Rhine River Cruise

1 Amsterdam

Canals and Culture

• Wander around the Jordaan, a charming neighborhood with narrow alleys and leafy canals
• The Rijksmuseum holds works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and others; van Gogh has his own museum
• Explore Anne Frank's House for a moving introduction to this young girl's story

• Food and Wine
• Shopping

2 Köln (Cologne)

A Center of Tradition, Commerce, and Intellect

• Köln's landmark Dom (Cathedral) is one of the purest expressions of the Gothic spirit in Europe
• The Römisch-Germanisches Museum (Roman-Germanic Museum) is home to a magnificent Roman mosaic
• To see a pop-art collection that rivals that of New York's Guggenheim, stop at the Museum Ludwig

• Art and Culture
• Museums

3 Koblenz

River Life and Castles

• Koblenz is where the Mosel meets the Rhine. On the west bank sits the 10th-century Festung Ehrenbreitstein
• Sip wine with some regional specialties at Zum Weissen Schwanen, a pub that opened in 1693
• St. Castor's Church, consecrated in 836 AD, is where the Treaty of Verdun was signed, divvying up Charlemagne's empire

• History
• Architecture
• Food and Wine

4 Heidelberg

Germany's Preeminent University Town

• Heidelberg's castle is a hodgepodge of styles from the 16th and 17th centuries that somehow fit together; it's also home to the German Apothecary Museum
• The Alte Brücke, spanning the Neckar River, was part of Heidelberg's original fortifications
• Heidelberg is Germany's most famous university town. Visit the 18th-century university buildings near University Square

• History
• Architecture
• Art and Culture

5 Strasbourg

• The most magical neighborhood in Strasbourg is Petite France, where charming houses and restaurants line the canals of the Ill
• Take time to visit the massive neoclassical Palais Rohan
• See objects rescued from the cathedral at the Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame

• History
• Architecture

6 Basel

• In a city known for its museums, the Kunstmuseum is Basel's heirloom jewel
• Housed in a building by Renzo Piano, the Fondation Beyeler hosts an astonishingly well-rounded collection of 20th-century and contemporary art

• Art and Culture
• Museums