Romantic German Sites and the Charming Neckar Valley

Strasbourg - STUTTGART - LAUFFEN - GUNDELSHEIM - EBERBACH - HEIDELBERG - MANNHEIM - STRASBOURG

You’ll be transferred by coach(2) from Strasbourg to Stuttgart, where you will board at 6:00 p.m. After you’ve comfortably settled into your cabins, we’ll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. Tonight, we’ll enjoy dinner and an evening of entertainment on board. Our ship will remain in port overnight.

Optional excursion proposed CLASSIC / DISCOVERY: The Ludwigsburg Residential Palace (only on pre-booking before departure). We'll visit the Ludwigsburg Residential Palace. As soon as you see it, you'll understand why it is nicknamed the Versailles of Swabia. The complex contains 452 rooms spread across 18 buildings and is the largest palatial estate in Germany. Our tour will take you through the castle's extraordinary interiors with architecture and decor spanning four centuries.

During this time the ship will sail to Remseck where we will join it for lunch. Afternoon sailing to Lauffen which we will reach in the evening. Night stopover.

This morning, the optional excursion proposed is: A tour of Maulbronn and its monastery complex (only on pre-booking before departure). This former Cistercian abbey was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The architectural styles include impressive medieval walls and towers, a Romanesque church, and the Gothic cloister.

During this time the ship will sail to Gundelsheim where we will join it for lunch. We’ll begin our cruise to Eberbach this afternoon. After our ship arrives, enjoy some free time on your own this evening to stroll through this lovely medieval city. The Old Town is a great place to take in the ambiance and shop for souvenirs.

This morning, we offer two optional excursions:
- CLASSIC: Tour of Heidelberg. This cosmopolitan, friendly, and vibrant city is made up of 15 distinct neighborhoods and is particularly attractive to families, students, business people, and researchers. The castle has a history that is almost as old as the city itself. From either the Great Terrace or the gardens, enjoy an amazing view over Heidelberg, the Neckar River, and the valley. Don't miss seeing the Heidelberg Tun. We'll then head for the Neckarmünzplatz, on the banks of the Necker River, and continue with a guided tour of the old city. We'll pass by the Church of the Holy Spirit, the most famous church in Heidelberg, whose steeple dominates the town. And then you can take advantage of some free time to wander through the streets and shops before returning to the coach.
- DISCOVERY: A visit to the Technik Museum Sinsheim (only on pre-booking before departure). There is something for everyone to discover in the exhibition halls of the Technik Museum, including supersonic jets, hundreds of classic cars and motorcycles from all eras, huge steam engines, Formula 1 and classy sports cars, record-breaking vehicles like the Blue Flame and Brutus, farming machines, giant engines, a military history exhibition, and much, much more.

After our tours, the ship will begin to cruise to Strasbourg. Tonight is our festive gala evening.

Enjoy breakfast on board this morning before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services.