Danube Wine Cruise hosted by Texas Winery – Messina Hof

Europeanbarging, a Texas-based company offering barge and river cruises, today announced a SPECIAL DISCOUNT of $2000 per cabin on a Wine Cruise for its clients, slated for Spring, starting from March 18 – 25, 2024. Discounted rates start at $1999 per person.

The wine cruise is scheduled on the AMAVerde ship and will be the 6th wine cruise hosted by the owners of Messina Hof Winery – Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo, who will offer several tastings and discussions on their wines and winery, as well as winemaking. A pairing of their wines will be offered with a special AmaWaterways gourmet meal. In addition to the many wine-themed excursions, there are multiple included excursions offered in each port, including hiking and cycling tours.  Excursions feature Gentle, regular, active, and late-riser tour options.

Touch history and learn about winemaking traditions while sailing along the lower Danube River through Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. Wine connoisseurs will have a chance to taste history from the centuries-old wine-growing hills dating back to the Romans in Ilok. Visit local wineries in the Calafat wine region, and in Szekszárd, one of the oldest red-wine-growing areas in Hungary. With a wine expert to guide you, indulge in wine tastings and a specially curated food and wine pairing dinner on board.

 

Messina Hof is the most awarded and renowned Texas wine in national and international competitions. In a community steeped in tradition, Messina Hof Winery & Resort holds its own with a 200-year history of award-winning wines. Although the winery itself was officially established with the first vintage release in 1983, the rich wine heritage of Winemaker Paul Bonarrigo dates back six generations to Messina, Sicily. Merrill Bonarrigo’s family originates from Hof, Germany. Together they have pioneered the Texas wine industry in creating premium wines of distinction and a landmark wine country destination.

The cruise rate includes all sightseeing, meals, wine with dinner, a daily happy hour before dinner, free internet, and the use of bicycles on board.  There is an optional pre-cruise land program in Vienna, Austria, and a post-cruise land program in Romania or Istanbul.  The special $1000 per person discount offer ends September 30, 2023. Port tax is an additional $220 per person. A deposit of $400 per person is due with booking, balance is due 90 days before departure. Payment plans are available.

Europeanbarging was founded in 1998 and specializes in European barge and river cruise products. Located in Texas, Europeanbarging is an ARC-accredited company. AmaWaterways, the only cruise line that has the privileged of being inducted into La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, one of the world’s most prestigious culinary organizations and Tables et Auberges, leading the way in the cruise industry as one of the most innovative food and wine experiences both on-board and on-shore.

For more information contact Europeanbarging at: 888-869-7907 or http://www.europeanbarging.com

Discover the Beauty of Holland

Holland is a small country in Europe. Its modern name is the Netherlands. It is a country where many world-famous icons came from. Visiting this beautiful country allows you to discover its windmills, bulb fields, wooden shoes, masterpieces of the Old Masters, the canals of Amsterdam, the many Spring Gardens of Holland, the famous Holland tulips, and many more.  If you are planning for that Holland tour as your next travel destination, here are some of the events and places that are not to be missed:

 

Spring time Tulips in Holland

BOLLENSTREEK’ Flower Parade

Holland tulips and other beautiful flowers are in bloom in springtime, usually from March through May. The parade is usually scheduled in April. This big flower festival draws almost one million spectators every year.

The Bloemencorso Bollentsreek is a big flower event that happens every year. Dozens of floats are creatively decorated with tulips, hyacinths, narcissi, and other flowers to represent a variety of themes annually.

Aside from dressed-up floats, many participants parade their own cars decorated with different flower bouquets.

The parade spans 42 kilometers, from Noordwijk to Haarlem.

Gardens of Appeltern

This is a 23-hectare park, the largest garden idea park in the Netherlands. People come here to find inspiration for their own gardens. Visitors will see the latest gardening trends and innovations that they can use to build or improve their gardens at home. The highlight of your visit to this beautiful park is a walk around the park, called the Appeltern Whisper Tour.

They have over 200 inspiring gardens. Inside the park is the Discovery Island where the young and old can play and discover nature.

Every year they have different activities. They even offer workshops.

Het Loo Palace and Gardens

This sprawling palace and gardens are found at Koninkiij Park in Apeldorn. The Paleis Het Loo gardens were reconstructed to their 17th-century original design by Queen Mary II and King-stadtholder William III. They were known as the first residents and the founders of the Het Loo Palace.

