Cruising AmaWaterways with a Wine Expert

Cruising AmaWaterways with a Wine Expert

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

National Wine and Cheese Day is celebrated on 25 July of each year in the United States.  It has been observed since 2014 in the US but for Anne and I, it is celebrated quite often in our household and during our travels—we started early in the late 1980s when we first met. I guess you could say we are trendsetters!

If all that were not enough, there is also the birthday of Champagne happening in the first few days of August.

So, it got me to thinking about the wonderful trips we have had in Europe, pairings of wine and cheese, and what it is like to travel with a wine expert.

So, I’d like to tell you about why I am so fascinated with wine and explain the joys of traveling with a certified wine expert.

I will begin with some introductory thoughts about wine and food pairings, then talk about champagne (Anne’s favorite drink) and finish with an interview of our personal wine expert to help you learn more about wine and how we have enjoyed our travels together on AmaWaterways.

So, grab a glass of wine, some cheese and let’s explore together!

Wine Pairings

I really like wine, especially when it is properly paired with food.

Wine is a complex subject but it doesn’t have to be—it really is about what you like and how you can best enjoy it.  I am sure part of the fascination for me is how it enhances food as well as how it is enhanced by food; but I also appreciate the complex process involved in making quality wine.  Wine producers wear many hats—entrepreneur, farmer, chemist, blender, and business person.

Perhaps winemaking appeals to me because there is so much work that goes on behind the scenes, much like my days as a football and track coach, that few get to see.  It is a process that yields varying results but when it all works out right, it is magical!

But just like game day, when you pull the cork to taste the results, opinions flow.  Thankfully, with wine, most become more joyful as they taste more, unlike some fans when we were having a bad day on the field, thought I was one of the worst coaches on the face of the earth.

Certain foods go well with certain types of wine.  In particular, cheese is one of the simplest  to pair wine with, but most foods are enhanced with a good wine, in my opinion!

Some of the wonderful cheeses onboard the AmaDagio during our 2013 cruise.

Instead of hearing my ramblings, I will let my wine expert help you learn more about pairings during our wine adventures on AmaWaterways. 

But before we do that,  I must tell you about a wonderful wine pairing Anne and I  had in Vienne, France and then I’ll talk about Champagne.

2 Stars in Vienne and a Courtyard Treat

We discovered Vienne, France while on an AmaWaterways River Cruise on the Rhone River.  We liked the town so much, we returned for a pre cruise stay in 2016 before joining a cruise group we were leading.

Anne found a wonderful place for us to stay with a 2 Star Michelin Restaurant, Patrick Henriroux's.  This gastronomic restaurant is located in La Pyramide, a 4-star Relais & Châteaux hotel.  What a meal—all was superb! 

As good as that was, the better find may have been our lunch in the courtyard with appetizers and wine.  Just look at this picture and you will understand how special this experience was!  Sometimes the “stars are right”, and while the dinner had amazing food and fabulous service, for us this courtyard was the most relaxing, perfect experience.

Our bottle of 2013 Viognier Wine—it paired so well with the cheese!

Champagne

Anne’s favorite drink is champagne.  When we think about Champagne, our thoughts go to the good life—it is elegant, sexy, cool, celebratory, and a luxury for most.  Champagne is in a class of its own—there are few alcoholic drinks you can start on early in the morning and not receive looks of shock.  Even better, when people see you celebrating with champagne, they know it is a special event.  We toast our successes, christen ships with it and generally celebrate life with it. 

So, on the supposed birthday of Champagne (August 4, 1693), I thought I’d write about Champagne in honor of Anne’s favorite drink.

Champagne (edited by Mark Thomas, Certified Wine Expert)

I’m no expert on Champagne, but like most wine, I really enjoy drinking it.  The good news for you is our wine expert, Mark Thomas, edited this portion, so your know it is very good information!

Wine is produced from grapes and the terroir or characteristics of the area (soil and climate are the most important items influencing terroir) in which the grapes are cultivated shapes the taste of the wine. 

However, still wine and Champagne differ in how they are made by the winemakers.  Without getting too technical, Champagne is created by trapping the CO2 gas that is produced during the fermentation process instead of allowing it to vent off like is done when making still wines.

We prefer dry Champagnes—Brut and Extra Brut in the lingo of Champagne.  This term refers to the sweetness of the wine due to the amount of sugar added during the fermentation process.  There are 4 main types of Champagne.  They are 1) Prestige Cuvee, 2) Blanc de Noir, 3) Blanc de Blanc and 4) Rose’.  Prestige Cuvee is a blend wine and the best wine produced by a winery.  Blanc de Noir is  produced by black or red grapes, typically Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.   Blanc de Blanc is  produced by white grapes, typically with 100% Chardonnay grapes.  Rose’ is a blend of white and red grapes.

Four great champagne wines we sampled in Lyon during the Ledson 2014 Provence cruise.

One of the hosts explaining to our small tour group from AmaWaterways about the characteristics of the Champagne we are about to sample.

What Glass Should You Use to Drink Champagne?

Now to the important part—what glass do we drink from?  There are two types of Champagne glasses—the flute and the coupe. 

The legend of the creation of the coupe is that it was modeled after a mold of the left breast of Marie Antoinette’s—great story, but probably not true.  Experts favor a flute (retains more of the bubbles) but who can argue with the elegant, sophisticated coupe? 

My advice—use both and drink more champagne!

Mark pouring champagne at his home. We are drinking Roederer and of course, with a wine expert, he serves it at the correct temperature and with the correct glasses!

Two  Fun Facts about Champagne. 

Legend says Champagne was invented by a Benedictine Monk, Dom Perignon.  There is no doubt he made significant contributions to the production and quality of Champagne, but he probably did not invent it  

Most folks know about him, since the best known of all Champagnes, Dom Perignon, the prestige cuvee from Moet & Chandon, is named in his honor.  He supposedly said upon tasting Champagne “Come quickly, I am drinking the Stars” but it possibly appeared in a print ad in the late 1800s (thanks Wikipedia).

The world’s best-known fictional spy, James Bond, is an avid Champagne drinker.  Do you know his favorite Champagne?  The answer is both Bollinger and Dom Perignon (we learned this on the trivia quiz on an AmaWaterways Wine cruise).

One way to have the good life, in my humble opinion, —drink more Champagne!

Champagne and Travel

There are many ways to enjoy Champagne when traveling.  Number one for Champagne lovers has to be the Champagne region of Northeastern France.  The area of chalk plains and gentle hills between Paris and Lorraine is  home to the most famous sparkling wines in the world. 

In fact, by European Union (EU) standards and most countries of the world, the term Champagne  is exclusively reserved for sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of France.   

According to the website About France.com, it is possible to visit 51 Champagne cellars around the towns of Reims and Epernay.  Besides great wine tours and tastings around Reims, the medieval Gothic cathedral, with its exquisite rose window, is the location where the former kings of France were crowned—it is a site not to be missed.  

In Epernay, along with the wine tours, there is a Champagne museum and the Abbey of Hautvilliers, where Dom Perignon created his version of Champagne.

Anne’s favorite pairing is with a dozen oysters on the half shell—did I marry well, or what!

AmaWaterways has added trips to this region as an extension of their river cruises in France—do you think I need to go on one with Anne?  We would also be glad to help you visit in combination with an AmaWaterways cruise and maybe part of a group we would like to lead--please read on!

