Hello and welcome to this week's Wanderlust Wednesday. My name is Karine. Many of you today were probably expecting to see Joost instead of me, but he had to travel to the states last minute, so you're going to have me instead. And today we're going to explore one of our flagship itineraries, one of our most popular itineraries, and it is the eight-day Rhine Getaway that starts or ends here in Basel, where I am right now.
The Rhine River is one of Europe's most important waterways and transportation routes. It's home to iconic castles and fortresses overlooking this beautiful river. Famous medieval cities are scattered all along it. It's been said that no other river in the world has so many old and storied cities on its banks. There's also quite a bit of significant World War II history here and lots more to learn and experience. So let's take a look at a short video of this fascinating itinerary before we go into our day-to-day details.
Our Rhine Getaway itinerary presents all the highlights of the legendary Rhine in just eight days. Your journey begins in timeless Amsterdam. Soak in rich colors amid the stained glass of Cologne's Gothic Cathedral. Explore the mighty Ehrenbreitstein Fortress that overlooks Koblenz, and enjoy an evening stroll along the cobblestones of Rüdesheim.
With dawn comes Speyer, a quaint German town on the Rhine's west bank, where you can marvel at the architectural splendor of the city's Romanesque Cathedral. Haut-Rhin, France follows with its timeless old town, while Germany's Black Forest region is rich in history and culture. Your voyage concludes in the pretty city of Basel, Switzerland.
This is an eight-day journey from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to Basel, Switzerland, where I am right now, or in the reverse. There are six guided tours that are included, and we have a vast array of optional shore excursions so you can customize your experience in the four European countries that you'll visit.
Our longships were designed for Europe's rivers. In most places, they dock right in the heart of each town or village or city. This is a key part of the allure of river cruising. It means that you can just walk off the ship after breakfast and begin exploring each new port on your own, if you like, or on our guided excursions. This proximity allows you to maximize your time in each new destination. Of course, you will experience a new port and sometimes a new country altogether every day.
Also, Viking offers pre and post extensions in Amsterdam, in London and Oxford—that extension I've personally been very involved in designing—in Basel, and in Lucerne, all of which we'll talk about after we walk through this fantastic itinerary.
Let's look at the itinerary map that outlines how you'll travel along the scenic Rhine River. We embark in Amsterdam if that's the direction you're traveling in, which of course is the capital and largest city in the Netherlands. You'll sail through both western Germany and eastern France, and the voyage then concludes in Basel in Switzerland, where France, Germany, and Switzerland actually meet.
What's also special about this itinerary is how it truly maximizes your time in Europe. In only eight days you'll have the opportunity to visit four different countries, and you'll wake up in a new destination each day. You'll experience the best of history, culture, and cuisine that we can offer of the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland.
This is actually an itinerary that many of our guests come back to again and again. It's possible to take it in the spring, in March and April, for prime tulip season in the Netherlands, and take it a second time in the winter on our holiday itinerary of Rhine Getaway to experience the European Christmas markets.
The Rhine Getaway itinerary presents all the highlights of the legendary Rhine in just eight days. Begin in timeless Amsterdam. Soak in rich colors amid the stained glass of Cologne's Gothic Cathedral. Tour the 700-year-old Marksburg Castle in Koblenz, and enjoy wine tasting in quaint Rüdesheim.
With dawn comes Heidelberg and its imposing city gates. Spend an afternoon exploring Speyer's Romanesque Cathedral. Strasbourg follows with a tour of the magnificent old town, before sailing on to the Black Forest and Basel, Switzerland.
Let's talk a bit about the Viking Way and what it means to travel with Viking on one of Europe's most beloved rivers. Onshore experiences along the Rhine will get you closer to the history, the culture, and the daily life of your destination. From Amsterdam and Cologne to Strasbourg and Basel, shore excursions are offered for half or a whole day, and they'll keep you busy exploring and learning about your destinations, more so probably than an ocean voyage, which has so many sea days.
