View of Filsen, Germany, across the Rhine from Boppard
Itinerary:
Wed. July 19 – board the cruise ship in Amsterdam – Uniworld River Empress
Thurs. July 20 – Cologne
Fri. July 21 – Koblenz
Sat. July 22 – Rudesheim
Sun. July 23 – Speyer
Mon. July 24 – Strasbourg
Tues. July 25 – Breisach
Wed. July 26 – disembark Basel
Wednesday morning came and it was time to pack up our things. We enjoyed our last breakfast at Museum Suites, and then brought our luggage downstairs to be held until it was time to head for the ship. We went for one last stroll around Amsterdam, had a quick snack and then back to the hotel and into a Taxi van to be delivered to the ship that would be our home for the next week. I have to confess; I was not super excited about this part of our trip. As a travel aficionado, I enjoy the planning of trips, researching where to go and what to do. I enjoy exploring new places, finding the best local restaurants, and discovering hidden gems. I enjoy driving in Europe, where for the most part there is less congestion and better drivers. And so, I was not so thrilled to be trapped on a boat with 120 other tourists, and one predictable restaurant. Boy was I in for a surprise.
Photo courtesy of Uniworld
We boarded at 3pm, and after checking in, were directed to relax in the restaurant where snacks and drinks were being served until our rooms were ready. There was a nice selection of fresh fruit, a decent looking cheese plate and salumi platter, as well as a couple of hot dishes and a pretty impressive dessert tray. OK maybe the food part would be ok. Then a waiter stopped by to take our drink order. I asked for a beer, preferably something Belgian. Moments later I had a bottle of La Trappe, a Trappist tripel ale in my hand.
Clockwise from upper left; King Ludwig, Fourme d’Ambert, Chaource
I then noticed we had pulled away from the dock and were sailing up river. I hadn’t felt a thing. Other families started drifting out of the restaurant, and sure enough, people were starting to get into their cabins. We picked up our room keys; for the next week, Finn and I would be sharing one cabin, and Jill and Beckett would be across the hall. The rooms were very nice, not huge, but big enough and comfortable. The bathrooms were small, of course, but hopefully no one would be spending too much time in there. The beds were very comfortable and everything was very clean and stylish. The TV had a great selection of movies, both recent releases and old classics. There was adequate closet space, a stocked writing desk, a small safe and a charging station for our audio tour headsets. All topped off with a nice bowl of fruit and a chilled bottle of champagne.
Chef Bogdan’s Lemon Souffle
We unpacked, and relaxed for a while before heading down to dinner in the restaurant. And it was an excellent dinner, a 4-course meal with 3 or 4 choices at each course. Well-chosen complimentary wine pairings and a nice wine list if you wanted to upgrade to a premium option. We each had a credit from booking through American Express, and I spent mine on the good stuff. You could have opted for a spa treatment, or gone shopping in the small boutique on board, but I’d rather enjoy a really nice bottle of wine or a 21 year-old single malt.
The good stuff
We enjoyed the Chef’s tremendous efforts every meal we ate on board. Each night he prepared a different menu, leaning heavily on local purveyors who he met with at every stop along the way. The house wine pairings changed nightly to match the dishes, and usually they were from wineries local to where we were along the Rhine. The kitchen staff totaled eight, with an equal number of servers. They were all excellent at their jobs. Talented and hospitable, they were quick to smile and eager to help, and happy to share recipes and suggestions of what to do in the ports we visited. In fact every person on board was a pleasure to deal with. Even the other passengers! The tour host and the two family hosts were terrific with the kids, and when we had tours off the boat, the local guides were all excellent.
Cologne Cathedral and the golden reliquary holding the bones of the three magi
We quickly fell into a routine where we would enjoy a leisurely breakfast on board as we pulled into dock, and then we would disembark and go explore a town. Usually, we would have a short guided tour of the place, with a couple of tour options, one being more kid focused, and then we were cut loose to explore on our own. This worked well for our family as it gave us a quick orientation and often a guided tour of the important landmarks, such as a guided tour of the Cologne Cathedral followed by a beer tasting at a local brewery. The cathedral is beautiful, the largest gothic cathedral in Europe and one of the tallest interior spaces in Europe with soaring columns decorated with statues. The golden coffin in the apse is said to hold the bones of the 3 Magi. A short stroll away through Cologne’s central pedestrian shopping district brings you to Fruh am Dom. This traditional German brewhouse is hard to miss, and harder to pass by. The warm welcoming façade with umbrella-clad tables out front is very inviting, and well worth a visit for a meal or even just a glass of beer, served in long, thin 0.2 liter glasses called Stange. These glasses seem unique to Cologne, and I’m told they do this because the taste of the beer deteriorates quickly in the glass. I can tell you with absolute certainty; it was never in there long enough for me to find out.
