Lüftner Rhine River Cruise: a week of history, wine & music

In this Travel Podcast Episode 28, you’ll hear about the Rhine River cruise that I took with my husband Guy. I talk about the pretty riverside towns we visited on our cruise from Basel to Cologne, about the food, the wine and above all the history of this fascinating river.

You’ll find out what the experience of cruising down the Rhine is like, so you can decide whether you might enjoy this style of travel, where you can see four countries in a week, but sleep in comfort and only unpack once.

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Day 1 – Basel

We flew to Basel from London to meet our river cruise ship, and were very much looking forward to our first cruise. There was a time a few years ago when I thought of cruising as something that my parents would do, but as I’ve got older the idea of only unpacking once, being very comfortable and yet seeing lots of interesting places in Europe has started to appeal.

On finding the ship, we left our bags on board as it was too early to check in, and made the short walk back to the centre, to have a look around Basel. As it was a public holiday we found the town very quiet and it was a shame that the shops and confectioners were shut as I saw plenty to tempt me in the windows.

In the main square was the medieval town hall with a red painted facade and clock and we had a look in the courtyard that was full of classical frescoes on the themes of Law and Justice.

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Cathedral Square of Basel

We walked up the hill through the alleyways into the old quarter around the Cathedral square where we had a coffee and slice of cake in the cafe beside the Museum der Kulturen. From the adjoining courtyard we could see the amazing sculptural roof with hanging gardens dangling down, which made an interesting architectural contrast to the older half timbered buildings surrounding it.

We walked on to the Cathedral and looked around the cloisters where the bare, open stonework was softened by an attractive wild flower garden in the centre. As it was nearly time to check in on board, we walked back along the river bank, passing swimming platforms with changing rooms beside the river, where it is popular to swim in the Rhine in summer.

Back at the Amadeus Princess, we checked in to our cabin, which was compact but with plenty of good storage space and floor to ceiling windows which could slide right back to create the effect of our own balcony.

We had a safety briefing with information about the ship and itinerary and then got ready for the Captain’s welcome reception, with a champagne cocktail before dinner in the Panorama Restaurant.

Day 2 – Strasbourg

The boat travelled overnight from Basel to Strasbourg and our morning started with a guided tour of the city. The coach toured around some of the different neighbourhoods with a commentary from the guide.

Strasbourg is on the border of France and Germany. While it is now part of France, over the centuries it has changed hands from French to German and back again.

This is one of the reasons that the people of Strasbourg are so pro-peace. It’s also why the European Parliament and European Court of Human Rights are situated here. The Conseil de l’Europe enables member countries to work out their differences through discussion, to maintain peace in Europe.

We passed a statue in one of the squares called “Mother Alsace”, of a mother mourning over her two dead sons killed in action. It commemorates the times in the past when Strasbourg was changing hands from France to Germany. Members of one family might be fighting in different armies on opposing sides; father against son or brother against brother.

In the historic centre we saw the pretty square with half timbered houses around the Cathedral which was very beautiful with stained glass windows that had recently been cleaned and a colourful organ halfway up in the roof.

Our tour included a boat tour through the area called Petite France along the canals and rivers that encircle the city centre. There was an audio commentary that you could set to whatever language you liked, with plenty of interesting anecdotes about all the old buildings and places that we passed. After the boat tour the coach took us back to the ship where we enjoyed our 3 course lunch.

Day 2 – The Alsace Wine Route

Not far from the Rhine are the Vosges Mountains which run parallel to the river from north to south. In the foothills of these mountains are all the vineyards where the Alsace wine is produced. The route that runs through the small villages and towns is known as the Alsace Wine Route.

On our tour of Domaine Hering, a family run property in the village of Barr, we had a walk through their cellars. There’s large stainless steel wine vats and the old oak barrels where the wine are aged.

In their wine tasting room, overlooking the garden, we enjoyed a wine tasting of Pinot Gris, the dry Riesling and Gewurztraminer which is fruity and floral. We tasted them side by side to compare flavours.

On the return journey after the wine tasting we stopped at the small town of Obernai. This pretty town on the wine route grew wealthy on the wine trade. Read Guy’s account of our wine tasting on the Alsace Wine Route.

