THE RHINE
The Rhine Experience is the quintessential European dream: medieval castles and dark forests in dramatic surroundings - the stuff of pure romance!
Born as a wild river in a Swiss Alpine glacier, the Rhine cuts through gorges as it flows northeast, dropping 75 feet in the stunning waterfall to wind through Germany's Black Forest and join the Main in Mainz. It follows the Rhine Valley from Bingen to Bonn, flowing through the Rhineland Plateau and eventually emptying into the North Sea after connecting Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands. Along its banks formidable German cities have grown: Cologne, Dusseldorf and lovely Rotterdam, the leading port of continental Europe, near the mouth of the Rhine. Amsterdam is accessible through the Rhine Canal, as well.
River cruises can sail from the North Sea to Basel, Switzerland, which is a distance of about 500 miles. There are longer cruises between Basel and the diamond center of Antwerp, Belgium, as well as shorter ones between Nuremberg, Germany, and Basel.
In the fall, hundreds of wine festivals along the Rhine celebrate new vintages with fireworks, boat races, regattas, local food and music.
The region's fairytale castles, half-timbered buildings and cobbled village streets satisfy a traveler's romantic dream, and there are attractions that appeal to multi-generational groups. Among them are Siegfried's Mechanical Museum, which contains one of the largest collections of self-playing musical instruments in the world, and the Speyer Technical Museum with an explorable Boeing 747, a historic Soviet spacecraft and a U9 German Navy submarine.
Best Suited For:
The Rhine is a wonderful river for romance. It encompasses mythic Germany and is a natural choice for German-American fraternal groups. Its appeal to wine-lovers and foodies is obvious, but anyone who loves scenery and fun combined with oom-pah bands and hearty, delicious food can appreciate a trip through the Rhineland.
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