From Hanover to Cologne, a Cruise Combining Deep Tradition and Industrial Innovation (port-to-port cruise)

HANOVER - MINDEN - OSNABRÜCK - MÜNSTER - DATTELN - GELSENKIRCHEN - DUSSELDORF - COLOGNE

Passengers are welcome to board our ship. We’ll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. Enjoy dinner on board.

This morning, the optional excursion is: Hanover. During our bus tour, you'll discover the main sites in the capital of Lower Saxony. Prestigious spots include the New Town Hall, Market Church, and the Anzeiger-Hochhaus. The Old Town and its tiny streets are lined with magnificent half-timbered homes. Further along, we'll discover the fantastic green spaces the city has to offer, as well as the baroque-style Herrenhausen Palace Gardens and Masch Lake, a hotbed of water sports and festivities all year long.

We'll spend the afternoon cruising to Minden before arriving in the evening. We'll remain in port overnight.

Our ship will begin to cruise to Osnabrück early in the morning, and we'll arrive at the beginning of the afternoon. Optional excursion: Osnabrück. An entire history lies behind its nickname, the City of Peace, as it was here that the twin treaties known as the Peace of Westphalia were negotiated to end the Thirty Years' War. We'll begin the tour at the Marktplatz surrounded by typical homes, Saint Mary's Church, Saint Peter's Cathedral, and the Gothic-style city hall. Enjoy some time on your own after the tour to discover the multitude of hidden gems the Old Town's small streets have to offer. Spend time browsing and shopping in the small boutiques without the crowds.

After our excursion, we’ll return on board for dinner. We'll remain in port overnight.

We'll spend the morning cruising towards Münster, arriving at the beginning of the afternoon. Optional excursion: Münster. Münster is the historic capital of Westphalia and one of the most important university cities in Germany. In-depth renovation has restored it to its former glory. You'll discover the St.-Paulus-Dom Cathedral. Numerous works of art are found within, including 14 busts of biblical kings and prophets from the 14th century. You'll then head over to the Old Town to see its traditional houses, medieval arcades, and churches. The historic Prinzipalmarkt is surrounded by approximately 50 gabled houses with bowers. The Town Hall's Gothic facade dates back to the 14th century. The Salzstrasse evokes the city's Hanseatic times. We'll return on board for dinner while the ship continues to Datteln. We'll remain in port overnight.

We'll cruise to Herne-Ost in the early morning. Join us for an optional excursion: The Ruhr (2) —from blast furnaces to high culture. A former coal mining area, this is one of the largest urban communities in Europe and boasts one of the densest cultural landscapes on the continent. We'll hit the road for the German Mining Museum in Bochum. This interactive museum welcomes you not only in its vast exhibition hall but also in the realistically reconstructed mine shafts and levels below. You'll be able to explore over one and a half miles (2.5 km) of tunnels located 65 feet underground (20 m) as if you were actually one of the mine workers. You'll feel as if you're plunging into the depths of the earth in the reconstructed cage. The permanent exhibit aboveground provides the background to understanding how the mine worked, with objects and tools from the various eras.

We’ll return on board the ship in Gelsenkirchen. We'll spend the afternoon cruising to Düsseldorf, arriving during the night.

This morning, the optional excursion is: Düsseldorf. Leave on foot to discover dynamic, modern, elegant, cosmopolitan, and distinctive Düsseldorf—an international magnet for connoisseurs of art and culture through its museums, theaters, and concert halls. The emblematic symbol of the city is the luxurious Königsallee, by far Germany's busiest, upscale shopping street. The Altstadt (or Old Town District) is known as the "longest bar in the world" because of the more than 300 bars inviting visitors to try the local beer. You'll stroll along the Rheinuferpromenade Riverwalk, considered the most beautiful along the Rhine. After some free time on your own, we’ll return to the ship. We'll spend the afternoon cruising to Cologne. Tonight is our festive gala evening.

Enjoy breakfast on board this morning before disembarking at 9:00 a.m.