Due to my heart surgery, Covid lockdowns and retirement, I haven't travelled for 4 years. So here is my dream cruise, thanks to Viking. I know some of these cities very well, but the trip reveals a rich tapestry of diverse cultures and landscapes that I need to plan for.
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Day 5 — Tournon France lay secluded between the river and the granite slopes that nurtured fine vintages, with an ancient Celtic castle over the river. The wine-producing region was started by a hermit returning from the Crusades who planted vines, and today the sunshine produces fine whites. On the graceful Rhône River, the locks through which the ship passes helped to tame its waters, surrounded by the soaring mountains.
Vienne is gateway to Lyon’s countryside. Among its Roman remains, the Temple of Augustus & Livia was C1st. Its Roman amphitheatre, nestled in the hills, is very well preserved. And there are fine medieval buildings eg Abbey of Saint Pierre and Church of Saint-André-le-Bas.
Days 6 and 7 — Lyon France straddles the Rhône & Saône Rivers, a major cultural city with outstanding museums. Amid red-roofed buildings, tree-lined boulevards and riverside walks, old cobblestone streets host a rich collection of Renaissance architecture & intimate connecting passage ways. It’s all overlooked by the grand basilica atop Fourvière Hill. Lyon, the food capital of France, is surrounded by towns that sell excellent fresh produce with light northern Beaujolais or a bold southern Rhône reds.
Day 8— Located where 3 countries meet, Basel Switzerland reflects a blend of traditions. The city straddles the Rhine at the river’s farthest navigable point, with a cluster of old-town buildings along the riverbank. Around Market Square, guild houses display Gothic, Renaissance and baroque splendour, with the red-sandstone Rathaus/Town Hall as the centrepiece. 40+ museums of culture lend modern polish.
Day 9 — Breisach Germany is a gateway to the Black Forest region, built on Rhenish basalt rock. It is in one of the warmest parts of Germany, across the river from French Alsace, famous for its wine growing and its large cellars. The most prominent local landmark is the Romanesque-Gothic St Stephen’s Cathedral (C12th-C13th) with its splendid towers.
Day 10 — Strasbourg France, largest Upper Rhine port at the border of France and Germany, is the cultural centre of Alsace and boasts a fine mix of cultural influences. The well-preserved Old Town is enclosed on all sides by the little Ill River so explore cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered houses and intersected by picturesque canals. Alsatian café culture is vital.
Day 11— Speyer Germany lies on the Rhine’s west bank. The city shows a Romanesque imperial cathedral, burial place of 8 Emperors and Holy Roman Emperors. The term Protestant was created at the Diet of Speyer in 1529, when 14 free cities and 6 Lutheran princes protested the Edict of Worms that had banned “heretic” Martin Luther’s writings.
Rüdesheim Germany's cobblestone street are lined with taverns that pour local wines and fill alleyways with music. Half-timbered houses and old inns retain a medieval flavour. Castles once provided security for the region, including the C9th Brömserburg Castle, oldest on the Rhine. And the Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet museum houses an impressive collection.
Day 12 — Middle Rhine Germany is a scenic UNESCO World Heritage Site where steep hills require handpicked vineyards. Splendid castles line the banks and the Lorelei Rock presides at a dramatic river curve. This river maiden mesmerised sailors with her song and enticed them to die.
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Day 1 — Avignon France’s narrow streets are lined with medieval buildings and churches. Avignon was the papal seat for 70 years in the C14th after the sitting pope fled Rome. The massive Gothic church-fortress Palace of the Popes was centre of the Christian world then. Another notable structure reaches into the Rhône: C12th bridge Pont d’Avignon.
Palace of the Popes Avignon
and Pont d'Avignon
Day 2 — Arles France was the capital of Roman Gaul when the Empire ended and boasts many Roman ruins. Les Arènes, an ancient amphitheatre seating 20,000, is used for bull fights. The town attracts farmers from the countryside to the famous Provençal market. And it enjoys a rich artistic heritage eg Impressionist Vincent van Gogh in Arles.
Day 3 — Back in Avignon France, the church built a wall around the city and provided mansion-like residences to its cardinals. And the gilded statue of Mary atop the cathedral.
Day 3 — Back in Avignon France, the church built a wall around the city and provided mansion-like residences to its cardinals. And the gilded statue of Mary atop the cathedral.
Roman Arena, Arles
Day 4 — Sleepy C5th Viviers France became a bishop’s seat, and conflicts during the centuries required town defences. Some buildings were from the Middle Ages and the Old Town cobblestone streets were dominated by C12th St Vincent Cathedral with beautiful windows. A more stable Renaissance encouraged new houses eg Maison des Chevaliers.
Day 5 — Tournon France lay secluded between the river and the granite slopes that nurtured fine vintages, with an ancient Celtic castle over the river. The wine-producing region was started by a hermit returning from the Crusades who planted vines, and today the sunshine produces fine whites. On the graceful Rhône River, the locks through which the ship passes helped to tame its waters, surrounded by the soaring mountains.
