The Rhine & Moselle

Departure on foot in the company of your guide who will introduce you to the charming village of Cochem, the pearl of the Moselle. The visit will begin on the opposite bank from Cochem, in Cond. The Moselle bridge linked this old fishermen town to Cochem in 1927. As you cross the bridge, you will be able to spot the 900-year-old Cochem Imperial Castle (the Reichsburg) sitting on the hilltop.
Arrival in Cochem. We will stop to admire a fresco relating the history of the town from its occupation by Roman legions to the 20th century. Afterwards, our guide will take us through the streets lined with picturesque half-timbered houses. We'll get to see St Martin's Catholic Parish Church, the Capuchin Monastery, the Market Square and more.
After our tour, we will have some free time to walk along the Moselle and enjoy the green landscape.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• Return on board on foot.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

We'll depart on foot for a walk along the Moselle before crossing the bridge leading to the old town of Cochem. You'll get to admire the picturesque streets lined with half-timbered houses, St Martin's Church, the Capuchin Monastery and Church and the marketplace. Our path will then lead us outside the town through a wild natural reserve all the way to Cochem Castle (Reichsburg) which overlooks the whole town. From there, we'll encounter gorgeous views over Cochem and the Moselle. We'll pass by the "Tummelchen" area, offering a view on the castle, before returning to our ship via the upper part of town. 

PLEASE NOTE

• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

You will set off on foot from accompanied by your guides and visit the town of Mainz. Capital of the Rhine Palatinate, Mainz was founded more than 2000 years ago by the Romans. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the top architects and sculptors created the basic shape of the town, with fine palaces and churches. Here you can admire the magnificent historic houses which have been outstandingly well-restored. Located on the banks of the Rhine opposite the confluence of the Rhine with the Main, Mainz will captivate you with its quite incomparable lifestyle, its unique charm and its openness to the world. In the company of your guide, you will be able to enter the magnificent Cathedral, whose construction began in 975 and which has left a deep mark on the history of the town. The interior of the cathedral houses some wonderful historic treasures, including tombs and funerary monuments from the 13th to the 18th centuries. You will also have the opportunity to wander up and down the colorful streets in the old town. Finally you will visit the Gutenberg Museum, the world's finest museum for printing equipment, materials and books. Born in Mainz around 1400, Johannes Gensfleisch Gutenberg himself prepared the copy of the Bible referred to as "the 42-line Bible” which was published in 1455 - the oldest printed book in the world. Out of the 46 copies still in existence, the museum has just one, along with a "Mainz Psalter”, the first ever document printed using three different colors of ink. The museum extends over five floors and provides a quite remarkable exhibition on the history of the book and written word in both Europe and the world as a whole. Set off by coach to re-join the boat at Worms.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended: the tour is on foot and the streets in the old town are cobblestoned.
• The Gutenberg Museum is closed on Sunday mornings and on Mondays. 
• The ship sails during the excursion.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

You will start the visit with a tour and commentary of the Rüdesheim vineyards by mini-train, during which you will discover the famous vineyards already cultivated in the Roman period. During this tour, the history of winemaking in the region will be explained and you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Rüdesheim and the Rhine. The train will then stop right before the historical Bassenheimer Hof cellar, a seigneurial residence from the 16th century, where we'll indulge in a wine-tasting*. A winemaker from the Störzel family cellar will guide you through a tasting of three different wines, from the driest to the sweetest, all the while telling you about the history of the cellar and winemaking in the Rüdesheim region, complete with local stories. Afterwards, our visit will continue on to the Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments located 100m away from the cellar in an old building from the 15th century. The "Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett" is the first German museum dedicated to self-playing musical instruments, which holds an impressive collection of no less than 350 mechanical musical instruments dating back to the 18th century to the 20th, all spread out on more than 4000 ft². This is a vast collection, dating back three centuries, of fascinating musical instruments that function like computers, ranging from tiny, delicate music boxes to an enormous orchestrion. Tools and machines for the production of organ pipes, cardboard sheet music, rolls of sheet music and perforated disks are also on display in the collection. Whatever their age, museum visitors always take great pleasure in discovering this special music, the techniques from the past and how these instruments work. After visiting the Museum, you will have some free time to stroll through the streets of Rüdesheim ambling down the famous Drosselgasse, before making your own way back to the boat.

PLEASE NOTE

• Warm clothes are recommended for the visit of the cellar.
• After the visits, passengers will have free time in Rudesheim until they go back to the boat on foot on their own.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• *Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.

Departure by coach from Alken to Thurant castle, in the Moselle valley (Mosel und Eifel) around 20 km from Koblenz. This fortified castle proudly stands as a symbol of the region. The oldest castle in the Moselle got its name from the occupation of the fortress of Thuron in Syria at the time of the Crusades. Thurant Castle was built on the site of a Roman fort in 1197 by the brother of King Otto VI, Count Palatine Henry who had it built when he returned from the aforementioned Crusades. From 1246 to 1248, the castle was besieged by the archdiocese of Köln and Trier, following which it was divided into two parts separated by a wall. During the War of the Palatine Succession (1688-1697) most parts of the castle were destroyed by French troops. The castle was rebuilt in the 20th century. From the terrace, enjoy an unforgettable view of the Moselle. After some free time, we'll return on board in Alken.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.