Hank Schrader

June 23, 2022

Europe Destination

Castles of the Moselle

Hank Schrader

June 23, 2022

Europe Destination

Castles of the Moselle

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Castles always seem to be fascinating places—a defensive structure that has grown into a luxury living space from its stark beginnings or as Anne would say “a bunch of stones—some are not very interesting.”

I tend to agree with her, so while I may briefly mention some of the castle ruins and their interesting history, I will concentrate on the best castles you can visit and see the interiors. or relax in a café built on the grounds. The ruins sometimes are spooky and if appropriate, I will include their stories.

The steep hills of the Moselle allows many of these castle complexes to be classified as spur castles. Instead of a more traditional hill or mountain site built on a ridge which means it can be attacked in two directions, a spur castle hills are so steep, it usually means it is only vulnerable from one direction.

Many of these castles were destroyed by war, especially by the French in 1698, but some have been restored and they have some interesting tales about their history and present day uses.

So, let’s explore together and learn about 11 castles on the Moselle.

Thurant Castle

A section of the map of the Mosel we bought back in 1989 on our first visit to this area. The map direction of travel is from Koblenz to Trier. Thurant castle is on the right bank of the river at the 25 km mark.

Only 25 km south of Koblenz, the twin towers of Thurant castle are visible from the Moselle. The castle was built during the years of 1198 to 1206 on spur of shale above the village of Alken.

It didn’t take long for this castle to see war—it was besieged in 1246-1248 during a war between the archbishops of Trier and Cologne. The result of the war was to divide the castle into two parts and each tower became a possession of the two waring archbishops.

Both the Trier Tower and the Cologne Tower had separate entrances and living areas. The castle was destroyed in 1689 by the French.

By the 1800s the castle was abandoned and left to decay. In 1911 it was bought and partially restored. Today it is open to the public during Spring to Fall and is a popular visitor site. It is easily seen from the Moselle and recognizable due to the twin towers.

Ehrenburg

The castle was built in 1296, overlooking the village of Brodenbach. Like all castles in the region it was involved in disputes between nobility rulers and wars. French soldiers under the command of Louis XIV (the Sun King) seized the Ehrenburg Castle during the War of the Palatine Succession and blew up much of the castle in 1689. Only the chapel remained intact.

This castle has become a place similar to a Renaissance Fair. There are many demonstrations about medieval life, classes and re-enactors. There is also a restaurant and a small 5-room hotel which provides a chance to sleep in a castle.

Ruins of Bischofstein Castle

This section of the map shows both Burg Bischofstein at the 30 km mark and Burg Eltz at the 35 km mark.

There is a lot of history of this castle, built on a spur 230 meters above the village of Broenbach. Early folk tales say it originally was a palace for Bishop Nicetius (527-566) but the current castle was most likely built around 1270 to 1273.

The French destroyed Burg Bischofstein in 1689. The present-day structure dates from 1938. It was first restored by a businessman who wanted to rebuild it as a summer home in 1930.

Today the castle is designated as a protected historical site, not for for being an 800-year-old castle but an example of the architectural style of the 1930s.

Today schools around Germany visit the former castle and it is also used by vacationing groups.

Berg Eltz

This is the best castle near the Moselle, but you cannot see it during a river cruise from the water of the Moselle. The castle is built on a 70 meter spur surrounded by the Elzbach River (a tributary of the Moselle).

Berg Eltz is a beautifully preserved castle, with towers, half-timbered walls, and it is seemingly in the middle of nowhere—Anne and I hiked in 3 miles from the Mosel River town of Moselkern in early March one year to visit. The family who owns this castle still lives here and has done so for 850 years in their ancestral home.

The entrance to Burg Eltz which clearly shows that it is a spur castle.

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

The famous Knight’s room. This is a scan from a postcard we bought during our visit to Burg Eltz.

Two Twin Castles

The twin castles are at the 40 km mark above the village of Treis.

Wildburg Castle and Treis Castle were built with 150 meters of each other and their history is intertwined together, Although they are private residences now, they are scenic sites visible from the Moselle. Here is their story":

Treis Castle

The exact date of construction of this castle is unknown but many think it was during the second half of the 11th century.

Like so many castle in this area the French destroyed the castle in 1698.

Today the castle is recognizable by its restored square tower. It is privately owned and not open to the public.

Wildburg

Wild Castle is a private residence and cannot be visited. It was built sometime in the 14th century, perhaps to protect the southern side of castle Treis.

Like its close neighbor Treis Castle, it also was destroyed in 1698 by the French.

It was rebuilt in the 1950s and made livable to its private owners.

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.

In Cochem, if you go on an AmaWaterways cruise, 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!

Standing on a hill 300 feet above the town of Cochem, this elaborately restored castle (it was destroyed by the French in 1689) is a fun and interesting visit. Many river cruise companies visit this castle.

The original castle, whose first purpose like many others on the rivers of Germany was to collect tolls, was rebuilt from 1868 to 1890. While not authentic, it is still cool—great vistas, interesting rooms, perhaps most importantly, at first glance, it is an impressive structure and I enjoyed visiting it.

My favorite rooms were the Dining Hall, the Knight’s Room, and the Trophy Room.

Reichsburg is a spooky place, but doesn’t look spooky.

What makes it spooky, is the witches Tower, the oldest part of the original castle. In medieval times it was used a witchcraft trail place. The horrible way these trials were conducted was to throw the lady on trail out of a window. If they died, they were given a Christian burial, because they were not a witch.

Metternich Castle Ruins

At the 61 km mark above the village of Beilstein is Burg Metternich

Sailing past Beilstein, Anne took these picture in 2009.

This castle was built around 1268 and destroyed by the French army in 1689. The castle changed owners several times before being acquired by the Metternich family in 1637 and the name remains to this day. The castle has never been completely rebuilt.

Today it is a hotel and restaurant and beer garden. While not much remain in these ruins except the outside walls, you can climb the old castle keep which is now just used as an observation tower.

Arras Castle

Just above the town of Alf (it has nothing to do with the cartoon character), Arras Castle, is more than 1000 years old and built on the former site of one of the 19 ancient Roman forts. The castle has seen its share of conflicts between waring nobility and the bishops but like other castles in this region was almost completely destroyed by the French in 1698 but the keep tower was not destroyed.

In 1907 restoration efforts began. By 1984, the property was developed into a hotel, tourist attraction and restaurant,

It is popular because of the physical structures including fortress walls, a climbable belfry, and the idyllic courtyard. Inside the castle you can visit the Hall of Knights with weapons and armor, the underground Dungeon with a Medieval torture chamber and a museum.

Gravenburg Castle

Only parts of the western walls remain of this castle that was built in 1350—there is perhaps the least amount of ruins that remain of these 11 castles in this blog. As with many of the castles of this region in 1680 the French took control of the castle which began 4 sieges of the castle. After the last siege in 1734 the castle was blown up and destroyed.

Today the ruins serve as a good spot for a tavern with some pretty gardens where you can have great views of the Moselle River. Even small bits of a castle can conjure up images of the past, and Germans are great at taking a ruin and making it into a park and tavern spot.

Landshut Castle

These castle ruins are more than just a pile of rocks. At the 130 km mark. above the village of Bernkastel, the castle is quite prominent. The history of this site dates to Roman times and was part of the defensive concept of 19 military mountain top fortifications to protect Trier. Recently, several artifacts from the Roman period have been found on this castle site.

The current structure was built by Heinrich von Finstingen around 1276. The castle was destroyed by a fire in 1692, but the damage was not so severe that these ruins can still be explored—you can still climb the castle tower.

This is a popular site to visit on the Moselle River above Bernkastel. In the courtyard area there is a restaurant and café. There are good views of the Moselle and various paths for hiking around the Hunsruck mountain range area,

Our Final Thoughts

The violent history and constant struggle for power in the Moselle River Castles is evident in these castles, as most were destroyed in wars—the French and German forces were struggling for control of the region.

We hope you enjoyed this report. Perhaps now you have a good guide to explore this wonderful area—many think the Moselle, with its quaint villages, castles , vineyards and steep hills is the most scenic river in Germany. We agree!

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, 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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 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

Hank Schrader

June 16, 2022

Best Value Travel

Are You a Luxury Wanderlust Traveler?

Hank Schrader

June 16, 2022

Best Value Travel

Are You a Luxury Wanderlust Traveler?

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

There are a lot of reasons to travel and for me it has always been that I am curious about so many places.

I have always had a strong desire to wander and explore the world, which is the definition of wanderlust.

Have you ever returned home from a trip and immediately started to plan another one? Do you daydream about being in Europe often?

You are not alone—many of us face the same dilemma—why can’t I travel more?

You are suffering from wanderlust!

So, let’s explore together and learn about luxury wanderlust— a common aliment among many of our travel clients and friends.

Growing Up

I have been traveling all my life. My late father was a career Army Officer (thanks for serving our country for 33 years Dad!), so I started at a very young age to travel and learned to love it. My Dad also loved to travel, and US National Parks were very special to him, so our family had camped in and visited most of the 59 major parks by my early teen years.

My Mom and Dad on a hike in Shenandaoh National Park

I can also say I have spent at least one night in all 50 States in my lifetime and lived in 14 different states. Along with living on Okinawa and in Panama for several years, I have spent about 6 months total in Germany, so I have also experienced several different cultures for extended periods of my life.

West Point Founder’s Day in Panama with 2 of my 1971 classmates. From left to right Hank, Rich and Larry.

The breakdown of different countries is something like this-- all North America, all Central America (I drove down Highway 1 from the US to Panama in 1976), all but one in South America, 35 of 50 in Europe, 13 Caribbean Islands, 2 Middle East, 2 Africa and 6 Asia—maybe 82 or so countries in total.

The shaded countries that Anne and I have visited in Europe.

But this is not about where I have been, it is about what I have experienced. Unlike some travelers who want to see every country and brag about how many they have seen and even set criteria to make sure it “qualifies” as a new country or territory, I just want to experience how other folks live, work, play and the culture they have created for their lives, especially in Europe.

But this only is helpful to you if we can use our (mine and Anne’s) past travel experiences to help you have better trips. Let’s explore that further together.

Are Our Travel Experiences Important to Get You Better Trips?

I always seem to answer these questions by breaking them down into parts. Here goes:

1) Do we help you learn to love travel as much as we do?

The obvious answer is, yes of course, we have these 4 characteristics—a lot of it comes from our past travel experiences. I always say we travel to Europe until we run out of money, which we manage to do each year. Our passion is to help you—we just can’t stop talking about Europe and its benefits to you for travel. Who else would write 50 Europe City Guides and 51 River Port Guides—which are as good or better than most guidebooks!

2) Are we good at helping you get great trips?

We are great at helping you get the best value for your dollars. It is a combination of experience, knowledge of the vendors and matching you to the right trip at the right time. We have knowledge and relationships in place that you do not have—there is just too much to know and no real way for a consumer to get all that knowledge without hours and hours of study. The other problem is how reliable is the information you find—is it fact, sales hype or opinion? The point is why bother—we do it gladly for you and it is 100% reliable.

3) Do you need our help?

You need our help—you may not just know it. First, we spend your money like it was our own, looking for the best value and experience you deserve. Second, few travelers know what is possible, available and in your price range. We must be pretty good if we have so many of our written blogs and pages from our website as the top search features on Google. Unlike others, we earned this by our readers looking at our works and reaching out to us as clients. We have never paid a penny to advertise in search engines. Some of our works have been read by over 20,000 folks and we are # 1 in some river cruise searches.

4) Does it cost you more to use our services?

The best part is we do not charge any fees—we believe we are fairly compensated by our vendors. In a way, it is our complete trust in you that you trust us and use our ideas and advice and let us book the trip. You get us for free. Sometimes, folks take advantage of us, but it seldom happens. We like to say we are a high touch but low volume agency. What that means for you is we have all the time necessary to help you without rushing to the next client.

So, how did this all come about? It started with my first real travel on my own in Europe.

First Travel Experiences After Graduation from West Point

There is no doubt that my first transformative experience was a 6-week trip to Europe after graduating from West Point in June and July of 1971. True to nomads of that age, armed with my backpack, a EuroRail Train Pass, and a bunch of American Express travelers’ checks; with a classmate, we did a poor person’s version of the Grand Tour of Europe.

We managed to visit Hamburg, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Munich, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Nice and Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, and London.

Post card of Vienna I sent my parents from my 1971 trip

Post card from Spain I sent my parents from the 1971 trip

All was on a budget, bathrooms down the hall, many long train rides, lots of short stays but fun. Not much luxury but I was hooked on Europe and started to look for value over price in my travels.

My Evolution to a Luxury Wanderer

Meeting and marrying Anne (the best decision of my life) opened my eyes to better travel. I helped her see the places; she taught me how to up my game with better rooms, better food experiences and travel with reservations to avoid searching for a new room and wasting precious travel time.

Hank before beard at the Tower of London holding Travel Bug in 1990. Anne took this picture

Soon this became the norm—there was no going back. Every trip got better without a whole lot more cost and we both learned together how important planning the trip was for us personally. By the time we started the business in 1996, we were already ahead of most in the industry experience wise, but Anne also quickly absorbed the constant need for professional education and certification, and she earn the gold standard of certifications, the Certified Travel Counselor. She now has over 20 professional certifications.

We have been always fans of the mantra to do what is best for the clients, not us. This might mean finding a promotion or sale which saves our clients some money but cuts our commission. To achieve this requires fair and honest treatment of our clients, with full disclosure—as it is said during the cadet prayer at West Point to “never be content with the half-truth when the whole truth can be won.” Not always easy but the right thing to do.

We slowly became experts in complex ocean cruise trips, tours and increasingly luxury experiences for our clients.

The next key step was in 2009 when we went on our first river cruise. We realized it was just the right experience for our many of our clients. This has grown to our best-selling product because it offers so much value to our clients. 21 river cruises later, we are among the best in our nation to guide you for a better travel experience.

Sailing on the Main River on our first river cruise in 2009.

Wine tasting on our Provence River cruise with Anne wearing her beret

The final step was leading tours on river cruises and tours as guides in key European cities, and our signature tours—the 2014 and 2019 D Day Anniversaries.

In 2018 we were presented a TravelAge West WAVE Runner Up Award for Best Travel Marketing Idea for our 2019 75th Anniversary of D Day tour we led for 33 clients.

Now Our Clients

I know many of our clients value our services for many reasons, but I’d like to highlight 3 reasons why they trust us and use us. We are humbled many use us for a good deal of their trips in the past and continue to use us in 2022 and 2023.

First, we can envision our client’s desired experience, so we can then properly prepare and plan their trip.

Second, we have excellent communication skills, and this helps us inspire and influence our clients—they trust our judgments and advice. We make travel easy by clearly giving out the next step in the planning process.

Third, we are natural luxury wanderlust people—our firsthand knowledge adds authenticity and value to their trips. It means better experiences and fewer mistakes or poor decisions.

Our Final Thoughts

I think you can see why we are in the business—it just is awesome to help folks have a great vacation. We are luxury explorers that have an unstoppable case of luxury wanderlust. Perhaps you might want to use our services to join our wonderful travel world—we will welcome you with open arms.

We hope you enjoyed this report—it was fun writing it.

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

Hank Schrader

June 9, 2022

River Cruise Reviews

Why We Pick AmaWaterways as Our # 1 River Cruise Line

Hank Schrader

June 9, 2022

River Cruise Reviews

Why We Pick AmaWaterways as Our #1 River Cruise Line

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

As you may know, we are always being asked to differentiate between the various river cruise companies. All 7 lines we follow offer great vacations and will provide most of their guests a better vacation than many other options. I like to say, there is no bad river cruise, they are all wonderful vacations and a superb choice to experience Europe.

But when you are spending north of $10,000 for a 7-day cruise for 2, many folks want to know how the various lines compare and if one line might provide better quality and value for their vacation.

So, let’s explore this together and learn about why we pick AmaWaterways as our #1 river cruise line by examining 6 factors we consider important to help us make our selection.

Overview

Perhaps you might wonder why our opinion matters and what credentials we have to make this rating. Since we specialize in European River Cruising, we have studied this vacation in depth after our first river cruise in 2009. We have been on 21 river cruises (always having to pay unlike many travel writers who go for free) and will take 2 more this year in 2022. We have sold river cruises on 5 of the 7 lines we follow to dozens of delighted clients.

We have led 10 groups on river cruises. We have written over 100 blogs about river cruising. We have the number one Google article about comparing 7 river cruise companies—over 16,131 have found it on the internet from 2020 to present as of 8 June of 2022. We make every effort to provide as many facts as possible in this 87 PDF slide presentation and clearly provide sources or tell you it is our opinion. We have written port guides to 51 different European River Ports.

We use all of this knowledge and experience to evaluate all 7 lines and try to match you to the right line if you decide to use us as your travel advisors.

A Summary of Why AmaWaterways is # 1

I think I really understand what makes an organization perform at the highest levels. It is a combination of good leaders, staff that care and do their job in a superb manner and a fantastic product (great food and wine, luxury accommodations and well-designed excursions and experiences). AmaWaterways is this and more.

So, now, let’s examine 6 factors that we would like you to consider when selecting a river cruise company for your vacations and see how AmaWaterways rates.