An included excursion is available in all eight ports, plus the Viking Way of exploration. The Viking Way will provide you with behind-the-scenes insights while it allows you to immerse yourself in these destinations. There are really three pillars to the Viking Way of exploring the world.
First pillar we call Local Life. These experiences provide fascinating insights that reveal the rhythms of daily living here along the Rhine. It could be a visit to Heidelberg, the city at the center of the German Romantic Movement, where you can enjoy lunch with students who attend Germany's oldest university, as an example.
Then the second pillar is the Working World. Most of us when we travel like to understand how the economies in the destinations to and through which we travel work. So on these excursions you'll get a glimpse of the world at work, including local industries, arts, and crafts. You'll see and understand local people anew. So here we'll visit, for example, a cheese farm for an in-depth look at how one of the Netherlands' top products is made.
The third pillar of the Viking Way of traveling is Privileged Access. We've arranged exclusive entry for our guests to discover local cultural treasures all around the world. These are experiences that are not open to the general public, and you'll not find them very easily by yourselves. But it's our great privilege to help you have these privileged access experiences.
One of the examples along the Rhine Getaway is you are allowed access to the roof of the iconic Cologne Cathedral to get a behind-the-scenes look at the restoration work being completed on this Gothic structure.
We also offer pre-extension packages in the Netherlands and Switzerland depending on which direction that you sail in. For this presentation we'll be sailing from Amsterdam, and here you can choose between two nights in Amsterdam where you can extend your journey, staying near key sites like the Museumplein and the Anne Frank House. Or two nights in The Hague and Amsterdam, where you can explore the seat of power in the Netherlands and immerse yourself in a cultural melting pot thanks to its history as the center of the former Dutch Empire's colonies.
Now let's take a closer look at the day-by-day of this fascinating itinerary. On day one we welcome you to Amsterdam, where your voyage begins. Some of you will join us after your Amsterdam pre-extension stay. Others will arrive in Amsterdam today. If you've arranged air travel through Viking, we'll transfer you from the airport to the awaiting river longship.
After boarding your ship and settling into your stateroom, the afternoon is yours to relax or explore the city on your own. You're docked really centrally so it's a very easy short walk to the center of town. Depending on the time available, you may wish to visit the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum. They are both a short walk or a taxi ride away from your ship.
Then we set sail and you enjoy the natural beauty of the Dutch wetlands in the afternoon as we sail out of Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is a delightfully eclectic destination, rich in architectural diversity, great museums, and bicycles—over a million of them. If you have a little extra time in Amsterdam, there are a few things you really should try to experience.
I find the easiest, most relaxing way to make your way around the city is via its canals. There are 65 miles of them, and once you're on a boat, you're likely to stay on board longer than you originally intended.
In the museum quarter there's plenty to intrigue the eye, everything from classics at the Rijksmuseum, impressionism at the Van Gogh Museum, to the Stedelijk for contemporary art, and there's even a diamond museum.
As you explore the quaint side streets, keep your eyes peeled for a jenever sign. Inside you'll find micro distilleries producing variations of this Dutch specialty drink derived from the juniper berry. It tastes a lot like gin and is certainly worth sampling.
It's really difficult to top a quiet stroll through one of the city's canal-side flower shops. Bursts of color and smells will certainly capture attention. Pick up some gifts for home.
I find Amsterdam to be one of the friendliest cities in the world, and it's an easy place to feel like you're a local. Welcome to Viking's real Amsterdam—we can't wait to share it with you.
This morning you'll wake up in Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an ingenious network of windmills and other flood management devices. After breakfast on board, there are three opportunities to learn about these windmills: on our included tour, by e-bike, or by vintage barge.
The included tour includes visiting the Kinderdijk windmills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and learning more about the technology and mechanics behind this impressive collection of 19 windmills that are still in operation today. These windmills were designed to control water levels and as water pumps to this day.
Then the optional tour is Kinderdijk Windmills and Dutch Cheese Making. In addition to the historic windmills, food lovers will also enjoy visiting a cheese farm to get an in-depth look at how one of the Netherlands' top products is made. You might also spend time on the ship today, perhaps taking in a culturally enriching presentation on the Dutch Golden Age, and then enjoy lunch on board.