A stange of Fruh
Our local guide was excellent, and afterwards, kindly recommended his favorite nearby restaurant. And so we enjoyed a delicious traditional German meal at Peters Brauhaus. They have a large outside seating area, but do yourself a favor and sit inside. It’s a lovely old restaurant with wood paneling and large colorful murals. The food is excellent, and unlike most traditional brewhouses they also have a good selection of local wines. Finally, we finished the day with a quick peak inside St. Maria Lyskirchen, a small 13th century church with it’s original painted ceilings still intact. When we visited, there were no pews or chairs inside, making it feel moody and according to Beckett, “seriously creepy.” I thought it was seriously cool. Happily, the rest of my family were able to re-center themselves across the street at the Lindt Chocolate Museum.
St. Maria Lyskirchen, Cologne
The next day brought us to Koblenz, a town built at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine rivers. Our local guide led the kids on a scavenger hunt before letting us loose to wander the old town. The kids’ favorite find was a statue of a young boy, “Schängelbrunnen” who spits water at regular intervals. This naughty boy is the mascot of the town, and his image can be found all over the city. Koblenz has a lovely old town center, and a great park at the “German Corner,” the headland where the Mosel joins the Rhine. There is a giant monument to William I, the first emperor of Germany, and it’s a popular spot for tourists and locals alike to sit and enjoy the view. There are a number of small cafes just steps away, including an excellent ice cream stand and a small beer garden, the Ludwig Art Museum and the Basilica Sankt Kastor, which has lovely gardens to wander through.
“Honey, just take one more step back…”
We returned to the ship for a quick lunch, and then hopped on a tour bus for a ride up to Marksburg Castle. This lovingly preserved medieval castle, sits high atop a hill overlooking the Rhine. It is the only hilltop castle along the Rhine that was never conquered or destroyed. Entry to the castle includes a 50 minute guided tour. The peak into life inside a medieval castle is fascinating, and the views from the yards and battlements are outstanding. After our tour, the bus delivered us to Boppard where our ship had relocated. We would dock there for the night before sailing through the Rhine Gorge the following day.
Marksburg Castle
The bus dropped us off well before dinner, so we wandered the streets of Boppard, exploring the Roman ruins, and checking out the small shops. I had stopped into a café for a coffee, and by chance stumbled across one with zwetschgenkuchen. For those of you unfamiliar with this German delicacy, it is a sheet pastry made with prune plums. In California, I can only get this type of plum for a couple of weeks in September, so I was shocked to find it on the menu here in July. Sadly, this first taste was a disappointment. It was too “cakey” and the plums lacked the tartness I expected from a good zwetchge. The next morning I awoke early, checked with the crew to confirm I had time, and walked back into town to find a bakery. I was hoping to find redemption, and did I ever. I brought back a giant slice of excellent zwetschgenkuchen, grabbed a mug of coffee from the bar, and headed topside to enjoy the view.
Zwetschgenkuchen. It’s what’s for breakfast!
The Rhine Gorge, or more properly, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley is an Unesco World Heritage Site for a unique combination of geological, historical, cultural and industrial reasons. It is one of the narrowest sections of the river, with steep cliffs, dramatic vineyards, and towering castles at every turn. We had overnighted in Boppard, specifically so that we could cruise through this section of the river in daylight. And it was a spectacular day. The bright blue sky was clear, the sun shining on castles and vineyards alike. We passed one stunning vista after another, non-stop for several hours. It is slow going through here, as the river is at its narrowest and most twisty. Which suited us just fine as it gave us more time to admire the beauty around every bend.
Cruising through the Rhine Gorge – Burg Maus on the hill above the village of Ehrenthal
Later in the afternoon, we cruised into Rudesheim am Rhein, the end of the “gorge” but at the heart of the Rheingau, one of the key wine making regions of Germany, famous for its Riesling. Rudesheim is a bit touristy for my tastes, but Uniworld had booked two tours that it made it worth the while. First, there is an excellent museum of mechanical musical oddities. Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet is the result of one man’s lifelong passion to collect and restore old music boxes and mechanical instruments. The kids and adults alike were fascinated with these cool old contraptions. Better yet though was a tour and tasting at the Schloss Vollrads wine estate. The castle and its grounds are breathtaking, and the wine is superb. We enjoyed a private tour of the castle and a tasting of four different Rieslings. They have been making wine here for over 300 years, and they are quite good at it. As an architect, I’d like to think their beautiful working environment is a contributing factor to their success.