Cruising AmaWaterways with a Wine Expert

Since 2013, we have been fortunate enough to travel with two great folks, our Travel Chums, Denise and Mark Thomas.

Mark and Denise in their formal Scottish clothes on Christmas Eve 2018 with Santa. Anne planned our adventure to Kasteel Englelenburg in Brummen, Netherlands.

Mark is a certified wine instructor.  So, I thought I’d let you see what it is like to travel with your own personal wine expert.

Mark, can you briefly tell us about how you and Denise got interested in wine and your credentials as a certified wine person?

Denise celebrates her birthday at the Chef’s Table in 2018.

Mark and Denise in London 2019 on a Thames River scenic cruise.

My wife Denise became interested in wine in college and she sought out opportunities to learn more about wine by attending tastings, food and wine pairings, and winemaker dinners.  I became interested after high school when I was getting ready to join the Coast Guard.  In the military, there is a saying, “hurry up and wait”, so I had a lot of time on my hands to read.  And as a bachelor living in apartments around the country, I figured I needed to learn how to cook or starve!  So, what better way to enjoy food but alongside nice wine.  So, I read everything wine related I could get my hands on (Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits Magazine, Food and Wine Magazine, etc).  I remember the first bottle of wine I ever truly enjoyed with a meal; a 1979 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Pinot Noir.  I won’t count all the Boone’s Farm, Mateus Rose’, Blue Nun, and MD2020 I drank before that though!

As far as my credentials, when I retired from the Coast Guard in 2010, I went to work for Ledson Winery & Vineyards in Sonoma, CA.  I started out pouring behind the tasting bar, went on to work in wine club support, participated in tasting panels with the owner & winemaker, and accompanied him out in the vineyards learning all I could.  In 2011, I was promoted to General Manager and remained in that position until I moved to Colorado in 2017.  Today, I still work for Ledson from home doing wine club support, and I coordinate the entry of all of our wines into wine competitions around the country. 

I researched credentialing avenues and decided to go with the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, London, U.K.  I passed the Level 2 Intermediate course in Wine & Spirits with Distinction in 2018 and then completed the Level 3 advanced course in Wines with Merit in 2019.

What was it like to help host the 2014 Ledson Wine Cruise?

Mark preparing for a tasting during the 2014 Ledson wine cruise. Mark selected the wines and made sure they were served correctly for the tastings. Ledson wines are great and he and the crew did an amazing job!

It was a great experience!  The chance to interact with our wine club members as well as the other guests on the ship was a huge thrill for me.  To see their reactions as they tried the different wines we served onboard, hear their stories about wines they’ve enjoyed over the years, and places they’ve visited while enjoying delicious meals onboard was a life enriching experience for me.  It was also a great pleasure working with the crew onboard and how we all pulled together to ensure the tasting seminars, winemaker dinner, and tasting parties all came off without a hitch.

Captain’s Table on the Ledson 2014 Wine Cruise. Captain Danny (left), Denise and Mark.

What are the most important wines grown and produced in the Provence/Rhone region?

Wine Regions of the Rhone River. Map from AmaWaterways

In Provence, Rose’s dominate.  These delicious bold, crisp, fruity wines pair great with the local seafood dishes (Bouillabaisse, Fish soup, etc).  The red grapes that dominate the region include Mourvèdre and Grenache while the primary white grapes include Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette, usually blended together in some form or another. 

As you head up the Rhone River from Arles toward Lyon, you first encounter the Southern Rhone region where the red grape varietal Grenache dominates.  Often primarily blended with Syrah, and Mourvèdre, these wines are rich, earthy, gamey, and full-bodied especially in the area of Châteauneuf-Du-Pape.  Other red blending grape varietals include Carignan, Cinsaut, and Counoise.  The delicious white varietals of the Southern Rhone are the same as in Provence

Moving into the Northern Rhone, you’ll find Syrah is king among the red varietals while Viognier in the appellation of Condrieu, along with gorgeous blends of Marsanne and Roussanne in the appellations of Hermitage and St. Joseph dominate the white varietals.

What were some of your best experiences on the Provence/Rhone River cruise?

Mark and Denise outside an awesome restaurant in Vienne, France

Wow, so many great experiences come to mind.  The town of Avignon, trip to the Pont-Du-Gard Aqueduct, the town of Les Baux, Olive farm visits, Truffle farm visits, Roman ruins, the lavender fields, the visit to the town of Grignon, tasting fresh nougat from Montilemar, sampling the food, wine, and cheese in every town we visited.  The warmth and hospitality of the local residents was another great experience for us.

Truffle Dog at work. This was part of the included tours on our 2013 Provence Rhone Cruise

What are the most important wines grown and produced in the Bordeaux region?

Bordeaux Wine Regions Map. Image from AmaWaterways

Some of my very favorite red wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and various blended wines with these varietals in varying percentages. For white varietals, again some of my favorites: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with which some produce world-famous Sauternes.

 What were some of your best experiences during the Bordeaux cruise?

First, seeing some familiar faces among the Captain and crew.  Second, the beautiful city of Bordeaux, the food, the wines, the visit to the La Cite’ du Vin, dinner at La Tupina—Out of this world!  Vineyard & winery visits and tastings in Sauterne, Pauillac, the Medoc’, Saint Émilion, and the hike around Chateau Boutinet, and finally, being close enough to Amboise to do a post cruise visit to see Vouvray, Tours, and taste the food and wines of the Loire Valley (Anne planned a private tour for the 4 of us with the help of a France Specialist we work with and have sent folks on after AmaWaterways cruises).

On our A Taste of Bordeaux Cruise in 2017. The 3 Amigos—Hank. Miro (the Head Bartender) and our wine expert, Mark Thomas. We first met Miro in 2013—what a great guy and so typical of the outstanding crew on AmaWaterways ships

Dinner at La Tupina in Bordeaux—(from left to right) Hank, Anne, Denise and Mark

Oak Barrels in Saint Émilion on our Bordeaux cruise 2017

Pauillac Winery—we had a great tour and tasting here!

 What are your thoughts about the quality of wines served on board AmaWaterways cruises?

I think they are very good!  The wines vary based on what ship you are on and the wine regions you are in, and the wines change up each night based on the food served and the areas you are visiting. The ship also has a diverse wine list for those who wish to dive a little deeper into a particular wine region or varietal. The crew is also very intuitive and accommodating to those they see appreciate great wines; they will go out of their way to let you try other wines if they have them open.  They do their utmost to ensure you enjoy what you’re drinking with your meals.

Denise and Mark enjoying wine on our 2018 AmaKristina river cruise

What are some of your favorite pairings of wine & cheese?

 Keeping in mind that taste is a very personal and subjective thing, there are some classic wine and cheese pairings (although they may not be right for you), give them a try.  Some of my personal favorites are:

1) Goat cheese with any high-acid white wines such as Sancerre (Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc), Chenin Blanc, Chablis, etc.

2) Brie with Champagne or Chardonnay

3) Comte with Chardonnay

4) Taleggio with Condrieu (French Viognier)

5) Bleu Cheese with Cabernet Sauvignon

6) Stilton or Gorgonzola with Vintage or Late Bottled Vintage Port

Most cheeses pair best with white wines due to their increased acidity.  If you like, you may also try and pair these cheeses with lighter red wines like Pinot Noir, Gamay (Beaujolais-Villages), or Chinon (French wine: Varietal: Cabernet Franc).