Sailing on, by day three we have arrived in Cologne, Germany, the country's fourth-largest city. After breakfast on board, you may choose to learn about Cologne's heritage on an included tour, where just steps away from the ship is Cologne's old town and its spectacular Gothic Cathedral.
For those of you who may be concerned about the pace of our walking tours, keep in mind that we offer leisurely-paced tours in all ports.
For our included excursion in Cologne we offer a Cologne walking tour where you can visit the city's iconic Gothic Cathedral, Germany's largest. You can learn about the city's Roman and medieval history and its flourishing Jewish community.
That was the included excursion. Then on the optional excursion, beer lovers can enjoy Cologne's beer culture and dinner. You can sample Kölsch, which is a light, crisp beer brewed only in Cologne, and enjoy a Brauhaus dinner. Brauhaus actually means brewery, so you'll enjoy a brewery dinner.
In the 12th century, Cologne was a quiet city—that is, until the day their Archbishop Rainald von Dassel brought home an incredible treasure from Italy: the bones of the biblical Three Wise Men. This remarkable relic required an extraordinary home of worship, so they built on the city's most spiritual site.
The place where Cologne Cathedral stands is a very, very old place for religious services. In the year 313, Bishop Maternus held services with the Christians. So over 1,800 years this place has been used for the church.
With location in hand, the foundation stone for the Cologne Cathedral was laid. Construction progressed at an incredible pace, a rate that legend has it was due to a bet the architect made with the devil. Desperate for fame, he offered the souls of himself and his family for the cathedral's inspired drawings, but only if the devil could build it in record time.
Luckily, the story goes, his wife discovered the bet and, with cleverness, halted the project short of completion, thwarting the devil. But the haunting silhouette of the unfinished cathedral tainted the skyline for nearly four centuries.
It's been said the French invasion of 1794 and their use of the cathedral as a stable was key to reigniting interest in the project. Finally, in 1880, the tallest twin-spired church in the world was complete.
Outside, this exquisite cathedral embodies the artistic spirit of Gothic architecture. But it's inside that the level of detail becomes nearly overwhelming.
The ceiling is so high—Cologne Cathedral has the third-highest walls in the world. You have to imagine that the craftsmen worked here 700 years ago with so little technical supporting systems. The working process was very painful and very impressive.
The cavernous nave with its 142-foot-high ceiling easily accommodates nearly 90,000 square feet of stained glass while providing an eternal setting in which to worship the golden reliquary of the Three Wise Men.
Exploring behind the scenes, I discovered a side of this architectural masterpiece most people miss. In the blink of an eye you're in the midst of a hand-carved forest of spires. It's an unusual perspective, a bird's-eye view of artistic elements, where you can examine structural features like the flying buttresses supporting the enormous walls.
And ponder the reason behind the cathedral's menacing characters. They're gargoyles at the edges of the cathedral. We know those gargoyles frightened the visitors in medieval times. Inside the cathedral, they see all the angel figures, the gold, and the paradise symbols. So the visitors are happy praying and doing their services.
Stepping inside the iconic roof, I was surprised to find it supported by what was at the time cutting-edge technology. Cologne Cathedral has a wood construction under the plates of the outside. There is metal construction from the year 1855 to 1860, and as one of the biggest metal constructions you can see in Europe from the 19th century, it's a jungle of iron.
An eerie pathway, barely wide enough for a single person, it encircles the heart of the cathedral at a considerable height, passing at times within inches of the beautiful stained glass, eventually leading to a vantage point very few have enjoyed—one that instantly took my breath away.
The craftsmen are still working on the cathedral. We reconstruct and restore the cathedral. 100 craftsmen work here every day, 300 to 365 days a year, and it will never stop.
Thanks to an abundance of loving care, the Cologne Cathedral has so far escaped the ravages of time and remains an architectural masterpiece, certainly worth exploring. I hope you too will do what I did and immerse yourself in this Rhine treasure, listening for the stories these stones can tell.
