6 Historic Cities in Germany You can Visit on AmaWaterways

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

I have strong German roots on my father’s side of our family—my grandfather came to the US from Germany on 23 August 1893 at the age of 18 with his brother Carl. He became a naturalized citizen on 31 March 1902 (thanks Anne for her research on Ancestry.com!). My grandmother arrived in the US from Germany 13 February 1904 at age 22. My Dad was born on 5 January 1918 in Chicago.

So, it stands to reason, I have a real interest in Germany and its history.

There is a lot to learn about Germany, so I thought I’d tell you briefly about the key historic periods in Germany history and then tell you about our visits to 6 historic cities in Germany.

There are many lists of historic cities and their importance in history, culture and food, beer and wine, but I have selected just 6 for today’s blog, since we have or could have visited all on an AmaWaterways cruise.

So, let’s learn about 6 of the historic cities of Germany after a brief history lesson about the significant ages of Germany history.

Key Periods in German History

German history can be divided into the following time periods:

• The First Reich 843-1806—was established by Charlemagne during his reign as the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. In this period of history, Germany was a true feudal system—it was said the nobles were to protect, the clergy to pray, and the peasants were to work. Charlemagne is recognized by most as the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire but some historians claim it started after Charlemagne. The Empire controlled most of what was to become the German state and lasted until 1806 but never was able to unify the country as in other European countries like France.

The Emperor was elected by the 7 most important nobles, called prince-electors, and several of the historic cities below played an important role in the Holy Roman Empire structure and governance.

By 1789 there were over 1700 kingdoms, duchies and principalities. Germany never became a unified country until 1871. Religion played a central role during most of this period—the belief system was that “one’s role was determined by God and could not change”.

But change came with the Protestant Reformation (1571-1648). Martin Luther began this with his differing religious views. Along the way, there was the Peace of Augsburg (1555) that granted religious legal status to the Lutheran Religion (“Whose realm, his religion”); there was a counter reformation to imprison and discourage heretics (non-Catholics); and the 30 years’ War from 1618 to 1648 (one of the most destructive wars in all of Europe’s history caused by the struggles between the Catholics and the Protestants and their rights to worship).

Then came the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). Later the Prussian Empire, led by Fredrick the Great, emerged around the Protestant Berlin and Potsdam region and ther were more battles. The Industrial Revolution started slowly in Germany in the 1830’s. Change was slowly coming.

• The Second Reich 1871-1918—is often defined from the unification of Germany following the Franco-Prussian War (1870 - 1871) and crowning of Wilhelm I as German Emperor at the Palace of Versailles. The other key leader was Otto von Bismarck as the first Reichskanzler (chancellor—the head of the government). It was a period of German Imperialism and a rise of German military strength—the army was the best in world according to many observers and the navy second only to Great Britain.

Prussian dominance was evident—over 2/3 of the population lived in the Prussian principality and almost all key military leaders were Prussian. It was a period of complex European alliances, aimed at keeping the balance of power from tipping too much in the favor of one country over another.

Sadly, in 1914 war erupted and ended 4 years later. This period lasted until the end of WW I with the abdication of Wilhelm II in 1919 following the German defeat in the Great War.

• The Weimar Republic 1919-1933—after their defeat in WW I, the Weimar Republic was Germany’s attempt to establish democracy and end the out-sized influence of the nobility and the military. But the crushing war debt, hyperinflation and more than 3 million out of work caused this government to ultimately collapse.

• The Third Reich 1933-1945—the austere conditions in during the Weimar Republic in Germany led to the rise of the Dictatorship of Adolf Hitler and WW II. He managed to conquer most of the continent of Europe but ultimately was defeated by the allies in WW II. His leadership resulted in the murder of millions, countless war dead, and the utter destruction of almost all of Germany.

• Post World War II and the Reunification of Germany 1945-1990-Present—while there is a lot of relevant items such as the Cold War conflict, with Germany divided into East and West Germany after WW II, I just cannot escape two personal facts here.