They Provide Unique Experiences

Our clients and potential clients want options when they travel. They want to interact with different cultures. AmaWaterways really delivers many unique experiences on their fleet of 25 ships.

In every port, you can expect to have 2-3 or more excursions that are included in the cruise fare. They are tours that delight—small groups led by knowledgeable guides, organized by pace (gentle, regular, fast, and even late-risers) that help you experience a destination, not just see it. But even this is not enough—they also shine in unique experiences.

Here are just two examples:

They excel in Special Interest Tours. These tours are specially designed to give small groups an opportunity to be even more immersed in the places they are visiting. Best of all, these tours are included in the cruise fare—there is no extra charge! 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!

Belgian waffle and chocolate tasting in Antwerp

Hank enjoys a beer and sausage tour in Nuremberg—these are the famous Nuremberg sausages which are wonderful grilled

Anne also helped make a traditional pierogies in Bratislava—it was a fun experience.

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 because of their tour—it was the largest schnitzel I’ve ever seen, and just melted in our mouths—a neat experience!).

Special Interest 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. Along with the Bratwurst and beer tasting at the oldest brewery in Nuremberg described above, here are 2 other unique culinary experiences:

Learning how to knot a bretzel (German for pretzel) at a German bakery

Sampling regional specialties at the Les Halles market in Lyon (we have been on this tour—it is excellent).

They have over 60 special wine cruises each year—the most of any river cruise line.

One of our 2 Travel Chums,, Mark Thomas preparing for the Ledson Wine Cruise with the staff.

Hank during on of the wine tasting sessions

There are also wonderful wine tasting events during excursions like we enjoyed together on our Colors of Provence cruise

AmaWaterways likes to say that they “Personalize Every Step of Your Journey.” We completely agree.

Casual but Elegant Luxury

Lifestyles have changed to more casual approach, but many still want refined experiences during their travels. Although no formal attire is the norm on their ships, the accommodations are elegant without being over the top. It truly is a 5-star floating hotel.

There is a small outside area at the bow of the ship

The wonderful reception area and staff. The area is manned 24 hours a day.

There are 2 wine room dining areas on the 135 meter ships.

Many of the staterooms have twin balconies, with a French Balcony (sliding glass door) and a full outside balcony that Anne and I often enjoy a bottle of wine during our cruises.

There are nice touches like the “Sip & Sail” included cocktail hour.

The vibe is friendly but sophisticated yet with full modern comforts. Other venues on the ship reflect the same attention to detail as the staterooms.

Excellent Cuisine

The food on AmaWaterways has always been rated as the best by many travel writers and industry folks who evaluate river cruises.

The main dining room serves most of the meals you will eat on board these river ship. Breakfast and lunch used to be buffet style with options to order off the menu, but now all items are served to guests.

Most days I select the Eggs Benedict along with complimentary unlimited sparkling wine and fresh juices to start my day. All breads are freshly baked every day and they even make homemade ice cream for dessert at lunch.

Every evening on the dinner menu (a 4-course affair of an appetizer, a soup or salad course, a main course and dessert), there are 3 Entrée’s choices—usually a meat dish, a fish dish, and a vegetarian option—all are excellent! Here are some of our meals—they were impressive!

There is an Always Available Menu that features a steak, a grilled chicken breast, and a vegetarian or pasta option.

The lunch and dinner meals feature a white and red wine from the region you are sailing through, and they change daily (not every river cruise lines changes wines every day or offers included wine and beer). There is also beer and other beverages.

In Europe, each AMA ship has the chef’s table specialty restaurant. This program began in 2012. This small dining venue (usually no more than 28 guests) features a kitchen where your meal is prepared right in front of you.

This shows the Chef’s Table area—in the background is the kitchen area. It is a wonderful experience.

This unique menu is paired with carefully selected fine wines. It is truly a great experience.

AmaWaterways spends more than most other river cruise lines on the food and wines, and it shows, especially in this unique dining venue. We always go during our cruises and always arrange for the groups we led to dine together—it’s always a superb experience!

AmaWaterways is the first and only river cruise line member of the invitation-only La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, one of the world’s most prestigious culinary organizations.

Wellness

Most of our folks who travel with us believe that travel should provide them opportunities to improve their mental and physical health. Again, it is clear to us they are the best company for wellness.

Your mental health is improved as you get the chance to remove the stress of everyday living by being pampered, seeing and participating in new experiences and places, while in comfort. While there is a structured program, you can do as little or as much as you want and that alone is a stress reliever. Here are some great places onboard to relax:

Maybe you would like to relax in the Library with a book or a drink

Perhaps you might want to go for a dip in the pool

Perhaps a relaxing time with a bottle of wine on the top deck—even in winter we enjoy it. Mark Thomas posed for this picture for me.

The physical health aspect of your wellness on your cruise is a factor no other cruise line can match. AmaWaterways added a wellness host on every sailing by expanding the program they started in 2017.

We got an early look at the program on a winter cruise with the onboard wellness host, Selena on the AmaKristina. It was particularly good—as I have earned a master’s Degree in Physical Fitness, I think I have the credentials to properly evaluate the program.

Let me be clear—it is robust, fun and I was taken back about how many different activities were offered—it by far is the best fitness program on the Europe rivers by any company!

Among the features: They offer stretching, Yoga, resistance bands, core exercises, bike tours and jogging tours.

All are professionally led—Marcello, from Portugal (in the yellow jacket below), was our onboard wellness host and he did an outstanding job on the AmaKristina in 2019!

The Alts ready for a ride with the Wellness Host Marcello

Selena, now the overall director of the program, has created a wonderful addition to Europe River cruising on every ship sailing in this region—well done!

AmaWaterways has designed special hikes that will take you a bit off the beaten path in some incredibly beautiful destinations. Examples include making your way up to Dürnstein Fortress (splendid views of the Wachau Valley ) or walking the Philosopher’s Path in Heidelberg (an optional tour around the famous castle area).

Dürnstein Fortress provides splendid views of the Wachau Valley after your hike.

AmaWaterways carries a fleet of bicycles on board (they are free of charge), so you can see Europe’s enchanting scenery on riverside pathways while getting some exercise. They dock close to many city centers and small towns, where you can ride along with the locals.

Options are to ride on your own, which has always been available since we started cruising in 2009, or join one of their exclusive guided tours, like a trek along the beautiful Danube River in Austria’s Wachau Valley.

Anne took this picture of the bike riders in the Wachau Valley on a bike ride while we sailed past them on our ship—this is one of the best rides in all of Europe.

This guided tour concept is new, and we have had clients who love these tours. These are now led by the on-board wellness host and have 2 guides.

We have had clients take a ride along the scenic shores of the Inn River in Passau and along the banks of the Mosel around Cochem. Both reported, it was fun and a great experience. We also rode into Wurzburg on our own and really enjoyed our short ride—the bikes are very good, and it was fun.

Exemplary Service

If you desire personal attention in a casual manner, AmaWaterways excels in this regard.

All the folks who work at AmaWaterways look to exceed your expectations—the culture of the company is consistent excellence, always improving and a genuine desire to make your vacation the best possible. It is amazing how both clients and travel professionals talk about their experiences with AmaWaterways—words like friendly, proactive, professional, caring, and cool always seem to be used to describe their experiences.

Our Welcome reception on our Tulip Time Cruise with the Captain, the Hotel Manager and the cruise director Maddy

You know this company is on the right track when positive words, unsolicited, are used in interactions with others when talking about river cruise companies and AmaWaterways usually receives highly positive accolades.

Kris, our cruise manager, dressed up as Snow White, greeted us back from a tour on Halloween.

Kata (the cruise manager) Anne in her dirndl (the traditional dress worn in the German speaking areas of the Alps) and Carman from the bar staff

Anne with our friend Lazlo during German Fest

You are a guest that instantly becomes family—veteran cruisers often look for crew members who took care of them on past cruises. Some are even Facebook friends.

Our favorite Bar staff—from left to right Peter, Miro and Tomas.

It is a genuinely warm, welcoming, and fully professional staff. Every effort is to enhance your comfort, your experience, and the trip. They care and it shows.

The crew shares a laugh with me and my West Point Classmate Jeff in 2018!

A few of the many awesome waiters we have sailed with—they are always over the top good!

Anne created this picture—we always have fun on our cruise and she added this special effects after taking this picture—pretty darn cool, in my opinion!

Trust me, you will fondly remember the staff. If I was only allowed to pick one factor that is a difference factor among river cruise lines, it would be the staff at AmaWaterways—each performs their role superbly!

Quality and Value

To us, enrichment from your travels, means experiences that provide quality and value and are the most important considerations for choosing a river cruise company. It is not about price alone, trying to get the cheapest trip—price does not determine quality, nor does it determine value.

In the previous 5 sections, we have tried to tell why we rate AmaWaterways #1. They provide unique experiences; it is casual but elegant; it has excellent, award-winning cuisine; it has the best wellness program on the rivers of Europe and the service is exemplary—you really become part of the AmaWaterways family. Some of the other lines we rate also have good programs but do not excel in all 5 of these areas.

A toast to you from both of us—let us help you experience this great cruise line and have the same type of experiences and fun as we have had!

To us, it is the quality and value that is just right—not too lean or too fancy; not the least costly cruise but also not the most expensive. They really under promise and over deliver.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report. It was fun writing about AmaWaterways—I probably tell their story 2-3 times a week over the phone to potential clients.

I should also mention that in these difficult times, AmaWaterways has managed to keep the standards as high as in the past and as advisors, they are the easiest company to work with for the benefit of our clients. We have full faith they will continue to deliver the same excellence as in the past and our guests who have sailed with them this year report all is going well and their vacations were outstanding.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 51 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

Hank Schrader

June 2, 2022

Europe Destination

A Visit to Dracula's Castle

Hank Schrader

June 2, 2022

Europe Destination

A Visit to Dracula’s Castle

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

When I was teaching World Geography to high school students, I created a project about a Europe Vacation. The students had to pick 5 places to visit in the 4 regions of Europe and write about those places in a report for a major grade.

For the eastern region of Europe, the most popular choice of my students was Romania, because they all wanted to go to Dracula’s Castle.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Dracula’s Castle together and explore the myth of the world’s most famous vampire.

The Myth of Dracula’s Castle

The story of Dracula’s castle comes from the novel written by Irish writer Bram Stoker. In his story, he writes about Count Dracula who lives in a castle in Transylvania.

Count Dracula is a century’s old, undead vampire who lives on human blood and is said to be descended from Attila the Hun. He has many powers and sometimes is known as the king of the vampires.

Although Bram Stoker never visited Romania, his description of the castle that Dracula lived in best fits the present day Bran Castle. This is a weak connection at best, but that has not stopped most folks outside of Romania calling Bran Castle by its nickname--Dracula’s Castle.

There is speculation that the vampire character’s name, Dracula, was inspired by Vlad Tepes. He was more infamously known as Vlad the Impaler, but sometimes Vlad Tepes also used a different name--he was also known as Vlad Dracul. The legend just grew, and Bran Castle has embraced it as a good promotional way to get people to visit the castle.

Vlad Tepes

This story just would not be complete without hearing a little about Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was a prince during the 1400’s and was involved in the conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and Hungary.

He struggled to maintain power and was in constant conflict with the boyars of Wallachia (the Bucharest region of present-day Romania). History has documented his gruesome way to dispatch his enemies—he had them stabbed and then finished them off by impaling them on long sharpen poles in agonizing deaths, that sometimes caused his victims to suffer for days. His ruthless way to kill just fits perfectly into the Dracula legend of being blood thirsty. Most of his impaling happened between 1456 through 1462.

Vlad was killed in 1477. Shortly after his death, stories about his cruel acts were published, especially in Germany, where they became very popular. There is a famous wood cut carving print, published in 1499, showing the prince eating a meal while, some of his enemies are impaled near him in the town of Brasov.

Vlad is a controversial figure—some accounts praise him as a defender of his homeland, others say he was a ruthless tyrant. Some say the name Dracul roughly translates to Devil.

While his association with vampires is fictional, the legend remains, and he probably was the inspiration for the Dracula vampire character in the horror story by Bram Stoker. There is evidence that Vlad passed through the Bran area often and some accounts say he was imprisoned in Bran Castle for 2 months, but he never lived in the castle as its ruler.

Bran Castle

This is an interesting castle that allows visitors a chance to see most of the insides of this old medieval fortress that was completed in 1388. This castle was built to defend Bran pass and it certainly does not hurt the legend that at times the castle is shrouded in fog. We visited on a rainy day—it just was just what you should expect when you get to go to Dracula’s Castle.

For those expecting a spooky castle, the inside rooms are surprising livable. This is because the castle served as a royal residence from 1920 until 1947. It is well decorated but very sparse for royals.

Yet the mood is set prior to getting to the upstairs rooms—you must climb a narrow secret stairway—this is not for the claustrophobic—it is steep, and the walls are rough and rocky—perfect for an entrance way to the supposed home of Dracula!

The castle is compact with living and dining spaces. There are a lot of passageways connecting the four walls of this castle/fort complex.

Some of the rooms are King Ferdinand’s Dining Room,

the music and library room,

the large drawing room,

the Biedemeier Drawing Room, and

the Saxon Room.

the Castellans’ Room

As you would expect there are towers, a small display of weapons with an armor collection and a dungeon.

It is a worthwhile adventure and one we hope to help you see sometime in the future.

How can you visit Bran Castle?

I think the best way to visit Bran Castle is to base yourself in Brasov, Romania. This was our base of operations for our visit. To get to Brasov, we took a train from Bucharest to Brasov. Along the way, we stopped at Sinaia to visit Peles Castle. This elegant castle was the royal summer residence and is more a palace than a castle. It has over 100 rooms. I will write more about this wonderful castle in a later blog.

We were on an AmaWaterways lower Danube cruise, and when it ended, we arranged a private transfer from our rivership to the Bucharest train station. We then caught our train, visited Peles Castle, got back on the train and stayed in Brasov for a couple of days.

Using our hotel staff in Brasov, they arranged for a private driver to get to Bran Castle. Brasov is a great town and our experience there was wonderful—we would visit again.

Here are some pictures of Brasov:

Catherine’s Gate was part of the old medieval walls of Brsov

There are many good outdoor cafes in Brasov

We did learn however, to be cautious about taxis in Romania—they often charge extra instead of the established fare. Using your hotel to reserve a taxi or private tour was wonderful—we were charged a fair amount. To help combat this problem, we also learned there are government registered taxis that have agreed to charge fair rates. It was a great lesson learned.

It is quite possible to arrange a trip from Bucharest to visit both Peles and Bran Castles. It is a long day trip, usually 9 hours or so, but a lot of folks think it is another worthwhile way to see these two great castles.

Our Final Thoughts

Our visit to Romania was inspired by the fictional demon Dracula. A river cruise that ended in Bucharest made it easy to venture out on our own and simplified some of the transfers. Funny how a legend started our interest, and we expected to see a great castle, however, what we got was so much more—it was a visit to a wonderful country, with warm, friendly folks eager to help visitors.

We learned about a new great castle by doing some research—Peles Castle. Brasov also is a great stop. But most of all we meet some great folks. They have worked hard to escape the communist past and we enjoyed our time there. It is not on the normal tourist path of London, Paris, or Rome, but a surprising place we loved. That is the wonder of travel—just get inspired to try something new and often it will turn out fabulous—just as our experience did.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50+ 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

Hank Schrader

May 26, 2022

Main River Cruise Ports

5 Great Ports on the Main River

Hank Schrader

May 26, 2022

Main River Cruise Ports

5 Great Ports on the Main River

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

One of the tributaries of the Rhine River is the Main River.

Today, I thought I’d write about 5 ports on this often-overlooked European River Cruise River.

The ports, traveling west to east on the Main are Miltenberg, Wertheim, Würzburg, Bamberg and ending in Nuremberg.

So, let’s explore together and learn about this unique river.

Main River Overview

The Main is the longest tributaries of the Rhine River—it is about 326 miles long and all the river is in Germany. About 246 miles are used for shipping and river cruising. At one end of the river, towards Nuremberg, the river is now linked to the Danube River by the Main-Danube Canal.

Miltenberg

If picture perfect, fairy-tale like houses and buildings surrounded by a lovely town square known as the Schnatterloch (in German literally the “Gossip Hole”) has interest for you, then Miltenberg is a great village for you to explore. The village has a population of about 9,000.

The old town of Miltenberg is about 150 meters wide but about 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.

It was also a walled city and has two gate towers that protected the city in days gone by, but now are an interesting photo chance for visitors.

Wertheim

Your first views of this village are dominated by the old castle ruins, but there are much more than ruins to see in the quaint place. This town has a population of about 23,000.

Wertheim is located where the Tauber River and the Main River meet.

Overlooking the town are ruins of castle that was built in the 12th century.

The old town and its market square are ringed with several half-timbered houses. The market square has a wonderful well, named the Engelsbrunnen (in German it translates to the Angel’s well). The name comes from the 2 little angels holding the coat of arms of Wertheim.

Another interesting building is the Gothic Stiftskirche. It was built in 1383 and has 2 clocks on the church tower—one with an hour and minute clock hands and one with a clock hand only for the residents of the castle—guess being royalty has its advantages!