Day 3 – Speyer

Overnight the Amadeus Princess had moved on to Speyer and we woke up with a perfect view of the beer garden. The town was just a five minute walk from the river and after breakfast we set off for a walking tour with our guide.

Our first stop was the medieval Jewish Baths or Mikveh that were in use up to the 16th century. These were covered over with rubble when the town was destroyed and only restored in the 1960s.

We walked down the stone steps into the baths which were used for ritual purification. They combined water from heaven with water from the earth, being open to the sky to allow the rainwater in.

Next stop on the tour was the Lutheran church of the Holy Trinity. It features a beautiful painted ceiling, gilded altar and decorative carved angels.

We were told it was unusual for a Lutheran church to be so richly decorated. It’s obvious why it was a popular spot for weddings. There was an organist practicing the wedding music that you can hear in the podcast.

Our final visit was to the huge cathedral, with stark sandstone pillars. There’s a crypt housing the stone coffins of the kings and emperors of Germany from the 12th century. The coffins were housed in niches in the walls.

I wondered how they had managed to slide them in as they must have weighed several tons. In front of the cathedral was a large stone bowl three metres across. Whenever there is a new bishop of Speyer, the tradition is that he has to fill the bowl with wine for the people of Speyer.

Day 3 – Heidelberg

During lunch, the ship travelled on to Mannheim, but for our afternoon excursion, we took the excursion to the picturesque town of Heidelberg. Heidelberg is well known for its old university and medical school. It is one of the few German towns not to be bombed by the Allies during the Second World War.

The story goes that General Linden had enjoyed a popular operetta of the 20s and 30s called The Student Prince that was set in Heidelberg. He was so taken by the romantic aspect of the city, that he made sure that it was not bombed. Just as well, as after the war the Americans made Heidelberg their headquarters in Europe.

Romantic Heidelberg castle on the hill

The coach took us first up to see the castle on the hill that gives the town its romantic aspect. Although the castle is ruined, there were many beautiful courtyards, terraces and carved stone facades with statues and pillars. We went down into the cellar that housed some enormous wine casks, one so big that you could only reach the top by climbing up a staircase.

After an hour looking around the castle, we drove down to the lower part of the town. It is pedestrianised with plenty of pleasant squares, cafes and beer gardens.

On the way we passed several imposing old houses with flags flying which the guide explained are owned by different student fraternities. These are like members only clubs where the male students gather to drink plenty of beer. Sometimes (if it is a fighting fraternity) they practice their sword fighting in private.

We walked along the River Neckar where a university regatta was taking place. Then onto the arched stone bridge where you could see marks where the river had risen to in times of flood over the centuries.

We also enjoyed the shop selling nothing but Christmas decorations and cuckoo clocks. We brought a small wooden Christmas decoration to take home as a souvenir.

Day 4 – Rudesheim

Overnight, the ship travelled to Rudesheim, and that morning a small tourist train took us from the ship to the Rudesheim Music Museum. This old manor house houses a collection of mechanical musical instruments with everything from a fairground organ to a tiny music box.

The museum can only be visited during one of their guided tours. A museum guide took us from room to room, explaining about each mechanical instrument and then setting one playing. Watch the video of the musical instruments at the Music Museum.

Before we knew it, we were all humming and singing along to nostalgic tunes like “It’s a small world” and “Que Sera Sera”. In one room was a mechanical piano and it was if some ghostly invisible pianist was playing to us.

In another the guide passed around a charming music box with a tiny tweeting bird. I noticed that the reproduction of the music box in solid silver was on sale in the gift shop for a mere €2000. Any thoughts I had of taking that home were shattered.

Finally we walked down the narrow street of the Drosselgasse which was lined with inns and wine shops where you could try and buy different local wines. In a very pleasant tavern we tried the local speciality, a Rudesheim coffee.

A Rudesheim coffee is made of flamed Asbach brandy topped with hot coffee and whipped cream, with a sprinkling of chocolate. It was both delicious and warming and put us in excellent spirits. We walked back to the Amadeus Princess, in time for the sailing at midday. Watch the video of how to make a Rudesheimer coffee.

Day 4 – The Middle Rhine

Up to that point the landscape of the Rhine had been quite flat. But now we were moving through a part of the Rhine known for its romantic beauty. Vineyards and castles are set high on rocky cliffs above the river.

