AmaWaterways New Emphasis on the Main and Moselle Rivers--Part 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 the Main River on AmaWaterways.  In last week’s blog, I provided you a complete overview of the 7 routes that AmaWaterways offers on 2 great rivers—the Moselle and the Main.

There are now 3 different route options that explore the Main River area better than any other of the 8 river cruise companies we follow.  We have sailed every part of these 3, as well as the 7 offerings on the Rhine, Main & Moselle Rivers on AmaWaterways that I wrote about last week, and these 2 blogs 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 German 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 last weeks 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 Main.  Last week I concentrated on the ports of the Moselle River.

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

Ports on the Main River

Mainz

 Mainz is located where the Rhine and Main Rivers meet. About 80% of the city was destroyed in WW II, but they have rebuilt most of the area around market square. It was a major trade center in the Middle Ages. The 2 most famous sites are the huge cathedral and the Gutenberg printing museum—he printed the Gutenberg Bible—also known as the 42-Line Bible, for the number of lines in each column. It also has a famous stained-glass windows by Chagall in the Stephen’s Church.

Mainz Cathedral

Mainz Market Square

Gutenberg Printing Museum

Chagall Stained-Glass Windows

Miltenberg,

 The old town of Miltenberg is about 150 meters wide and 2.5 Km long from the banks of the Main River up the hillside. There are over 100 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. 

Old Town Miltenberg

Miltenberg Castle

Wertheim,

Wertheim is located where the Tauber River and the Main River meet. Overlooking the town are ruins of a castle that was built in the 12th century. The old town and its market square are ringed with several half-timbered houses. This old walled city has an impressive watch tower that still remains.

Wertheim

Wertheim Market Square

Watchtower—one of the few remaining parts of this former walled city

Würzburg,

 Würzburg is located in the heart of Franconia’s wine country. As you move to the town from the port, your first sights are the Marienberg Citadel and the old stone bridge to enter the town. The key sight in Würzburg is the baroque Residenz Palace and its amazing gardens. You should tour the palace—about 40 of the 360 rooms are available for visitors.

Marienberg Fortress

Old Stone Bridge

Residenz Palace

Residenz Palace Gardens

Bamberg

Bamberg is about 7 Km from the Main River, in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria. It has a wonderfully preserved old town area on the west bank of the Regnitz River. Key sights include the Altes Rathaus (old town hall), the Bamberg Cathedral, and the Neue Residenz (home of the prince bishops). Bamberg has a special beer—it is a historic smoked beer.

Bamberg

Old Town Hall in Bamberg

Bamberg Cathedral

Rose Garden of the New Residence in Bamberg

Nuremberg.

Nuremberg’s old city has some very large protective walls and most are intact.  It also has impressive Gothic churches & a castle. Nuremberg is where the Nazi War Crimes Tribunal took place in 1946. Nuremberg has a special sausage—the Nuremberg sausage.  It is prepared several different ways—don’t miss it!

One of the Watch Gates of the Walled City of Nuremberg

Fountain in Market Square Nuremberg

Nuremberg Castle

Nuremberg Sausage

Port on the Rhine River

Rüdesheim

This 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 (Flambé Asbach brandy, sugar cube, coffee garnished with whipped cream). A lively lane, the Drosselgasse, is lined with taverns and wine-cellars. Nearby is the Germania monument, better known as the Niederwald Monument, erected in 1883 to celebrate the unification of German after their victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.

Sailing into Rüdesheim

Rüdesheimer Coffee Poster

Drosselgasse street in Rüdesheim

Moselle & Main Routes on the Same Cruise

Europe’s Rivers & Castles (Route 1)

Route Map from AmaWaterways

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 be 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 (OK, technically it is on the Rhine, near the border of the Main River but since these rivers flow into each other, it is hard to make a clear distinction and really doesn’t matter much to travelers, only geographers), Mainz, Wertheim, Würzburg, Bamberg and it ends in Nuremberg.

Main River Routes (2 Routes)

Medieval Treasures (Route 2)

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 ending in Nuremberg.

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

Treasures of the Main & Rhine (Route 3)

Route 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 that you can order—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.

My Final Thoughts

One of these 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

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

Creating Unforgettable Experiences on a Europe River Cruise

Creating Unforgettable Experiences on a Europe River Cruise

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Travel is an amazing learning experience.  Even after 48+ years traveling to Europe, I still get to experience new places and learn more about the people who live there and their customs.  

