Moselle & Rhine
Frankfurt • Mainz • Koblenz • Cochem • Bernkastel-Kues • Trier • Luxembourg • Thionville • Metz • Nancy
Day 1 — Mainz, Germany/Cruising the Rhine River/Koblenz, Germany
Join a walking tour in beautiful Mainz, located at the confluence of the Main and Rhine rivers. Your stroll through the old city includes a stop at the Gutenberg Museum to see the press on which Johann Gutenberg developed movable metal type. Also walk through the Altstadt, glimpsing the red-sandstone cathedral overhead and the square's Renaissance fountain. Return to the Rembrandt for an afternoon cruise along the Rhine's most scenic section, gliding past hillside castles, sloping vineyards, and the slate crag of Lorelei. As we dock in Koblenz, where the Rhine and Mosel rivers meet, enjoy the captain's welcome reception and dinner. You'll have time afterwards to meander at leisure along the Deutsches Eck promontory.
Day 2 — Cruising the Mosel River/Cochem, Germany
Continue your voyage along the much narrower and more picturesque Mosel today as it winds its way in sweeping arcs past tiny hamlets. Vineyards blanket the hillsides that flank the river and it is here, in this tranquil countryside, that grapes for the popular Mosel wines are grown.
As we approach Cochem, you'll see Reichsburg Castle perched high above the charming village; learn more about its history during an afternoon tour. Although a castle has graced this site since the 11th century, the French destroyed it in 1689. The current incarnation, rebuilt from the original foundations, was opulently refurbished in the 19th century. Join us back on board the Rembrandt for a wine tasting before dinner.
Day 3 — Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
A leisurely cruise brings us to the heart of the Mosel Valley. One of the region's premier wine-producing areas, Bernkastel-Kues' central cellars store more than 17 million gallons of wine. You'll have free time late this afternoon to explore the town, noted for its half-timbered, gabled homes and artistic weather vanes. Bernkastel-Kues, with the ruined castle of Landshut crowning its marketplace, is an iconic symbol of this lovely valley.
Day 4 — Trier, Germany
Founded in 16 B.C. by Emperor Augustus, Trier was also once the residence of Diocletian and Constantine the Great. Explore its Roman legacy and later history during an afternoon tour that passes fortresslike St. Peter's Cathedral, one of Germany's oldest Romanesque churches. Just a few steps away is the Hauptmarkt -- a quaint square abounding with Gothic, Re-naissance, and rococo architecture. Trier's unmistakable Roman history is palpably felt at the town's Imperial Baths and 20,000-seat amphitheater.
Day 5 — Grevenmacher (for Luxembourg), Luxembourg/Thionville, France
Travel overland this morning to Luxembourg -- Europe's dynamic financial center. Your tour includes a visit to the Luxembourg American Cemetery, one of 14 permanent World War II burial grounds established on foreign soil. More than 5,000 American military dead are interred here, including 101 Unknown Soldiers and General Patton. Continue to Luxembourg's Old Town, stopping at the Cathedral of Our Lady and bustling Place d'Armes. Enjoy a leisurely lunch and time for independent discovery before returning to the ship, now docked in Thionville, France.
Day 6 — Thionville (for Maginot Line)/Metz, France
Reminders of the 20th century's two great wars were prevalent throughout Germany and Luxembourg. Today, you'll see the famous Maginot Line -- an impressive defensive zone implemented by France to protect its own borders. When World War II began, the line stretched from Switzerland to the Ardennes in the north, and from the Alps to the Mediterranean in the south. Stop at Hackenberg Fort and explore the complex aboard a refurbished ammunition transport train. Then, in Metz, trade battlegrounds for land once trod by royalty. The former capital of the Carolingian kings in medieval times and now the largest city in northern Lorraine, Metz boasts a tumultuous history. It was fortified by the Romans; sacked by Attila the Hun in the fifth century; prospered as a free imperial city until the 13th century; captured by the French, along with Tours and Verdun, in 1552; surrendered to the Germans in 1870; under German rule from 1871-1918; and reverted to French jurisdiction after World War I. Your afternoon tour traces the city's history from Gallo-Roman times to the present. Also delight in an exclusive concert on the Silbermann organ at the Gothic Cathedral of St. Etienne.
Day 7 — Nancy, France
Our final destination is medieval Nancy, once the seat of power for the Dukes of Lorraine. Here, you'll explore Old Town on a walking tour that includes visits to 18th-century Place Stanislas, the elegant landmark square renowned for its golden wrought-iron gates; the medieval Palais Ducal (Dukes' Palace); and the striking cathedral. Following the tour, take advantage of ample leisure time.
Day 8 — Nancy (Disembark)/
Disembark the Rembrandt.
Reverse Itinerary
Day 1 -- Nancy, France
Day 2 -- Thionville (for Maginot Line)/Metz, France
Day 3 -- Grevenmacher (for Luxembourg), Luxembourg/Thionville, France
Day 4 -- Trier, Germany
Day 5 -- Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
Day 6 -- Cruising the Mosel River/Cochem, Germany
Day 7 -- Mainz, Germany/Cruising the Rhine River/Koblenz, Germany
Day 8 -- Frankfurt, Germany
