Day 1 Basel, Switzerland | Embark
Embark on the Crystal Bach at the lovely Basel port in Switzerland and start your adventure.
Day 2 Basel, Switzerland
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Even with its international flair and reputation as an iconic center for progressive art and design, Basel’s medieval town center invites exploration by foot with an abundance of museums and galleries. While antiquity may be Basel’s strong suit, two of its native sons – architects Herzog & de Meuron renowned design London’s Tate Modern Beijing’s Bird’s Nest – bring a modern flair to the city’s design along with other notable architects including Frank Gehry
Day 3 Breisach am Rhein, Germany
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Between the supremely scenic towns of Freiburg and Colmar lies Breisach, the gateway to the surrounding Black Forest. There is much to keep travelers within the embrace of this lively city, too, including its Romanesque church with a late-Gothic altar and cobbled streets lined by pastel-hued buildings. Nearby, explore the star-shaped fortress town of Neuf-Brisach, or New Breisach, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 4 Strasbourg, France
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The seat of the European Parliament, Strasbourg is one of the world’s most photogenic towns. It boasts a breathtaking Gothic cathedral and a remarkable charm that oozes from virtually every cozy corner of Grande Île, or “Large Island,” the first city center to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 5 Speyer, Germany
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Speyer’s history reaches past the influences of the Roman age to a settlement by the Celts. Cobbled streets wind through the centuries, passing half-timbered buildings, the remains of a medieval synagogue, fine museums, and festive taverns, culminating at the town’s UNESCO-listed Romanesque cathedral, called Kaiserdom, housing the tombs of eight Holy Roman emperors and German kings.
Day 6 Mainz | Rhine River Cruising | Rudesheim
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
With roots as a Roman outpost that helped stand guard over the empire’s far-north territory, Mainz has a rich history. Today, Mainz is inviting and intriguing, located at the union of the Rhine and Main rivers, with pedestrianized areas filled with historical sites, classic cuisine and local wines. Of course, most visitors associate Mainz with its cultural treasure, an original Gutenberg Bible, housed at the Gutenberg Museum.
Day 7 Rüdesheim | Middle Rhine Valley | Koblenz
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
If Rüdesheim’s scenic location on the UNESCO-designated Rhine Gorge doesn’t sweep you off your feet, then the town’s medieval Old Town with its half-timbered buildings and narrow lanes, especially the Drosselgasse overflowing with charming shops and taverns, surely will. The region’s renowned Rieslings, produced here for centuries from vineyards dating to Roman times, promise to delight, too.
Located where the Rhine and Moselle rivers and three mountain ranges meet, Koblenz’ scenery is unmatched. Add to that the city’s 2,000-year-old history, hilltop fortress and squares lined by classic Germanic architecture and you have a place ready-made for photos. Ambling along the town’s narrow lanes and river promenade, you might encounter medieval churches, flower-filled parks, sidewalk cafes and perhaps a weinstube, or wine tavern, ideal for sipping Riesling and drinking in the atmosphere.
Day 8 Cologne, Germany
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Germany’s most visited landmark – the UNESCO-listed Cologne Cathedral – dominates the skyline here, its magnificent Gothic twin-spires reaching toward the heavens. Peel your eyes away from the Kölner Dom, its local name, to see the space needle-like Rhine Tower, ancient Roman ruins, a modern museum, cozy beerhalls and the arches of the Hohenzollern Bridge, reconstructed after the war.
Day 9 Rhine River Cruising | Amsterdam
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Enjoy aboard the Crystal Bach while sailing towards your next destination.
Day 10 Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Everyone has an image of Amsterdam. For some, it’s small boats gliding on the canals and locals two-wheeling on bikes to work and, as frequently, to meet friends for drinks. For others, it’s gabled buildings leaning, seemingly precariously, over cobbled streets and cozy taverns illuminated by candles. Still others imagine tulips in bloom and the paintings Vermeer, Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Each vision is even more beguiling when experienced in person.
Day 11 Amsterdam | Disembark
Enjoy your breakfast aboard the Crystal Bach and finally disembark at Amsterdam.
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