This old walled city has an impressive watch tower that still remains.

Würzburg

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

But the star here is the Residenz Palace, a UNESCO world heritage site. Along with the impressive palace (which can be toured on an AmaWaterways cruise), the gardens here are whimsical, and colorful. These gardens were built when the Residenz was fortified, so all the gardens had to be inside the walls.

There are 2 gardens here. The first is the Court Garden, a Baroque, formal garden. The central feature of this garden are 8 large yews that shaped in perfect cone shapes. The second garden is an English garden of meadows and small forests.

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

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

Bamberg

Bamberg is about 7 Km from the Main River, in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria. It is UNESCO world heritage site due its well-preserved medieval buildings.

It has a wonderfully preserved old town area on the west bank of the Regnitz River.

Perhaps the Altes Rathaus (old town hall), is one of the most stunning town halls built in all Germany. It is on a bridge and the legend is it was built over the Regnitz River, as the town bishops denied the townsfolk permission to build the hall on the land owned by the church.

The Bamberg Cathedral is also famous for its architecture and is the burial place of Emperor Henry II and Pope Clement II.

The Neue Residenz (home of the prince bishops) has a wonderful rose garden that is one of our favorite gardens. There are about 4,500 roes planted in 70 different flower beds. It also provides some of the best views of all of Bamberg on the outside walls of the garden.

Bamberg has a special beer—it is a historic smoked beer. In German it is known as Rauchbier. Bamberg is home to 11 breweries.

Nuremberg

Nuremberg’s old city has some very large protective walls, and most are intact. It is the 6th largest city in Germany. It is place we visit often—at least 6 times or more.

Nuremberg Castle is one of the largest in Germany. We have toured the grounds several times

The main market square is famous for its Christmas Market and one of our absolute favorites. If not being renovated, the Schoner Brunnen--the Beautiful 19-meter Fountain on the edge of Market Square is quite impressive. There are two rings on the fence that are some popular legends about the power of the fountain. One is that if you turn the “golden ring” and make a wish, it will come true. The black ring is said to bless women with children.

The market also has an impressive church on the square. Church of Our Lady constructed as an imperial royal chapel. Every day at noon the "Männleinlaufen" (mechanical clock and glockenspiel) chime to the delight of watchers below.

Nuremberg is where the Nazi War Crimes Tribunal took place in 1946. There are special tours offered by most river cruise companies about the huge influence of the Nazi regime in Nuremberg.

Culinary tourists can taste the city's famous food offerings. This includes lebkuchen (gingerbread), a great local red beer and the star for us Nürnberger Rostbratwürstchen, or Nuremberg sausages. It is prepared several different ways—don’t miss it!

Our Final Thoughts

The Main River has 5 great ports--We hope you enjoyed this report. You should try this great river cruise route.

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

Hank Schrader

May 19, 2022

Best Value Travel

Luxury Travel is Value Travel

Hank Schrader

May 19, 2022

Best Value Travel

Luxury Travel is Value Travel

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Luxury travel means different things to different people. I think most folks would opt for more luxury in their vacations but worry about the costs. While being able to afford a trip is important, it should not be your only consideration.

According to the L.E.K. 2017 Luxury Travel Study, only 10% of the respondents considered themselves luxury travelers, but 85% reported they indulge in travel luxuries sometimes in their travels.

We think the key is value, not an abstract term like luxury.

To me, this raises a couple of questions.

How do you know what luxury features you would like to add to your trip to enhance your experience?

How can you enhance your travels without blowing your budget?

So, let’s explore these topics together.

Life Enhancing Experiences

We are in the life enhancing business. To help you get your life enhancing trip experiences, there are 4 items necessary for us to help you plan your travel.

There are:

Some idea of a trip you would like to take,
a realistic budget,
dates when you want to go, and
your trip is a good fit to the services we offer

Perhaps these 4 items need a little clarification.

First, where do you want to go—Europe, Alaska, or another city in the US? How do you want to travel—air, car, ship, or train? What do you want to experience or see? What are your must visit places?

Second, you can’t expect to take some types of trips on an unrealistic budget. For example, a trip like a European river cruise for $1,000 a person for a week trip is not possible—the product and services require a bigger budget. One of the items we always ask is the budget. It really helps us both understand what is possible based on the financial resources you are willing to commit to the vacation you desire.

Fortunately, most who contact us do have some idea of the cost of a typical 7-day river cruise, but sometimes, sticker shock happens. I do want to make point here—the internet can tell you the price, but it can’t tell you the value of the trip you desire—that’s where we come in. We can explain the value which helps you understand why the price might be higher than you anticipated.

The date often makes a difference—do you have flexibility or is this a trip to see a precise event at a precise time. Are you arranging your trip around other events? Do the travelers have only certain days off for school or vacation?

You might be surprised by the last point—is your desired trip a good fit for our services? While we plan trips to many destinations, our best value to you is our extensive knowledge of cruising, especially river cruising and Europe travel.

We like to say we are a low volume, high touch travel advisors and this has many benefits to you—we really can spend a lot of time learning exactly what you want for your trip and the desired outcomes, so it enhances every aspect of the travel experience.

So, let’s see how we accomplish these tasks.

We Make It Easy to Start Once You Find Us

Many of our clients find us by researching the internet. We are proud to rank first in Google searches for both Europe River Cruise Comparisons 2022-2023 (as of 19 May 2022, 5,296 have visited this page on our website this year) and Best European River Cruise Routes Guide (2,674 visits this year to this page).

We also have many referrals by happy clients, who share their great experiences with their friends. Most our clients also are repeat travelers.

Based on this, some decide we are the folks to help them get a luxury vacation on a river cruise, or another trip, and take the next step by sending us a Trip Request.

We are humbled so many trust us and grateful they found us and we welcome them with open arms—we are delighted to help them. It doesn’t really matter how they found us, but now it is action time—so, here is the next step, should you decide to use us.

To get started on your trip, we make it easy for you to communicate your desire to start thinking about a trip. Please visit www.dreamdestinations.com, select Send Us Your Travel Request and contact us. This short form will start you on the road to a great travel location.

After this start, we ask a lot of questions, and start to look for ways we can make the trip exceed your expectations.

How Do You Know What Luxury Features You Would Like to Add to Your Trip to Enhance Your Experience?

Chances are you really do not know all the options available for your trip. Everyone wants to get the most for their money but if you are fixated on price alone, chances are you will get a subpar experience.

How do I know this? In my 50+ years of traveling to Europe, every time I cut a corner to save a buck or two, the results were usually wasted time and a poor experience.

Would you like an example? —I once refused to pay 5 Marks in 1989 to go see a fabulous 500 year old wood carved church alter in Rothenburg, Germany (the Jacobskirke altarpiece carved by Riemenschneider0—something I really wanted to see. I had spent well over $6000 for this trip and balked at 5 Marks—it just doesn’t make sense!

Rothenburg au Taber from our visit in 1989. This is the best intact walled city in Germany.

Someday I will get to visit the church again (hopefully this summer during an AmaWaterways cruise we plan to take in July—33 years later to correct this mistake)—it was a poor decision. What is the reason for this story? —we are here to save you from yourself. I learned the hard way and regret my decision back then.

It is very hard for us to keep up with all that is happening in Europe, or on river cruises or on ocean cruises, so how can you be expected to know what features you need to add to get that special feature or luxury experience? Let us help guide you through the process and the outcome will be a better trip.

They key to adding luxury features is to know what your desired outcome of the trip is for you. The most important thing for us to understand is why you are going on the trip.

What do you want to experience and what type of treatment do you expect? Do you want down time in a luxurious spa? How about a skip the line entrance to the Vatican Museum?

What is the right mix of seeing the sights at the right pace? What level of comfort are do you expect on your trip? What type of hotel do you want to stay in? Those are just a few of the questions we will ask to get you the trip you desire.

How Can You Enhance Your Trip without Blowing Your Budget?

There are many ways that expensive trips can become a better value and may cost less but still deliver the experience you desire.

For example, traveling when less people travel is a good way to get a luxury trip at a better price. Spring, fall and Christmas Market trips are excellent values on Europe River Cruises. Most of the group river cruises we plan are during these non-peak times.

Part of a group we led on an AmaWaterways river cruise in 2015.

A Christmas Market Wine Bar in Basel, Switzerland

Advent House in Lucerne, Switzerland during one of our trips

Not only is the price better, but there are also less crowds. Sometimes the weather is not the best, but overall, it is our favorite time to travel to Europe—a great trip at a better price. You really can enhance your traveling experience many times by just letting us search your desired time for travel to let us seek the best travel value for you.

Another way to enhance your trip, is to pick the right vendor who offers the services and level of care you want. We carefully vet our preferred suppliers—we know who will deliver the experience you expect and will exceed your expectations—our ultimate goal.

Anne, Kristin Karst (co-owner of AmaWaterways) and Hank on board of an AmaWaterways ship in Amsterdam in 2011.

We also look for upgrades. We always try and make personal connections with hotels, for example, letting them know our valued clients are coming and asking for the best treatment they can offer. Maybe a better stateroom on a river cruise that cost just a little extra but really enhances your trip.

We Can Inspire You to add some Luxury Features to your next trip!

With our extensive experience and knowledge about travel, we will match you to the right trip and help get exactly what you expect from your trip. We will get you the best value for your money on a trip, if you will spend some time us.

The more we can learn about you, the better we can serve you. We also help you decide if a slight increase in your budget might result in an enhanced experience.

Our Final Thoughts

We are looking to provide you the right trip, at the right time, to the right person—YOU!

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

Hank Schrader

May 12, 2022

Europe Travel

Interesting Bridges in Europe

Hank Schrader

May 12, 2022

Europe Travel

Interesting Bridges in Europe

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Europe has some of the most famous and interesting bridges in the world.

Bridges are designed to bypass some type of obstacle such a river, or valley but they often have developed into a more important function as a symbol of uniting places that once were separated.

So here are some bridge pictures of what Anne and I consider some of Europe’s most interesting bridges.

Old Bridges

Kapelbrucke, Luzern, Switzerland.

Kapelbrucke (Chapel Bridge) and Wasserturn (Water Tower) date to the 1300s. This covered, wooden footbridge is Luzern's most famous landmark. It is the oldest covered bridge in Europe.

The tower has been used as a treasury, a prison, and a torture chamber.

One of the 110 medieval paintings that originally adorned the covered roof. A fire destroyed the bridge and only 25 original paintings survived. The paintings recounted scenes from the history of Luzern and Switzerland.

Mill Bridge Luzern, Switzerland.

There is also another covered bridge here. This is the Mill Bridge, first built in 1408, but rebuilt several times due to fire damage..

Stone Bridge Regensburg, Germany.

The guarded entrance to Regensburg on top of the Stone Bridge. The Stone Bridge,, built 1135–1146,, is a highlight of medieval bridge building. It served as the model for other stone bridges built in the 12th and 13th centuries.

The knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusade used it to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land.

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy.

This famous bridge, which crosses the Arno River, is lined with gold and silver shops today. It is the oldest bridge in Florence. The bridge has had shops lining this unique structure since the 13th century. Originally, the shops were butchers and fishmongers, which lead to a smelly bridge. In 1593, Ferdinand I decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers could have their shops on the bridge and that tradition continues until today.

One of the reasons this is an important bridge is that it still has shops lining the bridge—a common practice in the Middle Ages and it is one of the last remaining bridges in existence in Europe that continues that tradition, as most old bridges have been torn down .

Pont du Gard.

This is part of the aqueduct of Nîmes, which was almost built by the Romans 1900 years ago to deliver water to the city of Nîmes. The aqueduct and bridge cross the Gardon River (it is also known as the Gard River). Look at the people on the bridge to get an idea how large this structure is--it is only 6 feet smaller in height than the Roman Colosseum.

Charles Bridge--

The Charles Bridge is famous for the many statues of saints that line the bridge along its length (there are 30 statues). For centuries, this bridge was the only link between Lesser Town on the left bank of the Vltava River and Old Town on the opposite side.

Venice Bridges

Venice has over 400 bridges. Here are two of the most famous:

Bride of Sighs, Venice Italy.

Canal under the Bridge of Sighs, Venice, Italy

To say this bridge is famous, is an understatement. Here is a photo of the large crowd taking pictures at this famous bridge:

There are two stories about how the bridge became known as the bridge of sighs.

The first legend of this bridge that connects the Doge’s palace and the prison, is that the condemned got their last look at the beauty of Venice and “sighed” as the moved to their cells.

The second story is about romance. In this version, it is said that lovers who kiss under the bridge in a gondola and will be granted enteral love. It is said they “sigh” at the romantic backdrop and pledge of love.

Rialto Bridge Venice Italy.

It is one of the four bridges that span the Grand Canal in Venice. The current bridge, after several other earlier bridges, was built in 1588. This sturdy bridge has become the symbol of Venice.

For over 300 years, it was the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot. It houses many stores on the bridge and adjacent area.

Bridges with Interesting Stories

Skinny Bridge, Amsterdam Netherlands. The Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) is often touted as the most beautiful bridge in this city that has more than 1,200 of them.

The story of this bridge is that two women - the Mager sisters - lived on opposite sides of the Amstel River. According to the tale, they had this bridge built to make it easier to visit one another. Mager is the Dutch word for "skinny".

Avignon Bridge

This is the famous bridge of the children's song "Sur le pont d'Avignon"--(on the bridge of Avignon). During the Middle Ages, it was an important bridge for pilgrims to cross the Rhone River on the way to the Palace of the Popes in Avignon.

As you can see in the photo, the bridge does not span the Rhone River anymore. It was washed away several times by floods and in the 17th century, the bridge was abandoned and never rebuilt.

Love Locks on the Pont des Arts on the Seine River, Paris, France.

Government officials have removed all these locks in June of 2015 due to damage to the bridge.

The idea of the love locks is that they symbolize that a couple's love is forever and often the key has been thrown in the river. The government of Paris auctioned the locks off to the public.

Symbolic Bridges

25 De Abril Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal was inspired by 2 US bridges--its orange color is just like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco; and its design is like the Bay Bridge in Oakland. The bridge is named to commemorate the Carnation Revolution that returned democracy to Portugal--the protesters put carnations into rifles of the military forces and it was a "bloodless" coup.

The Chain Bridge, Budapest Hungary. This was the first permanent bridge built across the Danube in Budapest. It was built between 1840 and 1849. It is 375m long and 16m wide. This bridge connected the towns of Buda and Pest and was a major reason the two towns became Budapest.

In 1989, it was a site of protest for freedom and independence from communist rule. Today, the bridge is a symbol of Hungarian liberty. Buda castle is in the background.

Bosporus Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey.

Where East meets West, the bridge across the Straits of the Bosporus Turkey. The left bank of this picture is Europe; the right bank of this picture is Asia (SW Asia or the Middle East). It was built in 1973 and is 1,560 meters long. The bridge is a toll bridge and the highway on the bridge has eight lanes.

Tower Bridge London, England.

London's Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Its Victorian Gothic style stems from a law that forced the designers to create a structure that would be in harmony with the nearby Tower of London.

Stunning Bridges

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.

The small bridge in the background crosses the Vltava River.

Alexander Bridge Statue, Paris France.

Of the 19 bridges crossing the Seine River, this is considered the most beautiful. The bridge links Les Invalides, the site of Napoleon’s tomb, on the Left Bank with the Champs-Élysées on the Right Bank.

It was built in 1900 for the world’s fair of 1900—the exposition hall can be seen in the background of this photo.

Alte Brucke (Old Bridge) crossing the Neckar River in Heidelberg, Germany. The Tower entrance to Heidelberg Old Bridge, is one of the most photographed scenes in all of Germany and was part of the old city walls.

Here is the rest of the bridge:

Bicycle on a bridge in Edam, Netherlands and in Amsterdam.

Bikes are one the symbols of the Netherlands and with all the water crossings in this low country, we feel this is a great way to capture some of the essence of life in this fascinating country.

Here is one of our favorite photos of a bike in Amsterdam:

Brugge Bridge, Brugge, Belgium.

The canals of Brugge are a special place—it is Anne’s favorite Europe city. This twilight picture captures what we would consider the best part of this tranquil city—unmatched scenery with fairly-tale like buildings. Enjoy!

Modern Bridges

Le Salve Bridge, Bilbao, Spain.

This bridge, also known as the Princes of Spain suspension bride, is incorporated into the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. The giant spider sculpture in the foreground is a nice contrast to this large bridge. Also, the red arches were added to the bridge in 2007 to help blend it in with the art museum.

Øresund Bridge, Øresund Strait. The Øresund Bridge is the longest combined rail and road bridge in Europe. It connects Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmo. Part of this is a bridge and part is a tunnel. This is a picture taken at sea by Anne.

Our Final Thoughts

It took a lot of trips to compile these photos. But more than a collection of trips, it shows the amazing capacity of humans to overcome obstacles to unite landmasses.

Maybe, in a way, it will serve as a reminder to us to bridge the gaps and obstacles we face as humans to better understand others and their cultures. I know for sure it has changed both of us for the better. We hope this will inspire to travel to Europe soon and view some of these bridges, or better yet, find your own favorites..

