Christmas on the Rhine

Fly from London Heathrow to Cologne and transfer to the 4-star Hotel Mondial am Dom for overnight stay.

A morning walking tour of Cologne takes you through the narrow alleys of the Old Town, lining the Rhine with museums, monuments, and fountains; continues to the 13^th-century, UNESCO listed Cathedral, dominating the waterfront and the skyline with its huge, high-Gothic edifice and soaring twin-spires; and gives you time to enjoy the atmosphere and explore the stalls of the Christmas market. In the afternoon, transfer to the mooring to embark on the A-ROSA SILVA for your five-night cruise, sailing overnight to Rüdesheim.
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Morning arrival at Rüdesheim, where half-timbered houses line medieval streets, and seasonal glitter adds sparkle. An optional guided walking tour includes a stroll on the Rhine promenade; along the famous Drosselgasse alley, lined with shops and taverns in beautiful buildings; and through the town to Germany’s largest nativity scene (bookable locally). Free time after the tour to shop in the old town, sample the speciality ‘Rüdesheimer Kaffee’, and warm up with mulled wine.  Enjoy a special Christmas Eve dinner aboard this evening, and cruise overnight to Germersheim.
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Arrive in Germersheim in the morning and travel to nearby Speyer for a tour of the town. The ancient centre of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany, and the country’s oldest planned medieval town, its landmark monument is the Romanesque cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, housing the tombs of emperors and kings. Return to the river to cruise to Kehl overnight.
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The mooring in Kehl is the launch pad for Strasbourg, a charismatic place at any time of year, but excelling itself during the festive season with its fabulous, 400year-old tradition of the Christmas market, centred on Grande Île, within the stately rectangle of Place Broglie. An optional guided tour shows you highlights including the Council of Europe, the striking façade of the European Parliament, and ‘La Petite France’, the city’s historic core, criss-crossed with canals and cobbled streets (bookable locally). Cruise through the night toward Mainz.
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Morning arrival in Mainz, for an optional walking tour of the historic town, with the multi turreted ‘Dom’ cathedral at its heart, and traditional taverns and baroque churches in its atmospheric Altstadt (bookable locally). Sail through the stunning scenery of the Rhine Valley, passing the steep, slate, Lorelei Rock on its bank, and a statue of the siren on St. Goarshausen’s pier, for an evening arrival in Koblenz. See the town’s Baroque ‘Four Towers’ and characterful alleys on an optional guided walk (bookable locally). Overnight cruising back to Cologne.
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Disembark the A-ROSA SILVA and transfer to the airport for the return flight.
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