Four Rivers, Four Valleys – The Best of the Saar, Moselle, Neckar, and Rhine Rivers (port-to-port cruise)

Strasbourg(2) - SAARBRUCKEN - BERNKASTEL-KUES - COCHEM - KOBLENZ - RUDESHEIM - MANNHEIM - HEIDELBERG - EBERBACH - SPEYER - STRASBOURG

Possible transfer by coach to Saarbrücken.(2) Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 5:00 p.m. Navigation to Merzig. We’ll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. Enjoy dinner on board. Night stopover in Merzig.

We’ll spend the day cruising on the Saar and Moselle Rivers. The Saarschleife, or Great Bend, is one of the top tourist destinations in the region. We'll reach this intriguing destination nestled within a deep green forest in the early morning. We'll continue our cruise to Bernkastel-Kues, reaching it mid-afternoon. Enjoy some free time in this small, absolutely charming city bursting with colorful half-timbered homes, medieval cobblestone streets, and vineyards calling out for long strolls. We'll remain in port overnight.

The morning will be spent cruising on the Moselle. We'll glide by idyllic scenes contrasting cities and countryside. We’ll arrive in Cochem in the early afternoon. Strolling through Cochem is an undeniable pleasure. Its historic streets, small squares, and superb houses with colorful facades line the banks of the Moselle.

Optional excursion: A guided tour of Cochem Castle. You’ll be transferred to Cochem Castle on a mini-bus. The Imperial Castle sits on a mighty crag over the Moselle River. We’ll enjoy a guided tour of this magnificent building that dates back to the year 1000. After being destroyed by the French in the 17th century, it was rebuilt from scratch in a neo-Gothic style by a local German businessman. After a visit to the castle, enjoy some free time in the city. Take a stroll through the narrow, winding streets and enjoy the ambiance full of lovely half-timbered homes with slate roofs and the historic square near the town hall.

Enjoy a free evening. We'll remain in port overnight.

We'll cruise the Moselle towards Koblenz, arriving at the beginning of the afternoon. Optional excursion: Guided tour of Koblenz and the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. Located at the crossroads of the Rhine and Moselle regions and surrounded by several mountain peaks, Koblenz is a rich mosaic of culture and history. We’ll take the funicular railway up the hill to visit the historic castle, where we'll have a magnificent view across the city and valleys. You’ll immediately understand the strategic importance of this fortress throughout history, as the lands stretch as far as the eye can see.

We'll remain in Koblenz for the night.

This morning, we’ll pass through the beautiful and romantic Rhine Valley on the way to Rüdesheim. Majestic castles, mysterious ruins, and famous vineyards dot the countryside known for its legendary German royalty and fabled Lorelei Rock.

In the afternoon, enjoy an included excursion: A tourist train, wine tasting, and the mechanical music cabinet museum in Rüdesheim. First, we'll enjoy a guided tour of the local vineyards on a tourist train. Then, we’ll participate in a wine tasting in the historic rooms of the Bassenheimer Hof. Afterwards, we’ll head to Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet Museum, located in a lovely, 15th-century building. This museum holds a collection of fascinating musical instruments ranging from tiny, delicate music boxes to an enormous orchestrion.

We'll arrive in the evening. The famous Drosselgasse with its numerous cafés, bars, and music awaits you. We’ll begin our cruise to Mannheim during the night.

We’ll arrive in Mannheim early in the morning. Optional excursion: Heidelberg, the most romantic city in Germany. Meeting up with our tour guides at Heidelberg Castle, we'll learn about the history of these magnificent, pink-sandstone ruins. The castle has a history that is almost as old as the city itself. From either the Great Terrace or the gardens, enjoy the amazing view of Heidelberg, the Neckar River, and the valley. On a clear day, you can see forever...or at least to Mannheim. Also enjoy a stroll through the castle gardens, once considered a masterpiece of their time. Our guides will then bring you to the older section of the city to see the fascinating Church of the Holy Spirit, which has changed denominations more than ten times throughout its history. After our excursion, we’ll return to the ship in Heidelberg for lunch. We’ll spend the afternoon cruising on the Neckar to Eberbach—past vast vineyards, typical villages, and delightful small cities, including Neckargemünd, Neckarsteinach, and Hirschhorn. We'll reach Eberbach at the end of the afternoon. In the evening, enjoy a walk through this charming medieval city overflowing with half-timbered homes, ancient fountains, and impressive strongholds.

We'll cruise the Neckar and Rhine towards Speyer, arriving at the beginning of the afternoon. Join our team for a tour of the city with a lovely walk from the banks of the Rhine to the city's historic center. Speyer is a former Free Imperial City whose imposing cathedral is one of the major monuments from the Holy Roman Empire. We'll return on board the ship.

Our ship will cruise to Strasbourg overnight. Tonight is our festive gala evening.

Enjoy breakfast on board this morning before disembarking at 10:00 a.m.