Welcome to Koblenz. This is the midway point of our Rhine journey, and we've reached the Middle Rhine. Founded more than 2,000 years ago, this traditional German town is located at the intersection of the Rhine and the Moselle Rivers.
The included tour here is Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein. We'll take a gondola ride over the river to the hilltop fortress and take in magnificent views of Koblenz. For the optional tour, we visit the medieval Marksburg Castle—the only castle in the Rhine Valley to have never been destroyed, and it's watched over the town since the 13th century.
For centuries, Marksburg defended the Rhine at Braubach. Perched 90 meters above the water, virtually no activity on the river escaped detection. The castle dates to 1231, a time when the German Empire was split into small principalities, earldoms, and dominions. It was the High Middle Ages, a period when nearly 25,000 castles were built in Germany. Everyone had to enclose his territory and secure it against neighbors who were perhaps not so friendly.
Over the Rhine, it was an intimidating, utterly unassailable sentinel. Even now, you can almost hear the echoes of well-trained soldiers and brave knights on horseback, relentlessly patrolling, ready to defend the castle's four gates.
Time proved Marksburg impenetrable. With the castle's location and extreme defensive ramparts, it's little wonder that after eight centuries, including an attack in World War II, Marksburg still stands as the only Rhine castle never to have been conquered.
The idea of attacking Marksburg was so daunting, most armies simply glided past. So the castle was usually defended by just 10 to 15 people during the Middle Ages.
Those invited into Marksburg discovered the castle was anything but opulent. Instead, life here was relatively Spartan. The original owners were the powerful Lords of Eppstein. Characters like John the Belligerent and Count Johann the Warlike, who was the last aristocrat to occupy Marksburg, played a large part in shaping the castle as it exists today.
While there are no ghosts here, Marksburg does have an eerie tale. Legend has it the first count's daughter was set to marry a knight—that is, until Saint Mark appeared in the castle's tiny chapel. His spirit became visible and he revealed the knight was actually in league with the devil. Eternally grateful, the castle was renamed Marksburg. That's the only supernatural event that we know of.
In the early 19th century, the castle fell into Napoleon's hands, and he gifted it to the Duchy of Nassau. Then in 1900, the German Castles Association, a private heritage foundation, bought Marksburg to preserve and protect it.
Today, this stunning icon is home to a different kind of treasure: an immaculate collection of armament fit for a fortress such as this. More than 2,000 years of shaped steel and chain mail, documenting the evolution of armor.
Life along the river has changed a lot with the centuries, but towering Marksburg Castle stands strong. It's an impeccable time capsule here on the Rhine.
I hope you too will do what I did and immerse yourself in this Rhine treasure, listening for the stories this remarkable castle can tell.
After Koblenz, you'll enjoy an onboard lunch as you sail the scenic Middle Rhine, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, where castles and fortresses overlook the river from their hilltop posts.
Often called the Romantic Rhine, the Rhine River flows through one of Germany's most scenic regions. We'll pass vineyard-blanketed hills whose steep slopes require vintners to pick grapes by hand, keeping a centuries-old tradition alive. Admire splendid castles and dramatic rocks along tall banks, all of which have stories to share.
Perhaps you'll marvel most at the Lorelei Rock at a dramatic curve in the river. Its eponymous river maiden mesmerized sailors with her song and lured them to their demise at her feet. So goes the story. As you can see, the river truly lives up to its nickname of the Romantic Rhine.
Your program director will point out the castles, vineyards, and other landmarks. I suggest heading up to the sun deck for the best views and photo opportunities. Even if the weather isn't perfect, it's quite beautiful in any season and during almost any weather. Even when there's fog, it's actually very atmospheric. So do spend some time on the sun deck, either with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee or a hot chocolate. It's a special place to be during this part of the sailing.
