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Our trip was reversed. We started in
Frankfurt and ended in Amsterdam. This turned out to be for the best
as the Christmas markets in Frankfurt, Mainz and Cologne were still open-and
they were the highpoint of the trip. Kim and I had direct flights from
Denver to Frankfurt-a first for us. A real time and stress saver.
Our home-hosted visit was moved to day 3,
our second day in Frankfurt, in Wertheim. See Kim's Daily Journal for day
to day details and comments.
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DAY 4 Nijmegen /
Optional National Liberation Museum / Home-Hosted Dinner |
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In the morning, you can take a stroll in
Nijmegen, a city built on seven hills overlooking the Waal River just
west of its confluence with the Rhine. Here stands the arching bridge
that spans the Waal River, which was the site of an important battle
during World War II that caused devastating damage to the city. As a
result, Nijmegen, one of the oldest towns in Holland, was almost
completely rebuilt. The town center, however, was remarkably unscathed
by shelling, and provides a striking contrast to the newer
architecture that surrounds it.
Join our optional tour and visit the
National Liberation Museum (Bevijdingsmuseum).
Here, the occupation and liberation of wartime Holland is vividly
recreated through interactive displays.
Continue to relax and enjoy the holiday
onboard this afternoon.
This evening, enjoy get closer to the
heart of life in the Netherlands when you visit a local family for a
Home-Hosted Dinner.
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Accommodations: Aboard
a private Grand Circle river ship |
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Meals: B, L, D |
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Discovery Series
Events
Home-Hosted Visit |
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Optional Tours
National Liberation Museum
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DAY 5 Dusseldorf,
Germany |
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After breakfast this morning, disembark in
Dusseldorf, Germany. First fo unded
as a fishing village near the confluence of the Dussel and Rhine
Rivers, Dusseldorf rose to importance in the 14th century when it
became the seat of the local Dukes of Berg. It evolved into a center
of art and fashion, and is well known today for its rich cosmopolitan
atmosphere.
Dusseldorf is also a city of great history, however, and you’ll tour
its bustling Old Town, whose narrow streets are brimming with
monuments, museums, and historic buildings.
After lunch, explore Dusseldorf on your own. The city boasts a wealth
of museums, including the Kunstmuseum, home to a three-floor
collection of French, Italian, and Dutch art ranging from the 15th to
the 20th century. Or stroll down the
Konigsallee, the city’s most fashionable thoroughfare. Watching
the passersby here, you might pick up on the latest styles without
setting foot in a store.
Or you can stay on the ship to enjoy hot chocolate and apple cider.
The ship resumes cruising toward Cologne later in the afternoon.
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DAY 6 Cologne |
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This morning, disembark for a guided
walking tour of Cologne's Old City. A Roman settlement called
Colonia Agrippina after A.D. 50, Cologne came under Frankish
control in the fifth century. You can still see the ruins of Roman
temples scattered through the city, and the Roman Tower near the
cathedral was once part of the medieval town walls. During the
15th century, the city flourished as a member of the Hanseatic
League.
Your tour ends in front of the city's magnificent Gothic cathedral
(Dom), which you may visit on your own. A UNESCO World Heritage
Site, the cathedral largely escaped the World War II damage that
ravaged the city and the rest of Germany (there's evidence that
Allied forces deliberately avoided damaging this beautiful
structure). It's the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe,
boasting beautiful stained-glass windows, an ornate gold shrine on
its elaborate altar, and the intricate detail common to
14th-century Gothic churches.
You return to the ship for lunch and cruise the picturesque Rhine
Valley toward Mainz, dining on regional cuisine as you go.
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Accommodations: Aboard
a private Grand Circle river ship |
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Meals: B, L, D |
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Included
Tours
Cologne Walking Tour |
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DAY 7 Mainz |
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Today, the ship cruises along some of the
most beautiful and inspiring parts of the Rhine as you continue
toward Mainz. You’ll pass Lorelei,
the large rock rising 440 feet above the river. Since ancient
Greek mythology, there have been legends of sirens,
women-creatures who lure sailors to their death with sweet songs.
Ancient Germanic legend places one such siren (Lorelei)
here, and it is said she enticed sailors to destruction on the
reef below the rock.
This afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of Mainz, and see the town’s
great eleventh-century Romanesque cathedral. The 2,000-year-old
city of Mainz rose to prominence in the eighth century when St.
Boniface, the “German Apostle,” designated it an archbishopric,
thereby making it the center of Germanic Christendom. The Mainz
archbishops held spiritual and political power, serving as
electors of the Holy Roman Empire. But Mainz remains best known
for its most famous son, Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of
movable type, who was born here in 1397.
Gutenberg began his career by creating and selling
indulgences—papers that could be purchased and used as “coupons”
by the faithful to absolve them of some of the time they had
earned in Purgatory. Gutenberg realized he could absolve himself
of some of his own monetary debts if he could mass-produce the
indulgences. To do this, he created uniformly sized metal molds
for letters that allowed him to create error-free, repeatable
text. This was the beginning of the movable type that transformed
the world.
The Gutenberg Bible and printing press are housed in the town’s
new Gutenberg Museum, which opened in 2000. The museum exhibits
one of the 47 extant copies of the Latin Gutenberg Bible—a 42-page
volume with elaborate Gothic lettering, dating from the 1450s.
This evening, gather with your new friends at the Captain’s
Farewell Dinner onboard. Enjoy live entertainment after dinner.
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Accommodations: Aboard
a private Grand Circle river ship |
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Meals: B, L, D |
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Included
Tours
Mainz |
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DAY 8 Mainz /
Frankfurt |
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During the early morning, the ship
cruises the Rhine to its junction with the Main (pronounced
“mine”) River, then follows the Main to Frankfurt.
Enjoy a lively discussion on
“Europeans Today” and discover how life has changed since the
reunification of Germany and the rise of the European Union.
Then enjoy a guided tour in
Frankfurt-am-Main, the birthplace of the famous German author
Goethe. Frankfurt’s history goes back to Roman times, but the city
suffered much damage in World War II. Fortunately, a small remnant
that gives a glimpse of its past glory remains on the Römerberg,
where some 14th- and 15th-century buildings have been restored.
Here stands the Romer, the old town hall, topped with distinctive
stepped gables. Nearby is this city’s
Dom (cathedral), where the
emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned between 1562 and
1792.
Return to the ship for dinner onboard
this evening.
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Accommodations: Aboard
a private Grand Circle river ship |
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Meals: B, L, D |
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Discovery
Series Events
“Europeans Today” discussion |
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Included
Tours
Frankfurt |
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