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

Hank Schrader

May 5, 2022

Europe River Cruise

21 Great River Cruise Experiences

Hank Schrader

May 5, 2022

Europe River Cruise

21 Great River Cruise Experiences

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Anne and I find it very hard to find any trip experience that matches a river cruise. Wonderful food and wine, unmatched chances to explore Europe in a floating hotel, attended by a staff that enhances your trip, are all part of this vacation.

Small ship sailing on a river is so unique that one friend\client told me you cannot truly understand the differences until you try one—they are that good.

We just could not find one experience that summed it all up, so we decided to provide you 21 experiences that have made memories for us that will last a lifetime.

So, let’s explore together and learn about some of the great experiences we have had on 21 River Cruises!

1. Leading my West Point Classmates and other West Point Graduates on 5 Different River Cruises. Almost 45 years ago, after 47 months of training and studies, 729 of my classmates graduated from West Point. Prior to beginning my training as an Army Officer, I took my first trip to Europe. 43 years later I took several of my classmates on 3 different river cruises. What an experience—Anne & I help introduce these wonderful guys and their wives and some of their family members and friends to the joys of river cruising. We laughed, shared stories of West Point and had so much fun that many decided to take a river cruise with us again in 2016, 2017 2018 and 2019. Here is the bottom line—it is such a good experience; we just couldn’t wait to experience it again with each other, and we went 2016, 2018 and 2019 with different classmates who wanted to share this second adventure on the river with their friends.

2. Discovering Brugge after a Tulip Time Cruise. A town lost in time; laced with canals, gold trimmed buildings and churches, combined with seafood, the best frites (French fries) you have ever eaten and over 1000 beer choices, make Brugge our first or second favorite city in all Europe. We owe all to our Tulip Time cruise—we had only just begun exploring the Netherlands and Belgium and had read about how good the city was, but after the finish of our wonderful 7-day adventure, we got to spend 3 days in this magical place. Since then, we have been back 6 other times, in all seasons and have sent clients to Brugge to explore this fascinating city. Sharing a great discovery makes it better—we will continue to send others.

3. Meeting an ex-AmaWaterways bar server again in Budapest. In 2015, I was in Budapest with a West Point classmate getting a beer to take back to our room. Suddenly I heard “Hank; Hank”—someone was calling my name. It was Tomas, one of waiters from a Provence River cruise we took in 2014. After bear hugs and a fist bump, and he told me he was working in Budapest now (his girlfriend missed him too much sailing the river boats). I was stunned—I do not know a single person in Budapest. But here is the best part—when I told him we were sailing in a day on an AMA riverboat, he texted his friend, the on-board maitre’d and told him we were sailing on his ship and to take care of us! Amazing—he no longer worked for them, but he cared what happened to us—the crew really becomes your family.

Tomas is the tall bartender on the right.

4. The illumination cruise of Budapest. The two best nighttime cruises in all Europe are on the Danube sailing into Budapest and the Seine into Paris. We have done two in Budapest and sailed with a ferry-type boat in Paris in 1989—amazing is the only word to describe this experience. Another great night cruise is the Rhine in Flames—a fireworks spectacular that takes place on the most scenic stretches of the middle Rhine every year between May and September.

5. Visiting Regensburg—Hats, Wursts and a Christmas Market Gem. The former walled city, a medieval bridge, Roman ruins, a Christmas Market in a castle and der Hutkonig –the hat king, a world-famous hat maker and the oldest wurst house in Germany--this is one of our favorite stops on the Danube. Anne has purchased 5 hats—they are wonderful! This is the only Christmas market I know that charges an entrance fee, but AmaWaterways provided us tickets as part of the voyage. The markets surround the castles—there are fires burning, great booths with all sorts of merchandise and food and drinks—it is an atmosphere unlike the many Christmas markets we had been to—unique and memorable.

At the Christmas Markets with the owner who made our hats.

6. The Rhine River Gorge. I first sailed the most scenic part of any river in all Europe in 1971 on a KD ferry—long before the advent of the modern-day river cruise boat. It is still magical—30 castles dot the steep banks for views that are unmatched! It never gets old—can’t wait to sail it again!

7. Sailing the Iron Gates on the Danube. When the Danube narrows as it runs through the South Carpathian Mountains, the narrows are known as the Iron Gates. The granite walls of the mountains combined with a fjord-type cruise experience, easily makes this one of the top 3 most scenic stretches you will ever experience on a river cruise in Europe.

8. Food & Wine Galore. Exquisite multi-course dinners served with great regional wines, a unique Chef’s table experience and a selection of both buffet and menu items at breakfast (now served by the wait staff) ensure you will have the finest dining available on your AmaWaterways cruise—all 19 we have been on always exceeded our expectations. Scenic also had a great seafood buffet and a selection of 12 different wines. This is a true highlight of a river cruise trip.

9. Visiting Cesky Krumlov. A fairy tale city at a horseshoe bend of the Vitava River, this Czech city is cool beyond words. A dominate castle tower decorated in spectacular colors, the round tower and the huge castle frame the river and its charming town. Although it lacks the complete walls of Rothenberg, it has an old gate and has retained its charm of ages past. A true gem and well worth the hour or so bus ride from the Danube to visit—I am glad our Scenic cruise included this option.

10. The Rhone Ledson River Cruise. Wine makers themed cruises are special and when you put a top winery like Ledson onboard, it will enhance the already great trip into something special. To make it even better, we met the general manager and his wife and now we travel together—they are clients but most of all, great friends.

Mark Thomas prepares for the tasting with help from the crew.

11. Scenic Sundowner Party in Durnstein. Durnstein is a small, picturesque village of around 600 on the Danube and is often a favorite stop of many. It has an old Abbey, a famous castle ruin, great wine shops and apricot brandy stores. On our 3rd visit to this charming village on our scenic Opal cruise, we experienced a party in a wienstube to celebrate the setting of the sun—a small band, cheese, cold cuts, fresh bread, and wine and beer—a perfect way to end the day in the beautiful Wachau Valley on the Danube River.

12. Meeting Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst—2 of the 3 co-owners of AmaWaterways. Meeting the owners explains a lot—they love good things and are proud to share their creation. Their hand-on approach ensures each detail is right—their mission is to provide the best travel experiences on a riverboat and land packages. From our viewpoint, the have overwhelmingly succeeded! In 2018, at the TravelAge West Wave Awards, Rudi and Kristin won a major award for their contributions to river cruising and we were the only other couple to win an award at this annual gala.

13. Visiting the Charming Village of Riquewihr. This is a village that looks like it came right out of a Disney Movie—in fact, it was the inspiration for the town village of Beauty and the Beast. If you like white wine, cheese shops, half-timbered buildings, and fun-loving people, you need to go here. We have visited in the summer and during the Christmas Markets season and both were magical!

14. Escorting more Classmates in 2019 on the Rhine. Another great time after leading 33 folks on our 75th Anniversary of D Day trip. We shared many memories and relaxed in the familiar surrounding on the AmaKristina.

15. Helping Clients get more active on river cruises. Wellness is important to many of our clients and river cruising is emphasizing more active options on their cruises. AmaWaterways with their dedicated wellness host is leading this effort, and Avalon with their Active Discovery tours is another great option. Emerald and Scenic also have good options—Scenic has e-bikes for those who mike enjoy this added assist on their cruise.

Bike riders wave to us from the shore during their bike tour as we sail on the river. they rejoined us later after their fun ride.

The wellness host in yellow poses with us after a morning workout.

16. Learning about the partnership with Ancestry and AmaWaterways in 2021. This is a great option for those who want to learn more about their family history. We got a unique experience to visit the Red Star Museum and learn about the difficult journey many made to immigrate to the United States.

17. Visiting Egypt on the AmaDahlia. If ancient history is important to you, learning about the great civilization of Egypt is a true bucket list experience. This 10-day trip is not for everyone since there is so much to see and it is not quite as luxurious as European River cruising, but the stunning temples, pyramids and sites must be a once in a lifetime experience.

18. Working with the AMA sales and support staff. The staff at AMA is professional and they have helped us learn the river cruise business inside out. They are so good at what they do that it makes our job easier. Even more importantly, they watch out for the best interest of our clients and always strive to get them the best possible value on their river cruise. I have been honored to help other travel advisors learn about AmaWaterways by being a guest presenter 2 times on their Wednesday Webinars.

Shelia, our former business development manager from AmaWaterways teaches our group about a Bordeaux river cruise.

19. Seeing crew members on different cruises and watching them progress in their careers. We always seem to run into past crew, and often seek them out when more than 2 AMA ships are docked together. They always remember us, are smiling and fun. But the best part is to come back and learn they have been promoted to more responsible positions. We have even met some of their families—what a treat!

20. Onboard Celebrations. We have seen significant anniversary and birthday celebrations and even a proposal—folks using a great trip to mark the key events of their lives. We have been honored to share their joy.

Denise Thomas displays her cake on the AmaDahlia in Egypt on her birthday with her husband Mark.

21. Listening to the Experiences of our river cruise clients. Almost all of river cruise clients have chosen to use us again to plan another trip and most pick a river cruise—some 3 or more and still planning more. Nothing makes us happier convincing them the value and experience of a 7 or more-day river cruise and having them return raving about their trip.

Our Final Thoughts

I think you can see why we are in the business—it just is awesome to help folks have a great river cruise vacation. Perhaps this will inspire you to take a river cruise—we stand by ready to help.

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

Hank Schrader

April 28, 2022

River Cruise Comparisons

River Cruise Balcony Comparisons in 2022--What View Do You Want?

Hank Schrader

April 28, 2022

River Cruise Comparisons

River Cruise Balcony Comparisons—What View Do You Want?

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

“What type of balcony is best for my river cruise?” We are often asked this question. It can be very confusing trying to figure out the different approaches to balconies by various river cruise lines

Balconies or lack of balconies is often one of the keys defining differences between river cruise lines in stateroom cabin accommodations. This blog should help you understand each line’s approach to balconies and should help you evaluate whether a balcony, and what type of balcony, would be best for your river cruise.

On river cruise ships, there are 6 possible views from your river cruise cabin stateroom. They are:

a small window,
a large window,
a French balcony (a sliding glass door),
a balcony with a window that opens halfway
an outside balcony,
a twin balcony.

Deck Designs of a River Cruise Ship

River cruise ships have 4 decks, but the upper deck, often called the sun or sky deck, is just a roof. There are guest cabins on the remaining 3 decks.

Deck 1 (the lowest deck) is for crew, with some guest staterroms and may have some public areas. Decks 2 and 3 have guest cabins and other public areas. Balcony cabins are only allowed on the upper two decks (2 & 3) of a river cruise ship.

Balcony cabins are always more expensive than window cabins. On the first deck, nearest to the river line, all cabins only have small or large windows, but most only have the small windows. There is a very good safety reason that only fixed windows that do not open are allowed on Deck 1, as the windows are just a few feet from the water line. The cabins with only small windows are usually the least expensive cabins on each ship.

So, with that background, let’s explore river cruise cabin balconies on the upper two decks of the cruise ships except for the Douro River which has special designed ships for their smaller locks on that unique river.

What are the 7 Major River Cruise Companies that Market to US Travelers?

There are currently 7 companies who are the primary suppliers of river cruises to the US market. They are 1) AmaWaterways, 2) Avalon, 3) Emerald, 4) Scenic, 5) Tauck, 6) Uniworld, and 7) Viking. Each of these companies usually have different approaches to balconies on their river cruise ships.

Although beyond the scope of this blog, if you would like a detailed comparison of these 7 river cruise lines, please click this link,

Learn more—our 2022-2023 Europe River Cruise Comparisons

AmaWaterways

Since 2009, when we took our first cruise on AmaWaterways, we have watched balcony cabins evolve on our favorite river cruise line. At first, they only had French balconies on all cabins in the upper two decks.

In 2010, starting with the AmaBella, they introduced the concept of twin balconies— ½ French balcony inside and ½ balcony outside. Since that time, all 135 m river ships on AmaWaterways use the twin balcony concept. No other river cruise line at present uses this concept for most of their upper deck cabins, although Viking does use twin balconies on a limited number of their suites.

Twin balconies really are the best of both worlds—outside when the weather is good or inside with the sliding glass doors of the French balcony at other times. While there are a few French balconies on the upper two decks of their 135 m longships (they call them Cat C cabins), all the remaining 49 have the twin balconies. 65 of the 82 cabins on the 135 m long ships have balconies. Here are some pictures of the twin balconies and French balconies we have taken on various cruises:

A good look at an outside balcony on an AmaWaterways ship

A view of the twin balconies from inside our cabin. On the left is the outside balcony. Inside is the French Balcony which has the small glass table and two inside chairs for a seating area. Photo Anne Schrader.

The French Balcony cabin on our first river cruise in 2009

Avalon

Avalon uses French Balconies only. They call their concept an Open-Air Balcony. This concept is that the whole stateroom is the balcony, with the bed facing the window and it has larger windows of 11 feet in the Panorama suites. They heavily promote the “wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling” windows of their staterooms. 68 of the 84 cabins on their longships have the Open-Air Balcony concept.

In their newest ship, the Avalon View, they have replaced the railway with a clear safety divider, so there is nothing obstructing the view.

Avalon Vista—while not a perfect picture you can see the large windows at the stern of the ship that open and close. Photo Anne Schrader

A photo from Avalon Waterways showing their Open-Air concept. Used by their permission.

Emerald

All Emerald ships on the 2 upper levels have balconies. They call their balconies an open-air system and it uses a button to lower the window horizontally halfway down from the closed position. 72 of their 90 cabins on their 135 m longships have the open-air system. Here is a picture of the Emerald Sun balconies from a ship inspection we did in 2015:

Scenic

Scenic features a balcony they call the Sun Lounge—at a push of a button, the glass enclosed lounge converts to an open-air balcony by going horizontally down halfway—it is awesome! All cabin categories on the upper two decks have full balconies with the Sun Lounge. 68 of the 81 cabins on their 135 m longships have the Sun Lounge. Here is a picture of the Sun Lounge from our 2015 Scenic Opal cruise:

Tauck

Tauck river cruise ships have only French Balconies. 55 of the 67 cabins on their 135 m long ships have balconies. Tauck is unique in its approach to some of their river line cabins. It has 8 cabins that are called loft cabins—they have a sitting area loft that is raised up from the rest of the cabin area and extends from the first deck to the second deck.

The loft cabin. This picture is from Tauck and used by permission.

Uniworld

Uniworld, with its elaborately decorated boutique river ships, has 2 types of balconies. They have different style ships, so it is hard to give exact information about each ship, but the newest have French balconies on the 2nd level deck and on the upper level deck have open-air balconies, that at a touch of a button, can open or close . The larger 135 m longships have French balconies on the second deck and outside cabins on the upper deck. On their 135 m ships 62 of the 77 staterooms have balconies.

The River Riyale in port. Although not perfect, you can see the French Balcony cabins on this ship.

Viking

Viking on its 53+ longships at present, use a patented off-center deck on their upper two decks. This allows for one side of the ship to have verandas (outside balconies) and the opposite side has French balconies.

There are 2 large suites (445 sq ft) at the aft end of the ship that have wrap around balconies and 7 veranda suites (225 sq ft) with an outside balcony and a French balcony. 39 state rooms (205 sq ft) have outside verandas. 22 staterooms (135 sq ft) have French balconies. 69 of the 94 staterooms have balconies. The outside balconies have 2 mesh chairs and a small drink table.

This is the Viking Baldar in port. It really shows clearly the difference between the small windows on the first deck at the water line and the balcony cabins above. Photo Anne Schrader

A French Balcony Stateroom. on a Viking Ship. Photo from Viking and used by permission.

How To Decide If a Balcony is Important for your Cruise Experience.

Most river cruise guests spend most of their waking hours outside their cabins either in the main lounge or on the top deck, when they are not eating, or on tour. While a private balcony of any type is cool and a great luxury, we have seldom spent more than an hour on any of our balconies during any cruising day (21 river cruises).

I will admit, though, it is tough to beat having a bottle of wine together on your private balcony—a great escape and some quality together time. That alone, makes a balcony important to us—it really doesn’t matter if it is a French Balcony or an outside veranda or a twin balcony—it all is good (but we lean to the outside balcony)!

It is important to realize due to limited docking space, river ships often raft, or tie up next to each other, so your wonderful view now becomes a view into someone else’s cabin. Also, in some ports, the docking location has walls to obscure views. There is also no view during time in a lock except to look at the concrete lock walls.

A final point to consider is that sailing often is done at night, so tours can take advantage of daylight hours, and this limits what you are able to see from your balcony during some sailing times. Even with these limitations, we always prefer a balcony of some type.

Our Final Thoughts--Should you get a Stateroom with a Balcony?

In my opinion yes! One of the best things about river cruising is the constant views along the banks of the river and the more you get to see, the better! We always recommend a cabin on the upper 2 decks for that reason. Another point to consider is that cabins on the river line deck with small windows often only are accessible by stairs and can feel cramped with the limited light from the small window.