In Germany, the river Rhine cuts through steep hillsides and craggy cliffs to reveal quaint villages of half-timbered houses around every bend. This 80-mile stretch between Bingen and Bonn makes up the Middle Rhine, but the area is more affectionately known as the Romantic Rhine.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this idyllic setting inspired Rhine Romanticism, an artistic movement during which artists decried industrialization and turned instead to nature and the past for inspiration.
Writers, painters, and composers—Lord Byron, William Turner, and Richard Wagner among them—journeyed along the sublime waterway, coming away forever changed by the experience.
This historic river inspired such works as Wagner's The Ring Cycle, Heine's poem The Lorelei, and some of Turner's finest landscapes, the result of several voyages along the Rhine.
The Middle Rhine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in part because of its more than 40 medieval castles, such as Rheinstein Castle, once home to Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf von Habsburg, 12th-century Stahleck Castle built by the Archbishops of Cologne, and Marksburg, the only Rhine castle never conquered.
Even more intriguing is Pfalzgrafenstein, a toll station built on an island in the middle of the river. Chains once stretched from this island across the entire Rhine. In order to pass, one had to pay a toll—a major source of medieval revenue for the castle landowners.
This majestic waterway, along the domain of knights and princes, painters and poets, offers a fascinating window into the past as well as some of the world's most spectacular vistas.
The next time you're in Europe, I hope you'll take the opportunity to explore the Romantic Middle Rhine for yourself.
We arrive in Rüdesheim in the late afternoon. Located in the heart of Germany's Rheingau region, Rüdesheim is the area's center of winemaking. The famed Drosselgasse, a cobblestone street lined with taverns that pour local vintages and spill music into alleyways, attracts locals and visitors alike.
The optional excursion here is to dine in Rüdesheim am Rhein. You can raise your glass and give a hearty Prost to a delicious and fun evening. Despite its growing popularity, Rüdesheim has retained its small-town riverside charms.
Nowhere is this more apparent than along the Drosselgasse, a narrow pedestrian way overflowing with wines and oom-pah tunes. So prepare for a fun evening—probably not the lowest-calorie evening you'll have along the Rhine, but lots of fun, lots of local foods, and cheer.
Then there's another optional of wine tasting and dinner at Eberbach Monastery, and a third optional where there's wine tasting and dinner at Schloss Johannisberg estate—both beautiful venues and probably a little more civilized and quiet experiences than the fun, rowdy Rüdesheim am Rhein dinner.
Then we'll depart after midnight. You'll enjoy a morning of scenic sailing along the Rhine. Today after lunch we'll dock in Speyer. The city's charming, shop-lined main street is overlooked by the impressive clock tower of its Altpörtel, the old town gate.
You may choose an included tour—the Speyer walking tour—where you can enjoy a sweet stroll through Speyer, home to the largest of the three Romanesque imperial cathedrals. The optional excursion here is Panoramic Heidelberg and Lunch with University Students, which includes, of course, a bit of local life.
You'll visit the medieval town and majestic Heidelberg Castle. Since Heidelberg is also home to Germany's oldest university, we'll invite you to enjoy a special lunch with a group of current students.
Traveling on, welcome to France. We are now on the Upper Rhine, the Alsace region of France. Your destination on day six is beautiful Strasbourg, a city that features a unique blend of both French and German culture.
The included excursion here is Strasbourg Highlights, where you'll learn about the cultural center of France's Alsace region. We'll see the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg, one of the finest of Europe's great Gothic cathedrals. It was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874.
Our optional excursions here are the Mercedes-Benz Factory—for car lovers and enthusiasts who will not want to miss this working world excursion. You'll see the precision that goes into one of the world's best-selling luxury cars. More than 3 million Mercedes have been built here since the plant's opening in 1992.
Then another optional is the Alsatian wine tasting. We'll explore the treasures of Alsace, from its Renaissance beauty and distinct culture to its crisp, clean white wines.
On board this evening, we'll enjoy a taste of Germany—a dinner event with a special German tasting menu.
We're in Germany again on day seven, this time on the Upper Rhine. Breisach is in one of the warmest parts of Germany, and it's famous for its wine growing. The included excursion here is the Black Forest. We'll begin with a drive into the woods, passing several wine-producing villages.