As a LTC at the end of WW II, my Dad was the occupation commander of the northern region of Germany that our family immigrated from to the US. All our relatives except one died during the war. It was sad yet uplifting that after all the carnage, there was hope and rebuilding.

I remember one night, talking about our German roots right after the fall of the Berlin Wall and my Dad told me he never thought he would see unification of Germany in his lifetime. He told me a little about reconstruction efforts, the Marshall Plan to rebuild Germany and joy to see the resilience of the German people. Germany has once again become a world power and a leader in the democratic world.

Now, on to the 6 cities that are part of the historical eras of Germany you can visit on an AmaWaterways river cruise.

Freiburg (Freiburg-im-Breisgau)

This city among other claims to fame is said to the sunniest city in all of Germany. Located on the southern edge of the Black Forest, and near the Rhine River, it was a good trade location and rich burghers and the mercantile guilds were the original political force in the city. It is a university town (started in the 1400s), once was a walled city but its number one sight is the Freiburger Münster (Freiburg Cathedral) (started in the 1300s). The cathedral was completed in 1513. Here are some pictures of Freiburg:

Pictured below is the Schwabentor Watch Tower Gate. It is one of 2 remaining towers in the city. The other, the Martinstor is a 13 century gate tower. The city walls are long gone.

A special feature of Freiburg is its numerous Bächle (little waterways) that are unique in Germany.

Heidelberg

The old bridge over the Neckar River and the huge palace ruins have a romantic effect on this town. Heidelberg is a historic university town, considered by many the home of Romantic Germany due to its poets and philosophers—it is not surprising one of the best ways to experience Heidelberg is to hike the Philosopher’s Path on the north bank of the Neckar—you can think about all the scholars looking for inspiration while you walk (it is an optional tour if you take an AmaWaterways cruise on some routes).

Top sights in Heidelberg, include a visit the red-walled Castle ruins (it is often more interesting than restored castles due to the detail still remaining on the walls), with its Great Vat, a 49,000-gallon 18th century wine cask. There are beautiful views of the Neckar Valley and Heidelberg below.

Another great site is the Church of the Holy Ghost, where you can see the tombstone of Prince-elector Rupert (King of Germany from 1400 to 1410) from the First Reich era.

The old town area is a great area to explore.

Koblenz

Located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Rhine, this city is a symbol of German unification during the Second Reich. 80% of the town was destroyed during WW II during the Third Reich. Here are some key sights (from one of our 50 European city guides):

1. Deutsches Eck—is a monument on the point of land where the Rhine and Moselle join. Kaiser Wilhelm I statue is featured here. It was erected in 1897 to honor Kaiser William I but was damaged during WW II during the Third Reich and later replaced. St Castor’s Basilica is on the backside of the triangular Deutsches Eck and has the tomb of two Trier Prince-Archbishops electors from the First Reich.

2. Old Town Koblenz—one of the oldest towns in Germany, the old town area is the charming and romantic streets between the St. Castor’s Basilica and "Liebfrauenkirche" (Church of Our Beloved Lady).

3. Goerresplaz Square—known today as Goerres Square, it is the central square of the old town. The fountain in the middle of the square with its 10m high historical columns is worth seeing. The artist Jürgen Weber tells the story of the town of Koblenz in 10 overlapping scenes presented in this three dimensional work of art.

4. Liebfrauenkirche—is a beautiful Baroque church with onion shaped domes. This basilica with five-axis pillars was built between 1180 and 1250. The new construction of the Gothic chancel had begun in 1404 while the baroque onion towers date back to 1693.

5. Schängel Fountain--The Schängel fountain is a monument to the city’s eternal “bad boy” who spits water from his mouth. Designed by Carl Burger in 1941, the fountain stands between the Renaissance and Baroque structures of the present Town Hall and the former Jesuit monastery.

6. Electoral palace--The Elector Clemens Wenzeslaus built this palace from 1777-1786 during the end of the First Reich. Prince Wilhelm, later known as German Emperor Wilhelm I (from the second Reich), officiated here as the Prussian military governor from 1850 – 1857. The palace now houses administrative offices and is not open to the public.