In many ways, Europe river cruising has help Anne & I have new experiences and opened our eyes to things we never knew were available during our travels.

So, I thought I’d write today about how to create unforgettable experiences on Europe River Cruises—are you ready to go with me?

Always Think about the Route First

To create Unforgettable Experiences on a Europe River Cruise, the first step is to determine the right route and itinerary.  River cruising is about the destinations and what you will get to see and experience on your European river cruise.  The wrong destination, or wrong theme can make the trip less valuable, or at the extremes, may even ruin your vacation.

The port stops on the cruise will provide you access to great experiences, if you choose wisely.  Some questions to ask yourself—Do I want to visit somewhere new or go back for a more in-depth look at a place?  Will my cruise make it easier or harder to get to see and experience my desired place or experience?  Does the line have something special I can take advantage of—maybe a unique venue, or event or festival?  Should I first visit to get a quick overview and then return later on my own or in a tour for a more in-depth look?

There is a difference between folks who are new to Europe River Cruising and experienced cruisers.  Just your first Europe river cruise alone can be the unforgettable experience—the luxury floating hotel, the food and wine and included tours—I was blown away in 2009 after my first river cruise on AmaWaterways—it was easy, fun and so many new and wonderful places I never knew existed.  I can see some of your reading this and thinking about your first river cruise nodding your head in agreement with me!

Residenz Würzburg Palace—a new place for us in 2009!

A lot of that had to do with the route on my first river cruise—even though I had spent a lot of time in Germany, and even visited the Moselle River before (my first cruise was the River & Castles Route with AmaWaterways on the Moselle River, a small part of the Rhine River and the Main River), it was not as in-depth as the river cruise route was and many of the ports were new and wonderful.

Cochem, Germany—a unique feature our first river cruise was tour of the castle in English

As you get more experienced or revisit the same route, your focus will change—what on the itinerary will provide me that unforgettable experience?

So, the next step is to educate yourself!

Now Educate Yourself

The more you know about a destination, the better chance you will get better and often unforgettable experiences. A good starting place is Our Europe River Cruise Routes Guide Page.

The importance of this page is clear to me--river cruising is about the destinations and what you will get to see and experience on your European river cruise.  This page will help you quickly learn about the major routes available to you and to help you decide which might be best for your vacation.

Here is the link:  Europe River Cruise Route Guide

Next, after seeing a route that appeals to you, ask us to send you our port guides for that route (we have 51 available).  This will provide you a much more in-depth look at the ports and may peak your interest and help create an unforgettable experience for you.

Here is the link to one of our request pages—it covers the Rhine, the Moselle and the Main Rivers—please try some—they are free!  Get My Port Guide

What are Your Special Interests?

It makes sense to me that thinking about your favorite items, like food, wine, castles, dramatic landscapes, festivals history, art or cultural events—the list could go on and on.  If you can narrow your focus a little, it will greatly enhance your chances of an unforgettable experience.

Here is a great example of how we created an unforgettable experience on one trip, inspired by our previous river cruise trips.  I have always liked castles and their dramatic perches, protecting something.  Maybe it’s the turrets, keeps (highest, most protected part of the castle), the defensive systems, or just images of knights, lords and damsels, but probably it is all in a somewhat romanticized idea of a castle in the “prison walls of my mind” (this is from the lyrics of the song Over You by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap).  I’m really not that much into the early castles, or stone cold ruins, but really like the castles you can tour and see rooms and their living conditions.  This is especially true for Anne—piles of rocks and stones in ruins are among her least interesting things to visit—who can really blame her!

Koblenz, Germany

We decided to visit 3 castles prior to our 6th Europe River cruise—all allowed us to tour inside the castle.  We chose to visit Burg Eltz, Stolzenfels and Marksburg.  We based in Koblenz, at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine Rivers, after a brief visit during a river cruise introduced to this town—we liked some of the old town area and it provided easy access to our 3 target castles.  Stolzenfels and Marksburg castles are quite visible during the stretch of the Rhine River Gorge and inspired us to want to tour them.  Burg Eltz is not visible from the Moselle.

All 3 required hikes after arriving at the nearest transportation stop (2 train, 1 by bus), but Berg Eltz required a 3 mile hike to and back to the castle.  It was wonderful, memorable walk and the castle was outstanding—the same family has lived there for over 850 years.