We hope this has helped you understand more about balconies that are offered on the various river cruise lines. With these great views, it is easy to see what a great way a river cruise is to explore Europe!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50+ 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

Hank Schrader

April 13, 2022

River Cruise Comparisons

Opinion: The Best Features and Vibes of 7 European River Cruise Lines

Hank Schrader

April 13, 2022

River Cruise Comparisons

Opinion: The Best Features and Vibes of 7 European Cruise Lines

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

I always tell folks that a river cruise in Europe is a great vacation—probably the best value for most leisure travelers who want to see a lot in a short time yet get close to the way most actually live in Europe. Europe grew up around the rivers and this history is reflected in both the small villages, trading centers and even capital cities you might be able to see and experience.

There is a lot of confusion, in my opinion, among the consumers and even good travel agents, about the differences between lines. We seem to be obsessed with finding the one best line, like a magic pill that will make our travel experiences perfect. Searches on the internet bear this out, as many want reliable info on lines and want accurate comparisons. Even experts disagree on which line is best and all seem to have won a travel award as the best river cruise line.

Somehow in all this, I am concerned that some are searching for the best river cruise line instead of matching their style of travel to the available vendors—the best just doesn’t exist, since all of us have different ideas of the travel experience that we want for our trip—no one line is best for each person.

This doesn’t mean this quest is not valuable. We are well known for our river cruise comparisons that is on page one of Google—last year 8,367 folks opened our 87-slide presentation and already 3,308 have opened it in 2022 (I have just updated it recently, since Crystal is no longer sailing and made some comparison slides easier to read).

Here it is, if you want a more in-depth look at this topic:

Read our Complete 2022-2023 Europe River Cruise Lines comparisons

I just want those who are searching for the best line stop this fruitless search and should instead look for the features that best match their desired travel expectations.

I have always been the guy with the glass half full, not half empty and each line offers a great vacation experience, so today I thought I’d tell you about the best features of each line, accentuating the positive, and a little what it is like to sail on them.

I do want you to know, we have not sailed on every line in this opinion piece and have always paid for our trips and never gone for free from any of these cited lines. While a lot of this comes from first hand experience, some is just by research, cruise line certifications and interactions with industry officials. We have always believed transparency is the best policy and we strive to be as accurate as possible in our opinions and articles.

All the photos in this blog were taken by Anne.

Please join me on this journey—I hope I am up to the challenge!

AmaWaterways

The best features of AmaWaterways are:

Best food & fine regional wines that change daily—added free cocktail hour—included Chef’s Table—best in the industry in our opinion
Best Active line—added wellness instructor
Good tours—usually 3 groups & at least 2 options—sometimes more
Crew becomes your friends—service is excellent & consistently high standards
Slow, steady growth—new ships have high staff standards
Owners are hands on—they read every critique—always improving
Great Cruise Managers go the extra mile for your trip
Great Partners with Ancestry, Backroads (bike touring) & Disney
Their wine themed cruises are the best in the industry

To me, the vibe of AmaWaterways is that you are part of the family, and they want you back. They are just the right blend of great tour options, wonderful food and wine, with comfortable staterooms and a staff only too willing to please. This vibe just resonates with us and has made us consistently pick them as our favorite line and many of our clients agree. Talking with one of the owners, Kristin Karst, she told me “we try to under promise and over deliver”—that certainly is our experience. AmaWaterways seems always to be in the forefront of upgrades, new ideas and innovation in European River Cruising—they never disappoint.

Avalon

The best features on Avalon are:

They deliver a good product at a fair price.
Since they are owned by Globus Corporation (tour company), they have good tours.
They claim to have the newest fleet in Europe market—oldest ship built in 2008 but with Scenic & Emerald no longer true.
Cabin bed faces window—has larger windows & French balconies compared to others that open to create patio stateroom
Added more active options during shore visits called Active Discovery
Have great vegetarian option call “Avalon Fresh”

The vibe of Avalon is options, flexibility, and views. They have a new marketing program called “Cruising Elevated”. I learned about this in an interview published on Travel Weekly magazine. Here is what it said: “There are three elements that signify luxury in today's cruising world," Steve Born (chief marketing officer of Avalon) said. "One is the ships themselves -- the hardware. Do they provide an environment that makes the most of the cruise experience -- enough space and room? The second element is hospitality - cruise service, how guests are treated, the food. And the third would be the choice of included excursions and variety." I think this is a pretty accurate vibe and the direction Avalon is headed.

Emerald

The best features on Emerald are:

Very good quality cruise at a good price.
Gratuities included.
2 upper decks on most ships have ½ window balcony that opens with touch of a button.
Pool has retractable roof & converts into evening cinema—it is awesome!
Even with higher guest capacity (182), it has bikes, spa & fitness area—Viking (190) does not—it does not feel crowded on their ships.

The vibe on Emerald is contemporary but a solid value. The owner, Glen Moroney, likes to call it a four-star experience on a 5-star ship. The tag line “Exceptional Emerald Value”, to me is quite accurate—it is inviting, contemporary, and a great value. It is a fun ship experience—who could not like a glass enclosed swimming pool for daytime use that converts to a movie theater at night (it even has popcorn)?

Here is a photo of the pool that converts into a movie theater at night

Scenic

The best features on Scenic are:

All inclusive—all is included—most guests will not pay anything more unless they get a massage or use the hairdresser.
Onshore tours are awesome—includes Scenic Enrich (exclusive experiences) & Sundowner (hosted cocktails in Europe’s most beautiful locations).
Seafood buffet is excellent!
Offers 6 red & 6 white wines at dinner for free.
Suites have butler service, which varies by stateroom category
Suites have a balcony that converts into an open-air balcony with a touch of a button
Has partnered with National Geographic with lectures and photography lessons on some sailings.

The vibe on upscale, yet modern, contemporary elegance. The Space Ships are well designed, have a mini-bar, and are luxurious. Scenic is the big brother of Emerald and a definitive step up in class and amenities. The Aussie flair is quite evident on board and the elegance is tempered with these fun-loving folks who make up as much as 45% of the guests on a typical sailing. We enjoyed sailing on this line and highly recommend them.

Tauck

The best features on Tauck are:

All-inclusive
Generally fewest passengers on Tauck ships as compared to other river cruise companies.
Many feel they offer the best tours & on-shore experiences—in large part due to 4 onboard staff members who lead all tours—others disagree, like using only local guides
Generally, has more large sized staterooms than others but only French Balconies. Has best window first deck staterooms
Has a good family program called Tauck Bridges

The vibe on Tauck is twofold in my opinion—they work hard to be Distinctively Inclusive and want their guests to Travel Beyond Ordinary. It is a relaxed, elegant vibe combined with Uncommon Access to exclusive venues, events, and experiences due to their past connections as an outstanding tour company. The 4 on board staff Tauck tour staff seem to work seamlessly with the crew, who are not Tauck employees, and guests benefit from this arrangement. Tauck devotees just can’t stop talking about how good this line is and we agree it has a lot to offer.

Uniworld

The best features on Uniworld are:

All-inclusive
Each ship is different—big emphasis on boutique aspect for the client
Only cruise line on the Po River (Italy) & has a Burgundy region cruise
Rate very high on most comparison lists—a lot to like about their product & service.
Excellent Butler Service

The vibe on Uniworld comes from their roots in old world sophistication of Carnation Boutique Hotel chain, yet in a modern world—elegant, opulent, different décor in each stateroom, with butler service. Each ship has different theme and feel but the all-inclusive amenities on each ship remain up to the same high standards from vessel to vessel. They like to say in their promotional material that “no request is too large; no detail is too small” and they very much have created that vibe on their ships. This is a very good choice, especially if you like the boutique ambiance and the accompanying vibe.

U by Uniworld

The best features on U by Uniworld are:

Overnight stays in some ports to experience the nightlife
Fun, unpretentious, very modern and hip

The vibe is young, rocking, and different than any other cruise offering in Europe. With only 2 ships, all painted black, it is the most unique offering on Europe’s Rivers.

Viking

The best features on Viking are:

Sometimes best pricing but often requires full payment at booking while other river cruise companies allow deposit + 90 days prior to departure for final payment.
Only company that cruises Elbe (special shallow water design)
Herb garden; solar panels (most green ships)
Since long ships are identical; in low water situations; Viking has been able to switch ships to avoid extended bus tours—generally successful but does not always work
Has best port docking locations

The vibe on Viking is consistency—each longship is the same, and by my count, there are a lot sailing in Europe--53. It is a Scandinavian designed ship, minimal décor yet nice touches like a heated floor in the bathrooms and large print on shampoo bottles. There are no extras here—the focus of these cruises is on the destination. The emphasis onboard is comfort and not a splashy experience. Viking put Europe River Cruising in the minds of most Americans and must be considered the base line for how good a river cruise vacation is—they set the standard. Viking really does let you explore the world in comfort.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report. Perhaps it will help you match a line to your travel style and not worry about which line is best. As you can see, all have features and vibes that make them unique. We can help sort all this out when you are ready to try this great vacation or to go again.

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

Hank Schrader

April 7, 2022

River Cruise Advice

River Cruise Safety in 2022

Hank Schrader

April 7, 2022

River Cruise Advice

River Cruise Safety in 2022

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

There is a lot of negative news lately about travel to Europe. First it was COVID for the last 2 years; now inflation worries are here; and if it was not enough, there is a war in Ukraine.

Anne suggested I write about this topic, as she feels it is easy to let the headlines obscure the facts.

I guess, although alarming to me, especially the brutality of the war in Ukraine, none of these are showstoppers

So, let’s explore together and learn about river cruise safety and my thoughts about how best to protect yourself from these dangers and perceived dangers.

Overview

We have been on 21 river cruises in Europe and will go back again in October to take our 22nd cruise. We cruised in Europe in August 2021 and Egypt in December 2021.

There are many reasons why we like to river cruise so much, but one key reason is that it is a safe trip, and that helps make it a great vacation for most folks.

We would never consider cancelling our trip due to the current world situation in Europe, because we have so much confidence we will be safe. None of the river cruise companies we recommend would put anyone intentionally in harm’s way—they would be out of business quickly and sued for million of dollars for negligence.

As a retired Army Officer, I can assure you I never would put myself in danger anyway just to have a vacation, or try to sell one to others just to make some money. I do, however, understand concerns in today’s world.

We have travelled during many periods of unrest or tension in Europe and always felt safe if we take simple steps to avoid potentially dangerous situations. Please consider these items before you decide that travel to Europe or taking a river cruise in Europe is dangerous:

Risk

No one can promise you will be safe anywhere in the world, including where you live today in the US. Despite the headlines, you are safer travelling to Europe than the risks you face in daily life. From 2001-2013, according to the US State Department, 350 US citizens have been killed overseas.

In that same time in the US (2001-2013), according to the Center for Disease Control, 406,496 people were killed by firearms and again from 2001-2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 520,000 people died in auto accident. Perception of danger overseas is not the reality.

Terrorism Aims

Terrorists want to spread their political agenda by fear and intimidation. They want the 24-hour coverage of the news channels to show how horrible they are and that they disregard human life. Terrorism is random and this increases fear.

The terrorists win if we stop traveling. Do not worry constantly, just use good common sense to limit chances you will be harmed.

Tips to Protect Yourself in Europe

1) Buy Travel Insurance

There are many ways travel insurance can add a level of protection to safeguard your trip. Travel insurance can cover trip cancellation for qualified reasons (you never go on the trip) and trip interruption for qualified reasons (you go but do not complete the entire trip); medical problems, evacuation home or to a hospital, lost or delayed baggage and flight insurance.

Not all policies cover all the above situations, especially trip cancellation coverage and the costly cancel for any reason policies. Most policies we recommend are primary coverage—that means they pay first regardless of other coverage.

One of the best features of travel insurance, is an emergency contact center, manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist in an emergency. Just so you know, we never travel without travel insurance. We always offer travel insurance, but you are not required to buy (disclaimer, we are paid a commission on these products, but the real reason we recommend travel insurance is that we want you to consider your personal risk and situation).

We have a professional responsibility to insure you are properly informed. We can help guide you through the process, but we will never promise coverage for a specific situation —this is something you should discuss with the insurance company directly.

Travel insurance just adds peace of mind, in my opinion. There are also policies that provide emergency evacuation that are not a medical necessity.

COVID insurance is another complete situation, and we say you must read the policy directly and ask a lot of questions of the provider.

2) Watch the News on TV

Just keeping up with world events can help you recognize potential danger areas to avoid. CNN International and BBC Worldwide are usually available in most places we have stayed and are available on most river cruise ships

The war in Ukraine should not change anything in Europe River cruising except for any port or cruise in Russia or sailing in the Black Sea.

A quick geography lesson here—it may look like just an inch on a map of Europe from the conflict, but the borders are over a hundred to two hundred miles away from the closest Ukrainian border and even further, when you realize all the fighting is in the Eastern part of the country.

3) Realize that some venues make be directed to be closed or a ship might make a change in port stops or tours.

For your protection, you will often see more police at public transportation areas and there may be more security screening to enter some areas, museums, or other attractions. We have experienced all of these and in most cases, it was totally reassuring, and the delays were minimal. Just be flexible and all will be all right.

This happened several times due to changing country regulations for COVID. Just follow the rules, get vaccinated and boosted, fill out the health questionnaires, wear a mask if required and get tested also if required.

4) Enjoy your trip but be aware of your surroundings

This is the commonsense rule. We always expect to have fun but are aware—if something just does not seem right, use caution.

5) If traveling alone, make sure someone knows where you are and when you are expected back

While we recommend traveling with someone or in a group, if you are travelling alone, let the hotel front desk or the river cruise ship reception know if you are going out on your own. It just adds another level of security.

6) Register with the State Department

The US State Department has a Safe Traveler Enrollment Program. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

It allows US citizens to sign up to receive alerts from the US State Department, allows the US Embassy a way to contact you if needed and provides a way family or friends can contact you in an emergency.

Here is the link to their website to register https://step.state.gov/step/

7) Carry some items with you to help you be prepared if an emergency arises.

We always carry with us contact info for the hotel we are staying at or the emergency contact info for the river cruise ship, a paper copy of our passports, some local cash, and a credit card. We also have our cell phones (with a photo of passports, COVID vaccination cards and a backup battery charger (usually two as “Always Prepared Anne” has a back up for a back up with her).

How River Cruise Companies Help Ensure Your Safety

River cruise lines train their crew members to ensure your safety. The sailing crew members (usually the Captain, First Officer, Engineer, and deck hands) are well experienced—most have been sailing for years and the know and avoid dangers that could occur on your river cruise.

There is always a safety briefing on each river cruise prior to sailing.

Captain Danny giving his safety briefing. Robert, holding the paddle is the rally point leader on the top deck for assembly for the 300 level cabins during an emergency.

Life jackets are on the top deck. During the safety briefing, there is always a demonstration on how to properly put on and wear this safety item.

The cruise director and local guides also add a level of security—they know about potential problems and can ensure guests do not venture into dangerous areas. The cruise lines also monitor weather conditions and river levels to ensure safety.

Cruise manager, Dejan, adds facts about passenger safety.

The ships all have great safety features, such as radar to help avoid other traffic on the rivers. There is a 24-hour guard on each ship and outside entrances are locked during nighttime hours and no is granted access without proper ID

When each guest leaves the river boat, they are required to take a card with emergency phone numbers. This also allows the crew to know if you did not re-board prior to the departure of the ship.

These are just a few of the reasons we like river cruising so much—they are a safe way to travel.

Our Final Thoughts

One final thought here—along with these tips, consider how much return to travel means for Europe. 2 years without full ships, an 18 month pause of river cruising, has placed severe financial strain on the workers.

Don’t feel guilty because you have so much—share it with the workers whose livelihoods depend on you traveling—thank them, tip them well and realize you are helping us all oppose brutality and uphold democratic ideals.

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.

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

Hank Schrader

March 31, 2022

River Cruise Reviews

Karnak Temple Complex

Hank Schrader

March 31, 2022

River Cruise Reviews

Karnak Temple

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

This week, I thought I’d write about our visit to Karnak Temple.

We toured the temple complex as part of our AmaWaterways Secrets of Egypt and the Nile AmaWaterways cruise in December 2021.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Karnak Temple—you won’t be disappointed!

Overview

Karnak Temple is impressive. It was the most important site in ancient Thebes in the New Kingdom (it is now called Luxor).

The size and display of power in the complex is daunting today and must have been overwhelming in ancient Egypt to any person who came to visit or worship. It is the largest ancient religious site in the world. 30 pharaohs contributed to construction of this site.

According to the Temple Map plan, there are 34 different sites that could be visited on these grounds. Our tour took us to the most important and impressive parts of the complex.

Egyptian Temples were used to worship the gods and to ensure the people knew the pharaohs were also gods associated with their gods.

This temple complex honors Amon, the god of fertility and growth; Mut, the wife of Amon; whose symbol is the vulture, and Montu, the god of war.

Each god has its own area, known as precincts. Karnak is so vast, much of the complex has not been fully explored and many projects are on going to study this ancient area.

The gods honored at Karnak

Amon, also known as Amon, Ammon, Amen, and Amun-Ra. Amun was the Egyptian god of the sun and air. He is usually depicted as a bearded man with a headdress or later as a ram headed man or just a ram (a symbol of fertility). He is considered the lord of all and involved in every aspect of creation.