What are some of your favorite pairings of food and wine so we can enhance our dining experiences during meals?

 I, like Anne love Champagne & Oysters on the half-shell. I also like to pair:

Grilled Salmon and Pinot Noir

Roast Duck Breast and Merlot

Grilled Rib-Eye and Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Bordeaux from the Medoc’, Pauillac, Graves, or Pessac-Léognan (Something Left-Bank that is Cabernet dominant).

Roast Turkey and Pinot Noir

Lemon Grilled Scallops and Sauvignon Blanc

Steamed Mussels and Pouilly-Fuissé

Dungeness Crab and Chardonnay

BBQ Ribs and Zinfandel

Braised Lamb Shanks and Syrah

Hearty Beef Stew and Petite Sirah

Question.  How can we best learn more about wines?

Read all you can and taste new and different wines.  We tend to gravitate to what we know.  The best way to learn about wine is to drink more of them.  Experiment with different varietals that you haven’t had before.  Take a wine course at your local college or a wine course online.  The ability to interact with fellow wine enthusiasts and foodies is exciting and eye-opening!

Question.  Would you like to lead a wine group for us during an AmaWaterways cruise?

I would love to!  Any chance to broaden my knowledge of the world, experience new cultures, and meet new people is a huge honor and privilege for me!

My Final Thoughts

What a great experience!  We would like to thank our wine expert, Mark Thomas, for his unique knowledge and sharing his ideas—as you can see, he ROCKS!

Please reach out to us if you would be interested in travel with Mark and us on a wine cruise in 2022.

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

Dream About River Cruising Now; Travel Later

Dream About River Cruising Now; Travel Later

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

I don’t know about you, but I suspect you are feeling a little cooped up right now.

My mind wanders often these days, thinking about where we will travel next.

It will be somewhere in Europe when it is safe to go. 

For me, many of my dreams involve a Europe river cruise and I hope soon we can help go again or sail on one for the first time.

This week, we will help you dream by examining why people take river cruises, and the routes available.  Dreaming further, perhaps we can inspire you by one of our many blogs about European river cruising and when the time is right, why you should use us to plan your European River Cruise.

So, this week, I’d like to write about dreams to take you to Dream Destinations on European river cruises. 

7 Reasons Why People Dream About & Take River Cruises

1. They like the Cool destinations & itinerary—almost always the most important reason.

2. They like All-Inclusive luxury vacation at a reasonable cost—a very good perceived value.

3. They want Real-life experiences in smaller towns & villages often combined with great cities of Europe—a great mix that is hard to do on your own but easy with a river cruise.

4. They really like included land programs and sightseeing.

5. They like smaller ships and intimate ambience.

6. They appreciate shipboard services and caring staff.

7. It is convenient and hassle free.

All great reasons in my mind—are your dreaming yet?

Great Routes to Dream About

Do you want to dream about great destinations? 

Then our comprehensive guide of the available European River Cruise Routes is the best single resource available for you to quickly learn about European Rivers.  It is designed so you can easily decide on which route will be the best for your next Europe river cruise vacation.

 Old Town Lyon—a port on the Rhône River—one of the Routes we describe in our guide

Europe has the distinction of the continent with the largest number of navigable rivers compared to other regions of the world.  They are often devoid of major obstacles such as waterfalls and rapids, and are usually wide and deep enough to allow a steady passage of people and material on all types of sailing vessels.

Combine the easy navigation with captivating sights such as castles, vineyards, capital cities and small, quaint villages and it is clear to me why folks would want to sail these amazing rivers!

 Europe Rivers Map from AmaWaterways

Our route guide page will describe the river, point out a couple of highlights and why you might consider sailing on this river.  The routes may be very short or may cover larger distances.  While there are some variations, many lines essentially cruise the same route on the most popular European rivers.

Since most folks want to know what the best starting rivers are if they have never taken a European River cruise, by far the two most popular rivers are the Rhine and the Upper Danube, so let’s explore them first together.  Then we will examine the remaining Europe Rivers you might want to consider for your vacation.

 The Watchman of the Danube Schönbühel Castle

Sailing into Rüdesheim Germany on the Rhine

Ready?—Let’s cruise together!

European River Cruise Route Guide

Dream Using Our River Cruise Blogs

If you believe Google, I am the number one Europe River Cruise Blogger.

Our blogs, by design, are much more detailed than most other blogs—usually 2000 words or more.  There are two types of blogs we use to help you understand characteristics of Europe river cruises.

In the first type, we try to tell the story of each topic in a way you can see yourself there—can we capture the experience for you? 

While some blogs easily fall into storytelling type of blog, others are designed as informational, data blogs, our second type of blog. This blog is more the informational type blog.

Both have immense value, in my opinion.  Sometimes you just need the data in a form you can understand and make comparisons.  But this alone is not enough—you need to know what you will experience on a Europe river cruise to get the full story.  A key element of the blogs is a clear separation of facts (usually there is a source) and our opinion.  When possible, we use many pictures in each blog to help enhance our descriptions.

As you can see from this blog, we break up our blogs into sub headings to make it easier to understand.  Often, there is quite a bit of research that goes into the content—we try to sift through the overwhelming amount of information and advertising to paint an easily understandable summary of each topic.  Most is first-hand information from our experiences, but some is news or research, or information facts (internet, blogs, books, travel publications, company brochures or other sources) you need to know to become a better traveler.

Our blogs have two goals—the most important is to inform you so you can decide if a Europe river cruise is right for you.  The second, a bit more subtle, is to help you decide if we are the right folks to help plan your river cruise.

Read More River Cruise Blogs

Why We Are the Right Folks to Plan your Next European River Cruise

Our knowledge of Europe river cruises is exceptional.  We have been on 18 Europe river cruises, written over 60 blogs about all aspects of Europe river cruises, have 3 items on the first page of Google, we have 51 port guides (they are free) for you, and we have help dozens enjoy river cruising in Europe.  And if that we not enough, we have 50 free guides to most Europe Cities you might want to visit before or after your Europe river cruise.

My Final Thoughts

Wow!—what a quick way to get exceptional information and start dreaming about European River Cruising!  We want to earn that trust from you to use us for your vacation needs—start with your dreams first—when European River Cruising starts up again, we will make your dreams reality..

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.  As you can see, our full service agency can get you to almost anywhere you desire to travel and provide you a great experience and vacation.

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.

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 48+ 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

Quickly Learn About European River Cruises on Our Website

Quickly Learn About European River Cruises on Our Website

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Everybody wants to quickly and easily learn about any topic they want to know more about.  That’s why a section of our website, European River Cruises is so valuable if you want to learn more about European River Cruises.

We have an exceptional section on our website to gain a complete understanding of Europe River Cruising.  It contains a great overview about what European River Cruising entails , compares river cruise companies, provides a vibe of 8 river cruise companies, informs you of possible European river cruise routes and has a link to the 67 Blogs we have written about all aspects of European River Cruising.

So, this week, I’d like to write about the value of our website and why it is a great resource for you to quickly learn about European River Cruising.

Ready?—let’s go together and learn all about Europe river cruising!