Entrance to Berg Eltz, Germany

Berg Eltz is a beautifully preserved castle, with towers, half-timbered walls, and it is seemingly in the middle of nowhere.  There are 2 places to visit here—the Treasury (pictures allowed) with a great display of precious items and tour of select rooms (no pictures) which takes about an hour or less.  3 families owned this castle and each has built separate wings.  The tour includes an entrance way decorated with weapons, various gathering rooms, bedrooms and the kitchen—all very authentic and used by the families for over 33 generations.  Perhaps the most famous room of the castle, is the Knight’s room, where the 3 different families met to celebrate and work our any conflicts that might arise.  It is famous for the wall decorations, which served as a reminder to the 3 families about cooperation—a jester mask (representing freedom of speech) and a large rose (representing a code of silence—items discussed in the room need to stay there).

Inside Courtyard of Berg Eltz

Treasury of Berg Eltz

Does that sound like an unforgettable experience to you?—it certainly was for us and originally inspired by a river cruise.

Now Match the cost of a particular cruise line to Your Expectations

At some point, a budget comes into play.  Folks who are considering a Europe River cruise vacation, want in-depth information about what the vacation really is all about and whether or not it will be a worthwhile vacation for them.  I like to call it Best Value Travel.

Here is a good example of how 2 included features of a cruise line helped make the cost of the cruise worth it for us.  We took a Gems of the Danube cruise in 2016 on Scenic.  Here were 2 special events that we really enjoyed and fall into the unforgettable category.

Two of unique features when sailing with Scenic are the Sundowners and Enrich excursions.  Our Sundowners experience was in a great little wine stubbe in Dürnstein.  Although we have visited the small village of Dürnstein multiple times, we had never been inside this wine stubbe and the wine/beer/food party with a band was really awesome.  It truly was a great end to the day!  See if you don’t agree from our pictures.

Sundowner Band

Buffet for our Sundowner

Our Enrich visit was an evening concert featuring the music of Strauss and Mozart in Palais Liechtenstein during our visit to Vienna.  We started off the evening with a couple of glasses of excellent Austrian Sekt (sparkling wine).  The concert hall had great acoustics, was lavish beyond belief and was really a memorable experience.  Look at this setting—really awesome!

Opulent Carriage Palais Liechtenstein

Ceiling Painting Palis Liechtenstein

Finally, look for Experiences where you either see of do something Special

Many unforgettable experiences leap to my mind from our many AmaWaterways cruises.  Perhaps the best was when Anne got to cook on one of our several Danube cruises. 

Anne preparing perogies in Bratislava, Slovakia

Here is just a small sample of some unforgettable experiences we have had on our 17 different cruises with AmaWaterways.  Popular options include a Belgian waffle and chocolate tasting in Antwerp, a beer and sausage tour in Nuremberg, or a chance to see Vienna’s hidden treasures, like the romantic Schönlaterngasse.  We have done the waffle tasting and the sausage and beer tour—both were awesome!  They continue to add to these tours and newer options include knotting a bretzel (German for pretzel) in Wertheim, a goulash cooking lesson in Budapest and sampling Bavarian specialties like pralines in Regensburg.

Belgium Waffle we shared on our Antwerp Tour

The Waffle Shop in Antwerp

Hank on a Beer & Nuremberg Sausages Tour

We have had clients participate in the Vienna tour and they really liked it (one great benefit for us—we discovered a great schnitzel restaurant which we managed to eat at as a result of their tour—it was the largest schnitzel I’ve ever seen, and just melted in our mouths—a really neat experience and we have returned several time to enjoy this restaurant when we are in Vienna!).  Limited Edition Tours are also a great option for a cruiser who is sailing on the same route a second or third time—it provides a new experience that enhances your trip.

Schnitzel at the World Famous Figlmüller Restaurant Vienna

My Final Thoughts

So, what does this mean for you—can you enhance your chances of getting an unforgettable experience on a Europe river cruise?  My answer is firmly yes—not only is it possible but with some careful though and evaluation, chances are you will succeed.

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

A Wine Lover's Route--Provence River Cruise on AmaWaterways

A Wine Lover’s Route—Provence River Cruise on AmaWaterways

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Imagine sailing on the Rhône River through the legendary wine growing regions of Provence, getting the chance to sample Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône!  So let’s sail together on the Rhône from Arles to Lyon on the AmaDagio (now it is on the AmaCello in 2020)—a cruise we have done three times—it is that good!