7. Bundesgartenschau--The “Empress-Augusta-Gardens “are located on the Rhine banks and they are some of the most beautiful gardens between Basel and Rotterdam. On the tree-lined, grassy bank you will find the monument of Joseph Görres, as well as little treasures such as the Luise Temple.

8. Fort Ehrenbreitstein--The Fortress rises 118 meters above the Rhine and dates back to the year 1000. Over the centuries the fortress buildings and fortifications were extended by the Electors of Trier. After its destruction by the French, the Prussians rebuilt the fortifications and it became one of Germany's strongest fortresses. It is today open to the public and is directly across the Rhine from Koblenz.

Regensburg

The town has a strong historical past. The town of Regensburg is located on the northern most point of the Danube River. It started out as a Roman town, has a medieval stone bridge the crusaders crossed on their way to the Holy Wars (which is guarded by an impressive watch tower), and has a good old town area.

During the 2nd and 3rd Crusades, the stone bridge was the crossing site for Crusaders off to do battle in the Holy Land and is the oldest surviving stone bridge in Germany.

There is an impressive cathedral here—please enjoy this picture!

The Old Town Hall once was the meeting place of the Parliament of the Holy Roman Empire during the First Reich. Regensburg managed to escape WW II without any real damage during the Third Reich.

Anne’s favorite hat maker is here, so we find this one of our favorite Bavarian towns.

Trier

The oldest city in Germany, established by the Romans, has always played a part in the development of Germany through the ages. Trier was an old Roman outpost which was first settled by the Roman in 17 BC. It is very near the Luxembourg border—in fact, one side of the Moselle River is Trier, Germany and the opposite other side is the tiny country of Luxembourg. Anne & I first visited here in 1989 on our own.

Important Roman sights include the Roman Baths, an amphitheater, the Basilica of Constantine (it was the throne room of Emperor Constantine), and the huge city gate, the Porta Nigra gate, that dates back to 180 A.D. It has earned the nickname of “the Rome of the North.”

Other sights are the Trier Cathedral (it is the oldest Cathedral in Germany) and the ornate Trier Electoral Palace and gardens (part of the First Reich).

Also worth a visit is the old town area of the main market (Hauptmarkt)—besides people watching, the backdrop is the Porta Nigra and the large square is lined with a variety of architectural styles and is quite colorful.

Würzburg

There is a lot to like about Würzburg. As you approach the city, two key sights emerge—the Marienberg Citadel, a Renaissance fortress and the old bridge that reminds us of the famous St. Charles Bridge in Prague.

But the star here is the Residenz Palace, a UNESCO world heritage site.

Along with the impressive palace (which can be toured on an AmaWaterways cruise), the gardens here are whimsical, and colorful. These gardens were built when the Residenz was fortified, so all the gardens had to be inside the walls. There are 2 gardens here. The first is the Court Garden, a Baroque, formal garden. The central feature of this garden are 8 large yews that shaped in perfect cone shapes.

The second garden is an English garden of meadows and small forests.

Würzburg is in the Franconia wine region is less well known producer of dry white wines made from Silvaner grapes. The official name is Grüner Silvaner. A lot of this wine is grown around Würzburg. One unique feature of this wine is its special bottle—it is in a bottle called a Bocksbeutel (in German)—a distinctive green oval shaped bottle.

One feature of wine cruises on the Main River on AmaWaterways is a special wine tasting in Würzburg’s baroque Residenz Palace. Wine in a palace—how cool is that!

My Final Thoughts

Just one more fascinating reason to visit Europe—German Historic Cities! There is a lot here that relates to the key periods of Germany history—I hope this blog helps you understand the significance of these 6 historic cities in Germany history.

Let AmaWaterways take you there—it is the right cruise line for you among many other good choices—great people on a great river cruise line with awesome food and wine—we highly recommend it!

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

6 Historic Cities in Germany You Can Visit on AmaWaterways

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