7 Nights - Castles on The Rhine River Cruise

Basel, Switzerland

Located along the Rhine River, Basel sits at the point where French, German and Swiss borders meet, marking the gateway to the Swiss Rhineland. Basel's cobblestone streets, 18th century buildings and three surviving medieval gates reflect the city's rich past. A cultural center, Basel is also home to many museums including the Museum of Fine Arts with masterpieces by Picasso and Dali.

Strasbourg, Germany

is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin department. In 2006, the city proper had 272,975 inhabitants and its urban community 467,375 inhabitants. With 638,670 inhabitants in 2006, Strasbourg's metropolitan area ("aire urbaine"") (only the part of the metropolitan area on French territory) is the ninth largest in France. The transnational Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau has a population of 884

Speyer, Germany

One of the oldest Rhine cities, Speyer celebrated its 2,000th jubilee in 1990. It became a significant religious center early on when the Diet of Speyer, in 1529, united the followers of Luther in a protest against the Church of Rome.

Mannheim

Mannheim is a city in southwest Germany, on the Rhine and Neckar rivers. The baroque 18th-century Mannheim Palace houses historical exhibits, plus the University of Mannheim. In the grid-like center, called the Quadrate, Marktplatz Square features a baroque fountain with statues. Planken shopping street leads southeast to the Romanesque Water Tower, in the art nouveau gardens of Friedrichsplatz.

Mannheim

Mannheim is a city in southwest Germany, on the Rhine and Neckar rivers. The baroque 18th-century Mannheim Palace houses historical exhibits, plus the University of Mannheim. In the grid-like center, called the Quadrate, Marktplatz Square features a baroque fountain with statues. Planken shopping street leads southeast to the Romanesque Water Tower, in the art nouveau gardens of Friedrichsplatz.

Rudesheim

Rudesheim am Rhein is a town in the Rhine Valley, Germany. It’s known for winemaking, especially of Riesling wines. In the center, Drosselgasse is a lane lined with shops, taverns and restaurants. Nearby, Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet is a museum of automated musical instruments. Medieval Brömserburg Castle is home to the Rheingau Wine Museum, exhibiting wine paraphernalia from ancient times to the present.

Koblenz

This 2,000-year-old city at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers is the cultural and business centre of the Middle Rhine region. History buffs can explore the Neoclassic Residence Schloss, the Prince Elector's palace; the Deutsches Eck, a settlement founded by the German Order of Knights in 1216; and Ehrenbreitstein, the oldest fortress in Europe.

Koblenz

This 2,000-year-old city at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers is the cultural and business centre of the Middle Rhine region. History buffs can explore the Neoclassic Residence Schloss, the Prince Elector's palace; the Deutsches Eck, a settlement founded by the German Order of Knights in 1216; and Ehrenbreitstein, the oldest fortress in Europe.

Cochem

Cochem is the seat of and the biggest town in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With just over 5,000 inhabitants, Cochem falls just behind Kusel, in the Kusel district, as Germany's second smallest district seat

Cologne, Germany

Despite being Germany’s oldest city - founded around 30BC - Cologne seems remarkably fresh-faced and is a very family-friendly city. While tourists make a bee-line to Berlin, Cologne just keeps smiling quietly to itself, revelling in its relative obscurity. Situated on the banks of the Rhine, its magnificent cathedral, the Dom, is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. It took six centuries to build, and, as a result, is rich in history – it’s even said that a shrine behind the altar contains the bones of the Three Wise Men.

Everywhere you go, the city enjoys a rich cultural heritage that buzzes with creativity and self-confidence. Cologne is the perfect destination for families travelling by train - Mum can stock up on its famous perfume, while Dad samples several glasses of Kölsch, the local top-fermented beer. And for children, the zoo is a must – it features the famous 90 year old ‘Monkey Rock’ (home to many Hamadryas baboons), an elephant park, a very cool discovery train and beautiful gondolas. For both kids and parents alike, don’t miss out on the Imhoff-Stollwerck chocolate museum, an ultra modern glass building that overlooks the Rhine - named after Cologne’s very own Willy Wonka, Franz Stollwerck - who introduced chocolate production to the city in the 19th - century.

Hoorn

Hoorn is a town and a former Dutch East India Company base in the Dutch province of North Holland. It lies on the IJsselmeer, a lake north of Amsterdam. Shops and cafes dot its 17th-century town center, which is anchored by the Roode Steen, the main square. The harbor features the Hoofdtoren, a 16th-century tower. Museums include the Westfries Museum, displaying paintings of the Westfrisian Golden Age.

Amsterdam, Netherlands/Holland

Amsterdam has always had strong ties to the water. Spread out over 70 islands, this cosmopolitan city boasts 60 miles of canals and 1,000 bridges. As early as the 13th century, tiny ships sailed from this port into the challenging Zuider Sea. A direct connection to the North Sea was made with the construction of a canal in the early 19th century.

The most dramatic alteration of the landscape came in 1932 with the building of a 22-mile dam that sealed off part of the Zuider Sea, allowing large landfills.

Amsterdam gained renown in the 15th century when it became a major trading center, steadily assuming commercial leadership and thus controlling the country’s finances, a trend that remains to this day.

Amsterdam is most famous for its narrow, gabled houses lining the canals. The historical center is full of interesting attractions such as the medieval weighhouse, the Royal Palace on Dam Square, and the Nieuwe Kerk or New Church which was built in 1468. From the time of Rembrandt, Amsterdam has been revered as an artistic center. Today the city is renowned for its celebrated museums – the Rijks, Van Gogh and Stedelijk Museums to name but a few. It also is a shopper’s city, featuring everything from the famous flower market to glassware, Delft porcelain, cheese and wooden shoes. Its most glamorous industry is the diamond trade.

Within a relatively short distance from Amsterdam are the flower centers of Aalsmeer, the picturesque fishing villages of Volendam and Marken, cheese markets at Edam and Gouda, and historic Haarlem which is the main center of the bulb-growing industry.

You may explore Amsterdam’s center on foot or join the thousands of residents who favor riding their bicycles. One of the most delightful ways to enjoy the city’s famous sights is from a glass-topped sightseeing boat. Gliding through the canals, the boat passes the characteristic gabled houses and negotiates picturesque arched bridges.