Schloss Vollrads wine estate
The next day brought us to Speyer, where the kids had a climbing and zip-line adventure at Kletterwald before exploring the town’s excellent transportation museum. It was a full day of large muscle movement for the young and young at heart. But we still had enough time at the end of the day to walk into the center of town and check out the lovely cathedral and its gardens. Speyer is a charming old town with a wide pedestrian focused center, full of shops and restaurants and decorated everywhere with great public art and loads of flowers. In contrast, the Romanesque Speyer Cathedral is almost completely devoid of decoration and as a consequence looks practically modern inside, despite being consecrated in 1061.
Technik Museum Speyer
Kletterwald ropes course and zip-line park
We woke the next day in Strasbourg. After four days cruising the heart of Germany, we’d finally reached Alsace. This is where the Rhine becomes the border between Germany and France, and the confluence of cultures is nowhere more evident than this beautiful city. We climbed to the top of Strasbourg’s Cathedral for breathtaking panoramic views and then wandered around the cobbled streets and canals of this Unesco world heritage city, the only entire city center to be designated such. Strasbourg has changed hands between Germany and France so many times that the residents consider themselves Alsatians first and French or German second. They even have their own dialect and cuisine. It’s a fascinating place, and although the area just around the cathedral is predictably touristy, those who wander a few streets away will be rewarded with great restaurants and shops full of quality local goods. If you are a Cheese-aholic, like me, you’ll want to stop in at La Cloche a Fromage, one of the most amazing cheese shops I’ve ever seen.
332 steps up to the viewing platform atop Strasbourg Cathedral
The next day brought us to Breisach, while others visited the famously picturesque town of Colmar, we visited the Ecomusee d’Alsace, a recreation of a life in Alsace from over 100 years ago. They have rescued a large number of old Alsatian homes and workshops and brought them here to recreate an entire village, complete with livestock, a blacksmith and a bakery. Where I got to try the Alsatian version of zwetschgenkuchen, or as they call it, quetschekuche. This French twist on a traditional German dessert combines a shortening crust with a thin layer of custard topped with my favorite prune plums. Let me tell you, the Alsatians are on to something. In addition to preserving traditional buildings and culture, the village is also a sanctuary for storks. These large graceful birds have built their enormous nests atop nearly every structure in the village, and their presence makes the place feel even more surreal.
Stork nests sit atop nearly every building at the Ecomusee d’Alsace
We returned to Breisach with plenty of time to explore this sleepy little town. Those who climbed the steps up to its hilltop church were rewarded with fantastic views of the countryside, and the stunning interiors of St. Stephan’s Cathedral.
Photo courtesy of Munster Sankt Stephan
That evening we sailed on towards Basel and the end of our journey. All told, we made our way through 8 locks en route from Amsterdam to Basel, some large enough to hold our ship along side a freight hauler of a size with us. Some so tight, there was less than 12 inches to spare on either side of the ship. It was fascinating to watch these engineering marvels in action and a pleasure to watch our competent crew do their jobs.
Inches to spare!
It was all well curated and efficiently handled. We never felt like we were waiting around for no reason, or that we wasted time or energy for no reason. And none of these excursions cost a penny extra. There were yoga classes and hikes or bike rides each day if you wanted to participate. Educational opportunities and lectures several days, and very good musical entertainment in the lounge, not to mention a talented bartender with a well-stocked bar. The kids had their own lounge with board games and a Xbox, plus two dedicated staff members to entertain them. And the bartender and kitchen staff was constantly popping in with treats for them. The kids especially enjoyed an afternoon in the rooftop lounge with the Chef making Belgian waffles and topping them with every sort of fruit and treat you could imagine.
Well now I just have to send a postcard…
As the person normally responsible for playing tour guide and driving and picking restaurants and which site to visit next, I found the week aboard the River Empress incredibly relaxing. The kids had the run of the ship and I never had to worry about where they were or what they were doing. I could just sit back and relax and watch the beautiful scenery drift by. Sitting on the top deck after dinner, watching the sun set with a glass of single malt in your hand is a great way to recharge your batteries.
So beautiful, so relaxing, so delicious. So good for your soul.
Good For Your Soul – The Rhine River:
Uniworld River Empress – A river cruise is a terrific way to explore this part of Germany.
Cologne – The Cathedral, St. Maria Lyskirchen, Lindt Chocolate Museum, Peters Brauhaus, Fruh am Dom.
Koblenz – The historic city center, the Schangelbrunnen Fountain, the German Corner, and nearby Marksburg Castle.
The Rhine River Gorge – from Koblenz to Rudesheim, the little villages on the river with castles and vineyards above.
Schloss Vollrads – Just outside of Rudesheim, this is one of the finest wine estates in Germany.
The Alsace:
Strasbourg – the heart of Alsace with a lovely cathedral and charming historic center.
Colmar – one of the prettiest towns in this region famous for pretty towns, but don’t miss the nearby Ecomusee d’Alsace, or St. Stephan’s Cathedral in Breisach