Romance of the Rhine & Mosel

Spend the afternoon in the famous Black Forest region. First, you’ll take a guided tour of The Black Forest Open Air Museum to see how people lived and worked here 600 years ago. Next, witness the preparation of this region’s most popular sweet, the Black Forest cake. Comprised of rich chocolate and cherries, this cake is beloved all over the world—and you’ll discover why when you enjoy a taste for yourself, accompanied by a hot beverage. Finally, you’ll visit a traditional cuckoo clock shop, where you can admire the painstaking craftmanship of these iconic time pieces. Perhaps you’ll take home a hand-carved clock of your own.  

On this excursion, you'll travel to one of the most beautiful structures standing along the Rhine River, Marksburg Castle. Unaltered by war or reconstruction, the 13th-century fortress offers an unrivaled glimpse into medieval daily life. Walking among 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 of the east bank of the Rhine as you stand atop the towers. Then make a discovery of a different nature as you sample regional beer. Return to town for an included walking tour of Boppard before reuniting with your fellow travelers for lunch onboard.

Please note: The optional Marksburg Castle tour features a considerable amount of walking uphill and on uneven surfaces; steep inclines; rocky terraces; narrow passages, no handrails; and dim lighting at times.

On this full-day tour you'll visit Luxembourg, the tiny nation who—despite its diminutive size of less than 1,000 square miles—is an especially important ally to the U.S. 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 visit to the American and the German cemeteries, you’ll also enjoy lunch and free time to explore on your own.

German forces occupied Luxembourg in May 1940, and its liberation (primarily by American troops) began in September 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 encounter, considered “the greatest American battle of the Second World War” by Winston Churchill, raged here from December 16, 1944 through January 28th, 1945, a period in which American troops suffered tremendous losses. In the city of Luxembourg itself, you’ll see the market square, the Palais of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Notre-Dame cathedral.

Discover the Delta Works 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. During an informative film and a guided tour, you’ll see several of the ingenious technical achievements designed over the past 35 years, and get a sense of how the Dutch have claimed, reclaimed, and protected their homeland from the threat of the sea.