The garden screams of a Dutch Baroque design. There are symmetrical parterres, historical planting, and amazing fountains.

The main purpose of the gardens was to give prestige, impress visitors, and establish the status of both William and Mary.

During the 19th century, the garden was filled with sand and later transformed into a landscape park. The park has different kinds of trees and shrubs. During the 1980’s it was remodeled back to its original Baroque style.

Different contemporary and historical flowers are in bloom each season. The Het Loo Palace and Gardens has already been officially recognized as a botanic garden, it is a reward to acknowledge its decades-long dedication to horticultural professionalism.

From the months of April to October, visitors get to enjoy the fountains in the palace. In comparison to the gardens of Versailles, the garden at Het Loo is thought to be more modest in terms of scale. The fountains are a different story, though. The fountains at Paleis Het Loo constantly spout fresh water because of the high level of the groundwater which actually surpasses the French varieties. The King’s Leap (Koningssprong) was considered to be the highest spouting fountain in the whole of Europe at 13 meters.

Visitors will find sculptures of the goddesses and gods from Greek mythology, in the center of the garden, such as Venus, the goddess of love.

Keukenhof Gardens

The Garden of Europe is also referred to as the Keukenhof Gardens. It is recognized as among the world’s biggest flower gardens. It is located in the beautiful town of Lisse. It is in the province of South Holland, just south of Haarlem and in the southwest area of Amsterdam. This whole space is known as the “Dune of Bulb Region”. The park actually covers an area of about 32 hectares, housing almost 7 million flower bulbs yearly.

The sprawling garden is popular for its colorful tulips. Aside from tulips, other flowers are featured in the park, like daffodils, roses, irises, hyacinths, lilies, and carnations.

The Keukenhof Gardens is open all year round, featuring Different activities that take place like festivals and private affairs.

 

Tulip Land

Holland is popular for its tulips. Keukenhof Gardens is home to 7 million flower bulbs that bloom from March to April. Crocus season starts in March, followed by hyacinths and daffodils. Then by mid-April to early May gorgeous tulips are in full bloom, creating a sea of amazing beauty.

Holland may very well be called the Tulip Land with the many different tulip farms. There are tulip farms in Noordoostpolder, Flevoland. Tulips may also be found along the coast of The Hague and Leiuden.

Sights and Events in Belgium

Nearby Belgium also has interesting places to visit too.

Park and Castle of Beloeil – this 25-hectare park and castle are one of the most popular places in Belgium. Real ancient furniture still adorns each room of the castle. The rich history of the place is also showcased by one-of-a-kind collectible pieces still found all throughout the castle. The French garden is a marriage of water and greens. Activities are suspended as of this writing because of the global pandemic.

Castle and Gardens of Freyr ­ – this castle and gardens are located 50km from Brussels South Airport. The Dukes of Beaufort-Spontin used this castle as their summerhouse. This place is rich in history as 20 generations have lived there. Marvel at the different fountains and the 300-year-old orange trees all around the garden. Be amazed by the 6-kilometer hedged small mazes.

Fernelmont – The Castle of Franc-Waret and its Natural Gardens – the Fernelmont castle farm is the last remaining original medieval building in Franc-Waret in Fernelmont, Namur, Belgium. A moat surrounds the castle which is adorned by beautiful French gardens. An English-style garden covers more than 120 hectares of the palace. This castle built around the 1300s has an imposing porch dungeon. This is a huge limestone structure that features a central arched entrance which is located between two hemispherical projecting parts. It is recognized as an exceptional heritage site of Wallonia.

The Royal Greenhouses in Laeken – this is open for three weeks each year starting from mid-April to the first week of May. This is in time for springtime wherein a lot of colorful flowers are in bloom. The Greenhouses are part of the Royal Park, hence it is closed to the public for most of the year.

 

Europeanbarging offers short river cruises through Holland and Belgium on Arosa and Croisi Cruise lines as well as 7-night cruises on AmaWaterways.  A Holland Tulip river cruise is a great way to see more of Holland and Belgium and their gardens.  Some of the gardens would need to be visited as a pre or post-cruise trip as they are not on the rivers or canals.  For more information or to check availability, contact Jan at 888-869-7907  or jan@europeanbarging.com.

