Europe's Heartland Cruise June 2009
Day by Day Itinerary
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Enjoy long warm sunny days as you luxuriously cruise
along the beautiful Mosel and Rhine rivers in Germany.
You'll see castles a plenty, and sightsee in beautiful
historic towns and cities along the way. |
This is the itinerary for the June 2009 Europe's Heartland Cruise.
Exact schedule details may always vary slightly to fit
in with lock times, weather, etc,
and so this itinerary may slightly change between now and departure.
Click here for the main
details of this cruise and the booking form to confirm your
interest.
Itinerary
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Day 1 (Sunday June 28 -
or sooner - see optional Paris tour details below) :
Leave the US |
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Fly any way you wish from your hometown to either Paris (for the pretour option)
or Trier if directly joining the tour (probably one of its
nearby major airports such as Frankfurt or Luxembourg). |
You
can either make your own arrangements to travel to Trier
today (to arrive tomorrow), or perhaps travel elsewhere in
Europe, on an earlier day, to enjoy some pre-cruise
sightseeing.
Amawaterways offer a pre-cruise Paris
package that might be of interest, or you can do your own
thing and either join us for the transfer/sightseeing tour
from Paris to Trier on embarkation day (tomorrow) or make your own way
as it suits you to the ship.
You should leave the US today or
earlier, so as to arrive in Trier on Monday (or sooner)
in time for the start of the Europe's Heartland River
Cruise.
Note - if you've chosen the pre-tour
package extension to Paris for three nights, you'll leave the US on
Thursday 25 June or sooner - see below. |
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Optional
Pre-Tour package tour in Paris - Friday/Saturday/Sunday |
Notre Dame cathedral.
Enjoy a cruise on the Seine on a 'bateaux mouche'
Paris - the 'city of lights' at night. |
If you've decided to enjoy the pre-tour time in Paris,
you'll leave the US on Thursday 25 June or sooner, so as to
arrive into Paris for the start of the pre-tour option on
Friday 26 June.
On Saturday 27 June, you'll get to
see Paris' famous sights during your morning's guided tour.
Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, see the unique Louvre Museum,
the commemorative L’Arc de Triomphe, Opéra,
Madeleine, Les Champs Elysées and much more.
The remainder of the day is yours
to explore the many museums, galleries and other attractions
that the city has to offer.
On Sunday 28 June you have a full
free day to explore the amazing "City of Lights," where
romance fills the air. Stroll along Les Champs Elysées, the boutique-lined boulevards, or visit the
top of the Eiffel Tower, built for the World's Fair of 1889.
Perhaps travel outside of Paris a
short distance to take in the glorious splendor of the
palace and gardens at Versailles.
Included meals - Breakfast
every morning |
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Day 2 (Monday 29 June) :
Possibly enjoy a sightseeing tour transfer from Paris to
Trier. Definitely board our cruise boat, the Amalyra, in
Trier, Germany this afternoon. |
Luxemburg is a small but wealthy nation
A view of downtown Luxemburg.
Trier's downtown on market day
Our boat is the lovely and luxurious new
Amalyra, launched
just three months prior to our cruise. |
If you chose the optional pre-tour time in Paris, this
morning
you'll transfer by coach from Paris to Trier to board our
ship for the next week, the lovely new
Amalyra.
The tour/transfer takes you
through the beautiful French countryside, including the
region where champagne is made, and via the ancient city of
Reims, the traditional site of the crowning of the kings of
France.
We'll stop for lunch and sightseeing
in the tiny country known as The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Astonishingly, although there are only 500,000 residents in
Luxembourg, the country has three official languages.
If you've been making your own
arrangements prior to today, you can also take this
tour/transfer from Paris to Trier.
Otherwise, simply make your own
way to Trier and the ship, to arrive any time that afternoon. The two nearest airports are Frankfurt
and Luxembourg. It is only about 25 miles between
Luxembourg airport and Trier (ie take a taxi or shuttle bus
transfer) and about 135
miles from Frankfurt (3 hours by train).
Trier is also close to other
cities such as Bonn, but probably the easiest city to fly
into would be Frankfurt.
The crew will be preparing the
cabins for arriving passengers, and you are given access to
your cabin as soon as it becomes available, generally by
4pm.
If you arrive early, you can spend
your time relaxing in the ship’s lounge or doing some
exploring on your own in the historic city of Trier,
Germany's oldest city.
Included meals -
Breakfast for Paris pre-tour option people, and Dinner for
everyone |
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Day 3 (Tuesday 30 June) :
Bernkastel - Zell |
Bernkastel, on the banks of the Mosel
A typical wine label that tells the story of the black cat
on the wine barrel that gave rise to the Zeller Schwarze
Katz name for the local wine.
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After breakfast, arrive in the charming village of
Bernkastel.
Strategically located in the middle of the Mosel
wine-producing region, Bernkastel boasts over 500 years of
documented wine history.
Take a guided walking tour through
the old town center with its many medieval and Renaissance
buildings, before continuing to Zell, famous for its wine
"Zeller Schwarze Katz".
Included Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner |
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Day 4 (Wednesday 1 July) :
Cochem - Koblenz - Rüdesheim |
The small town of Cochem on the banks of the Mosel, as
viewed from its castle
Koblenz, where we change from the Mosel to the Rhine river
One of the castles above the Rhine river
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Decide between a guided tour of hilltop Reichsburg Castle,
which offers fascinating views of the river valley, then
drive to Koblenz.