Overview

Bratislava Castle

We have an excellent overview of European River Cruising.  It defines exactly what a European River Cruise is and a summary of the major cruise routes; provides a comparison of ocean cruises to river cruises; and uses our photos so you can see what a typical river cruise ship looks like.  For a person who has never been on a Europe River Cruise, it helps you grasp the key elements of this type of vacation. 

European River Cruises

Sailing into Passau, Germany on the Danube River

Company Comparisons

As many of you know, we have one of the best, in-depth, Europe River Cruise Comparisons available anywhere on our website.  We have updated our 2016 version to provide even more accurate information on the ever changing Europe river cruise scene.

This is an excellent summary—it ranks always on the first page of Google (this is earned—we have never paid to boast anything on the internet).  Getting unbiased information about the various river cruise companies is difficult.  There is no one company that is right for everyone.  We believe we know enough to guide you to the right company that matches your travel style. 

We want to emphasize all of these river cruise lines are good values and special trips.  Many have won awards and there is really no official ranking system to provide you a valid comparison method. 

To help overcome the lack of an official ranking system, we have found that The Berlitz River Cruising in Europe & the USA guide to be as fair an evaluation as presently available to the public.  This book evaluates individual ships in its rating system instead of entire companies, so we have decided to compare the best rivership from each company to determine a ranking system as our method of comparison.

Here is a sample of one of our slides in the Comparisons PDF Slide Shows

We have also provided our own personal rankings of each line with comments.

So, let’s explore these ranking together, by going directly to our full PDF presentation at this link:

READ OUR COMPLETE 86 SLIDE PRESENTATION

River Cruise Vibes

Since 2009, I have studied Europe River cruising to try and learn all I could about the river cruise industry. A few industry experts have tried to make comprehensive comparisons of the different lines. Each has a slightly different approach.

We have taken a unique approach by creating a PowerPoint presentation. Our 86 slide 2019 Comparison Guide is very good but even that lacks one factor—the vibe of the line and its ships.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines vibe as “the feeling that someone or something gives you.” So, here goes—my evaluation of the vibe or feeling you will get on 8 river cruise lines.

This really matters, since there is little information of the company vibes in one place that you can quickly determine the vibe or feelings you will probably experience on a European River Cruise. This blog goes beyond just facts—it tells the story of each river cruise line.

These pictures capture a little bit of these vibes—two great lines, AmaWaterways (first photo) and Scenic—we know the vibe of both and want to help you understand the differences!

AmaKristina Lounge 2018 decorated for Christmas

Did we provide a good summary of each lines feelings?  Will that help you decide on which line best fits your desired vacation experience?

River Cruise Vibes

Route Guide

Our comprehensive guide of the available Europe River Cruise Routes is the best single resource available for you to quickly learn about European Rivers. It is designed so you can easily decide on which route will be the best for your next Europe river cruise vacation.

Old Town Lyon—a port on the Rhône River—one of the Routes we describe in our guide

Europe has the distinction of the continent with the largest number of navigable rivers compared to other regions of the world.  They are often devoid of major obstacles such as waterfalls and rapids, and are usually wide and deep enough to allow a steady passage of people and material on all types of sailing vessels. 

Combine the easy navigation with captivating sights such as castles, vineyards, capital cities and small, quaint villages and it is clear to me why folks would want to sail these amazing rivers!

Europe Rivers Map from AmaWaterways

It will describe the river, point out a couple of highlights and why you might consider sailing on this river.  The routes may be very short or may cover larger distances.  While there are some variations, many lines essentially cruise the same route on the most popular European rivers.

Since most folks want to know what the best starting rivers are if they have never taken a European River cruise, by far the two most popular rivers are the Rhine and the Upper Danube, so let’s explore them first together.  Then will examine the remaining Europe Rivers you might want to consider for your vacation.

The Watchman of the Danube Schönbühel Castle

Sailing into Rüdesheim Germany on the Rhine

Ready?—Let’s cruise together!

Route Guide

River Cruise Blogs

If you believe Google, I am the number one Europe River Cruise Blogger.

Our blogs, by design, are much more detailed than most other blogs—usually 2000 words or more.  There are two types of blogs we use to help you understand characteristics of Europe river cruises.

In the first type, we try to tell the story of each topic in a way you can see yourself there—can we capture the experience for you? 

While some blogs easily fall into storytelling type of blog, others are designed as informational, data blogs, our second type of blog. This blog is more the informational type blog.

Both have immense value, in my opinion.  Sometimes you just need the data in a form you can understand and make comparisons.  But this alone is not enough—you need to know what you will experience on a Europe river cruise to get the full story.  A key element of the blogs is a clear separation of facts (usually there is a source) and our opinion.  When possible, we use many pictures in each blog to help enhance our descriptions.

As you can see from this blog, we break up our blogs into sub headings to make it easier to understand.  Often, there is quite a bit of research that goes into the content—we try to sift through the overwhelming amount of information and advertising to paint an easily understandable summary of each topic.  Most is first-hand information from our experiences, but some is news or research, or information facts (internet, blogs, books, travel publications, company brochures or other sources) you need to know to become a better traveler.

Our blogs have two goals—the most important is to inform you so you can decide if a Europe river cruise is right for you.  The second, a bit more subtle, is to help you decide if we are the right folks to help plan your river cruise.

Read More Blogs

We Are the Right Folks to Plan your Next European River Cruise

Our knowledge of Europe river cruises is exceptional.  We have been on 18 Europe river cruises, written over 60 blogs about all aspects of Europe river cruises, have 3 items on the first page of Google, we have 51 port guides (they are free) for you, and we have help dozens enjoy river cruising in Europe.  And if that we not enough, we have 50 free guides to most Europe Cities you might want to visit before or after your Europe river cruise.

My Final Thoughts

Wow—What a quick way to get exceptional information about European River Cruising We want to earn that trust from you to use us for your vacation needs.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.  As you can see, our full service agency can get you to almost anywhere you desire to travel and provide you a great experience and vacation.

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.

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 48+ 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

AmaWaterways New Emphasis on the Moselle and Main Rivers--Part 1 of 2

AmaWaterways New Emphasis on the Moselle and Main Rivers

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, European Destination and River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

Our first Europe river cruise was on the Main and Moselle Rivers in 2009.  It was on AmaWaterways.  As I have written before, I was hooked—for a person who has never taken a Europe river cruise, it is very hard to describe how good it is—I knew what the brochures said, which made it sound awesome, but it was just so much more than I expected!

The key for me was the easy access to so many wonderful sites, that would be difficult to do on your own, and luxury travel aboard the ship facilities, great food and wine all rolled into one package—it was easy and fun.

But that is not the purpose of this blog—the purpose is to tell you about the expanded options to visit either the Moselle or Main Rivers or both on AmaWaterways.  There are now 7 different route options that explore this region of Germany better than any other of the 8 river cruise companies we follow.  We have sailed every part of these 7 offerings on the Rhine, Main & Moselle Rivers and will provide you some first-hand knowledge of the great ports and experiences you can expect on any one of these cruises.

Imagine sailing on the either of these 2 rivers through the legendary wine growing regions of Germany, getting the chance to sample good Germany wines, explore quaint villages and visit and tour castles and palaces! 

Don’t let the 7 different routes confuse you—many ports are very similar on each route and if you just look at the maps carefully and our pictures, you will quickly get a great overview.  And, as always, we are here to clear up any confusion.