These castles were built in the Middle Ages by local princes who wanted to dominate the river and grew rich from the taxes on the trade along the river. Over the centuries, the castles fell into ruins. Many were rebuilt in the 18th century in romantic style with turrets and gothic arched windows.

Over two hours we sailed through the Middle Rhine valley. We passed a high cliff called the Loreley where the Rhine narrows to a small channel where many ships have got into difficulty. There is a story of a beautiful mermaid who sits on the rock, combing her hair, and distracting the sailors onto the rocks. Somehow it’s always the woman’s fault!

Day 4 – Koblenz

In the afternoon we reached Koblenz at the confluence of the Rivers Mosel and Rhine. We walked along the quay where the flags of the German states were flying.

Most of the town was destroyed during World War Two by Allied bombing. The bridges that used to be along this stretch of the river were also destroyed at the end of the war by the retreating Germans.

We walked past the Museum of Modern art with some interesting sculptures in the courtyard. The beautiful gardens beside the church were filled with colourful spring flowers.

The symbol of Koblenz is a fountain of a spitting boy with a jet of water which spurts out of his mouth every few minutes. It can soak the unwary who might be standing in front of it. Our tour ended at 6pm under the town hall clock where there was a face that rolled its eyes and then stuck its tongue out 6 times in time to the chimes of the bell.

Back on the ship we enjoyed another delicious dinner. This time with a pirate theme with all the staff dressed up as pirates with striped shirts and bandanas.

Meeting other cruise guests

I recorded a chat with an American guest from Texas who was enjoying the cruise with her husband. She had experienced a couple of other cruises; a Tulip Time Cruise in April from Amsterdam to see the bulb fields and gardens of the Netherlands.

Although Nancy and her husband had travelled widely in Europe on land based tours, she found that the cruise enabled you to see a lot in a short space of time. She felt it had the advantage of providing a comfortable base so you didn’t have to frequently pack and unpack when moving hotels every few nights. Read more about life on the Amadeus Princess Cruise ship with video.

Excursions with Lüftner Cruises

Nancy enjoys walking and found the walking pace on the European cruises to be relatively easy. Tours were planned to take into consideration that “we’re not all mountain climbers”.

She chose the Rhine cruise because most of the places visited on this trip were new to her. She had especially enjoyed Basel, Rudesheim and the beautifully preserved castle at Cochem.

Nancy told me how she loves to shoot videos when on the tours which she reviews when she gets home. She started this habit because she loved the sound of the church bells in Europe and wanted to capture the sounds to take home with her.

On this type of cruise she found that when you see so much, in such a short space of time, it was difficult to take everything in. So, the video enabled her to capture as much as possible from the trip and made history come alive for her.

Day 5 – Cochem

From Cochem, the Amadeus Princess took us on a detour away from the Rhine on the Mosel river to Cochem. Our morning tour took us up to the castle on the hill which was built in the Middle Ages.

It had fallen into ruins until it was restored in the 19th century. At this time it was fashionable for wealthy businessmen to buy these castles and rebuild them in romantic style.

In the 1860s the castle was bought by a wealthy German industrialist, Jacob Louis Ravanez, who spent a small fortune renovating and re-decorating it. Ravanez used the castle as a summer residence for his family. He added all the modern conveniences of electricity and running water.

We found the castle surprisingly intimate inside, decorated with hunting trophies with walls richly painted in neo-gothic style. There are fabulous views from the balconies over the river valley and town.

Further down the hill we walked down some of the stone staircases that wind through the old town. The town centre is pedestrianised through most of the day with plenty of pleasant cafes beside the river to relax.

The risk of flooding on the Rhine

The guide pointed out some of the shops and businesses by the river which are set up to be cleared quickly if the river floods. They monitor the water level upstream at the town of Trier. If it reaches a certain point they know they will be flooded in the next twelve hours. This gives them the opportunity to remove all the goods from the shops. Once the water recedes they can clean up and get back to business.

We stopped at one of the wine shops for a wine tasting of the local Mosel wines. The best wines are grown on the south facing slopes. The layer of slate chippings covering the soil under the vines absorbs the heat of the sun during the day. It then radiates it out at night to help ripen the grapes.