While this description is from Arles to Lyon, you should realize that one week starts in Arles and the next week starts in Lyon and the sights and experiences remain almost identical regards of whether you sail north to Lyon or south to Arles.

So, let’s go together on the Rhône River and experience A Wine Lover’s Route!

Overview

Colors of Provence Cruise Route. Map from AmaWaterways

This cruise is called the Colors of Provence.  Almost all is on the Rhône River, except for a small jaunt up the Saône.  It has 3 stops that have excellent Roman ruins; there are famous wine regions and visits to one of the most renowned wine regions of France; and historic sites in the walled city of Avignon.  It either starts or ends in the most important food city in France, Lyon.  Good wine, history and outstanding food—it would be hard to find a 7 day cruise that manages to compress such an array of great experiences and sites into a 7 day cruise.

Wine Regions of the Rhone River. Map from AmaWaterways

Arles

Your wonderful cruise starts in Arles.  First up is a visit by motor coach to the hilltop village of Les Baux de Provence.  The town was founded by King Balthazar, one of the 3 wise men of the Bible.  The village’s castle has a fascinating exhibit of medieval siege weaponry replicas.  These big war machines are cool—it is said to be one of the best collections in the world—you will be surprised how large these weapons are!  Les Baux has had a stormy past and because of an unsuccessful Protestant revolt, the castles and its walls were destroyed in 1632, but the ruins and views are magnificent!  Great, old village—well worth the trip.  Want to see more?—we have 32 pictures on our Pinterest site board Les Baux de France.

SEE MORE LES BAUX PHOTOS

Covered Battering Ram on display on Les Baux

Later, you will visit an olive farm, which is family run by a brother and sister, to learn about this age-old Provençal farming tradition.  The tour includes tastings of olive oils made at the farm.  Anne bought some olive oil here and really liked the tour and olive farm. 

Olive Farm Tour

As an alternative, take the “Impressionist Experience” tour to the Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum, where Vincent Van Gogh painted such well-known works as The Irises and Starry Night. You will also visit the Carrieres de Lumieres, a stone quarry that projects European artwork on its walls, including many of Van Gogh’s famous paintings.

In the afternoon, there is a walking city tour of Arles.  You will see the Romanesque cathedral and the Roman Amphitheater.  The Roman Amphitheater is well preserved (it could hold about 25,000) and there are other Roman ruins in the town. 

Roman Amphitheater, in Arles

Avignon

Early in the evening, we cruised to Avignon, arriving late at night.  We docked near a famous bridge that spans only half of the Rhone—it is the illuminated Avignon Bridge made famous by the French children’s song “Sur le pont d’Avignon” (“On the Bridge of Avignon”).

Avignon Bridge

After docking overnight in Avignon, you have 2 great tour options.  First, you can tour the Papal Palace, which is part of a city walking tour.  The tour starts off by entering the town through the well-preserved medieval walls surrounding the historic center of town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Seven Popes once resided in the magnificent Gothic Papal Palace.  My favorite room was the huge banquet hall, where at one end is the fireplace used to communicate to the people outside a new Pope had been elected.  Again, to see more about this interesting palace, we have 30 photos on our Pinterest site.  SEE PALACE OF THE POPES PHOTOS

The well-preserved medieval walls surrounding the historic center of Avignon

Palace of the Popes, Avignon

Another cool alternative, is a motor coach ride to the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct that is a masterpiece of engineering and another UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Walking on the aqueduct was an experience I will never forget--it is huge and up close, you will really understand how talented the Romans were at building things—how did they get the water to flow with gravity alone by such minute changes in slope?. 

Pont du Gard, the amazing Roman aqueduct

Your tour will also visit Uzes, a lovely Provencal town known for its castle (still occupied by the Duke of Uzes and his family), medieval streets and picturesque town square.  There is free time for shopping in Uzes before returning to the ship.—I was there on market day and this is always a fun way to see how and what Europeans shop for, especially the food stalls..  I have done both tours and really enjoyed them—this is one of the many highlights of this cruise. 

Although there are really good tours, Avignon also has some great shopping and Anne took advantage of this to buys some gifts for family back home.  One of the great things about a river cruise is the chance to do what you want, since you dock right in the heart of the cities and can go off on your own easily since AMAWaterways provides port maps of each docking location with key sights clearly marked.

