Basel to Amsterdam: Beethoven and Romantic Music (port-to-port cruise)

We’ll start the day with a guided tour of Basel, a scenic city straddling the Rhine which dates back to Medieval times. In the afternoon, we’ll set out on a coach ride to the Rhine Falls, one of the most spectacular sites to visit in Switzerland, to admire the largest waterfall in Europe up close and feel the force of the roaring falls. There will be a lecture in French and a concert in the lounge-bar. Our ship will begin to cruise to Breisach.

This morning, we’ll set out on a guided tour of Colmar. We’ll visit the Dominican Church, whose construction began in 1283, which houses a remarkable altarpiece from 1473 known as “Madonna of the Rose Garden” by Martin Schongauer. We’ll spend the afternoon cruising. There will be a lecture in French and a concert in the lounge-bar.

Join us for a visit to the historic center of Strasbourg this morning to see the city’s iconic Petite France area, its half-timbered houses, and the majestic cathedral. In the afternoon, we’ll tour the nearby Strasbourg Cathedral(2), widely considered to be among the finest examples of high-Gothic architecture. After our tour, we’ll head over to the Salle Mozart in an 18th-century building that still reflects the era’s style. What better way to enjoy a concert than in such refined surroundings? We’ll return on board and our ship will begin to cruise once again.

Join us for a guided tour of Mainz. Mainz has a history spanning more than 2,000 years and exploring the city is like opening a history book and reading it cover to cover. On our next stop, we’ll see the blue-hued, stained glass windows in the Collegiate Church of St. Stephan. Listening to our organ concert will be a real treat in this setting. Afterwards, we’ll cruise through the romantic Rhine Valley. There will be a lecture in French and a concert in the lounge-bar.

We’ll spend the morning on a guided tour of Bonn. Bonn was the capital of West Germany until the reunification in 1991. In the afternoon, we’ll have a tour of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthplace. Our visit will finish up with a private concert given by our guest artists. After, we’ll begin to cruise to Cologne.

This morning, we’ll set out on a guided tour of Cologne and we’ll visit the magnificent Cologne Cathedral(2). We’ll begin our cruise to Amsterdam this afternoon. There will be a lecture in French and a concert in the lounge-bar. Tonight is our festive gala evening.

We’ll set out to discover Amsterdam, one of the most unique and extraordinary cities in the world. In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy an audio tour of the Rijksmuseum. The State Museum is more than two hundred years old and today is seen as having one of most breathtaking collections in the world. We’ll enjoy a concert in the city.

Enjoy breakfast on board this morning before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services.

• Your cruise with all meals from dinner the first evening to breakfast on the final day
• All onboard beverages (not including the special lists)
• Accommodations in a double-occupancy cabin
• Visits, lectures (in French), and concerts indicated in the program
• Artists’ fees
• All port fees.

• Drinks from our special wine list or drinks ordered during excursions or transfers
• Cancellation and baggage insurance
• Transfers/travel to and from departure/arrival points
• Airport taxes
• Service fees
• Personal expenses.