The Ultimate Guide To Rhine River Cruises

What better way to get a taste of Europe, visiting several countries on one effortless trip, than by gliding down the Rhine, one of Europe’s most fabled rivers? You can see the sights in Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands without having to constantly unpack and pack again – and each day, you can look out from your cabin window at a different view.

The Rhine is lined with more castles than any other river, most of which are found in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a region dominated by dramatic, craggy cliffs. Prominent cities can also be found right on the river banks, including Basel, Strasbourg, Dusseldorf, and Cologne.

Other cities, such as Amsterdam and Antwerp, are nearby. All this means that there are plenty of exciting excursions on offer. You might take a cycle tour of the windmills outside Amsterdam, immerse yourself in a Roman bath in Baden-Baden, or explore the Unesco-listed cathedral in Cologne.

Spring brings the chance to see the tulips in Amsterdam, while in autumn, the vineyards and foliage along the river banks turn a golden hue. In summer, though, there’s nothing better than sitting on deck with a glass of cold Riesling as you watch the parade of castles passing by. Towns along the way also hold summer festivities, including the Rhine in Flames Festival, which takes place on five different nights between May and September. This is a special event, when fireworks erupt over the castles, a flotilla of sailboats and river ships heads along the river, and the river banks are lit up by red torches.

Australian-based Scenic aims to take luxury to new levels and calls its vessels Space-Ships to remind passengers of the airy interiors — with spacious suites and butler service. The feeling on board is relaxed, but the service is superb. There are up to five onboard dining venues, where everything from snacks to gourmet meals are served, inspired by the waterways you’re cruising — while sommelier-paired wines complete the picture. Wellness offerings include electric bikes, a small gym, a boutique spa, a salt therapy lounge, and a vitality pool on some ships.

Launched in 2013 as Scenic’s fun little sister, Emerald Cruises aimed to get a younger, more active crowd interested in river cruising. It prides itself on its innovation — one of the best bits about its contemporary, boutique-style ships is the indoor heated infinity pool with a retractable roof that turns into a cinema in the evening. While many of its modern, slick cabins feature indoor and outdoor balconies, and its ships carry a fleet of bikes.

Both family-owned and operated, AmaWaterways was founded in 2002 by three families working together. They decided they wanted to create cruises they would enjoy where the crew greeted guests like family members. AmaWaterways introduced the ‘twin balcony’ to some of its cabins — it’s essentially a French balcony and a full-size step-out balcony that adds a sense of spaciousness. The cruise line specializes in more active excursions, with an onboard wellness program that includes yoga, meditation classes, and walks. While there is also a small fitness center onboard, a massage room, bicycles, and a pool or hot tub on deck on some ships.

There’s no better way to get to grips with the capital of the Netherlands and its treasure-packed art galleries, steep-gabled houses, and barrel-lined cafes than by boat — chugging around some of the city’s 62 miles of waterways.

The Unesco-protected Canal Ring is spanned by charming old bridges and overshadowed by the ornate merchant’s residences that grew up in the Golden Age. Following the waterways, you’ll soon understand why Amsterdam is often dubbed Venice of the North.

Along Prince’s Canal, where you’ll spot an almost impossibly narrow house (number 245), you’ll also likely see a line waiting outside Anne Frank House — which belonged to the wartime diarist and her Jewish family. Should you go there, be prepared for a shock at the horrifically cramped conditions they lived in for two years during WWII from 1942 to 1944.

Then, dodge the bicycles (800,000 in Amsterdam) and make it to the Jordaan area, packed with independent shops and galleries. For world-class art, tick off the Rijksmuseum, where you can gaze at iconic works by Dutch masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer before being dazzled by Sunflowers at the Van Gogh Museum.

More flowers are on show at the world’s only floating flower market, the Bloemenmarkt, where you’ll find the country’s famous tulips amid a riot of blooms on sale in a rainbow of colors.

Bursting with art galleries and modern architecture, Dusseldorf, the HQ for the industrial region of the Ruhr, feels all city slick at first glance. But there is medieval history here, too, creating a mesmerizing blend of old and new.

Start in the former harbor and warehouse district of the MedienHafen and admire Frank Gehry’s trio of high rises, one cloaked in stainless steel, one in red brick, and the last in white plastic. Further along the river, you can marvel at William Alsop’s vibrant 17-story Colorium. Not far away, the Rhine Tower lords over the city, with views to Cologne Cathedral from the observation deck on a clear day.