Vienne is gateway to Lyon’s countryside. Among its Roman remains, the Temple of Augustus & Livia was C1st. Its Roman amphitheatre, nestled in the hills, is very well preserved. And there are fine medieval buildings eg Abbey of Saint Pierre and Church of Saint-André-le-Bas.
Days 6 and 7 — Lyon France straddles the Rhône & Saône Rivers, a major cultural city with outstanding museums. Amid red-roofed buildings, tree-lined boulevards and riverside walks, old cobblestone streets host a rich collection of Renaissance architecture & intimate connecting passage ways. It’s all overlooked by the grand basilica atop Fourvière Hill. Lyon, the food capital of France, is surrounded by towns that sell excellent fresh produce with light northern Beaujolais or a bold southern Rhône reds.
Day 8— Located where 3 countries meet, Basel Switzerland reflects a blend of traditions. The city straddles the Rhine at the river’s farthest navigable point, with a cluster of old-town buildings along the riverbank. Around Market Square, guild houses display Gothic, Renaissance and baroque splendour, with the red-sandstone Rathaus/Town Hall as the centrepiece. 40+ museums of culture lend modern polish.
Day 9 — Breisach Germany is a gateway to the Black Forest region, built on Rhenish basalt rock. It is in one of the warmest parts of Germany, across the river from French Alsace, famous for its wine growing and its large cellars. The most prominent local landmark is the Romanesque-Gothic St Stephen’s Cathedral (C12th-C13th) with its splendid towers.
Day 10 — Strasbourg France, largest Upper Rhine port at the border of France and Germany, is the cultural centre of Alsace and boasts a fine mix of cultural influences. The well-preserved Old Town is enclosed on all sides by the little Ill River so explore cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered houses and intersected by picturesque canals. Alsatian café culture is vital.
Day 11— Speyer Germany lies on the Rhine’s west bank. The city shows a Romanesque imperial cathedral, burial place of 8 Emperors and Holy Roman Emperors. The term Protestant was created at the Diet of Speyer in 1529, when 14 free cities and 6 Lutheran princes protested the Edict of Worms that had banned “heretic” Martin Luther’s writings.
Rüdesheim Germany's cobblestone street are lined with taverns that pour local wines and fill alleyways with music. Half-timbered houses and old inns retain a medieval flavour. Castles once provided security for the region, including the C9th Brömserburg Castle, oldest on the Rhine. And the Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet museum houses an impressive collection.
Day 12 — Middle Rhine Germany is a scenic UNESCO World Heritage Site where steep hills require handpicked vineyards. Splendid castles line the banks and the Lorelei Rock presides at a dramatic river curve. This river maiden mesmerised sailors with her song and enticed them to die.
Historic Koblenz
Koblenz Germany, 2,000 years old, was a trading settlement resting on Middle Rhine Highlands. Cobblestone streets, wood-beamed houses adorned with flowers, ancient market square and medieval churches recall old Germany eg Romanesque Basilica of St Castor is Koblenz’s oldest structure (836). The famed Teutonic Knights set up a base in 1216; also a massive, modern equestrian statue of Prince William I.
Day 13 — Cologne Germany reveals its Roman heritage in its layout and ruins. Note the city’s C14th cathedral, a stunning example of Gothic artistry and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Avoiding Allied WW2 bombs, the cathedral’s imposing twin spires are visible for ks and its stained glass windows fill the interior with brilliant light. And modern cafes.
Day 14— Sail into the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt Delta, and see the flat farmland, tulips, Friesian cows, villages and windmills of Kinderdijk Netherlands. It is a village community in a corner of South Holland, a charming hamlet amid low-lying polders, tracts of land reclaimed from the sea by windmills and dikes. Remember the 1865 novel Hans Brinker (finger in dike)?
Day 13 — Cologne Germany reveals its Roman heritage in its layout and ruins. Note the city’s C14th cathedral, a stunning example of Gothic artistry and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Avoiding Allied WW2 bombs, the cathedral’s imposing twin spires are visible for ks and its stained glass windows fill the interior with brilliant light. And modern cafes.
Day 14— Sail into the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt Delta, and see the flat farmland, tulips, Friesian cows, villages and windmills of Kinderdijk Netherlands. It is a village community in a corner of South Holland, a charming hamlet amid low-lying polders, tracts of land reclaimed from the sea by windmills and dikes. Remember the 1865 novel Hans Brinker (finger in dike)?
Kinderdijk windmills
Day 15 — Charming canals, gabled houses, splendid museums and bicycles make the Dutch capital Amsterdam Holland a delight to explore. Its patchwork of waterways forms c90 islands connected by 1,500 bridges. The C17th Dutch Golden Age lives on in gilded manses and in the art of Rembrandt and other Masters that fill the fabulous Rijksmuseum.
