From Amsterdam to the Romantic Rhine

For a long time the Rhine was the border between the Roman Empire and the German barbarian tribes to the east, so many long-established settlements line the west bank. Until the 18th century Germany was generally split into many individual principalities, often in dispute, leading to a large number of castles, especially along the Rhine where barons could fix and levy tolls almost at will. Nowadays of course the Rhine lends itself to gentler pursuits – a leisurely perambulation along the riverbank or a relaxing cruise, a pursuit popularised by Queen Victoria and English gentlemen on the Grand Tour. In effect the Rhine cruise could be considered the pioneer of river cruises as a leisure activity.

This new cruise on a new ship allows copious cruising time and easy access from a choice of UK airports to Amsterdam, as it travels from the North Sea to the Romantic Rhine, thus linking the artistic heritage of the Netherlands with the castles, scenery and wine of the Rhine. Amsterdam in the 17th century saw the ‘Golden Age’ of the Netherlands when great canals were built and art and architecture flourished as never before. The great wealth created by their trading in the Indonesian archipelago and the New World was the foundation of a great Fine Art heritage. The Kröller-Müller is a remote and beautifully spacious museum which houses over 250 drawings and paintings by Van Gogh and works by Seurat, Monet, Gauguin, Picasso and Mondrian.