Grignan

After sailing overnight to Viviers, you next adventure is a visit to Grignan, a magnificent hilltop village surrounded by lavender fields. The village’s Renaissance castle provides a commanding view of the area’s beautiful countryside.  We enjoyed the free time to explore local shops for confections, home-made lavender soaps and other crafts—Anne bought a snappy beret. 

Grignan

You also get to see a truffle dog in action—really cool!  That dog really got after those truffles and he was a true favorite of our group.

Truffle dog

Tournon

The ship sails to Tournon and there is a really good chocolate and red wine pairing in Tournon’s castle—we had 3 different chocolate candies paired with 3 different reds.  I thought they were all good and went well together. 

Hank and Anne at the wine tasting in Tournon

Tournon Castle at night

Next morning, there is a visit to Cornas, Tournon’s “twin” town located across the Rhône River and linked by a 19th-century suspension bridge.  The fertile soil and ideal climate of the region has made Cornas the premier producer of Côtes du Rhône wines.  We stopped at a vineyard, and then the best part was sampling some good local wines.  

Vienne

After lunch, the ship sails to Vienne, situated between the wine regions of Burgundy and Beaujolais, arriving early evening. The ship moors overnight in Vienne.

Next morning, I took a guided walking tour of Vienne (it starts with an open-air tourist train ride up a big hill for a good view of the Rhône) and then our group see the 1st-century Roman Temple of Augustus and Livia, the ruins of a Roman theater, and the medieval churches of St. Andre-Le-Bas and Abbey St. Pierre.

Roman Temple of Augustus and Livia

 For me, the best part was the Roman museum—there is a good collection of items used in this former Roman colony. 

Roman Museum in Vienne

As an alternative, you could choose to visit the Chateau Roussillion and Pottery but I have never been on this tour.

Lyon

It then is off to Lyon.  Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France.  There is a visit by bus to the historic section of town known as Vieux Lyon (“Old Lyon”).  Lyon is fun, we really enjoyed the old town area and its narrow streets and colorful bouchons (small bistros) with their trademark red and white checkered table cloths. 

Lyon Basilica Church

A colorful bouchon

Sometimes this cruise offers a choice of tours.  You can visit Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse market place and sample gourmet food & wine in around 70 stalls (highly recommended by us—another great tour we enjoyed very much).  On a wine cruise, we also got the chance to have a champagne tasting—it was awesome! 

One of the 70 stalls of Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse market place

Sailing the Saône.

Another option is a sailing on the Saône.  The ship departs after noon and cruises to Collonges for an excursion through the Beaujolais wine region, the Pays d’Or (“land of the golden stones,” named for the ochre limestone used to build local homes and castles).  It stops at the medieval hilltop village of Oingt and the home of a local vintner, where, of course, you will get to enjoy a wine tasting and vineyard tour, and learn about the history of wine production in the region. Rejoin the ship in Belleville and return to Lyon, arriving late tonight. You will stay overnight in Lyon.  

Oingt shop

Sadly, the cruise is over the next morning but what a wonderful experience that will make memories of a lifetime.  As with all river cruises, the option for pre-cruise or post cruise stays either offered by AmaWaterways or arranged by us is a great way to extend your vacation a few more days.  We always extend on our trips—Lyon is a particular favorite and you could visit Nice or other French towns, like Vienne we did in 2016—we are happy to help with suggestions and to make arrangements as necessary.

Our Rhône River Port Guides

A unique feature for you that we make available to you for free is to learn about 7 of these ports with our French River Cruise Port Guides (Lyon, Vienne, Tournon, Grignon, Avignon, Les Baux and Arles).  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 except maybe a map or two.  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.

My Final Thoughts

This is a trip 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 Most Popular Content on our Website

The Most Popular Content on Our Website in 2019

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Happy 2020!

With the dawn of 2020, I’d like to share with you what we have learned about our website visitors--what is the most popular content on our website and why is it our most popular content. 

In many ways, the content on our website is just what we hoped it would be—we want to provide outstanding information to you to help you make the best possible travel decisions that match your travel style.  This is a constant process of updating and improving the content.

As with any website, the home page or landing site is where folks first go to decide if they want to continue on to other content. 

So, I thought you’d like to know what pages are the most visited on our website after the home page.

How to Evaluate the Quality of our Website Content

Quality of information can be assessed by answering 5 questions, in my opinion.  They are:

• Is the information accurate?