Since there are so many ports involved in these routes, I have organized this blog to provide an overview of the routes of the Moselle and Main Rivers and will provide you in this blog a good description of the ports on the Moselle.  Next week I will concentrate on the ports of the Main River.

So let’s sail together on the ports of these mostly German rivers—you won’t be disappointed—it is that good!

Moselle & Main Routes on the Same Cruise

Europe’s River & Castles Cruise Route. Map from AmaWaterways

Europe’s Rivers & Castles

There are 15 sailing dates on Europe’s Rivers & Castles route in 2020, which cruises from Nuremberg to Luxembourg.  This is the cruise route we first took on AmaWaterways, and it is just so fun, we have done this route twice.  The second time Anne & I were lucky to lead a group of my West Point classmates and introduce them all to the joys of Europe river cruising.

Depending on the direction you are sailing, the trip begins in either Trier or Nuremberg.  I am describing the cruise starting from Trier.  The only difference in sailing from Nuremberg to Trier is that docking times and days are different–you still get to see the same sights.

The trip starts in Trier, the oldest city in Germany.  It continues through the meandering Moselle River Valley, its steep hillsides covered with vineyards.  The German villages of Bernkastel and Cochem, with their castles overlooking the town below and Zell on the Moselle River, make this stretch memorable. 

Continuing up river, you’ll enter the Rhine River Gorge.  Many fortresses and castle ruins are strategically placed on the steep hills.  Once these castles served to defend and extract tolls, now they provide beautiful sights—it always makes the best river cruise lists of travel writers.  

Along the Main River, a tributary of the Rhine, the stops include medieval towns, often with the half-timbered homes that seem to untouched by time and important smaller cities that have unique palaces, churches and even the first printing press. The cruise ends after sailing through the Main-Danube Canal to historic Nuremberg.  The ports on the Main River are Rüdesheim, Mainz, Wertheim, Würzburg, Bamberg and it ends in Nuremberg.

Moselle Routes (4 Routes)

Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle

Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle. Map from AmaWaterways

This is a 7 night cruise from Amsterdam to Luxembourg or in the reverse direction.  The Rhine River portion includes Cologne, the Rhine River Gorge, Rüdesheim, and Mainz.  It then visits the Moselle and two ports (Cochem and Bernkastel).  There are 9 sailing dates on this route (starting on April 2, 2020, with the last sailing on 14 October).

Rhine & Moselle Splendors

Rhine & Moselle Splendors. Map from AmaWaterways

This is a 7 night Luxembourg to Basel Cruise, starting on the Moselle and ending on the Rhine, turning south from Koblenz to Basel.  On the Moselle, the ports are Trier, Bernkastel, and Cochem.  On the Rhine, the ports and sights are the Rhine River Gorge, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Riquewihr and it ends in Basel.

Rhine & Moselle Delights

Rhine & Moselle Delights Route. Map from AmaWaterways

This is a 10 night cruise, with three ports on the Moselle (Trier, Bernkastel, and Cochem), added to the traditional Enchanting Rhine cruise which starts in Basel, cruises north, and ends in Amsterdam.  It is a very limited cruise offering—it only sails twice in 2020, embarking on August 7th and October 4th on the AmaSiena, the new vessel that will be added to the AmaWaterways fleet this year. 

Rhine & Moselle Fairytales

Rhine & Moselle Fairytales Route. Map from AmaWatereways

This is an 11 night cruise, with 3 ports on the Moselle (Trier, Bernkastel, and Cochem) added into the traditional Captivating Rhine cruise route from Amsterdam south to Basel.  Again, it is a very limited cruise offering—it only sails twice in 2020, embarking on July 20th and September 21st on the AmaSiena, the new vessel that will be added to the AmaWaterways fleet this year. 

Moselle Ports

Trier

Trier was an old Roman outpost which was first settled by the Roman in 17 BC.  It is the oldest city in Germany, and is 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.

Porta Nigra Gate in Trier, Germany

Important Roman sights include the Roman Baths, an amphitheater, the Basilica of Constantine (it was the throne room of Emperor Constantin), 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.  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. 

Trier Palace and Gardens

Market Square in Trier Germany

Zell

Zell is famous for its white wine zellerschwartzkatz (Zell’s black cat).  It is a small town of about 4,300 people. It has an interesting market square and the town hall has a wine museum.  It was once a walled city but not much of the old walls remain.

The really great draw of this village is the story of Zell’s Black Cat Wine.

According to legend, a large quantity of local wine was being stored in barrels in a regional cellar.  When people approached, a black cat jumped on the barrel from Zell and started hissing to protect its contents.  Seeing the hissing, caused the wine merchants to believe the wine from Zell was special and better quality than the other wines stored in the wine cellar building.  Today the black cat is the symbol of this town.  

AmaWaterways has an exclusive wine festival celebration in Zell.  The local children, dressed up like black cats, provide a performance that everyone who has visited Zell on AmaWaterways will remember.  I just recently heard Kristin Karst, one of the co-owners of AmaWaterways, describe how special and unique this visit and performance is during a webinar—it instantly brought back great memories of this port stop.

Wine Festival in Zell with the children dressed up in their Black Cat Costumes

Bernkastel

Bernkastel is a wonderful town of around 8000.  It is located about halfway between Cochem and Trier on the Mosel River.  There are many half-timbered buildings, especially around the market square.  

Easily seen from market square is St Michael’s church, built in the 14th century that had a dual purpose— it served as a house of worship and its tall bell tower served as a watch tower in the old city ramparts.  

The Watch Tower of St. Michael’s Church looms over Market Square in Bernkastel

Great Half-timbered Buildings in Bernkastel

The city has some wonderful fountains—they include St. Michael's fountain on the Market Square, the bear's fountain and the doctor's fountain.  Overlooking the town is the Landshut Castle ruins.  It was first built in 1277 but was ruined by fire in 1692. 

Landshut Castle ruins

Bernkastel is located in the middle of the Mosel wine-producing region.  This area has been producing wine for over 500 years.  You will get to experience a guided walking tour through the old town center and a winery visit to sample several different regional vintages are scheduled for this portion of your cruise.

Cochem

In Cochem, you will enjoy a guided tour of Cochem that takes you to the spectacular hilltop Reichsburg Castle (also known as Cochem Castle but the correct name is Schloss Reichsburg).  It has fantastic views of the river valley below.  Touring inside the castle is great! 

China Display Inside the Cochem Castle

Cochem, Germany, on the Mosel River, is a former walled city.  It has a population of about 5,800 and is a traditional old German town.  The town has many fine buildings, quaint cottages, guild houses, and winding cobblestone streets. The town square, lined with half-timbered houses, is a wonderful, scenic area of this small town.  

Cochem Town Hall

Main River Routes (2 Routes)

Medieval Treasures

Medieval Treasures Route. Map from AmaWaterways

Medieval Treasures is a 7 night cruise from Basel to Nuremberg.  There are 5 sailing dates in 2020, and the AmaWaterways cruise ship is the AmaDante.  On the Rhine, the ports are Strasbourg, Speyer, and Rüdesheim.  On the Main, the ports are Miltenberg, Wertheim, Würzburg, Bamberg and it ends in Nuremberg.

One factor about this route—it misses the spectacular Rhine River Gorge I wrote about above.