This is an excellent depiction of 2 of the gods. On the far left is Mut; in the center is Amun-Ra (note the twin headdress); and on the right is Ramses II worshiping both gods.

Mut, also known as Maut and Mout, was the great divine mother and sky goddess. She was believed to have given birth to the world. She is depicted as a woman with wings and a headdress, as a vulture and sometimes as a cobra.

Montu, is the falcon-headed god of war. He is depicted as a falcon-headed man or a bull-headed man and a solar disk, denoting his link to Ra, the sun god.

Along with the worship of the gods, it was important for pharaohs to be associated with worship of the gods and often depicted as equals—they were the political adds of the day when most could not read or write but could grasp symbols.

The Entrance to the Complex

The entrance walls to the complex are close to 90 feet high. On the site map it is designated as pylon 1. A pylon is a term used to describe the front wall of an Egyptian Temple. Usually, it has elaborate carvings and a gateway.

The carvings on the pylons show scenes of the ruler who built them. 6 pylons face west towards the Nile River. 4 pylons face south and were used for the ceremonial processional route to link Karnak with Luxor Temple (which was also included in our cruise tour). Just recently, with great fanfare, Egypt has open the route of the ram-headed sphinxes and we got to see parts of this route traveling on our coach between sites.

The Ram-headed statues line the entrance way to the 1st pylon.

The first pylon entrance to the temple complex.

The entrance to this area is lined with ram-headed sphinx statues.

The ram-headed statues line the entrance way on both sides.

The ram was the symbol of the god Amun and was the main god worshiped at the Great Temple of Karnak.

The Precinct of Amun

This area has the most famous parts of Karnak. Inside the 1st wall (pylon), we first visited the Temple of Sety I. The chapel areas often held Egyptian barks, which were designed to transport statues of gods or mummys in processions.

Here are some photos:

The Chapels of Sety II. From left to right, the first chapel door is dedicated to Mut, the second chapel door is dedicated to Amun and the right chapel door is dedicated to Khonsu (the moon god and son of Amum and Mut). These were designed to hold barks for celebrations of these gods.

Ceremonial Barks on display at the Karnak visitors’ center

The Temple of Amon, with the ram-headed statues in front of the temple.

Next was the Pavilion of Taharqa and the Temple of Ramses III. They were in the Bubastite Courtyard.

By far for me, the most impressive par of Karnak, was the fascinating Great Hypostyle Hall. We reached this amazing area after going through the 2nd pylon.

Great Hypostyle Hall.

This area is about 337 feet by 170 feet. There are 134 columns decorated with hieroglyphs. The largest 12 columns are 70 feet high. These massive columns supported a roof which is no longer there.

The larger columns still have vibrant colors

Anne captured some great detail of one of the columns in this picture. Starting from the top the second row of symbols are cartouches. Cartouches are ovals or oblong circles enclosing a group of hieroglyphs which represent the name of the ruling pharaoh. On the third row, the pharaoh is making an offering to the gods.

The remaining 122 columns are about 40 feet high.

Amazingly many of the columns have vibrant colors that are over 3500 years old and remain as colorful as when they were first painted.

Even the roof was decorated with inscriptions and hieroglyphs.

Our AmaWaterways Egyptologist explains facts about the columns. This picture shows the massive columns in rows and gives you a sense of how large this area is.

.Obelisks

We next went past the pylon and got a wonderful view of the remaining Obelisks of Thutmose I . Originally, there were 2, a tribute to the great warrior king, who extended his kingdom south in Nubia and north into Syria.

Obelisks were monuments to honor the gods, commemorate the dead and represents the pharoahs.

Next past the 4th pylon to the Obelisk of Hatshepsut (the tallest obelisk in the picture below). This obelisk was built in 1457 BC and is the second biggest of all the ancient obelisks built in Egypt—it weighs 343 tons and stands 97 feet tall.

The largest obelisk from ancient Egypt is in Rome at the Lateran Palace; the third largest is in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican (Caligula’s Obelisk).

Caligula’s Obelisk in Vatican Square—the 3rd largest obelisk taken from Egypt

Just in case you are wondering, the largest obelisk in the world is the Washington Monument—as many of you know, you can go to the top of this obelisk for wonderful views of Washington, D.C,, as I did as a child growing up in the D.C, area..

Another great picture from Anne, showing both obelisks—it is easy to see how massive they are!

The final part of our visit was to turn towards south, through some smaller temples and pylons. Here are two areas we saw as we walked towards the scared lake and out of the temple complex area.

Pointing out the inscriptions on this smaller pillar. It was very easy to see the Egyptian hieroglyphs on this small pillar.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report. This is a fascinating place and deserves a visit for most serious travelers—it certainly makes most bucket lists.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of 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.

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

Hank Schrader

March 23, 2022

Europe River Cruise

Some Outstanding River Cruise Trips on AmaWaterways in 2022 and 2023

Hank Schrader

March 23, 2022

Europe River Cruise

Some Outstanding River Cruise Trips on AmaWaterways in 2022 and 2023

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

It’s been a while since I wrote an in-depth blog about AmaWaterways.

They always seem to be refining and upgrading their offerings, so I thought I’d report on this for you. So, our challenge is to give you great information about 18 different AmaWaterways cruises from our perspective after taking 20 different AmaWaterways cruises.

The route maps are all courtesy of AmaWaterways and used by their permission. As always, about 90%+ of the photos are ours and almost all taken by Anne, who is amazing capturing the essence of the places we have visited on these trips.

Yes, we have been on the whole route or parts of the route of all the cruises we are writing about in this blog!

So, let’s explore together and learn about AmaWaterways in 2022 and 2023.

I will start with a quick overview of the features of a cruise with AmaWaterways in Europe; tell you about a special promotion; and then dive into the routes in this long blog.

Overview

Before I start with specific cruises, I thought it would be a good thing to review what to expect on an AmaWaterways cruise trip with its onboard inclusions:

Fabulous food and wine in the main dining room & Chef’s Table Dining Experience—the awesome meals feature locally sourced fresh ingredients and recipes, and local wines.

Included “Sip & Sail” cocktail hour.
Elegantly Appointed Accommodations with never-ending scenic views on either their signature twin balconies, French balconies, or the fixed windows on the first deck
Complimentary Excursions in each port—including walking tours of historic areas, guided biking or hiking options (called active adventures) and cultural tours often featuring local great food and wine
Unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi access
An included Wellness program that is the best in Europe River Cruising—led by certified hosts who conduct fitness classes for you that range from Yoga to heart-pumping fitness cardio, and they help lead the bike and hiking tours.
A crew who always are exceptional—they provide the best service and safety for guests on Europe’s Rivers and your whole cruise is executed to perfection by a professional Cruise Manager to help you get the best experiences for your vacation.

Here is a blog I wrote about why you should sail on AmaWaterways a while back:

Featured

Dream Destinations, AmaWaterways Family

You Should Become Part of the AmaWaterways Family

Dream Destinations, AmaWaterways Family

AmaWaterways New “More to Love” Special Offer

This is a special offer that is a complete “all-inclusive trip”. It is available on select 2022 Europe River Cruises that are reserved and deposited by April 30, 2022.

The offer includes:

7-Night Luxury River Cruise, Roundtrip Airfare, Land Package, Transfers, Port Charges and Travel Waiver Plus From $5,499* Per Person!

The offer is for a French Balcony cabin, can be upgraded to other balcony cabins, and can be customized to include all features of the package or delete features.

This is a great offer—it can save as much as $3,000 off a trip on AmaWaterways—AMAZING!

More to love special offer

Rhine River Cruises

The Rhine is the busiest commercial river in Europe, yet it is also famous for castles, and vineyards. Let’s learn about some Rhine River cruises together.

Tulip Time and The Best of Holland and Belgium

The Tulip Time cruise was our 4th cruise on AmaWaterways in 2013. At first, AmaWaterways only sailed the Tulip Time route on the lower Rhine and canals in the Netherlands and Belgium in the spring. It is a round trip loop that starts and ends in Amsterdam.

Do you love flowers? Then visit the Netherlands in the springtime, when spectacular carpets of colorful tulips are in full bloom on a Tulip Time River Cruise. Throw in lush green countryside adorned with picturesque windmills and add delicious cheeses and already the trip sounds awesome. Also, this route can include the Belgium towns of Ghent, Arnhem, Antwerp, and our personal favorite Brugge.

Here is a blog I wrote about Tulip Time Cruises in 2019 on all major River Cruise Companies:

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Dream Destinations, European River Cruises, Tulip Time River Cruise

2019 Spring Europe River Cruises--It's Tulip Time!

Dream Destinations, European River Cruises, Tulip Time River Cruise

While once only sailed in the spring, AmaWaterways now sails this route during the summer and autumn and call it the Best of Holland & Belgium.

Enchanting Rhine and Captivating Rhine

We first did the Enchanting Rhine in 2016 and 2021 the Captivating Rhine in 2019. The second route on the Rhine is usually from Amsterdam to Basel Switzerland on the Rhine, (or from Basel to Amsterdam on the next 7-day cruise), using both the lower Rhine and the upper Rhine (the upper Rhine is defined from Koblenz to its source in Lake Constance).

This is the second most popular cruise route in Europe.

This cruise begins with legendary canals and the colorful surroundings of Amsterdam, past the majestic Cologne Cathedral and on to the Black Forest region of Germany and the Alsace region of France. The best stretch is the Rhine River Gorge with its’ 40 castles dotting the hillsides—unmatched anywhere in the world!

Here are 2 blogs I wrote about this route—the first is the Enchanting Rhine route; the second is Captivating Rhine Route during Christmas:

Rhine Cruises

Dream Destinations, Enchanting Rhine

Sailing on the AmaMora in August 2021

Dream Destinations, Enchanting Rhine

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Dream Destinations, Captivating Rhine

Rhine Christmas Market Cruises on AmaWaterways

Dream Destinations, Captivating Rhine

Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps

The difference in this cruise is the addition of Lake Como as a land extension and it only goes on the Captivating Rhine route but offers a trip to Lucerne at the Basel port. Lucerne is an awesome stop and perhaps our favorite Swiss city.

Rhine & Moselle Fairytales; Rhine and Moselle Delights and the Rivers & Castles Routes

First, the Rivers & Castle route—it was our first sailing in 2009 with AmaWaterways. We were instantly hooked—so much vacation in a 7-day trip. It sails from Trier, Germany to Nuremberg, Germany, or the reverse route (our sailing was the reverse route) on portions of the Rhine and the Main tributary and part of the Main Canal. It includes the best portions of the Rhine River dotted with picturesque castles from the Rhine River Gorge.

Rivers and Castles

The Rhine & Moselle Fairytales and Rhine & Moselle Delights is a combination of both the Rhine and Moselle and is a longer cruise (11 nights). The Mosel also has some stunning castles nestled near vineyards and the steep riverbank slopes. This route includes visits to two great wine regions of Germany—the Mosel region famous for Riesling wines and the Franconia wine region is less well-known producer of dry white wines made from Sylvaner grapes.

Some consider the Mosel the most beautiful river in Europe—this river has been one of my personal favorites since 1989 on my first visit.

Danube Cruises

Legendary Danube and Blue Danube Discovery

The Legendary Danube was our second cruise in 2011 and we have taken the Blue Danube Discovery route in 2012 and 2018. The Upper Danube is the other great route on Europe rivers (it is the single most popular river cruise route in all Europe—it has about 30% of all river cruise passengers that take a Europe River cruise every year)—and typically goes from Nuremberg or Vilshofen to Budapest.

You will get to visit 4 countries, 2 or 3 capital cities (Vienna, usually Bratislava and Budapest), castles, Abbeys, wine-sloped terraces, and even quaint villages--it is a great voyage.

This route sometimes uses the Main-Danube Canal if it goes all the way Nuremberg (106 miles long with 16 locks)—a marvel of engineering and completion of a dream started by Charlemagne in 793 that was finally completed in 1992—about 1200 years later.

Magna on the Danube

The AmaMagna sails the whole Danube on the Vilshofen to Budapest route and the Black Sea Voyage route. It can be a seven-night cruise, or a fourteen-night Grand Danube cruise described below.

The difference here is the best river ship in all of Europe—the Double Wide AmaMagna. We have never sailed her but looking forward to it! Since we have not yet sailed on the AmaMagna, the photos of this wonderful ship are courtesy of AmaWaterways.

Amamagna ship tour

Grand Danube Cruise

The Grand Danube is a combination of the upper Danube Route (described in the Legendary and Blue Danube routes) and the Black Sea Voyage on the lower Danube we did in 2014.

The lower Danube is the gateway to Eastern Europe. This segment begins in Budapest and ends near the Black Sea.

It starts with the rolling hills and vine-clad slopes of the Pecs in Hungary; then moves to the boundary waters that separate Serbia and Croatia; then traverses the narrow gorges of the Iron Gates, a stunning passage that divides the Balkan and Carpathian Mountains and either ends in Bucharest, Romania or at the Black Sea.

Here are 2 blogs I wrote about sailing on the Danube:

Danube Cruises

Dream Destinations, Danube River

The Lower Danube River Cruise Route

Dream Destinations, Danube River

Best Europe River Routes--The Upper Danube, The Most Popular Europe River Cruise Route

Dream Destinations, Danube River

French Cruises

Colors of Provence

We have done this route three times —in 2013, 2014 and 2016, leading a group. This Rhône and Saône cruise goes from Lyon to Arles or Avignon.

Starting in Lyon, the gastronomical capital of France, the cruise goes through France's legendary wine growing regions of Beaujolais and Cote du Rhône, and allows you observe medieval villages in the Provence region of France.

Then on to the Papal town of Avignon and finish in Arles, where Vincent Van Gogh spent much of his time. The cruise then changes direction from Arles to Lyon for the next 7-day cruise. You will sample great wines, visit Roman ruins, and learn about the cuisine of Provence, among stunning scenery—fields of purple lavender, yellow sunflowers, and vineyards.

Here is a blog I wrote about the Colors of Provence River Cruise on AmaWaterways:

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Dream Destinations, Rhone River

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

Dream Destinations, Rhone River

Essence of Burgundy & Provence

We are leading a group on this cruise in October 2022—come join us! There is more emphasis here on the Saône River.

Essence of Burgundy & Provence

A Taste of Bordeaux

In 2017, we sailed on the Taste of Bordeaux route. This cruise is in the Bordeaux region of France on the Garonne, Dordogne, and Gironde Rivers. It is a round trip cruise out of Bordeaux and features wine tastings, impressive chateaux’s, and abundant vineyards along the Garonne and its tributaries.

There are over 8,500 wine producing estates in this region—it is often considered the wine capital of the world. Usual port cities of Cadillac, Pauillac, Bourg and Libourne are included in most sailings of this region. This is an important wine region of France, and you will experience tastings of some of the most distinguished wines in the world including Sauternes, Medoc, and Bordeaux wines (my personal favorites).

If you like wine, cognac, oysters, truffles, chateaux, and the grand buildings of Bordeaux, this is the cruise for you.

Here is a blog I wrote about this cruise:

Special Cruises

Seven Rivers Journeys

This unique journey requires a completely different blog and we have sailed most of this route. It sails through 14 different countries on 7 different portions of Europe’s best rivers.

Featured

Dream Destinations, 7 Rivers Journey

AmaWaterways 46-Night Europe River Cruise

Dream Destinations, 7 Rivers Journey

Secrets of Egypt & the Nile

Queen Nefertari’s Tomb. in December 2021. Photo Anne Schrader

In December 2021, we sailed this new addition to the AmaWaterways offerings for a 10-day land and cruise package that will fascinate you. The adventure starts in Cairo, staying at the 5-star Four Seasons Hotel with views of the Nile, the world’s longest river.

In Cairo, highlights of the 3-day stay were visits to 3 Pyramids of Giza (the only remain intact structures of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) and the Sphinx; touring the Egyptian Museum; a visit to Memphis (the old capital of Ancient Egypt); and the burial grounds of the Saqqara, with the wonderful step pyramid of Djoser.

Next, aboard the AmaDahlia, a newly designed Nile River cruise ship, we got to sail the Nile for 7 days. Among the highlights were visits to Hall of Karnak (my personal favorite due its size and grandeur), the beguiling Temple of Luxor, the burial tombs of Valley of the Kings (we saw 3 tombs including King Tut’s tomb) and in the Valley of the Queens, where we had exclusive access to the Tomb of Queen Nefertari (a stunning tomb that was Anne’s favorite).

We took optional tour to Abu Simbel, and it was amazing. I also liked the Temple of Kom Ombo (a temple dedicated to 2 gods—the Falcon god and the Crocodile god), and the Temple of Edfu (dedicated to the Falcon god).

This tour is not for everyone but an amazing experience and a fascinating look into Ancient Egypt. Here are 3 great blogs about this trip:

Secrets of Egypt & the Nile

Dream Destinations, Nile Cruise, Egypt

The Valley of the Kings

Dream Destinations, Nile Cruise, Egypt

Nile Cruise, Dream Destinations, Egypt

Sailing on the AmaDahlia in Egypt Part 2

Nile Cruise, Dream Destinations, Egypt

Dream Destinations, Nile Cruise, Egypt

Sailing on the AmaDahlia in Egypt Part 1

Dream Destinations, Nile Cruise, Egypt

Our Final Thoughts

I’ll bet by now you realize few travel advisors have the depth of knowledge we have about AmaWaterways cruises. If you want first-hand perspective with folks who really know the Europe River Cruise scene, we are the right choice!

