A river cruise is hard to beat and here’s why: you get to visit quaint villages, charming towns, cultural centers and scenic areas without unpacking. You go to bed and sleep during the travel time and wake up to a new venue and new adventures. River cruise ships are smaller than ocean-going vessels so there won’t be long lines disembarking, embarking or at the lounge!

Taking a cruise on the Rhine offers multiple options because you’ve got Germany on one side, France on the other side and you may start out in Amsterdam. GetAway Travel will be taking a group on a fabulous cruise on the Rhine. The information in this blog gives an overview of where the group will be going, but most cruises take similar routes. So if you can’t join us next year, file this away and GetAway will be happy to help you with a similar cruise.

Starting or ending in Basel, Switzerland

 Take on an extra day at the end or start of your Rhine cruise to explore Basel. The hometown of tennis great Roger Federer is the cultural capital of Switzerland.

There are museums (at least 40), art galleries and historic landmarks to enjoy. There are murals, sculptures and public art installations everywhere. And, Basel is on the “sunny” side of Switzerland. The city logs about 300 days of sunshine each year.

The Kunst Museum has been described as the “palace of arts.” The oldest public art institution in the world, it houses collections from the 17th century to contemporary. There are exhibits dedicated to fashion and decorative arts and a Picasso collection.

Why so many museums? The city is home to a university and collections used for teaching and research became museums for all to enjoy. Museums are dedicated to pharmacy, design, the history of the Upper Rhine, anatomical, paper and toys.

The toy museum, with a collection of more than 2,500 teddy bears, is interesting for all ages. The toys are in exhibits placed to interact with each other. Display screens teach visitors about the toys and history of the collections. There are amazing collections of dolls, dollhouses, carousels and miniatures.

Basel Minster is a stunning Gothic cathedral. With its red sandstone walls and twin spires, it commands attention and thats before you notice the jaw-dropping intricate facade.

Breisach, Strasbourg and Speyer

 Breisach, Germany is considered the Gateway to the Black Forest. The region is on a basalt rock outcropping and it is across the river from French Alsace, a famous wine-growing region. But Breisach is no beverage slacker, it is home to Europe’s largest wine cellars.

Nine wine growing regions with more than 500 different wines are represented at Badischer Winzerkeller. Take an underground train tour of the cellars and learn about the winegrowers and cellarmen and, of course, there’s tasting involved.

Geldermann Privatsektkellerei is a sparking wine cellar. Its tour includes the bottling process and, of course, more tasting.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral dates from the 12th century with a major remodel in the 15th century. Much of the historically significant interior was preserved, including the 1,000 square-foot mural “The Last Judgement” created by Martin Schongauer. There are other amazing frescoes and carvings inside and the view from the roof is fabulous.

Strasbourg, along the Alsace Wine Route, has picturesque canals, quaint half-timbered homes and stunning architecture. It is no wonder it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Cathédrale Nôtre-Dame de Strasbourg represents eight centuries of architectural history. One of the oldest churches in the world, with a spire height of nearly 450 feet, it is also one of the tallest churches in the world. Visitors are awed by the 12th century stained glass windows as well as the astronomical clock in the interior.

Speyer is named for the four red towers on the city’s Romanesque cathedral. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its four towers and two domes, it is considered one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the Holy Roman Empire. Eight different German emperors and kings are buried here.

There are modern exhibits from land, sea and air at the Technik Museum in Speyer. There are  more than 2,000 exhibits include space shuttles and submarines. The Historical Museum of the Palatinate explores the history of the region, including a wine museum that has exhibits and collections dedicated to the culture of winemaking and wine consumption.

Rüdesheim, Boppard, Koblenz, Cologne

 Rüdesheim is known for winemaking, especially its Rieslings. There are a number of vineyard tours to choose from. But, you can start your tasting experience while touring the city on Drosselgasse, a quaint street lined with shops, taverns and restaurants.

You can’t miss the clocktower on Drosselgasse, try to be close when it strikes the hour. It plays music, rings bells and animated figures dance.

If you are starting your day early, get a cup of the famous Rüdesheimer coffee. Made with a generous splash of Asbach Uralt brandy, it is topped with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream.

You can take a cable car ride to the Niederwald monument which commemorates the founding of the German empire. The panoramic views of the Rhine Valley and Rüdesheimer are amazing.

Seigfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet is a museum of automated musical instruments and more. There are exhibits featuring intricate music boxes, self-playing instruments and vintage jukeboxes.

The Rheinstein Castle will make you think you walked into a fairytale. Its well-preserved architecture, which is why it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, gives one a sense of medieval Germany. Tour the historic halls, courtyards and gardens complete with period furnishings as well as weaponry and armory.

Brömserburg Castle houses the Rheingau Wine Museum. Learn all about the history of winemaking, the art of viticulture and, of course, sample regional wines.

Boppard, in the Rhine Gorge, is the largest wine town in the central Rhine region. Take advantage of the many wine tours that are offered, and do some of your sampling at Weinhaus Geilig Grab. It is the city’s oldest wine tavern, more than 200 years old, and you can try Rieslings, pinot noirs or Müller-Thurgau.

High on the bluffs are two castles, formerly owned by feuding brothers, Burg Liebenstein and Burg Sterrenberg. Burg Liebenstein is nearly restored and functions as a hotel now.

You can tour Electoral Castle. It is one of the few castles on the Rhine that was not destroyed and then rebuilt. It is on the water’s edge instead of on the hills because castle owners collected tolls on the Rhine. It houses the Thonet Museum which honors the city’s famous furniture maker.

Koblenz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is the gateway to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, has some great castle. The gardens and park at Stolzenfels Castle are stunning. It was the summer residence of King of Prussia Friedich Wilhelm IV. Deutsches Eck or German Corner, rises up from the waters where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet. There’s a 120-foot bronze statue of Kaiser Wilhelm on the land.

Ehrenbreitstein Fortress is the second-largest preserved fortress in Europe and the only 19th century Russian fortress left in Europe. It houses several museums including a wine museum as well as archeology, photography and history museums.

Cologne is a major cultural center with dozens of fabulous galleries and museums.

If you are interested in joining GetAway’s Castles on the Rhine group, having us plan your own cruise — or perhaps taking back-to-back cruises, we can be reached at:  (262) 538-2140, e-mail: sue@getaway.travel or paul@getaway.travel