• Who are the authors and what are their credentials?

• How objective is the source?

• How current is the information?

• How extensive is the coverage of information?

So, let’s look at 4 of these aspects for each of our 5 most popular web pages—I hope you will accept our credentials—mine are listed at the end of every blog—trust me, we are the real deal.

If applicable, I will try to provide you a ranking by Google for our website pages.  The value of this in our digital age is that somewhere between 71%--92% of all searches for information only go to the first page of Google (source Forbes website blog post by Kelly Shelton) —usually only 10 listings, excluding Ads, are on page one—and folks do not search for information after that (this first page compared to later pages)—only about 6% go past page one.  The whole idea of a page one ranking is that Google recognizes the content that a website page or blog offers is both quality information and is a source that users trust.

Our #1 Visited Page after the Landing Page—Our River Cruise Comparisons Page

This is not a surprise to me but it is also very gratifying—folks are looking for an honest comparison of Europe River Cruise Companies.  The information is very accurate and researched thoroughly.  It is also reasonably current but could stand a little tweaking—for example Crystal only has 4 cruise ships sailing. in Europe instead of 5 ships  It always ranks on page one of Google.

I’m going to make a bold declaration here—there is no other detailed source like our 2018-19 Europe River Cruise Company Comparisons with multiple comparison charts on the internet.  Here is the link

Yes, there are some good books, even charts with check marks and comparisons of 2 cruise lines on the web, but nothing as in-depth as our resource.  We clearly identify fact from opinion, we are not sponsored by anyone that might influence our work, and we strive for totally accurate information. We are proud of our first page Google ranking—earned not promoted by clever SEO techniques.

#2 Our Europe River Cruise Routes Guide Page

Again, for me, not a surprise, but it validates the need for folks to understand the options available to them for a Europe River Cruise.  We rank #12 in Google search results—this is a pretty good indication of the quality of the information.  We would like to be on page one, but the folks ahead of us are 4 river cruise companies, Cruise Critic, and 5 magazine/travel guides (Travel & Leisure; Jetsetter; Trip Savvy; Frommer’s and Afar) are so big, it may be the best we can do—we are the only small (2 person) company anywhere near the top.  Not bad company considering the companies ahead of us, in my opinion

The importance of this page is clear to me--river cruising is about the destinations and what you will get to see and experience on your European river cruise.  This page will help you quickly learn about the major routes available to you and to help you decide which might be best for your vacation.

Here is the link: 

# 3 Europe River Cruises Page

It makes sense to me that the logical progression would be to read more about European River cruises after visiting the previous 2 pages.  This is the next step in search for a great river cruise vacation.

Here is the link to this page

#4 Our Blog

Folks who are considering a Europe River cruise vacation, want in depth information about what the vacation really is all about and whether or not it will be a worthwhile vacation for them.  We cover Best Value Travel, Europe Destinations, Europe River Cruising, Ocean Cruising and Veterans Travel & Tributes. 

Here is the link to our Blog page

# Our 5 Best River Cruise Blogs

This is my selection of our best river cruise blogs.  We rank on page one of Google in a search for river cruise blogs—currently at #2.

Here is the link to this blog

My Final Thoughts

So, what does this mean for you—we are a really good source of great travel information, especially for our specialty, Europe River cruises.

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

Happy Thanksgiving--We All Have A Lot To Be Thankful For In Our Lives

With only about a month left in 2019 and the great celebration of Thanksgiving here today, we would like to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. We hope all who are in your lives are well, safe and happy.

Anne & I have a lot to be thankful for and we would like to express our gratitude to all who have helped make our lives and this year better.

First, thanks to our military—without you past and present, we might worry about our safety—even as I write this, some are standing watch for our protection today as they do every day.

Second, we are grateful to work in the travel industry and help make dream trips possible to others. I think most folks like to take pride in their jobs, and our pride come from helps others have experiences of a life time. Each trip, to us is special, no matter how simple or complex.

2019 has been quite a year for us. We help more folks travel this year than previous years. Our 75th Anniversary of D Day tour, sold out in one month, won us an award for our marketing efforts from a major travel magazine and it was fun, sobering and meaningful—a travel experience next to none! I turned 70 this year. And, Anne is still fun, beautiful, tenacious, demanding and has made my life better (best decision I ever made was to ask her to marry me!). Pretty cool year, don’t you think!

