Grand European Tour - Part Three

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Day 12 - Middle Rhine River Cruising, Braubach, Germany, and Koblenz, Germany

Middle Rhine River scenic cruising:  Often called the Romantic Rhine, the Rhine River flows through one of Germany's scenic regions.  During this cruise, we passed vineyard-blanketed hills with steep slopes that require vintners to pick grapes by hand, keeping a century-old tradition alive.  We admired splendid castles and dramatic rocks along tall banks.  The most famous rock was the Lorelei Rock located at a dramatic curve of the river.  The legend of the Lorelei is the river maiden mesmerized sailors with her song and lured them to their demise at her feet.

Klobenz is a traditional German country town at the confluence of the RhineMoselle Rivers.  Founded more than 2,000 years ago, this former trading settlement rests on a massif of the Middle Rhine Highlands.

Marksburg Castle has watched over the town of Braubach since the 13th century.  This castle is the only castle in the Rhine Valley to have never been destroyed.  Because it was built with strong fortifications, it was never besieged by enemies.  From the grounds, we enjoyed views of Braubach, the Rhine River, and the surrounding countryside. 

Day 13 - Cologne Germany - An intriguing mix of old and new, Cologne reveals its Roman heritage in its city layout and the ancient ruins that lie scattered through the town. Cologne is the fourth most populous city in Germany.

This church is one of the biggest churches in Europe.  The locals call it the Dome Church but the official name is St. Peter's Cathedral. This church claims to have the bones of the three kings (the Magi) and they get a lot of pilgrims coming by to pay homage.  We were here on a weekend so the traffic was very active and we never made it inside the church.

Evening excursion: Cologne's Beer Culture Dinner.  (Also known as a Pub Crawl).  We started the tour with dinner and beer in a very crowded pub.  After a traditional German dinner and beer, we walked to two other pubs to sample the beer.  Cologne has a total of 26 different types of Kölsch beer.  Each brewery creates their own version and that is the only beer that they serve.  They serve it in 7 oz. glasses so it stays fresh and cold. When you are done drinking, you have to cover your glass with a coaster or the köbe  (server) will keep refilling your drink.  

Day 14: Scenic Cruising: Waal & Merwede and Kinderdijk, Netherlands

Our last excursion was a tour of the Kinderdijk windmills.  Kinderdijk has the largest concentration of windmills in the Netherland.  Built in the 19th century, these 19 windmills stand like sentinels on a hushed landscape.  We walked with our guide into the serene polder lands of South Holland.  As we crossed the dike to the windmills, we noticed that they are in fact lower in elevation than our ship.  The windmills are used mostly to pump water out of the land to the canals which are then drained into the river.  They still do some food grinding but the windmills now are used mostly for water management.  Most of the area shown here is below sea level.  Unfortunately it rained the whole time we were here.  This was really the only bad weather we had the entire trip.  

Day 15: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Overnight we sailed in Amsterdam and from there were dropped off at the airport.  What we should have done is elected to stay a couple extra days in Amsterdam.  Another interesting note about this trip is the 60 locks from Budapest to Amsterdam.  These are used to even out the rivers to make them much easier to go from one end to the other. Overall this was a great experience for both of us and we are sure that more of these trips will be coming.

Grand European Tour - Part Two

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Day 7:  Regensburg Germany

This town goes way back - some buildings in the old part of town still have some original building stones from Roman occupation.

Having escaped major damage during World War II, the picturesque town of Regensburg is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities.  Still today, Regensburg has many old patrician houses and other architectural highlights.  The Old Stone Bridge, constructed in the 12th century, is a masterpiece of medieval engineering with 16 arches.  St. Peter's Cathedral is widely considered Bavaria's best Gothic architectural work. The Od Town's Neupfarrplatz square is a cross section of history - having served as an ancient Roman gathering place, a thriving Jewish quarter, a bustling marketplace, and the site of Nazi book burnings. 

Day 8, Nuremberg, Germany

The second-largest city in Bavaria, Nuremberg is filled with traditional half-timbered houses and Gothic Churches with intricate spires.  Although nearly destroyed during World War II, the remaining medieval city walls stretch some three miles and features original gateways and 80 original watchtowers.  Nuremberg is well known historically for its metal and toy craftsmanship.  But it is infamous for its role in World War II, first as the site of Zeppelin Field's Nazi rallies and later as the site of the war crimes trials at the Palace of Justice. 

Day 9: Bamberg, Germany

Founded in 902, Bamberg remains a medieval-looking city known for its symphony orchestra and rauchbier, specialty smoked beer.  The city's winding streets are filled with baroque patrician houses and are home to the breathtaking 11th-century Cathedral of Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich II, housing his tomb and that of Pope Clement II. Bamberg is especially noted for its Altes Rathaus, or Old Town Hall, situated on a twin-arched bridge over the Regnitz River, and for the old bishop's houses: the 16th-century Late Hofhaltung (Old Court) and 17th-century Neue Residenz (New Residence).  The city marks the northern terminus of the Main-Danube Canal.

Day 10: Wurzburg, Germany

Surrounded by Franconian vineyards, Wurzburg was heavily damaged during World War II, but has since been completely restored.  This prestigious university city is a jewel of baroque architecture. Its most pristine example of pomp and glory is the great Bishops' Residenz palace, built in 1744 for the prince-bishop; his unwavering support of artists is evidenced by the sweeping staircase and magnificent ceiling frescoes by Tiepolo.  Other landmarks include the medieval, statue-lined Old Main Bridge and Marienberg Fortress, originally a Celtic hill fort and later a residence for the bishops.  The city remains a major wine-making center, housing Germany's oldest and largest vineyard.

Day 11: Wertheim, Germany

Situated at the confluence of the Main and Tauber Rivers, Wertheim is a charming town brimming with history.  The dukes of Wertheim built a castle at this strategic spot in the 12th century.  It was captured and destroyed during the Thirty Years' War, but is is still impressive today, peering down upon the medieval town center and half-timbered houses from its perch.  Its Pointed Tower has guarded the junction of the Main and Tauber Rivers for 800 years.  This town is one of the few that didn't suffer damage from WWII because it didn't have industry.