Treasures of the Main & Rhine

Treasures of the Main & Rhine. Map from AmaWaterways

This is a 7 day cruise, starting from Nuremberg to Amsterdam.  There are 4 ports on the Main River (Wertheim, Würzburg, Bamberg and Nuremberg) and 3 ports on the Rhine (Rüdesheim, Cologne and Amsterdam).  It does sail through the Rhine River Gorge.

Our Rhine, Main & Moselle River Port Guides

A unique feature for you that we make available to you for free is to learn about these ports with our Rhine River Cruise Port Guides (there are 25 total for the Rhine & its tributaries—8 on the Rhine; 8 on the Main; 5 on the Moselle and 4 for the Northern Tulip Time ports).  It is really easy to get them—just use the button below, and fill out the short request form and we will send these guides.  We have a total of 51 River Cruise Port Guides on our website—trust me, there is nothing like all these to our knowledge available on the web in one place and they are all our pictures.  It should help you decide if this is the right cruise for you and also help you decide on which tour to take at each port stop.

Get My Guides

My Final Thoughts

These are routes that should be on everyone’s bucket list, in my opinion.  Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help you to start this or any other river cruise trip.  We have a wealth of free information about all Europe river cruises and really useful river cruise tips on our website www.dreamdestinations.com, so check us out—you will be glad you did.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.  As you can see, our full service agency can get you to almost anywhere you desire to travel and provide you a great experience and vacation.

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.

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 48+ 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

Shopping on the Danube

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert with help from Anne Schrader

www.dreamdestinations.com

My wife, Anne, is a shopper. She likes to say she’s really a “window shopper”, just looking and doesn’t really need to buy whatever has just caught her eye. She can make a stroll wherever we are last for hours. And she’s right, she does just “look”, but if the item of interest won’t break the “souvenir” budget, or won’t be too difficult to transfer back home, then I’m more than happy to make the purchase.

Now before you hear a lot of “Awwws”, let me be honest and say that I do  this, not only to be the sweet, loving and adorable husband, but mainly because I just want to go somewhere to sit, drink a beer or glass of wine and have something to eat. Ergo, the sooner the new acquisition has been placed into the ever-present reusable shopping bag that accommodates Anne everywhere, I get to reap the reward and partake in a pastime we both enjoy -- food, beverage and people watching!

Danube Shopping Overview

Shopping during travel is considered one of the many activities that can have a great influence on the location you visit. One of our favorite shopping river cruise routes has to be on the Danube River.

We always look for local items not readily available in the United States. In Vienna, Austria we bought a drindl (the traditional dress of Germany and Austria). Here is a great picture of Anne in her drindl, we bought on a summer AmaWaterways Danube cruise—darn does she look good—I’m a lucky man!.

Anne in her drindl with Kata (the cruise manager) and Carmen from the barstaff

But that is not the reason for this blog post—it is really about value during our shopping experiences. For example, we almost always take a river cruise during the Christmas season to enjoy their famous markets. There are so many itineraries that provide the opportunity to visit both large and small markets and many of the larger cities have multiple markets which, after visiting the city once or twice on a cruise and not porting long enough to enjoy all of them, then a pre-post cruise visit to that location will enhance your river cruise.

Our Pre-cruise—Regensburg

This year we did just that. Our cruise aboard the AmaSonata started in Vienna and ended in Nuremberg. With this itinerary, we knew we’d visit the markets in Vienna, Linz, Passau, Regensburg and Nuremberg, with the option of visiting the market on a tour to Cesky Krumlov. We’ve done this route several times, during the holidays and also summer months. And our favorite port on this particular itinerary is Regensburg.

We have never really had the opportunity to explore this beautiful city as we would have liked to, as we knew on this cruise our port time would be limited and we would not have a chance to really have an in-depth experience at their two main markets. So, we did a pre-cruise stay for 3 nights in Regensburg.

What a treat, at night, the city is so walkable, the markets are truly bustling with the city’s residents! Even getting a reservation at the restaurants that are the mainstay for the locals can be a difficult, but definitely worthwhile, experience.

HATS

Anne’s New Hat with ear muffs

Shopping in Regensburg means one thing to Anne . . . HATS!  She discovered the Hutmacher on one of first cruises and now proudly owns 5 of his creations.  As usual, she’ll say she just wants to go look, but inevitably, she’ll depart the store with one of the big (really big) hat boxes, empty, as the new addition will be sitting securely on her Kopf (head)!

This trip, after years of gentle nagging, she actually inspired me to make my own purchase. And, I have to admit, even with 2 really big boxes to carry home on the plane, I might just be a convert.

Hank with his new Hat

But I will adamantly admit, even though the visit and ultimate purchase with the wonderful staff at the store and having the opportunity to meet the Hutkoenig at the Thurns and Taxis Christmas market, I still believe the best and easiest souvenir from Regensburg are the glühwein mugs that make it back to Anne’s ever-expanding collection.

Hank & Mark Thomas, on of our Travel Chums, at one of the Regensburg Christmas Markets—he took the picture of us with the Hutkoening owner

Glühwein—-A Christmas Market Tradition

Glühwein is the drink of choice at Christmas markets. This hot mulled wine comes in all forms of spices and even sometimes even includes liquor shots. We always buy some and, of course, Anne scours the markets for just the right mug(s) to add to her collection. The Glühwein mugs are a great idea—the can be reused to cut down on the waste, most are well designed with the year and place of the Christmas Market you visited and they, as Anne points out, don’t cost much. When you buy the glühwein, the beverage costs about 3-5 Euros and there is an added deposit of 1-2 Euros that is refundable when you return the mugs. Some Glühwein Booths actually sell the mugs alone but that varies. They may be breakable, but they are small and the best part . . . while you can return the mugs to receive your original deposit, drinking the hot Glühwein adds so much to the Christmas market experience, 1 to 2 Euros seems like a very small price to pay for the memories. Just save some room in your suitcase and, like Anne does, carry some bubble wrap to get your mugs safely home—another cool tip from Anne!

Here is some pictures of her every expanding collection

3 Regensburg Christmas Mugs

Anne’s Growing Collection of Christmas Mugs

Our Europe River Port Guides

So, what does this mean for you? As you can see, there are just so many ways to expand an Europe River cruise experience and shopping is just one way—we almost always do extra explorations of the many river cruise ports in Europe and have now 51 port guides available for your use.

The idea is simple—you get an in-depth look at the port prior to your visit—it includes the must see sights and helps you decide which tour best suits your travel style if several tour options are offered. Best of all they are free—just go to our River Cruises section on our website, scroll down to the bottom of the page on the route you desire, then click on the port(s) you desire and we send you the PDF PowerPoint slideshow and, for the larger cities, a word document that expands on the port. We cover the Rhine, the Main, the Mosel, the Waal loop of the Rhine (Tulip Time), the Upper and lower Danube, and French River cruise routes of the Rhone and the Bordeaux route. We are in the process of posting the list for some of these ports but they should be available in a couple of days if the port you desire is not listed yet.

Just to show how we could create great experiences for you, here is a picture of Anne with our other travel Chum, Denise—they went to a cooking school in Nuremberg (post cruise trip)to learn how to make gingerbread cookies (Lebkuchen).

My Final Thoughts

Who knew shopping could be so fun, even for a non-shopper like me! Let us help you enjoy Europe and experience the magic of new experiences and cultures.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.  As you can see, our full service agency can get you to almost anywhere you desire to travel and provide you a great experience and vacation.

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.

