Romance of the Rhine & Mosel (2012)

If you choose the optional Delta Works tour, you'll ride by motorcoach to see a restoration project known worldwide for its hydro-engineering, begun after flooding had devastated Holland. Originally, the province was a collection of islands—easy prey to the sea. Now the islands are connected and protected by a series of dams, dikes, and bridges. The destructive tides that flooded the islands in 1953 and claimed the lives of 1,800 people are still remembered by the inhabitants of Zeeland. Since then, the gigantic Delta Works have prevented a recurrence. This tour shows you several of the ingenious technical achievements designed over the past 35 years, and gives you an impressive idea of how the Dutch have claimed, reclaimed, and protected their homeland from the threat of the sea. You'll rejoin the ship in Willemstad.

Join an optional tour to the Kroller-Muller Museum. Situated in the heart of Hoge Veluwe National Park, this museum houses world-renowned works of art by artists, such as Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Fernand Léger. Grassy plains, sand dunes, and dense forests compose the stunning and diverse surroundings that envelop the museum grounds. Adding to the natural beauty of the landscape, the sprawling sculpture garden—one of the largest in Europe—displays stunning statues along a winding path perfect for strolling. Please note: The Kroller-Muller Museum is closed on Mondays. Travelers visiting Nijmegen on Mondays will instead be offered the option to visit the Liberation Museum. This optional tour will not be offered on departures featuring the Floriade.

Join an optional excursion to Augustusburg Palace. Located in Brühl, a small town on the edge of the Naturpark Kottenforst-Ville Nature Reserve, you'll enjoy a guided tour of Schloss Augustusburg, a horseshoe-shaped palace widely considered to be a masterpiece of Rococo architecture. Built in the 18th century for Clemens August of Wittelsbach, the powerful Archbishop of Cologne, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was used by the German government until 1994 to receive special guests of state. The palace complex is also home to Schloss Falkenlust, a smaller castle that served as a hunting lodge, and an exquisitely landscaped garden modeled after Versailles, which you'll have free time to explore during your visit. Please note: Schloss Augustusburg is closed on Mondays. Travelers visiting on Mondays will instead explore the Remagen Palace Museum.

Join our full-day optional tour to Luxembourg, the tiny nation whose territory comprises less than 1,000 square miles. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy located between Belgium, France, and Germany. Here, the everyday language is Letzebuergesch, which symbolizes the national identity of the people. In addition to a city tour and a visit to the Battle of the Bulge Cemetery, you’ll also enjoy lunch and free time to explore on your own. German forces occupied Luxembourg in May of 1940, and its liberation (primarily by American troops) began in September of 1944. The Battle of the Bulge began with Hitler’s desperate attack through the Ardennes to attempt to drive out the Allied forces. The resulting battle, called “the greatest American battle of the Second World War” by Winston Churchill, raged here from the 16th of December 1944 through the 28th of January 1945. Though 200 men from the tenth British Corps were killed in this action, the U.S. (8,447 killed, 46,170 wounded, 20,905 missing or imprisoned) and Germans (10,749 killed, 34,439 wounded, 32,487 missing or imprisoned) suffered tremendous losses. In the city of Luxembourg itself, you’ll see the market square, the Palais of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and the cathedral.

Please note: Luxembourg will be offered as an included tour with lunch on all September departures.

Join us on an optional excursion to one of the most beautiful castles standing on the hills that line the Rhine River, Marksburg Castle. The only 13th-century castle unchanged by war or reconstruction, it offers an unprecedented glimpse into the daily life of the time. Walking through the three towers and the connecting rooms, you will fully feel what it was like to live in a castle. You'll climb a stone staircase leading to the romantic bed chamber (the only room heated with a stove), see the great hall with its enormous fireplace (large enough to grill a steer whole), and take in a commanding vista from the east bank of the Rhine as you stand atop the towers.

Then make a discovery of a different nature as we stop in at a family-owned brewery. Here we will try a bratwurst mit kraut and a home-brewed beer as we mingle with the locals at the beer garden.

Please note: When the brewery is unavailable, we will go instead to the Koblenz Wine Village, built for the 1925 German Wine Exhibition. Beautifully situated on the banks of the Rhine, the complex includes a genuine vineyard and a number of half-timbered houses collected from some of Germany's most famous wine-making areas. This optional tour features a considerable amount of uphill walking and walking on uneven surfaces.

Join our optional tour and take a scenic journey by motorcoach into the Black Forest region. You visit the spa town of Baden-Baden, nestled in the thick, deep green forests. Baden-Baden has been renowned for its thermal baths since Roman times. You'll have a tour of the resort town and a tasting of the mineral waters, thought by many to have restorative powers. To conclude, you will sample the area’s famous Black Forest cake and relax with some coffee in Baden-Baden before returning to the ship.