s heart or take the chair lift to the Niederwaldtempel for a birds-eye view of the regions. Riesling is the speciality grape here and Rüdesheim has many atmospheric Weinstuben so, during time at leisure, why not sample local wines, produced from the surrounding vineyards?

On board tonight, we enjoy a culinary spectacular – the Chef’s Dinner - when the chef prepares his superb signature dishes for you to enjoy - a truly memorable experience.

This morning, you can wake up slowly and enjoy a relaxed breakfast as we spend the morning sailing downstream. You'll have another opportunity to see the world-famous Rhine Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and area of outstanding natural beauty. We’ll sail back past Koblenz and pass the remains of Remagen Bridge site - the battle that broke open Germany's defences in the west.

Arriving in Bonn after lunch, we'll visit one of this historic city's most prominent attractions, the Rheinaue Leisure Park. Spread over 160 hectares straddling the Rhine, there's plenty to explore during our walking tour.

We'll stroll around the park's artificial lake, on the lookout for various species of fish and geese, including Nile geese, as well as coypu. These are a semi-aquatic rodent, with striking orange teeth, which resemble a beaver and have become a favourite amongst visitors to Rheinaue Leisure Park.

Our tour continues in the serene surroundings of the Japanese garden, where we will find traditional elements such as water cascades, pagodas, and Bonsai trees. And we'll delve into the fascinating world of bees and beekeeping practices, to learn and find out more about these creatures and how they live.

As night falls, a sumptuous dinner provides the perfect finale to this memorable cruise through the romantic River Rhine. This evening, why not retire to the lounge for one last drink with your fellow guests. During the night, we will cruise to Cologne.