 

Rhine and Mosel Wine Cruise hosted by Texas Winery – Messina Hof

Europeanbarging Presents a German Wine Cruise From November 7 – 14, 2023.

Mosel Riv

Europeanbarging, announced a SPECIAL DISCOUNT of $2500 per cabin on a Wine Cruise for its clients, slated for late fall, starting from November 7 to 14, 2023. Discounted rates start at $2249 per person.

The cruise, scheduled on the AMA Prima ship will be hosted by the owners of Messina Hof Winery – Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo, who will offer several tastings and discussions on their wines and winery, as well as wine making. A pairing of their wines will be offered with a special AmaWaterways gourmet meal. In addition to the many wine themed excursions, there are multiple included excursions offered in each port, including hiking and cycling tours. This will be the sixth wine cruise that Paul and Merrill have hosted with AmaWaterways.

From the Medieval towns of Nuremberg, Bamberg, Wurzburg and Wertheim, on the meandering Main to the UNESCO-designated Upper Middle Rhine Valley and Rhine Gorge with its multitude of castles dotting its shores to the vineyard-clad hills – flowing past the wine villages of Cochem, Zell and Trier on the Mosel, before ending the cruise in Luxembourg. Enjoy Europe at its most picturesque during this fall itinerary. Savor the many flavors of Germany with a chance to sample the world-famous wines of the Rheingau and the hearty smoked beer of Bamberg.

Messina Hof is the most awarded and renowned Texas wine in national and international competitions. In a community steeped in tradition, Messina Hof Winery & Resort holds its own with a 200-year history of award-winning wines. Although the winery itself was officially established with the first vintage release in 1983, the rich wine heritage of Winemaker Paul Bonarrigo dates back six generations to Messina, Sicily. Merrill Bonarrigo’s family originates from Hof, Germany. Together they have pioneered the Texas wine industry in creating premium wines of distinction and a landmark wine country destination.

There is an optional pre cruise land program to Prague, Czech Republic and a post cruise land program to Champagne France. There will also be a special pre cruise land program to Hof Germany offered – more details later.

Cruise rate includes all sightseeing, meals, wine with dinner, daily happy hour before dinner, free internet, use of bicycles on board. The special $1250 per person discount offer ends December 30, 2021. Port tax an additional $210 per person. Deposit of $400 per person due with booking, balance due 90 days before departure. Payment plan available.

Europeanbarging was founded in 1998 and specializes in European barge and river cruise products. Located in Texas, Europeanbarging is an ARC accredited company. AmaWaterways, the only cruise line that has the privileged of being inducted into La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, one of the world most prestigious culinary organizations and Tables et Auberges, leading the way in the cruise industry as one of the most innovative food and wine experiences both on-board and on-shore.

For more information contact Europeanbarging at: 888-869-7907 or http://www.europeanbarging.com

Danube Wine Cruise hosted by Texas Winery – Barons Creek

Europeanbarging Presents a Danube Wine Cruise From November 5 – 12, 2023

Europeanbarging, a Texas-based company offering barge and river cruises in Europe, today announced a SPECIAL DISCOUNT of $1000 per person on a Danube Wine Cruise for its clients, slated for late fall, starting from November 5 – 12, 2023.  The discounted rates start at  $2809  per person.

Barons Creek

The cruise, scheduled on the AMA Lea ship will be hosted by the owners of Barons Creek Vineyards – Marc and Marta Chase, as well as their Certified Sommelier – Anthony Makoujy, who will offer several tastings and discussions on their wines and winery, as well as winemaking.  A pairing of their wines will be offered with a special Amawaterways gourmet meal.  In addition to the multiple included excursions offered in each port, there will be many wine-themed excursions as well.

Melk Abbey

Framed by rolling hillsides, lush vineyards, and medieval castles, the Danube River has captivated musicians, artists, and poets throughout the centuries. Travel to legendary destinations on your cruise from Budapest to Vilshofen. Explore a 2,000-year-old city, savor Wachau Valley wines, and experience the timeless beauty and fascinating history of Budapest and Vienna.  Featured stops include:  Budapest • Bratislava • Vienna • Dürnstein • Melk • Linz • Passau • Vilshofen.