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

Hank Schrader

March 17, 2022

Best Value Travel

Marketing Can Make Any Trip Look Good

Hank Schrader

March 17, 2022

Best Value Travel

Marketing Can Make Any Trip Look Good

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Ever wonder why all the advertising you receive by mail or emails about a trip always looks so good?

Travel Companies pay big bucks to get their message across to you but it isn’t always correct.

So, let’s explore together and learn about why you need an advocate in today’s travel scene—not slick ads but reliable info--you won’t be disappointed!

Ads—Is there Truth in Advertising?

Good marketing can make even the poorest trip seem great. Why?—they always accentuate the positive, never mention the negative. To me, it is amazing how easily people can be fooled. Even smart, discriminating folks, can be fooled by fancy brochures and glossy pictures.

Most of us want to believe the best and trips are so emotional, and emotions often defy logic. The other real problem is how can you really differentiate between various vendors or offers? Only highly skilled and professionals know the subtle differences.

So, contrary to many pundits, a travel agent or advisor might help you evaluate and make better choices. We are not a dying breed, as some have written.

If anything drives this point home more about the value of a good travel advisor, the last two years of COVID restrictions, and defaults of suppliers, has turned the travel industry on its head.

In a environment of uncertainty, clear facts and guidance is more important than ever.

Aren’t Travel Agents or Advisors Basically All the Same?

Just like any professional services, some are a lot better than others. Again, that poses a problem—how do you know how to get the right advisor or agent?

Maybe we should now examine the differences between an agent and a true travel advisor.

What does a Travel Advisor do that is different than a travel agent?

To me a travel agent is an order taker—think online agencies or high-volume sales operations. Time is money to these folks, and they want a trip booking as fast as possible. Some agencies even limit the time they can spend with you before they move on to the next potential booking.

To say the least, this is not in your best interests.

A Travel Advisor has a different role. They add value to your trip by:

Having resources, connections, and the expertise to enhance your desired trip and take it from good to great.
They work with you in partnerships to provide experiences tailored to your desires, unique wishes, and within budget (if possible).
They are not afraid to advise you of the downfalls or potential problems of a trip or vendor—not forcing you to change but advising you if something might be better and why it is better.
They always have your best interests at heart.
They often have specialties that can even enhance their value to you

We were runner-up winners at the 2018 TravelAge West Gala awards for the Best Targeted Marketing Idea

Maybe the best way I can address this difference is to use a good way to evaluate us as travel advisors instead of travel agents. Most folks ask themselves 3 questions during the trip planning process about the person helping them, so let’s examine these questions from our point of view

3 Questions Most Folks Ask Themselves When Presented a Travel Offer

We are all overwhelmed with ads and offers daily. We also meet many folks who are selling to us. I’ll bet that most of us are thinking about 3 questions when they met a salesperson and are listening to their pitch.

They are: 1) Can I trust this person? 2) Do they know what they are talking about? 3) Do they care about me and what I need?

So, we want to enter the conversation you already having with yourself about these 3 questions—isn’t the mind a wonderful thing?. These 3 topics deserve a more detailed approach so you can decide if we should be your travel professionals.

Can I trust this Person?

Trust and integrity are valuable traits and, in my judgement, in short supply in our country. Too many make promises they can’t or won’t keep.

My whole life has been devoted to service after graduating from West Point—20 years as a US Army Officer, 20 years as a coach and teacher and 25+ years helping others travel to the right location.

My graduation from West Point 9 June 1971—wasn’t real sure I’d ever make it to that day!

Anne is equally dedicated to trust and integrity—she always thinks about what is best for our clients, every single time. She will always go the extra mile to exhaust all possibilities.

It would be impossible to tell all the good she does for our clients in this blog without veering off too far, but she does deserve more attention, so to learn more about her incredible achievements, here is a blog I wrote in 2019 about how really great a travel advisor she is—very appropriate and well deserved in the Women’s Month Recognition Celebration going on at present.

You Need Our Tenacity—Especially From Anne

We think trust is the cornerstone of our relationship with you. We try to under promise and over deliver a great travel experience for you. We strive to make your travel experience better by helping you make wise choices, eliminate hassles, and help you get the best value for your money.

In short, while working with us, we want to provide a trip that will exceed your expectations.

Do they know what they are talking about?

With over 25+ years of experience selling travel to many satisfied clients, we know both what you need to make your travel experience better and the knowledge of what is available to match you with just the right vacation.

We have extensive first-hand knowledge and do comprehensive research on trips. We have planned hundreds of successful trips to delighted clients and we are eager to plan yours.

Like a little proof? Ask for one of our 50 Europe City travel guides by selecting them on our Europe Travel Web pages at www.dreamdestinations.com , or click on one of our many PowerPoint presentations on our website or visit our Resources Section of our website to get travel tips (www.dreamdestinations.com).

or visit our Pinterest page—over 5,000 pictures (www.pinterest.com/visitdd) .

Maybe one of our 51 European river cruise port guides—you can order them from our website on the river cruise section of our website (there is a limit if you haven’t booked with us yet to 2 free resources—booked clients have access to unlimited guides).

There is one common thread here—almost 98% is our own pictures or written by us—in truth, it would be hard to find many travel professionals who have been to so many of the places we sell.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know we know our stuff. As I used to say as a coach, when evaluating good football players, “he is the real deal!”

Well folks, we are the real deal!

Do they care about me and what I need?

We treat each of our clients as friends, because we don’t sell travel to clients—we sell travel to friends. There is a big difference—how your trip goes makes a world of difference to us. We like to say we are small enough to deliver personalize service but big and experience enough to get you just the right trip.

Christmas on the Rhine on an AmaWaterways cruise in our kilts for the Captain’s Dinner with our travel chums Denise and Mark.

Jeff (my West Point Classmate) and Hank on a Danube Cruise in the summer of 2018

We try to match you to just the right experience and make it logical, realistic, and affordable in your price range. Don’t get us wrong—we do not sell on price—we sell on value. You will never have a trip we plan without us asking why you are going and what you expect from going. Travel agents only care about the booking not the experience or quality of the trip.

Maybe you would like to know the differences between river cruise vendors. Since it is one of our specialties, why not read our European River Cruise Comparisons?—it is always on page one of Google.

Our 2022 European River Cruise Comparisons

We try to demonstrate how valuable you are to us in many ways but how many other travel professionals have a Traveler Hall of Fame?

We are proud we could help you and want to share with others your joy and satisfaction. Again, they are on our website—www.dreamdestinations.com and you will find it on the menu bar. Here are just a few—enjoy:

Mike and Barb on a Windstar cruise in 2021 at a candlelight dinner in Ephesus, Turkey

What we do not do

Our goal is to provide you with information but not bombard you with offers you do not want. We really try to get to know you and match your desires to opportunities when they arise.

We are low-key and strive to provide the right info in a relaxed, no pressure situation. In my opinion, there is a big difference about being eager to be your travel professional and being an obnoxious salesperson.

We are eager to help but know the boundaries—the truth is we want to form a partnership with you—not sell you something.

It is as simple as this—we inform, you decide. We also realize you are busy, and we respect your time by trying to contact you in the form (phone, email or written) that works the best for you at the time that is the best for you. In short, we respect you!

Our Final Thoughts

We hope these words inspire you to become or continue our travel relationship.

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50+ 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

Hank Schrader

March 10, 2022

Travel Planning

So, Where Should I Go?

Hank Schrader

March 10, 2022

Travel Planning

So, Where Should I Go?

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

One of the biggest problems Anne & I face in making our personal travel decisions is “Where Should We Go?” You might think this is an easy problem for destination specialists like us, but in reality, the more you travel to one area of the world, like Europe, the more difficult it becomes.

Why? It seems so simple at first but there are just too many options—do you revisit places you have been, look for new places, combine the two, emphasize cities, or peaceful stays in the countryside?

There are so many choices—what should I do? And when all choices are great options, it becomes even harder.

The inspiration for this blog comes from our struggles to decide where to go in April for Anne’s 70th birthday—we will let you know when we finally decide but here is the process we will use to make the right decision.

Regular readers of this blog, will probably guess Anne wants to go to Brugge sometime during the trip—here is the view from our favorite canal side room in Brugge when we visit

So, let’s explore this dilemma together and see if we can come up with a logical process that will make your decision-making easier and, more importantly, provide you a way to maximize your travel time.

Travel Decision Making

In my opinion, there are 5 steps in the travel decision-making process. They are:

First, you want to go on a vacation somewhere.
Second, you begin a search process, looking for some type of inspiration.
Next come comparisons—what will I do or see while on my vacation?
Now comes the suppliers and vendors–will their product or service that I select provide me the vacation I desire?
Last, you evaluate the decision—did I make the right choices?

Vacation Time—I want to Go Somewhere

The first step in this process is a decision to go somewhere.

During this phase, you should try to decide how long you can go, develop some type of budget and select a general destination.

Perhaps, most important, you should ask yourself–why am I going?

Once you know the why, the rest of the decisions become easier. They always have for us. A word of advice here—the why has to be as well defined as possible. The reason we are struggling with Anne’s birthday milestone trip is just celebrating isn’t enough—it has to be the right celebration and we have not really defined exactly what we want to see or do (we are stuck on step 3 in the decision making process as I wrote about above in this blog).

The Search Process–Inspiration and Destination Knowledge

There are lots of ways you can begin your destination search. Usually it is a cool picture, maybe a book description, maybe a TV show or Movie or Video posted on the internet—it doesn’t really matter how it starts.

You begin to see yourself experiencing something new, or perhaps returning to a familiar place where you can relax or be stimulated. Or maybe you just don’t know enough but want to try something new or different.

Maybe you went to our website and researched some of the pages to learn about trip ideas or went to our Pinterest site and looked at the over 5000 photos we have taken during our travels or requested one of our 50 Europe City Guides or 51 Europe River Cruise Port Guides.

For Anne’s 60th we attended a cooking school in Wales—maybe a new cooking adventure for the 70th?

Now that you have been inspired, you next need to learn about where you want to go. Destination knowledge is the combination of 3 types of knowledge–objective knowledge (facts), subjective knowledge (how does it make you feel?) and experience knowledge (what do I gain from doing this?).

We use all three when planning your trips and, even if you don’t realize it, you do the same when thinking about (or better yet dreaming about) your upcoming trip.

Travel Planning 101—Comparing What is Available for Your Travel Decisions

I think there are 3 main ways to make travel decisions. They are:

advantages and disadvantages method (most common)
simple prioritization (best opportunity) method
acquiesce to an expert method (us).

In the military, during our formal decision-making process, we used to call this phase evaluating the course of actions. We would decide on what to do and decide on the advantages and disadvantages of each course of action.

While this was a more formalized process than is necessary for planning travel, it is essentially the same process you should use to plan your trips. Each traveler makes a series of choices (courses of actions in military terminology) and then compares the advantages and disadvantages of each part of the trip to each destination.

Already this is sounding overwhelming, but we have a good solution for you!

Here is a chart I developed, addressing 7 common travel problems and our solutions to help you.

Problem	What is the Benefit to You	Our Solution
Will I get the best value for my Money?	Spend your money wisely	We match the right vendor(s) to provide a trip that will exceed your expectations
Will I find the right trip?	A Better Vacation	We Learn your dreams and turn them into reality
Will I make wise choices?	A better vacation and no fear of missing out on great experiences	Our 25 years of experience in the travel industry coupled with our first-hand destination knowledge and numerous professional certifications will help us provide you with the best options possible
Will I remember all the details?	No unforgotten trip details	We check all the details so you do not have any missteps or forgotten arrangements

Will I spend too much time researching my trip?	Saves you time & eliminates hassles	Once we know what you want, we do research to get you the highest quality, expertly planned trip
How can I best protect my vacation?	Peace of mind	We can help lead you to the right people to answer your questions about insurance options
How do I know I can trust my advisor to do the best for me?	Someone thinking and acting in your best interests	We are members of several professional organizations and we have earned the trust of dozens of clients. We encourage you to read their comments about our services

Trade Offs—What Can I Afford and What Will I Get?

I always tell folks we travel to Europe as many times as we can during a year until we run out of money—most all of us have constraints of some sort—time, travel costs, work demands, family situations—all can affect the desired outcome of your vacation.

Here is simple advice–pick the level of products and services that will provide you the best value. Don’t let money drive the decision–every time we cut a corner on a vacation to save a couple of bucks, we regretted it. It always led to poor experiences.

There almost always is the “sweet spot”–great value but not too expensive to bust the budget. Let us help you find it.

So, Where Do I Go?

The real answer is that there are usually no perfect choices. I do think it becomes easier if we help you, as you can see by the 7 problems we can solve for you in planning and taking your vacation.

Our Final Thoughts

When we decide on Anne’s trip, we will write about the adventure.

As you can see, making wise travel choices, is more complex than you may have thought. Trip planning is not easy. Making sound decisions are critical to the travel planning process. Time and money issues are complex—we all want the best at the least possible price. We help you solve those complex issues, saving you hassles, time and worry.

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

Hank Schrader

March 3, 2022

Europe Destination

Helsinki, Finland

Hank Schrader

March 3, 2022

Europe Destination

Helsinki, Finland

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

In July 2021, Time Magazine ranked Helsinki as one of the greatest places in the world to live. While we don’t live there, we agree it is a great place, especially during the summer, and for you travelers, Helsinki is a great place to visit.

This northern European country has splendid weather for about 3 months or so, and there is a great festival during August in this capital city, called the Helsinki Festival—it is an annual arts and culture event and another great reason to visit this Nordic capital..

So, let’s explore together and learn about Helsinki.

Overview of Finland

As a former World Geography teacher, I just can’t help but tell you about how this country is classified. Finland is not really a part of the Scandinavia region, but this is not clearly defined by all geographers.

Some include only Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Others add Iceland and Finland and define these 5 countries as the Nordic countries. There is lot of the confusion is over Finland, as large portions were once part of Sweden and Russia, and this also has influenced its culture and classification.

I guess it really doesn’t matter how it is classified by geographers—it just is a cool place and worthy of a visit or two.

Get Our Guide to Helsinki

I would be remiss if I didn’t let you know that we have written a guide to Helsinki. Just go to our website at this link and we will send you the guides you request.

Here is the link on our Northern Europe page of our website:

Northern Europe Guides

The guide is free and there is no obligation, it is just a service we provide to help you have better travels when visiting this region (this is only part of the 50 cities guides we have for key European cities.)

We do limit our guides to those who haven’t booked with us to only 2 guides, so this is a great incentive to get a trip going with us.

Ok, let’s learn about the capital city of Finland—Helsinki!

The History of Helsinki, Finland

Sweden, Estonia and Russia all have important influences in the development of Finland and especially Helsinki.

King Gustauv I of Sweden, established the town of Helsinki as a trading town to rival the Hanseatic city of Reval (we know this town today as Tallinn, Estonia) in 1550. He named the town Helsingfors.

Sweden lost control of Finland after a war with Russia in 1809 and the Tsar established Finland as the Grandy Dutchy of Finland and Helsinki was designated its capital in 1812.

One of the legacies of this dominance of Russia is the Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral pictured below.

During WW I, in 1917, Finland declared its’ independence. Russia recognized its independence in 1918.

Let’s Explore Helsinki

Helsinki has a population of about 650,000. The city is sometimes called the “Daughter of the Baltic” since it is located on a peninsula surrounded by the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city of the Nordic countries after Stockholm and Oslo.

Helsinki grew up around its harbor. Helsinki and Finland have one of the world’s highest standards of living. Here are some pictures of Market Square Harbor:

Here is the Esplanade (a great pedestrian walkway and boulevard), and a wonderful place to wander:

Senate Square is dominated by 4 buildings. The stunning Helsinki Cathedral and the government palace are pictured below (not pictured are the main building of ther University of Helsinki and the National Library of Finland):

We have visited twice and really like Helsinki—our favorites are the waterfront market square area and the Esplanade.

Helsinki is rated as the capital city with the 8th cleanest air in the world by the World Health Organization.

A huge emphasis on public transportation, may be one reason, Helsinki makes the list of the cleanest cities. This city wants to make cars obsolete by developing an on-demand-public transportation system.

The current diverse public transportation system consists of trams, commuter rail, bus lines, 2 ferry lines, and some on-demand minibuses. There is also a big emphasis on bikes and developing bike paths. One third of the city is green spaces.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report and learned a little about this great city. We would be delighted to help you visit this wonderful place.

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

Hank Schrader

February 24, 2022

Europe Destination

My Favorite 5 Walled Cities in Europe

Hank Schrader

February 24, 2022

Europe Destination

My Favorite 5 Walled Cities in Europe

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

One of my favorite things to do in Europe is visit the old walled cities of Europe.

A walled city is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. From ancient to modern times, they have been used to enclose settlements and provide protection for those living in the city.

Almost every town in medieval times that could built defensive walls did so—they were essential to survive the harsh times of yesteryear.