Now, you can appreciate some art at the cutting-edge art galleries of K20, which focuses on 20th-century artists such as Picasso and Matisse, and K21, which only features art after the 1980s. Make time to stroll along the Königsallee (or Kö), an elegant shopping boulevard along a chestnut and sycamore-lined canal with iron bridges and high-end shops from Prada to Chanel.

Hit the narrow alleyways of Altstadt (old town), dubbed the longest bar in the world, and savor the local brew, the top-fermented Altbier — or gawp at the medieval St Lambertus Basilica with its twisting, crooked tower.

The diverse, liberal city of Cologne may have been largely destroyed in World War II, but its old town down by the Rhine has been beautifully restored. You can’t fail to be impressed by its Unesco World-Heritage-listed Cologne Cathedral, which took over 600 years to complete and whose twin filigree spires pierce the sky at 515 feet.

The hushed world within is where you can see the Shrine of the Three Kings, which is said to hold the relics of the Biblical Magi. Then puff your way up the 533 steps of the Southern Tower for panoramic views over the Rhine, catching your breath halfway as you admire St Peter’s Bell, one of the largest free-swinging working bells in the world.

After that, you’ll need a drink, so luckily, the traditional brewhouse Fruh is just two minutes from Cologne Cathedral. It’s the perfect place to sample Kolsch, the pale golden beer only made in Cologne.

You’ll find other atmospheric beer halls in the old town’s cobbled alleyways, with its steep-gabled colorful houses, traditional Alter Market square, and Germany’s oldest town hall — Cologne’s Rathaus.

You can visit the original shop where the first Eau de Cologne was created in 1709. Farina 1709 has a small perfume museum, where you will learn that the fragrance once cost the equivalent of £1,700 a bottle.

With terraced hillside vineyards rising the slopes behind it, Rudesheim has plenty of places to raise a glass to its fascinating history. You can delve into its past right from the Rhine River, where the narrow cobbled lane of Drosselgass is lined with quaint wine bars offering tasty Rheingau wines and regional specialties in half-timbered buildings.

Just off this atmospheric street is Oberstrasse, with its aristocratic residences. One is home to Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet, with more than 400 self-playing instruments. It feels like stepping into a time capsule as you enter the 15th-century knight’s residence to hear mechanical violins, automated dolls, music boxes, and early phonographs.

Then, treat your eyes (and your ears) by taking in the impressive half-timbered Klunkhardshof, a 16th-century townhouse on the Marketplatz. After that, let a cable car whisk you up to the Niederwald Monument, a giant bronze statue commemorating the German Empire’s unification in 1871. Its lofty position offers sweeping views over the vineyards of the Rhine valley.

Back in town, cap it off with a cup of Rudesheimer coffee (try the Rudesheimer Kaffee Haus), which contains a generous shot of local brandy and is served flaming.

When you first set eyes on Heidelberg, just half an hour’s drive from Ludwigshafen or Mannheim, you can understand why it inspired the artist JMW Turner to dash off both etchings and a watercolor masterpiece to immortalize it. 

The red sandstone of the romantic, half-ruined Renaissance Heidelberg Castle looms over the old town, contrasting sharply with the surrounding lush, forested hills. A funicular will carry you up to enjoy the baroque, fountain-filled Hortus Palatinus gardens and entrancing vistas from the terrace down to the Neckar River below, straddled by an 18th-century arched bridge. 

For something else that will take your breath away, view the enormous wine barrel known as the Heidelberg Tun, with a whooping 58,500-gallon capacity. Then descend to the old town, where you’re never far from coffee or cake in the narrow, cobbled streets with half-timbered and colorful medieval houses. Here, too, is the Heiliggeistkirche or Holy Spirit Church, which from 1698 to 1936 was used by both Protestants and Catholics simultaneously, with a partition wall to separate them. 

Whether you’ve seen Mario Lanza in The Student Prince or not, you shouldn’t miss Heidelberg University, with its Old Auditorium and tiny jail, where transgressing students locked up left their own form of artwork on the walls. 

Set against the scenic backdrop of the Black Forest, Baden-Baden’s blend of Belle Epoque elegance and natural beauty has enchanted everyone from Tolstoy to Queen Victoria. The Romans first discovered the thermal waters in this city, less than half an hour’s drive from Rastatt. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that it became one of the great spa towns of Europe.

You can’t come somewhere whose name means ‘Baths-Baths’ without immersing yourself in history on a tour of the Roman bath ruins beneath the Friedrichsbad. Walking through its underground passages, you can almost hear the hum of Roman bathers enjoying the warm waters. You can enjoy them too in Friedrichsbad’s Renaissance-style bathing house with a towering domed hall and hand-painted tiles.

