Rhine river cruises

WHY CHOOSE A RHINE RIVER CRUISE?

The Rhine River has been a major transport route since the Roman Empire. These days, you can see reminders of its important past in the storybook castles and centuries-old wineries. The Rhine starts its 765-mile-long journey in the Swiss Alps, before winding its way through Germany, France and the Netherlands – where it splits and heads towards the North Sea. On a Rhine cruise, cosmopolitan cities are always on the agenda. There are arty types, like Basel, where galleries and museums top the sightseeing list. Then there are the historic cities of Dusseldorf and Cologne. The former has an old town crammed with over 300 bars, while the latter’s known for its twin-spired cathedral. The highlight of any Rhine River cruise, however, is the Middle Rhine Valley, also known as the Rhine Gorge. The 18th-century Romantics claimed it possessed the ‘landscape of the soul’. You only have to take one look at its steep cliffs, pea-green vineyards and hilltop castles to see why. This stretch of the Rhine, between Rudesheim and Koblenz, takes in oh-so-cute villages like Boppard. Rudesheim’s renowned for its Rieslings. You can head down to ancient wine cellars for a tasting, or catch the cable car up to see the vineyards from above. Further south in Strasbourg, the white and sparkling wines of the famous French Alsace region are poured in trendy wine bars.