Today, walled cities have become obsolete due to improved weapons and aircraft used in modern warfare. The good news is that the cities that did not destroy their old walls now usually are special places where you can enjoy a bygone era that survives in today’s modern world

So, let’s explore together and learn about my 5 favorite walled cities and see Anne’s pictures of these wonderful places.

Tallinn, Estonia.

The inspiration for this blog is that Estonia Independence Day is February 24 and we are publishing it on 24 February 2022. I am starting off with the walled city gem of Northern Europe—the old Town of Tallinn.

Tallinn Estonia old town is a great place to visit. It is the oldest capital city in Northern Europe. With 1.9 km of its original city wall still standing, Tallinn has one of Europe’s best preserved medieval fortifications—it has cool gates and 20 defensive towers.

A large part of what gives Old Town its fairytale charm is the system of walls and towers that surrounds it.

The old town is divided into lower and upper towns—and it is just a charming, fun place to explore. We have been there 2 times and are ready to go back soon.

York, England.

York has been defended by walls since Roman times. It has the most intact walls of any city in England.

We walked some of the walls and it was great to see this old town from the large walls. Inside the walls, the York Cathedral is especially impressive and there are other medieval half-timbered buildings and areas that are neat to visit.

The walls had 4 main gates which restricted entrance into the town, provided protection and were also used to collect tolls. In our opinion, York is a good place to visit.

Carcassonne, France.

Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. It is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defenses encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, the narrow streets and its fine Gothic cathedral.

Here is a small part of these massive walls:

The walls have 53 towers and 5 barbicans (A barbican is a fortified outpost or gateway or any tower situated over a gate or bridge). There is a castle inside the walled city complete with a drawbridge. It is the largest walled city in Europe.

We stayed inside this walled city, really enjoyed the sights and got to eat cassoulet—a regional specialty dish of beans, duck and sausage—great food—Anne now makes at home for us.

There are 2 main gate entrances to the city. They are the Narbonne Gate and the Aude Gate.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany.

Only 3 towns in Germany have completely intact city walls (Nordingen and Dinkelsbuhl are the other two) and the walls of Rothenburg are considered by most as the best.

This may be the best-known walled city in Europe and is very popular as a tourist destination. Rothenburg is Germany’s best-preserved walled city. Part of the walls have covered walled walkways and can be walked and provide great views of the city.

The walls are about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) long and covered, with several towers and entrances at the gates. Rothenburg is usually very crowded during the day but if you stay overnight, it is awesome place to visit. We stayed overnight and really enjoyed our time here.

Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Dubrovnik is known as the pearl of the Adriatic. This walled city is considered to be among the great fortification systems of the Middle Ages.

The walls are about 1.940 meters long and 25 meters high (82 feet) at some points. It has 17 towers, 5 bastions and 2 angular fortifications and a fort all incorporated into the walls. There was even a moat around the land portions.

The city at one time was defended by 120 cannons. These fortifications were never breached, but diplomacy skills of its leaders rather than military might was probably the reason Dubrovnik never fell to its enemies, according to some historians.

We have walked portions of the walls and the views are stunning. There is a lot to see inside the walls and good restaurants—this should be a place you go to also.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report. There is just so much history to see in Europe and its structures help you learn about times past.

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

Hank Schrader

February 16, 2022

Best Value Travel

The Valley of the Kings

Hank Schrader

February 16, 2022

Best Value Travel

The Valley of the Kings

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

I just learned that Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened on 16 February 1923. I knew about the discovery, but I didn’t really know the exact date.

It did get me thinking about our recent trip to Egypt and all the wonderful sites we visited and I decided to write about our visit to the Valley of the Kings.

So, let’s explore together and learn about some of the most famous tombs in the world at the Valley of the Kings—you won’t be disappointed!

The Valley of the Kings Overview

On day 5 of our cruise, we visited 3 sites. The first was the Valley of the Queens. The second was a large temple complex. The last stop of a busy 5 hours tour day was the Valley of the Kings. We visited 3 tombs. Here is a model of the Valley of the Kings in the visitor center and the second picture shows how the tombs were carved into the hillsides.

Walking on the grounds in the stark hills and valleys is what you will see in these next two pictures.

Most of the 63 tombs are marked with signs like this:

The Tomb Wall Decorations

The whole purpose of the wall paintings were to help the pharaohs in their journey to the afterlife. The burials scenes and offerings to their gods insured the pharaohs were also recognized as gods and live pleasantly in the afterlife. Many symbols of the gods adorn the walls and the cartouche of each pharaoh in a circle oblong knot identify exactly who the pharaoh was, preserves his place in history. While the tomb robbers wanted the gold and valuables left in the tomb, we of the modern world get to marvel at the art to learn about an ancient society—perhaps the best treasure of all.

King Tut’s Tomb

The story of the discovery of most famous tomb in Egypt is fascinating. Archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter was a man obsessed with finding an intact tomb. His studies revealed the existence of a little known or remembered Pharaoh, Tutankhamun, reigning in 1333–1324 BCE.

He was determined to be the man to find Tutankhamun’s tomb.

But the evidence was scant, and the location of the Pharaoh's tomb, unknown. The only financing for excavations came from wealthy patrons and Carter could not finance his explorations alone—he needed financial help.

Carter found his patron-- George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, an amateur Egyptologist. Carter was soon heading up all of Lord Carnarvon's digs in Egypt and he convinced Lord Carnarvon to allow him to look for Tutankhamun's tomb. Carnarvon agreed, but Carter's searches resulted no new findings for several years.

In 1922, Carnarvon agreed to allow Carter one more season of searching. On November 4, 1922, Carter found the steps to Tutankhamun's tomb, buried beneath rubble from houses built on top of the tomb. On February 16, 1923, Carter and Carnarvon opened the burial chamber for the first time, even though they had already been in the outer chambers..

They were astounded--Tutankhamun's tomb was the most intact tomb of a Pharaoh ever uncovered. Over 5,000 artifacts were eventually removed and provided to the Egyptian government. This find and the treasures became a worldwide sensation, as newspapers all over the world reported this amazing find.

The story doesn’t end there, as Lord Carnarvon died only a few months later, lending credence to the legend of the "curse of Tutankhamun's tomb”. Other members also died who entered the tomb, furthering the cruse’s legend.

Today, many have had the chance to view the amazing treasures recovered from the tomb on display in the Egypt Museum and in traveling shows worldwide. We also got the rare chance to visit the tomb. Here are the entrance signs prior to going into the tomb:

After descending some very step stairs, here is the wonderful wall paintings we got to see:

Finally, here is the mummy of King Tut:

Tomb of Ramses III

Ramses III is often referred to as the last great warrior pharaoh. He protected the borders, did a lot of public building (especially to the most important temples) and even planted trees to improve the kingdom. He ruled from 1186 to 1155 (31 years). This was entrance marker for the tomb of Ramses III.

Here is what the inside of the tomb walls look like:

Ramses IX Tomb.

The last tomb was the last of the Ramses, King Ramses IX, who ruled from 1129 to 1111 BCE. It was my favorite, as I could see the actual story of the King and his burial in the hieroglyphics.

Our Final Thoughts

Wow—what a report! We hope you enjoyed this report and our pictures.

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

Hank Schrader

February 10, 2022

Europe Destination

3 Great English Castles You Should Visit

Hank Schrader

February 10, 2022

Europe Destination

3 Great English Castles You Should Visit

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

I really like castles but as Anne says, some are just a pile of rocks with nothing much to see and I agree—some ruins are just a pile of rocks.

Don’t let these words deter you, since many have transformed from stark and stout defensive structures into grand properties property’s with stunning interiors that have a lot to see during your visit.

There are many wonderful castles in England and many have published list of great structures to visit but our task is not to rank castles; we only want to show you 3 great ones we have visited and leave ranking the castles to others.

So, let’s explore together and learn about 3 wonderful castles in England we feel are worthy of a visit during a trip to England.

The Tower of London

The Tower of London is the most historic castle, palace and prison in England.

Located on the Thames River, this 18-acre complex first started with the construction of the White Tower in 1087 by William I (you probably know him best as William the Conqueror from the battle of Hastings that resulted in Norman rule of Britain in 1066).

Other famous sites include the Traitor’s Gate, the White Tower Museum, the Execution Site, the display of the Crown Jewels, and the Royal Chapel.

Don’t miss a chance to talk with the Beefeaters (their proper title is the Yeoman Warders), who in principal are responsible for looking after any prisoners in the Tower and safeguarding the Crown Jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are an attraction themselves.

A view from the Thames River of the Tower of London

**Model Display of the Tower of London**

Here is what the Tower of London looks like as visitors approach from the shore.

A sign that tells visitors of the beheadings of famous killed on this spot. Only the high ranking were executed here; others were killed outside the tower’s walls.

Traitor’s Gate entrance from the Thames River.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is the official home of the Royal Family of England for over 900 years and is stilled used today by the royal family.

This large castle complex is an easy day trip from London. Touring the state apartments is fascinating (usually there are 24 rooms on the tour)—the scale and beauty of these 24 rooms is indescribable (sadly no pictures are allowed)! The castle complex has 951 rooms, if you count stairways and corridors, of which 225 are bedrooms. St. George’s Hall is used for State Banquets and can seat 160 guests.

Starting with the grand staircase and vestibule, with its excellent collection of armor and weapons, it seems each room get more grand and impressive. There are bedrooms, drawing rooms, dining rooms, and halls adorned with paintings, the finest of furniture and reminders of English power and wealth and victories against rival nations. It is almost overwhelming in its grandeur and beauty.

Statue of King Charles II beneath the round tower. Charles II was responsible for the many opulent redecoration of Windsor Castle—he desired it to rival the French palace of Versailles.

Changing of the Guard, Private Apartments, Windsor Castle

Warwick Castle

Originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068, the castle was an expansion of William’s control of England in the Midlands of England, as he advanced north in England in efforts to consolidate his control of England.

In the late 1100’s, the original wooden structure was replaced with stone fortifications. From 1330 to 1360, the castle began to take shape in its’ present from with important upgrades in defensive structures such as a gatehouse, a barbican (a fortified gateway) and 2 towers.

With the decline of defensive castles due to more modern weapons, the castle alternated between an excellent residence to an estate badly need of repairs. It eventually was sold to a tourist company. At present there are 12 rooms open to the public.

The theme park atmosphere is a little corny but it still is an impressive site. There are some unique demonstrations on the 64 acre grounds. These include a Trebuchet (a siege machine) fired twice a day (it is seasonal); Flight of Eagles—a birds of prey demonstration; Warwick Warriors—a show about the combat weapons used by figures in Warwick’s history and a Seasonal Jousting show.

Kids of all ages will probably love this castle and the theme park atmosphere.

Outside walls of Warwick Castle. On the left is the barbican and on the right Guy’s Tower.

Warwick Castle has the second best display of arms at English castles—only the Tower of London’s is better.

Nicely landscaped grounds inside the castle

The large Trebuchet siege machine. We watched it hurl a huge stone quite a distance.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 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

Hank Schrader

February 3, 2022

Europe Destination

A Culture Trip in Europe--German Speaking Countries

Hank Schrader

February 3, 2022

Europe Destination

A Culture Trip in Europe--German Speaking Countries

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

German is the official language in Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. It is the co—official language in Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg.

According to the website Lingoda, it is estimated that about 92.6 million people speak German in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The site estimates that about 16% of the European Union’s population speak German as their primary language.

So, I thought I’d write about the 4 main countries that speak German in this blog—Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

So, let’s explore together and learn about German Speaking Europe. I will start with a brief overview of culture, and then tell you about the 4 main German Speaking Countries and German culture in these countries.

German Cultural Influences on Europe

When I was teaching AP Human Geography, I used to identify 8 elements of culture for my students. They are 1) religion, 2) language, 3) art, 4) politics, 5) economy, 6) customs, 7) society and 8) geography.

It is clear that two elements influenced the other elements and are often considered the most important elements of a country’s culture. The two most significant elements are religion (the beliefs of a society, and some of their traditions) and language (the communication system of a culture—the way it expresses itself in speech, writing and symbols).

Even though in the academic world culture is expressed by these 8 factors, for many, culture and food are so closely intertwined, they are one of the most visible factors and symbols of the German speaking countries, and I am glad to share some of the great food we have tried and love in these countries

So, let’s see how the German language and culture has impacted on the 4 countries of Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria and Germany

Liechtenstein

In Liechtenstein, it is estimated that about 35,000 speak German—basically, that is the entire population of this tiny country. This micro state is the 6th smallest country in the world.

It does not even have an army and in 2007 was inadvertently invaded by the Swiss when about 100 Swiss Army soldiers wandered into Liechtenstein by accident. When the Swiss government informed the government of Liechtenstein of the incident, no one in the country even knew it had happened, since the borders are not guarded or well-marked—I guess it was the invasion that never really happened!

Liechtenstein is one of the two world countries that is double land locked (Uzbekistan is the other). What that means is all the country’s borders are with Switzerland and Austria, who are land locked with no access to the sea.

The residents speak a dialect that is closer to Swiss Standard German. It is so small, that once a year, the prince ruler invites all (yes all!) of its residents to Vaduz Castle for a beer.

Hard to get more German than drinking a beer—it certainly is one of my favorite pastimes!

I visited Liechtenstein in 1989 and this small country was so peaceful and fun—I want to go back again!

Switzerland

In Switzerland, it is estimated that 4.6 million speak German. Switzerland is a melting pot for different cultures. About 64% of the population speak Swiss German. French is spoken in western Switzerland by about 20% of the population, and about 8% Italian and a small number speak Romansh, a Romance language.

One of the unique items in Switzerland is how well languages are used as a binding force, not a force of division, as most Swiss people often speak at least two languages and often more. However, language does have a strong cultural influence—German areas features an Alpine culture of brats and timbered buildings; French areas have cafes like France: and Italian areas feature pizzas and villas.

Only in a country like Switzerland, could the unofficial internal border between German and French speakers, called Rostigraben, be named after a Swiss-German potato dish. No wonder I like this place!

One of the key influences of Germany culture in Switzerland has been in the food and drink world. The meat heavy dishes of Germany are abundant throughout Switzerland. Potatoes and cheese, and one of my favorites, cheese fondues, and raclette (melted cheese scraped on to bread or potatoes) are staples in restaurants.

Another key influence has been the Christmas markets. We have been in Christmas markets in Basel, Zurich and Lucerne (these 3 cities speak German as their primary language). All have been special—you should go if you get the chance.

Swarovsko crystal tree in the covered Christmas Markets Zurich

Austria

In Austria, it is estimated that 8 million speak German, virtually the entire population of Austria. German influences are also important to Austria. The meat heavy dishes such as Wiener schnitzel and other pork dishes are on most menus in the country.
Austria does have some distinctive cultural features. A great coffee house culture and tempting dessert treats are very important in the capital city of Vienna—the vibe of artists, intellectuals, and writers meeting to exchange ideas and socialize that was important to the city’s lifestyle over 100 years ago still exists today. Austria has a strong culture of classical music, with famous composers and the elegant waltz dance was created here and often delight tourists with dazzling performances.

Kata (cruise manager for AmaWaterways), Anne in her drindel purchased in Vienna and our bar server friend

It is an alpine country—62% of Austria’s land is in the Alps Mountains. As stated earlier, it is a landlocked country, with no access to the sea. However, even without a coast, about half of Austria’s electricity comes from Hydro-power from dams and rivers in the Alpine regions.

One of the more interesting Austrian traditions, is called the first day of school cone. It roots come from Germany. When 6 year olds start school, they receive a cone full of candy, school supplies and toys. The idea is to make the stressful first day of school a little more fun.

Again, the Christmas markets are really cool in Austria. Vienna has several and the little town of Melk also has a small gem, with craftsmen working right in front of you. Here are some photos you might enjoy;

Christmas Markets at Schonbrunn Palace grounds in Vienna

Booth at Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Markets

Christmas Markets in Vienna at the town hall

Blacksmiths at work in the small Christmas Market in Melk, Austria

Germany

Germany has over 80 million who speak German. It is the second most populous country in Europe, after Russia (according to the World Fact Book). Its’ economy is the 5th largest in the world.

Anne and I love German food. Here are a few of our favorites:

Hank with a beer and a brat in Nuremberg

Perhaps one of the most important German traditions that has been exported to the world are their Christmas traditions and celebrations .Decorating Christmas trees and the world famous Christmas markets are traditions that have spread throughout Europe, but especially to German language areas off Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Having visited the Christmas Markets in all these countries except Liechtenstein, I can promise you it is a magical experience.

Cologne, Nuremberg and Regensburg stand out as our favorites during the Christmas Markets season. I have also talked a lot about their food culture in this blog and how German cuisine has been a big influence on its German speaking neighbors.

It is clear to me German culture has spread in these Alpine countries from their daily use of the German language.

Regensburg Christmas Market near the Dom

Thurn and Taxis Christmas Market—our favorite in all Germany, Regensburg, Germany

Anne and Hank with their German Hats at the Thurn and Taxis Christmas Market

Our Final Thoughts

I hope you have learned a little more about the influences the German speaking countries have had on Europe. These are wonderful places to visit and we hope one day you will let us plan a trip to one or all of these great places.

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well as a Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50+ 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

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