Explore the town’s grand colonnade shops and turreted art nouveau villas, stopping at the neoclassical Casino Baden-Baden. Marlene Dietrich had a point when she said it was the most beautiful casino in the world — its opulent interiors shimmer and glimmer with sparkling chandeliers and gilded mirrors. Nearby is the Lichtentaler Allee promenade along the banks of the Oos River, where the summer air is heady with the scent of the English-style rose garden.

France may have won the tug-of-war with Germany over this city on the border of the two countries, but there’s still a Germanic influence in the medieval architecture of Strasbourg. The half-timbered houses and winding waterways lend a fairytale feel, juxtaposed against the strikingly modern European Parliament, designed to look like a ship gliding through the water.

The heart of Grande Ile (Big Island) is the gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, which Victor Hugo dubbed a ‘gigantic and delicate marvel’. Its sandstone exterior is dripping with delicate lacework and hundreds of sculptures. If you climb the 332 steps to the viewing platform, ensure you’re back on the ground by 12.30pm when the Renaissance Astronomical Clock strikes and the apostles pass before Christ and salute him.

Just outside, take in the Renaissance-style Kammerzell house, owned by a former merchant, before the two-minute walk to see why the exterior of Rohan Palace is dubbed ‘Little Versailles’. Just over the river from Grand Ile is Petite France, where you’ll find medieval charm in spades among the former homes of tanners, fishermen, and millers, with geraniums spilling out of their window boxes. Here, you’ll also find the trio of Covered Bridges guarded by medieval towers and the Vauban dam with imposing fortified walls.

Looking at the pink houses and shops amid cobbled streets overshadowed by the hilltop St. Stephen’s Cathedral, it’s hard to believe that much of this port town was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in the old style.

Get your bearings from Breisach’s most iconic landmark, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, perched on the Munsterberg hill where the Black Forest rolls into the French region of Alsace. Within the Romanesque-Gothic cathedral is a 16th-century altar triptych and a faded 15th-century fresco by Martin Schongauer.

Back in town, enjoy a fascinating tour and tasting at Geldermann, one of Germany’s oldest sparkling wine producers, with its labyrinth of dimly lit stone cellars with rows of Geldermann bottles stacked in the gloaming. Just across the Rhine at Neuf-Brisach, take time to marvel at the star-shaped fortress town in France commissioned by Louis XIV to strengthen French defenses. Today, it’s a Unesco World Heritage site.

Breisach is just a half-hour road trip from Freiburg, where you can see the Black Forest laid out like a carpet before you from the tower of its gothic Freiburg Cathedral. The old town here is crisscrossed by narrow canals that date back to the Middle Ages, once providing residents with water and serving as a firefighting measure.

From the Rhine, Basel looks like a quaint riverside city with a promenade along the water, a charismatic old town, and a cathedral, Basel Minster, rising above it. However, it also holds an avant-garde collection of art and architecture, giving it the nickname of Switzerland’s cultural city.

The best place to appreciate Basel’s two faces is the Middle Bridge, opened in 1226 over the Rhine River, from which you can see both the old town and the city’s modern district. The old town is one of Switzerland’s best preserved, with all the cobbled streets and medieval townhouses you could wish for, along with the Rathaus, a town hall with intricate frescoes. Here, too, the Basel Minster’s patterned roof tiles and twin towers are easily recognizable against the city skyline. Be sure to climb to the top for panoramic vistas of Basel and the Rhine River below.

Should you need cooling down after your climb, make for the Tinguely Fountain with its whimsical iron sculptures that splash and spray water at delighted onlookers. It’s five minutes from here to the Kunstmseum, spread over two modernist buildings with a collection spanning Van Gogh, Picasso, and Rembrandt. Or take the 20-minute tram ride (No.6 from Marktplatz) to the Fondation Beyeler museum in Riehen, where Renzo Piano’s building is as much a masterpiece as the work of Miro and Mondrian within.

With romantic castles and historic cities along its banks, the Rhine is much more than a major transport artery through the heart of Europe — it’s a watery thoroughfare back into medieval history. And you can raise a glass of Riesling to that.

• When it comes to packing, think about layers of clothing as even in the summer, weather on the Rhine can be changeable. Remember comfy walking shoes. Plus, there’s no need for formal wear — life onboard is very casual.
• Although all meals are included on the boat, try local delicacies on land, whether afternoon coffee and cakes (a German tradition) or the pale golden Kolsch beer, which hails from Cologne. 
• Consider adding an extra day or two before and after the cruise to allow you to better experience the cities at either end (Unforgettable Travel Company can organize this for you).
• Don’t worry if you’re alone — river cruises are great for solo travelers, allowing you to explore different countries easily while making friends.