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 48+ 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

The 10 Best Quaint Villages to See on a European River Cruise

The 10 Best Quaint Villages to See on a European River Cruise

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

I write all the time about Europe river cruising and its value.  One of best aspect of a river cruise, in my opinion, is the chance to see the small places you wouldn’t otherwise know about.  With the exception of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, we probably would not have visited these sights listed in this blog on our own because we didn’t know they existed.  So, after 17 Europe River Cruises, here are my 10 favorite.

Now, let me defend my thoughts—are these the 10 best?  Please let my descriptions and our pictures help you decide if these are the 10 best! 

Please feel free to reach out to us and offer you own suggestions if we might have missed your favorite quaint village that you saw or could see while on a river cruise in Europe.

Overview

I have a rather complicated definition of what a quaint village or town is—some dictionaries list quaint as meaning “attractive because of being unusual and especially old-fashioned” and that just is way too simple for me.

Here is my definition of quaint.  It must be small or feel small; must have preserved in some form old buildings (perhaps best described as looking back to the past history with pride); it must have a somewhat peaceful feel and invites you to explore; it must have real character (something unique); it usually is so interesting you want to take pictures even if you don’t like to take pictures and it has a soul—perhaps beauty, or a sense of history, or a unique, dramatic location.  Usually it is protected from further development to retain and keep alive its charm.  Most of these places are pedestrian only zones or limit vehicles to help preserve their charm.  Often, these places were once wealthy but got bypassed.  They also often were once walled cities—this natural restriction boundary helps them keep their charm.  Sometimes, these place served as inspiration for fairy-tales, have legends of deeds that add to their allure and have a castle nearby.

In short, you want to linger, visit and explore at a slower pace for a glimpse back in time.

On the Rhine River

There are 2 here—Rüdesheim and Riquewihr--that make my list.

Rüdesheim, Germany is a charming wine village.  It is famous for the great white wines grown in the region, along with a special coffee drink, aptly named Rüdesheimer coffee.  A lively lane, the Drosselgasse, is lined with taverns and wine-cellars.  We have been to a wine tasting here and watched and tasted Rüdesheimer coffee during a coffee making presentation—it was fun and dramatic as they light the Asbach brandy!  This is a festive place, famous for Rieslings, and reconstructed half-timbered buildings, replacing the originals that were destroyed in WW II.  It is not as authentic as some others on this list, but still fun!

The crowded streets of the Drosselgasse

Hank & Jim enjoy a Rudesheimer coffee

Riquewihr, France is a constant splash of colors, half-timbered buildings and wine shops jumbled together that just is so charming you will not know where to look next.  This medieval walled city, with a tiny population of 1000, still has most of its walls.  There is a watch tower that today houses a museum about the defensive structures of the city, the people who manned the defensive structures and the weapons they used.  Don’t forget to shop, enjoy the food or a snack and sample the white wines this region is so famous for and brought wealth to this village.  I recently wrote a blog about Riquewihr—here is the link: Read More About Riquewihr

The colorful streets of Riquewihr

Great Outdoor cafe in Riquewihr

On the Main River

Miltenberg and Rothenburg make my list. 

The old town of Miltenberg, Germany is about 150 meters wide but about 2.5 Km long from to banks of the Main River up the hillside.  There are over 100 original half-timbered houses in this scenic town.  This is a place time seems to have stood still—almost all the older buildings have survived.  Its market square is often cited as one of the most attractive in all of Germany.  And, to just round out the fairly-tale feel of the city, there is a castle perched on a hillside.  This is a great, picturesque place. 

The market square of Miltenberg

Castle above Miltenberg

Rothenburg, Germany (the correct name is Rothenburg ob der Tauber), ob means above the Tauber River, is one of the most visited towns in German.  This walled city has all its ramparts intact, has massive gates, and many folks walk the walls or part of the walls as I did during our visit.  Its medieval past is everywhere—the impressive town hall, half-timbered buildings, a criminal museum, a carved wooden altarpiece masterpiece in St. Jacobs Church, are surrounded by massive fortifications.  It is very touristy but still fun.

One of the massive gates of Rothenburg

One of the most photographed sites in all of Germany in Rothemburg

Dunking Cage outside the Medieval Criminal Museum

On the Mosel River

Cochem, BernKastel and Zell make my list.

Cochem, Germany, on the Mosel River, is a former walled city.  It has a population of about 5,800 and is a traditional old German town.  The town has many fine buildings, quaint cottages, guild houses, and winding cobblestone streets. The town square, lined with half-timbered houses, is a wonderful, scenic area of this small town.   Cochem Castle (the correct name is Schloss Reichsburg) is perched over the town and is toured by several river cruise companies. 

Cochem Castle

Tower Keep of Cochem Castle

2 suits of Armor inside the castle—the one on the right is about 7 feet tall!

Wonderful Old Buildings in Cochem

BernKastel is a wonderful town of around 8000.  It is located about halfway between Cochem and Trier on the Mosel River.  There are many half-timbered buildings, especially around market square.  St Michael’s church, built in the 14th century, had a dual purpose—it served as a house of worship and its tall bell tower served as a watch tower in the old city ramparts.  The city has some wonderful fountains—they include St. Michael's fountain on the Market Square, the bear's fountain and the doctor's fountain.  Overlooking the town is the Landshut Castle ruins.  It was first built in 1277 but was ruined by fire in 1692. 

BernKastel Square

Half Timbered Buildings in BernKastel. In the background, you can see the Tower of St. Micheal’s Church which served as a watchtower.

Landshut Castle Ruins

Zell is famous for its white wine zellerschwartzkatz (Zell’s black cat).  It is a small town of about 4,300 people.  It has an interesting market square and the town hall has a wine museum.  According to legend, a large quantity of local wine was being stored in barrels in a regional cellar. When people approached, a black cat jumped on the barrel from Zell and started hissing to protect its contents.  Seeing the hissing, caused the wine merchants to believe the wine from Zell was special and better quality than the other wines stored in the wine cellar building.  Today the black cat is the symbol of this town.  It too was a walled city but not much of the old walls remain.

Zell Festival onboard the AmaLyra 2009

On the Danube River

Dürnstein and Český Krumlov make my list on the Danube

Dürnstein This small village of about 600 is a true gem.  Two key sites immediately catch your eye at first glance.  First, the castle ruins above the village on the steep hillside loom above the former walled village.  Some hike to the castle ruins, about a 20-30 minute hike.  Richard the Lionheart was held for ransom in this castle on his return from one of the crusades.  The other stand out is the blue and white tower of the Abbey.  We also like just walking and exploring this small village.

Castle ruins above Durnstein

The Blue Tower of Durnstein Abbey

The area is famous for apricots and white wine.  Please try both while you port here.

Český Krumlov, roughly translated means “Czech Bend in the River”.  The best thing to do here is wander—the castle, the old town area, and cobblestone streets are just fun to view.  It really looks like the town is in a time warp.  It also has a pretty good puppet museum that allows children to try and pull the attached strings on puppets.

Cesky Krumlov

Puppet Muesem in Cesky Krumlov

The large castle complex requires a tour to see the interior.  It features the living and dining spaces of the royals who lived there.  You can visit the bear pits and outside courtyards for free.  Perhaps the most unique tour is the Baroque Theater tour—only 2 remain that can be seen in Europe that are in reasonably good shape (most of the others burned down from the extensive use of candles and fireworks for special effects).  There is a strict limit of 25 per tour and it is often sold out in advance and of limited value if you can’t get one of the tours in English but still it is a rare chance to see a historical entertainment venue and learn about their use of their use of special effects during the plays.