Pre-cruise land program in Budapest and post-cruise land program in Prague available.

Barons Creek Vineyards was started back in 2016 as an extended family venture of the Chase Family. In 2018, Marc and Marta Chase took over full ownership and management of  Barons Creek with the help of Texas Wine Maker Russell Smith, Certified Sommelier Anthony Makoujy, and a team of over 50 employees that operate four separate locations throughout Texas.

Certified Sommelier Anthony Makoujy relocated from Napa Valley, CA to join the BCV team back in 2016 and will officially represent Barons Creek throughout all educational components of the cruise along with several other members of the Barons Creek Vineyards team. Club members tell us that Anthony has a very entertaining & engaging way of making wine much more approachable and fun for wine lovers across the board.

Europeanbarging was founded in 1998 and specializes in European barge and river cruise products. Located in Texas, Europeanbarging is an ARC accredited company.

AmaWaterways, the only cruise line that has the privileged of being inducted into La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, one of the world most prestigious culinary organizations, as well as Prestigious Tables et Auberges de France –  leading the way in the cruise industry as one of the most innovative foods and wine experiences both on-board and on-shore.

The $1000 per person discount ends September 30, 2021.

For more information contact Europeanbarging at:  888-869-7907  or   http://www.europeanbarging.com.

Exploring Heidelberg and Her Castle

Heidelberg is a city located in southwestern Germany, along the canals of the Neckar River. It was first recognized in 1196. It was the capital city of the Rhenish Palatinate. Later, it became the place of residence of the electorate counts palatine up to 1720.

The city was devastated during the Thirty Years’ War in 1622. It was almost completely wiped out by the French in 1689 and 1693.

Heidelberg is a university town. Its 2016 census revealed that it has a population of 159,914, with roughly a quarter of that figure are students.

It is the fifth-largest city in Baden-Wurttemberg.

The oldest university in Germany and one of Europe’s most reputable universities is in this city, the Heidelberg University, which was founded in 1386. The university played a leading role in the era of humanism and Reformation.

The city’s library is the oldest existing public library in Germany, it was established in 1421. A few months after announcing his Ninety-five Theses, Martin Luther came to Heidelberg to defend them, that was in April of 1518.

During World War II, the city was the stronghold of the Nazi party. Between 1933 and 1945 was known as the Nazi period.

In 1934-1935 the State Labor Service and students at Heidelberg University built the Thingstätte Amphitheater in the northern part of the town. This amphitheater was where Nazi Party events were held. After just a few months, the sprawling Ehrenfiedhof Memorial Cemetery was opened, which completed the last project of the Nazi Party in the city. It was in the southern part of the old town.

German troops left the city on March 29, 1945, after destroying the old bridge, the city’s valued river crossing. Allied forces penetrated the town the next day and the civilian population voluntarily surrendered.

It was said that the city was not targeted by Allied bombing raids because the U.S. Army wanted to use it as a post-war garrison.

The city is known as the scientific hub in Germany as there are some internationally renowned research labs near Heidelberg University, including Max Planck Institutes and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.

For centuries it has been an art hub, especially literature. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network even awarded it as a “City of Literature”.

The city is a favorite tourist destination because of its popular romantic cityscape, including The Philosopher’s Walk, the old Baroque town, and the Heidelberg Castle.

 

Heidelberg Castle at Sunset

Heidelberg Castle

The Heidelberg Castle

The popular landmark, Heidelberg Castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance buildings located north of the Alps. it was demolished in the 17th and 18th centuries and has only been rebuilt partially. The castle is a towering figure from the Konigstuhl hillside. Visitors can go there via the Heidelberger Bergbahn funicular railway which runs from Kornmarkt all the way to the summit of the Kongistuhl.

The earliest castle structure was built before 1214. A second structure was built in 1294. In 1537, though, a lightning bolt struck and destroyed the upper castle.

The present structures were improved in 1650, unfortunately, wars and fires destroyed these structures. Portions were rebuilt but another lightning bolt struck in 1764.

You can visit Heidelberg and her castle from most Rhine River Cruises.  We offer from 4 – 15 day cruises.  Checkout our website for  cruise itineraries.   Contact us for more information and current promotions:  888-869-7907 or jan@europeanbarging.com