You may customize your experience and select one of the following cultural activities: you could take a forest stroll, attend a demonstration of cuckoo clocks, or learn how to make the decadent Black Forest cake.
Then the optional tour to immerse yourself in the history of this area: you might choose Colmar in World War II, the museum and memorial visit. The Colmar Pocket, where American and French forces pushed back Nazi troops during the winter of 1944–1945, and we'll see artifacts from this era at the Colmar Pocket Memorial Museum.
On a personal note, Colmar is one of my very favorite little towns in this region. It's like a mini Strasbourg and absolutely picturesque—like a fairy-tale town. So that certainly is one of the towns that I choose to go to, even when I'm in Basel at the offices here. If I have a weekend, I love visiting Colmar.
Then your voyage concludes here in Basel, a city known as the gateway to the Swiss Rhineland. Basel is home to Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture, as well as over 40 museums. After breakfast on board, many of you will disembark and proceed to the airport for your return flight home.
If you're interested in Basel, Joost will be streaming again this Friday, October 28th, and will also be available to watch online. If you want some local tips on what to do in Basel, he'll be host giving his personal suggestions. Or perhaps you've opted to continue your voyage with one of our extension packages.
On the next few slides we'll go over your extension options with this itinerary. I hope you enjoyed this detailed look at the Rhine Getaway.
Post-extension packages—you can explore more with Viking either before or after your Rhine River voyage. Post-extension packages are available in Switzerland.
Two nights in Basel, where you can discover the city that stands at the point where France, Germany, and Switzerland meet. See the lovely Middle Bridge, the Basel Cathedral, and the winding cobblestone streets lined with medieval houses and colorful fountains. You can explore the many museums and art galleries, or just stroll the streets of the old town.
I love doing that on weekends off—just having a coffee in a local café and watching the local bar life. It's a beautiful city. Of course, it's also considered the pharmaceutical capital of Europe, so it's a fascinating mix of lots of different nationalities and well worth a couple of nights' stay.
Alternatively, you could spend two nights in Lucerne, which is actually where I live. In my opinion—and many others'—it is the most beautiful city in Switzerland. You can explore this traditional Swiss town along the banks of Lake Lucerne with its dramatic Alpine backdrop.
You'll see the 14th-century Chapel Bridge, which you mustn't miss, the Baroque churches, and the medieval old town. And if you're there in the wintertime, I highly recommend some fondue or raclette along the river—outside, of course, because it's quite a smelly experience. But fondue or raclette along the river when it gets a bit chilly outside—they'll provide you with coats to keep warm—is quite the local thing to do.
So Lucerne is beautiful any time of year, and as I said, my absolute favorite picture-postcard city in Switzerland—very different from Basel. Those are two two-night optionals in Switzerland for you.
We have more journeys that we offer along the Rhine. One of them, of course, our real flagship itinerary, is the Grand European Tour, which is 15 days and four countries. We have Cities of Light, which is 12 days and four countries. Paris to the Swiss Alps, 12 days and four countries. Holland and Belgium, 10 days and three countries. Tulips and Windmills, 10 days and two countries.
European Sojourn—very long, very beautiful—23 days and eight countries. Then there's Christmas Along the Rhine, which is eight days, four countries, and lots of lovely Christmas markets. Then there's the wonderful Oberammergau, the Alps and the Rhine, which is 12 days and six countries. And the Rhine and Viking Shores & Fjords, which combines rivers and oceans with Viking—that's 15 days and six countries.
So please contact your Viking representative or visit viking.com. Thank you for exploring the Rhine Getaway with me today, and I hope you enjoyed it almost as much as you would have had you explored it with Joost.
To answer your live Q&As, I'm actually going to pass you over to my colleague Klaus, who is very involved in defining the experiences that you'll have both onshore and on board on the Rhine Getaway itinerary. So I thought he would be the best person to spend the next little bit of time with you. So again, thank you for watching, and I'm going to pass it over to Klaus.