The Round Tower of the castle in Cesky Krumlov

Castle of Cesky Krumlov

On the Rhone River

Les Baux is a hilltop town of Les Baux occupies a spectacular position in the Alpilles Mountains.  This medieval town, set atop a rocky outcrop that is crowned with a ruined castle, overlooks the plains to the south.  Les Baux’s name refers to its site—a bauc is a rocky spur.  This is a gem of a place—go if you get the chance.  It is a place of stark stone buildings but is small, has winding lanes and is fun to explore.  Another plus is that the town founder was the Magus King Balthazar, one of the 3 wise men of the Bible.

The hillside village of Les Baux

Sandwich Shop in Les Baux

Plaque honoring the founder of Les Baux Bavtezar, one of the 3 Wise Men from the Bible

My Final Thoughts

Small, quaint villages and towns are part of the charm of Europe.  It was fun writing this—I hope it inspires you to want to visit some or all of these places!

As always, we are here to help as needed!

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

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 48 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

Riquewihr, France--A Fascinating Rhine River Cruise Port Village

Riquewihr, France—A Fascinating Rhine River Cruise Port Village

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

I write all the time about Europe river cruising and its value.  These wonderful trips take you to unique places.  One place, along the Rhine River, includes Riquewihr, France—a fascinating port village just a few miles from the Rhine River. 

I had never visited this awesome place, or even known about it, until I was introduced to it while on a Europe River Cruise.

Riquewihr is located in the Alsace region of France. 

One of my favorite regions of France is the Alsace.  This is an area that has deep French and German roots.  No wonder—it was controlled by Germany for about 700 years and France for 200 before the end of WW I. 

It is this wonderful mix of German and French lifestyles that makes it so special to me—it seems the region has taken the best of the culture of these 2 wonderful countries and blended them into a unique place.

The 3 key port stops along the Rhine in France (all are in the Alsace region) are Strasbourg, Colmar and Riquewihr.  While all are great port stops, the gem of the 3 has to be Riquewihr, in my opinion.

So, let me defend my thoughts—Why is Riquewihr the gem of these 3 stops?

A Little History of Alsace

France and Germany have coveted the wine growing region of Alsace for about 1000 years.  The land dispute is a difference in the border boundaries each side chose to define who should control the region.  France believed the dividing line should be the Rhine River.  Germany decided the Vosges Mountains were the natural border.

As far back as the Holy Roman Empire, France has seen the Alsace-Lorraine region as their territory, while Germany saw it as its’ territory. 

Historically, the area at first was at the center of Charlemagne’s Frankish empire in the 9th century. 

But for most of its history, it has been controlled by Germany, as part of the German Holy Roman Empire under various Kings.  German control continued until the 30 Year’s War when it lost Alsace by the 1684 treaty—known as the Peace of Westphalia—which gave control of this area back to France.  

The Franco-Prussian War put the region firmly back into German control in 1871. 

The Alsace region had been under French control since the end of WW I. confirmed by the famous Treaty of Versailles.  WW II put it under German control again. 

From 1871 to 1945—a period of about 74 years--Alsace had changed rulers between Germany and France 4 times!

A little dizzy yet?—you can see it was a region that changed hands often and resulted in its dual cultural influences.

But Alsace has not, or never will, lose its dual roots that include food, wine production, and cultural traditions. Most who live here speak both German and the French language. 

The symbol of Alsace is the white stork.  They return each year from Africa in the spring, letting the residents of Alsace know that a new season is here.

The symbol of Alsace—the white stork

As you can see, it is a unique blending of two cultures, a result of two countries that wanted this region to be part of the territory it controlled and ruled.

The Wine Road (Route du Vin) of Alsace

Riquewihr is on the Route du Vin, which is about 106 miles long from start to finish.  It starts a little north of Strasbourg; Colmar is about the midpoint; and ends near Mulhouse. 

You can drive, bike or take a tour, or see part of the route, as we did, by rivership.  We visited Strasbourg and Riquewihr—both really hit the flavor and special nature of the Alsace region of France.

Strasbourg (population is over 450,000) is much larger than Colmar (about 91,000) and Riquewihr (about 1,100).  While Strasbourg and Colmar have scenic canals, both have much more modern buildings that make up the majority of the total town.  There are only part of sections of the old town areas that the most interesting areas to visit. 

In contrast, Riquewihr is almost totally an old town area.

It is the small, quaintness of Riquewihr that sets it apart—small eye popping half-timbered homes that never stop and just invite you to get a glass of wine and perhaps a special meal.

Alsace’s Wines

The key grapes grown in the region of Alsace are Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir.  According to wine experts, although these grapes are also grown in Germany, the Alsace wines have more flavor and are much drier than those produced across on the eastern side of the Rhine River in Germany.  These robust white wines are also named for the grapes—a common practice in Germany but much less common in France.

Alsace vineyard with Vosges Mountains in the background—picture by Mark Thomas

Since 1983, the official gran cru appellation status has been awarded to about 50 terroirs.  Most of these gran cru appellation wines are dry whites. 

Gran cru in French means great growth.  This classification of wines is a regional designation of the vineyards that produces very good wines. 

Trust me, they are excellent!

Riquewihr

Old cobblestone roads in Riquewihr

A village with a population of just over 1,100, it would be hard to find a more beautiful village in all of France.  It actually is on the official list of most beautify cities in France.

So, what is so unique about Riquewihr?

It was part of the inspiration for the animation Disney film Beauty and the Beast.  It doesn’t take much imagination to be transmitted to times past since the old style buildings evoke the feeling of being in a fairy tale.

Colorful buildings everywhere !

Roaming this small village, it is easy to see why the animators were inspired by Riquewihr. 

One of our tour groups, on our AmaWaterways cruise, with the guide explaining a little history of the town

All decorated for Christmas

Here are my other reasons it is special:

This medieval walled city still has most of its walls—I have always liked walled cities.

Ramparts of Riquewihr

Outer walls of Riquewihr

Riquewihr is a constant splash of colors, half-timbered buildings and wine shops jumbled together that just is so charming you will not know where to look next.

There is a watch tower that today houses a museum about the defensive structures of the city, the people who manned the defensive structures and the weapons they used.

The main watch tower—there is a museum inside

Tower fountain

Don’t forget to shop, enjoy the food or a snack and sample the white wines this region is so famous for and brought wealth to this village, as explained above in this blog.

Looks inviting, doesn’t it?

Wine Tasting opportunities abound

But don’t take my description as my defense—let’s see these final photos and you judge for yourselves!

Even the side streets are wonderful!

Another wonderful lane in Riquewihr

Great Wrought Iron Sign—Photo from Mark Thomas, our Travel Chum!

My Final Thoughts

Riquewihr is just one of the many places we have been to visit because of a European River cruise.  This is just one of the many port guides we have developed in our travels, to help you not miss the key sights in each port.

Why not visit our website and get your own guide—just go to www.dreamdestinations.com and click on the menu to find out about river cruises—you’ll be glad you did!

It is also easy to order this port guide or others like it—fill out the short request form and we will be happy to send all the guides you desire.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

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 Schrader

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 48 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