Or take it easy this morning and stay on board, cruising
along the Mosel to Koblenz, which is situated at
the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine rivers.
In Koblenz, there'll be a guided
walking tour of the city. Enjoy further scenic cruising during
lunch, as you cruise along the most beautiful and famous
part of the Rhine, seeing castle after castle and the
legendary Lorelei Rock.
Arrive in Rüdesheim and visit
Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. In the
evening, explore the Drosselgasse, a narrow alley lined with
wine taverns and restaurants. The ship moors overnight in
Rüdesheim.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
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Day 5 (Thursday 2 July) :
Mainz - Heidelberg - Frankfurt |
Heidelberg and its massive castle
Mainz Cathedral
Frankfurt's historic town square
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Today, you've a choice of two excursions.
The first option is to take a guided walking
tour of beautiful Mainz and see the famous Gutenberg Museum,
home of the world's first printed bible, then travel to
Frankfurt by bus for a tour of the historic “Romer” center.
Or, alternatively, travel by motorcoach to Heidelberg, Germany's oldest
university town, where you will visit the red-walled castle,
enjoy gorgeous views of the Neckar valley below, and see the
Great Vat, a 49,000 gallon,18th-century wine cask.
Later
this afternoon, return to Frankfurt, where the remainder of
the day is free for you to explore. The ship moors overnight
in Frankfurt.
Included Meals: Breakfast,
Dinner |
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Day 6 (Friday 3 July) :
Miltenberg - Wertheim
Happy Fourth of July! |
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The Market Square in Miltenberg.
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Arrive in Miltenberg and disembark for a guided morning
walking tour of this old Franconian town, which reveals
narrow cobblestone streets and gabled, half-timbered houses.
Shop for souvenirs before continuing to charming Wertheim
for an interesting glass-blowing performance. Then, there is
free time to browse the market square before rejoining the
ship.
Included Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner |
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Day 7 (Saturday 4 July) :
Würzburg |
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The world's largest fresco is in the Residenz at Wurzburg,
now a protected World Heritage site.
In medieval Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Frankonia, you'll
feel like you stepped back into the 16th century. Completely
surrounded by its medieval ramparts with countless towers,
Rothenburg is famous for its ancient houses, fountains,
cobbled lanes and hidden corners and street signs. |
Würzburg, "the Pearl of the Romantic Road," is the capital
of Lower Franconia, and a center of wine and trade.
You'll visit
the major sights of this city, including the magnificent Residenz Palace.
This afternoon, you can join an optional excursion to
medieval Rothenburg, where a walking tour helps you
appreciate its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes and
16th-century houses.
The remainder of the afternoon is yours
to explore on your own before returning to the ship in Würzburg.
Included Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner |
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Day 8 (Sunday 5 July) :
Bamberg |
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Bamberg, now a World Heritage site, on the banks of the
Rhine.
The Bamberg Town Hall is on a bridge. |
Enjoy a leisurely morning cruise before you enter the
Main-Danube Canal in enchanting Bamberg, which was declared
a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
Disembark for a guided
tour of this medieval gem, with its uniquely intact
townscape. Marvel at the breathtaking cathedral, the Old
Town Hall that straddles the river, and the city's
serpentine streets with charming houses and 18th-century
mansions.
Late tonight, arrive in Nuremberg.
Included
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 9 (Monday 6 July) :
Cruise ends in Nuremberg, optional tour on to Prague |
Nuremberg has retained much of its ancient charm and
character.
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If you haven't chosen to add the optional extension to
Prague, after breakfast this morning, you will disembark and make your way to the airport for
your flight home, or extend your vacation any which way you
choose.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Note - if you've chosen the tour
extension to Prague, your itinerary continues on below |
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Day 9 (Monday 6 July) :
Optional Side Trip to Prague |
Prague from the Vltava (Moldau) river, looking up to its
castle. |
After breakfast, enjoy a guided morning tour of the historic
city of Nuremberg with its fabulous Gothic churches and
impressively elegant walls.
You will have some free time to
explore the town on your own before transferring to Prague
by motorcoach.
Included Meals: Breakfast |
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Day 10 (Tuesday 7 July) :
Prague extension day two |
Looking down on the Old Town Square in Prague |
This morning's included sightseeing reveals why Prague is considered
one of Europe's most attractive cities.
You'll visit the
1,000-year-old Hradcany Castle with its wonderful view over
the city below, and St. Vitus Church inside the castle
grounds, then
walk over the Charles Bridge to the Old Market Square.
The
evening is free to mix with the locals at Wenceslas Square,
shop for souvenirs or enjoy one of the charming cafés or
restaurants.
Included Meals: Breakfast |
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Day 11 (Wednesday 8 July) :
End of Prague extension |
The Charles Bridge in Prague. |
After breakfast this morning, your tour comes to an end,
unless you've chosen to extend it further with your own
arrangements, either in Prague, or anywhere else in Europe
as you choose.
Included Meals: Breakfast |
Click here for the main
details of this cruise and the booking form to confirm your
interest.
Originally published
19 Feb 2009, last update
30 May 2021
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