We are grateful for all of you who trust us with your travels. Each of you are special and have brought joy to our lives. Thanks for your trust in us!

We are grateful for our key vendors of 2019—AmaWaterways (and all their incredible team members—they are part of our family), Europe Express (especially the groups department) and Emerald Waterways. All of you provided our clients exceptional trips—Thank You!

Our wish for you is to have a peaceful, joyous holiday and please express your gratitude to those who have made your year better.

Happy Thanksgiving—may our paths cross soon!

Anne & Hank.

Bordeaux River Cruise Ports

Bordeaux River Cruise Ports

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 the newer routes on the Europe river cruise offerings is on the Bordeaux Estuary Area.  We took an AmaWaterways cruise in 2017 and it was truly unique and, in many ways, different from past river cruises.

Why was it different?—the main reason is there is so much emphasis on wine, wine production and how wine has impacted this area.

I plan to tell you a little about the Bordeaux wine region in general and then highlight some of the port stops.  I am not including the starting and ending port of Bordeaux—it deserves a future blog.

Although not the theme of this blog, I would be remiss if I didn’t laud our hosts, AmaWaterways on our “A Taste of Bordeaux” cruise.  AmaWaterways is our top rated Europe River Cruise Line and, as always, they delivered on our 16th cruise with this great company (we are going on #18 later this year).  It was a special wine themed cruise and a very good trip option, especially if you like wine.

Our Route Map—Diagram from AmaWaterways

So, let me defend my thoughts—why go on this cruise?

The Bordeaux Wine Region

To really understand the Bordeaux region, and the huge impact wine has on the region, a little background might prove helpful for you.  The origin of term Bordeaux derives from the French phrase “bord des eaux”—on the edge of the waters.  The Bordeaux region is dominated by 3 great rivers—where the Dordogne and the Garonne meet to form the Gironde.

Wine Areas of Bordeaux—Diagram form AmaWaterways

Bordeaux wines are blended wines.  The permissible grapes that can be used in red Bordeaux are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  There are also white Bordeaux wines produced, but the vast majority of wines are red wines.

Bordeaux is France’s and the world’s largest wine producing area.  There are about 287,500 acres of vineyards.  The area has over 900 chateaus, and about 10,000 individual producers.  89% of the grapes are red plantings, so the remaining 11% are white grapes.

The terroir of Bordeaux impacts the wine characteristics and some believe it is the perfect region to grow grapes to produce the highest quality wines in the world.  It is at 45 degrees north and has a temperate, maritime climate.  The weather conditions are moderated by 3 factors.  First, the Gulf Stream effects the temperature.  Second, the coastal pine forests, protect from high winds.  Third, the Gironde estuary, the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers, provide humidity and temper the temperatures during growing seasons.

2 Ports were About a Castle, a walled city and a Fortress.

Our first stop was a walking tour of Cadillac.  Founded in 1280, there are still some of the medieval walls and gates remaining that once protected this port city.

One of the Watch Towers

Looking into Cadillac from inside the entrance tower gate

The main site of this town is the Château of Cadillac.  The correct name of the chateau is Château des Ducs d'Épernon.  It is a very good example of how the aristocrats lived in the 1600’s. 

The Chateau

Moat area of the Chateau

After the visit to Cadillac, we took a short bus ride to Roquetaillade Castle. 

Roquetaillade in French means carved out of rock.  There has been a fortification on this site since Charlemagne constructed an earth and timber defensive position during his advance to the Pyrenees.

The castle

The current structure is a combination of two fortresses within the same walls. The castle has been lived in for over 700 years by the same family.

The entrance doorway into the castle

The tour took us through the castle rooms.  I particularly enjoyed the inside drawbridge to the rear of the castle and the kitchen area.

The rear drawbridge I liked from an outside view

In the port of Blaye, we visited the imposing Blaye fortress.  The most famous site in Blaye is the Blaye Citadel. The Citadel is a military complex designed by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the famous French military engineer.

Blaye Citadel

It was constructed between 1685 and 1689 and designed to protect the Gironde Estuary.

A view that shows how massive this fortress is!

Libourne

Libourne is located at the confluence of the Ilse and Dordogne Rivers.  In 1286, the town was founded as a fortified port.

