The Sunday Telegraph - 01.09.2019

4 ***^ Sunday 1 September 2019 The Sunday Telegraph

COVER STORY

M

edieval castles,

mile-upon-mile

of terraced

vineyards and

picturesque

villages lining

the water’s edge

make a journey

along the Rhine one of the most

popular river cruises in Europe.

Stops here and there are a chance to

taste local wines with the vintners

who made them and to learn about

the historical events, myths and

legends that have shaped the river’s

fortunes over the centuries.

A Rhine cruise is an outstanding

voyage through four countries –

Holland, Germany, France and

Switzerland – and one that is

complemented by all seasons.

Depending on the time of year the

spectacular scenery could be

enhanced by spring flowers, the

golden glow of autumnal foliage or

festive lights and even a dusting of

snow. Cruises run from March to

December and take a week to sail

between Amsterdam and Basel (or

vice versa).

Longer itineraries lasting up to

two weeks pair the Rhine with the GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY; U BY UNIWORLD

Moselle river, a tributary of the

Rhine, or could take you, via the

Main river, as far as Budapest, on the

banks of the Danube.

Now is the ideal time to book a

Christmas markets cruise as

departures can sell out as the festive

season approaches. It’s also a key time

to take advantage of early booking

incentives for 2020 cruises.

A few companies sail from Cologne

or Düsseldorf, which skips the rather

unspectacular scenery between

Amsterdam and Cologne but means

missing out on the charms of the

Dutch capital, where itineraries often

include an overnight stay so

passengers can take a canal boat ride,

visit the world-famous Rijksmuseum

and sample Amsterdam’s legendary

nightlife. All cruises transit the Rhine

Gorge, a 40-mile (64km) valley lined

with steep wooded banks, craggy

cliffs and more than 40 castles and

fortresses that date all

the way back to the

Middle Ages. Two

hundred years on,

romanticism invaded

the Middle Rhine,

inspiring verse and

paintings by Lord Byron

JCONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

CHRISTMAS CHEER

Towards the end of

November and through

December, Christmas

markets are an added

attraction for those

cruising the Rhine. These

spring up in all towns and

cities along the river and

are colourful affairs with

stalls selling everything

from gingerbread and

mulled wine to tree

decorations and winter

woollens.

In Rüdesheim, stalls fill

the town’s small streets

and squares. Cologne and

Strasbourg have markets

all around the cities

including in front of their

respective cathedrals. The

markets come alive after

dark, so itineraries that

stay in port late or

overnight are best.

A five-day River Cruise

Line (01858 438330;

rivercruiseline.co.uk)

sailing to the German

Christmas Markets on

Dec 2 this year stays the

night in Mainz,

Rüdesheim, Koblenz and

Cologne (from £699pp).

The seven-day Christmas

Markets on the Rhine

cruise offered by

Shearings (01942 417926;

30 miles

FRANCE

SWITZERLAND

GERMANY

NETHERLANDS

THE RHINE

Cologne

Amsterdam

Koblenz

Boppard Mainz

Rüdesheim

Mannheim

Strasbourg

Riquewihr

Breisach

Basel

shearings.com) on Dec 1

explores Koblenz,

Rüdesheim and Cologne

(from £575.10pp). Crystal

River Cruises (020 7399

7601; crystalcruises.co.uk)

has a 10-night Rhine

Christmas Markets that

factors in plenty of time to

visit markets, with

overnights in Amsterdam,

Koblenz and Basel.

Uniworld (0808 273

3590; uniworld.com),

CroisiEurope (0208 328

1281; croisieurope.co.uk),

Amadeus River Cruises

(0800 035 6411; amadeus-

rivercruises.co.uk) and

A-Rosa, sold through

Shearings and Newmarket

Holidays (0330 160 7766;

newmarketholidays.co.uk)

are among the river cruise

lines with sailings over

Christmas Day. Amadeus

includes an optional

late-night Christmas Eve

mass in Speyer on a

seven-night Cologne

round-trip departing Dec

22 (from £1,269pp). It’s not

ideal for anyone on a

mission to visit the markets

as most shut on Dec 23.

Those in Strasbourg and

one in Cologne stay open

until the new year.

The first-timer’s guide

to a river for all seasons

and William Turner, and the “Die

Lorelei” poem by Heinrich Heine, in

which a mermaid lured sailors to

their deaths with her singing.

Weather-wise, spring and autumn

will be cooler. High summer tends to

be hot and the big cities and wine

towns become crowded. High and

low water can impact sailings on the

Rhine, but lines will generally

investigate the possibility of

swapping to a sister ship and

completing journeys by coach before

cancelling a cruise entirely.

EAT, DRINK,

BE MERRY

Strasbourg,

left; warming

Glühwein,

below

COCKTAIL

TIME

Passengers on

Uniworld River

Cruises’ tour of

the Rhine, main

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