The Riesling grape thrives in this area in damp, humid conditions. It tends to be harvested quite late in September or October as it needs a long growing season.

We also tried a peach liqueur made from a special variety with thick skin and red flesh that grows in the vineyards. The fruit is used in deserts but also to make the delicious aperitif when the peach liqueur is mixed with sparkling Mosel wine.

As there were no excursions planned for the afternoon, we borrowed bikes which are provided for guests’ use. We cycled along the towpath with views of the town and the castle.

Later after dinner we enjoyed a cruise cabaret with different sketches and entertainments that the staff laid on for the guests. In the evening the ship sailed back to Koblenz and then overnight to Cologne, where we would be disembarking.

Day 6 – Cologne

We spent the final day of our trip in Cologne where we had to leave the cruise due to work commitments. The cruise would continue to Amsterdam without us. We left our cases in the automatic lockers at the train station to tour the city.

The Cologne Cathedral is one of the major landmarks of the city. It remained standing while the rest of the city was flattened by bombing. We found beautiful side chapels and religious artworks.

I surprised that we couldn’t find an audio-guide, only a small leaflet the explain about the things to see in the Cathedral. We missed having the wonderful guides that we had experienced on our other cruise excursions. I realised how much we had learned from their stories and anecdotes.

For lunch we found ourselves in a square called Heumarkt. We settled on a restaurant called XII Apostles which had an attractive painted ceiling. Later we realised that the food was Italian rather than German.

The Chocolate Museum in Cologne

After lunch we decided to spend our last couple of hours at the Chocolate Museum by the Rhine. Even if we didn’t know the way, we could probably have guessed by the number of teenagers heading in that direction.

The rooms on the ground floor told the story of how cacao is grown around the world. There was a mini-rainforest glasshouse to walk through.

Upstairs there were machines behind glass like a glimpse into a chocolate factory. You could follow the process and see the chocolate being melted. It was then made into squares and finally wrapped.

There was also an enormous chocolate fountain where you could have a taste of chocolate on a wafer. We ended our visit in the cafe overlooking the Rhine with a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of chocolate cake.

The fantastic gift shop had every type and flavour of chocolate. It was the ideal place to pick up some souvenirs for our kids as we were heading for home.

As we walked out we saw some cycle taxis and decided to treat ourselves to a ride along the river and back to the station. Here we picked up our bags and took the very efficient train service to the airport.

Our cruise comes to an end

Our Rhine River cruise was very enjoyable. If you love history, are interested in food and wine and want to see a lot of different things on your holiday, but do so in comfort, then this kind of cruise will be ideal for you.

We found it a great combination of stimulation with the fascinating history of the river and the region. There’s the relaxation of having a floating hotel to return to each day which made the experience very stress-free. I will definitely be looking at what other river cruises in Europe I might enjoy in the future.

Read Next

Read about all the different places we visited in this article: Rhine River map – plus our 6-day Rhine River cruise itinerary

Music on the Podcast

Opening Music – Venus as a girl my Andy McGee on Musicalley.com
Piano Music – played on board by one of the guests
Organ Music – the organist in the Lutheran Church of the Trinity at Speyer was practicing for a wedding
Drinking song from Heidelberg that our guide played us on the coach
Mechanical instrument playing “It’s a small world” at the Rudesheim Music Museum
Que Sera Sera Gramophone played at the Rudesheim Music Museum
Music Museum – mechanical piano playing at Rudesheim Music Museum
Music box in the Rudesheim music museum
Piano music – played on board by one of the guests

More Tales from my Rhine River Cruise

All aboard the Amadeus Princess – what to expect from your river cruise ship

Video – The Rudesheim Music Museum – Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet

From Riesling to Gewürztraminer – our wine tasting on the Alsace Wine Route

About Lüftner Cruises

Lüftner Cruises specialise in European river cruises on the Rhine, Danube, Rhône and other destinations in Europe, with personal service and Austrian hospitality. We travelled on the Amadeus Princess on a 7 day Classical Rhine Cruise which travelled from Basel to Amsterdam, although we disembarked at Cologne.

My thanks to Lüftner Cruises who hosted* our Rhine River Cruise.

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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