The old port tower from the walled city—not much else remains of the defensive walls

The main sights in Libourne are the town hall and square (Place Abel Surchamp), the Museum of Fine Arts & Archeology, the Church of St. John the Baptist and the Rue Gambatta, a pedestrian only street.  Sadly, we were not able to visit these sites, as we chose to go on a wine tasting—something to look forward to on our next cruise here.

There are many famed Chateaux wineries around Libourne. We visited Chateau de La Riviere near Fronsac, France for a good wine tasting.  This is a dramatic wine estate worth a visit for a tasting and tour.

The stately Chateau

Chateau de La Riviere is the largest vineyard in Fronsac, with about 59 hectares planted with vines and 6 hectares beautiful gardens, and forest lands.  It is planted with 82% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4-5% Cabernet Franc grapes.

It produces primarily red Bordeaux wines, between 15,000 to 18,000 cases per year.  Most of their red wines have strong dark red fruit flavors during tastings but this can vary.  They also produce a white wine.

The tasting room

St Emilion

We first took a tour of this city and the underground church.  St. Emilion is known for its great wines and the underground church started by Emilion, a Breton monk.  The monolithic church is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  There are about 124 miles of underground areas under the streets of St. Emilion. 

A good view of the city

Cool old half-timbered house

There is a tall bell tower in the city that marks the underground church—it is the largest monolithic church in Europe and it completely underground.

The Bell Tower marks the underground cathedral

There are 4 steep streets of St. Emilion, which are called “Tertes”—steep pedestrian cobblestone streets build by using cobblestone brought by English wine traders as ballast prior to returning with barrels full of wine.

One of the four tertes of the city

We then went to a wine tasting at Chateau de Ferrand for some St. Emilion Gran Cru—it was awesome! 

Enterance to the winery

The vineyard is planted with about 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is a 32 hectare estate.  The terroir is mostly limestone and clay.

They age the wine in oak barrels

It produces St. Emilion Gran Cu Bordeaux wine.  This red wine is usually medium bodied with red fruits as the primary taste on the pallet, but each vintage has its own subtle characteristics

Bourg

Bourg is pleasant and picturesque small town perched on the banks of the Dordogne River.

Local sites include: The citadel castle, with its horse-drawn carriage museum "Au temps des calèches", French formal gardens and terrace overlooking the lower town and surrounding landscapes:  the Moorish house built in the 18th and 19th centuries; the 18th-century Jurade mansion complete with a bell tower; the covered market; 19th-century wash house and the river harbor. 

We again, didn’t have time to see these, as we attended a wine festival during our AmaWaterways cruise at the House of Wines. It was a lot of fun and we had a small band in period clothing to help us celebrate.

The band at the wine tasting party

Pauillac

There are not many key sites to visit in the port of Pauillac, since the main attraction here is the world famous region of Medoc and their outstanding wines.  In Pauillac, the sites of interest include the large 19th century Church of Saint-Martin, and the 19th century market hall.

The church of St. Martin

It is the wine estates of the region that most come to see and taste while here.  They include Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux and Chateau Mouton Rothschild, the most recognized wines from the Bordeaux region.  These 4 wines all are “Premier Cru” (first growth)—the best of the best in the region.

We visited Chateau Leoville Payferre to taste 4 great wines.  Chateau Leoville Payferre, located in the St. Julien region of Medoc, and produces highly acclaimed Bordeaux red wine on their 60 hectare estate.

The chateau winery

They have planted 68% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

According to Jeff Leve (editor of The Wine Cellar Insider), who focuses on Bordeaux wine, Chateau Leoville Payferre is “one of the most consistent producers of high quality Bordeaux since 2000.  They make so many great wines, it is hard to pick a favorite.”

Their old oak barrels to age the great wines they produce

We tasted 4 wines.  They were:  Chateau Moulin Riche 2016 (barrel sample); Chateau Moulin Riche 2011—30 Euros per bottle; Chateau Leoville Payferre 2012—80 Euros per bottle and Chateau Leoville Payferre 2000—220 Euros per bottle. 

I included the price per bottle just to show you how good the quality of the wines were we tasted—if you can command those prices in the market place, these are great wines!

We liked the mask decorations here

My Final Thoughts

Wow—what a trip!  I think now you can see how much wine has on this region—it’s not about the sites so much, it is about wine and the wine growing culture.  The forts and walled cities grew up to protect the wine producers and are not as much a reason to visit this area as the great wines—if you really enjoy wine, this trip is for you!

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