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Cruise through Europe

Glide past Castles, Cathedrals and Vineyards

By Pat Woods

Cruising slowly through Germany's Rhine River Valley, each bend and twist brings new visual delights. Steep hillsides blanketed in lush green foliage are interspersed with medieval castles. Vineyards cling to nearly vertical cliffs. Autumn foliage splashes the banks with inspiring colors of red and gold.

On the water, swans glide gracefully. Near the shore, a blue heron poses silently. No wonder this stunning landscape was home to 19th century poets, painters and composers. On the 134-passenger River Duchess, photography buffs try to capture it all. The best part of river cruises is the relaxed pace as the ship glides past spectacular scenery.

We were welcomed, by the Uniworld River Duchess crew, with German wine and fresh fruit. Embarkation took two-minutes, with cabins ready by noon. Thanks to the smaller ship size, guests simply walk on and off for shore excursions?with no waiting. During the 900-mile voyage from Amsterdam to Vienna on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, the ship traversed 66 locks.

In Amsterdam, local guides narrated motor coach tours and gave insight into Rembrandt's paintings in the Rijksmuseum. Sailing on the busy Rhine River, the ship passed lovely Dutch pastoral scenes of cattle and horses grazing in lush green pastures.

Life Onboard
Meals are served in an open seating style. With dramatic ceiling-to-floor windows, every table in the dining room has a view of the water. Throughout the 12-day cruise, Romanian chefs delighted us with imaginative dinner creations such as veal tenderloin, ostrich steak and quiche. Guests chose from meat, fish, vegetarian, steak or chicken breast dinner entrees?all carefully prepared and beautifully presented. At dinner, waiters poured (included) red and white wines.

Breakfast was a lavish buffet featuring fresh fruit, cold meats, cheeses, cereal, pastry and eggs-to-order. For lunch, guests indulged in a salad bar, delicious soup, sandwiches, pasta, hot entrees and several decadent desserts.

Cabins were well laid out with plenty of closets, nice bathrooms, amenities and frequent service. River Duchess has both a self-serve launderette and an elevator?rare finds on European river boats.

Germany's Rhine Valley
Cologne is a cultural mecca, rich in antiquities, with 30 museums and hundreds of art galleries. In Old Town, a maze of narrow streets, tiny squares, quaint shops and beer gardens attract locals and tourists. A broad paved river walk invites strolling and people watching. Romanesque church bells ring frequently. According to local legend, the Three Kings of Magi are buried in the massive Cologne Cathedral.

During its 2,000-year history, tiny Boppard was home to Celts, Romans, Franconians and Germans. As charming cafes emit delightful aromas, St. Stephen's Church bells summon Catholics to Sunday mass.

Famous for its white wine, Rudesheim's winding cobblestone streets lead to a long avenue of wine bars, taverns and shops. Like most Rhineland cities, Rudesheim's history dates to Roman times. Visitors take a mini-train to Siegfried's Museum to see and hear antique musical instruments play familiar tunes.

With 50 soaring skyscrapers and cosmopolitan citizens, Frankfurt is known as Europe's Manhattan. A thriving finance and transportation center, Frankfurt boasts a contemporary upscale shopping district. On the south side of the river, apple wine taverns line Old Town's narrow streets.

Bavarian Germany
With less commercial traffic than the Rhine, the Main River passes tranquil, pastoral scenes of rich farmland dotted with grazing cattle and horses. Farmhouses and barns are clustered in tiny hamlets surrounded by massive fields of sugar beets, turnips and corn.

On a beautiful stretch of the Main River, Miltenberg is a medieval town right out of a German fairytale. Crooked cobblestone streets and dozens of half-timbered homes, some dating back to the 15th century, present great photo ops.

Rothenburg appears stuck in the Middle Ages. Its' city walls protect a core of homes and charming, gothic churches which line narrow, uneven cobblestone streets. Merchants purvey German cuisine, handmade crafts and Christmas decorations. For free internet service, check out the Tourist Office.

Bamberg is a brewery nirvana. Built on seven hills, with a church atop each hill, you'll find all types of beer, including smoked beer.

Regensburg is the shipping center for salt and other commodities. With a landmark, 12th-century medieval stone bridge, spanning the Danube, Regensburg provides remarkable photo opportunities. On a side note, this quaint town is home to a BMW plant.

Amazing Austria
The 19-mile scenic Wachau Valley along the Danube River is dotted with charming small wine-making towns. Some of Vienna's finest white wines are produced from grapes ripened on terraces clinging to steep slopes.

World renowned as Europe's music capital, Vienna is a cosmopolitan city with a symphony of architectural styles and a long, convoluted history. This beautiful city?its broad, flat boulevards intermingled with narrow cobblestone streets, reverberates music, romance and culture. Renowned composers Schubert, Strauss, Schoenberg and Berg were born here. Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms and Mahler chose to live in Vienna. Besides being the birth place of the waltz, Vienna maintains a link to the past in architecture, interior decor and attitude.

One of the highlights of the Vienna city tour was visiting the Mozart House, where guests learned of the life and musical talent of the child protégée. For those spending extra time in Vienna, a classical concert in famous Musikverein is well worth the extra charge. The Hotel Radisson Blu Style Vienna is also close to St. Stephen's Cathedral, the State Opera and the Imperial Hofburg Palace, which are all worth a visit, along with Vienna's principle shopping streets, Kohlmarkt, Graben and Freyung.

Most European Serenade land excursions are walking tours on uneven cobblestone streets, some uphill. So, bring sturdy walking shoes as you will want to explore every street, town, castle and cathedral you come upon. After long days of touring, there is plenty of time for rest and relaxation on the ship. You'll be lulled to sleep by onboard musicians who play throughout the cruise.

When the two week tour is over, and your travel mates go their separate ways, home to far away places such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, you quickly realize, saying goodbye will not be easy. Debarkation, although a harsh jolt of reality that the vacation is over, couldn't have been made more pleasurable by the hard-working crew. It was like watching a carefully choreographed ballet, as tour managers and ship's officers loaded luggage and bid farewells, until next time. After a trip like this, you will want to go back for more.

Infolinks:
Uni World
Vienna
Vienna Radison

Pat Woods is a freelance writer in Sun City West, Ariz.