Northern Rhine Blog

THE RIVER RHINE ABOARD

AMADEUS SILVER II

The Sights Along

The Northern Rhine

RHINE, MAIN & MOSELLE | DANUBE | RHÔNE & SAÔNE | SEINE | DUTCH & BELGIAN WATERWAYS

The Sights Along the Northern Rhine Georgina Bryant enjoyed a short Rhine River cruise on board Amadeus Silver II, courtesy of Amadeus River Cruises. Here is what she thought about the beautiful places she visited along the way.

I

was incredibly fortunate to sail from Cochem to

five-minute walk from the centre, offering the

Amsterdam this month and doubly lucky with the

chance to buy straight from the shop or take part

fantastic weather in Europe that we are having.

in a guided tour that shows the history of chocolate

I boarded an early flight from Stansted with

and how it has evolved for today’s marketplace.

Eurowings bound for Cologne, where we then

The highlight of Cologne, however, has to be the

had to master the German rail system to make our

Cathedral. It is a renowned monument of German

way to Cochem. This was so easy as the trains are

Catholicism and was declared a World Heritage

super-efficient and run like clockwork.

Site in 1994. As Germany’s most visited landmark,

A wonderful sight came into view as I walked the

it attracts an average of 20,000 people a day and

short distance from the station to where Amadeus

is currently the tallest twin-spired church at 157m

Silver II was berthed. This very large and impressive

(515 ft) tall. The architecture inside and outside is

looking vessel was to be my home for the next

breathtaking and it’s also where the shrine of Magi

three nights as I travelled to Cologne, Hoorn,

(the three wise men) is located.

Volendam and Amsterdam during my trip.

Cologne From where the ship was berthed, you could

Hoorn We arrived in the city of Hoorn, a beautiful location where wooden facades of houses and

instantly see the spires of the wonderful cathedral.

restaurants line the footpath along the river. Hoorn

A 10-minute walk along the river would take you

is situated in Northern Holland, 22 miles north of

to the centre of Cologne with its designer shops,

Amsterdam and acquired city rights in 1357. It has

boutiques, everyday stores and chain restaurants.

a population of around 76,000 people.

Apparently, Cologne is a fabulous destination for Christmas markets and I can see why.

The famous Lindt chocolate factory is a further

There was a beautiful, small harbour with many impressive yachts and canal boats. From here, it is very popular for locals to use the huge expanse of

water, known as Markermeer, for watersports and

being given permits/mooring rights. So, if you

fishing.

would like to live on the river, you now need to wait

It was here that we started our cruise, taking

for somebody to sell their mooring. Which, as you

in the sights of Northern Holland and ending in

can imagine, has now become very expensive - in

Amsterdam.

the region of €1 million.

Amsterdam’s main attractions include the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank’s House, Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam and, of course, the Red Light District.

Volendam Volendam is a town in North Holland, 12 miles outside of Amsterdam. I absolutely loved it here; the locals still wear traditional costume when going about their everyday life, windmills were on the horizon and clogs were sold in the shops. It’s a real Dutch gem. The promenade is lined with very reasonably priced restaurants and gift shops and it even has a beach. I would return to this part of the Netherlands for a break anytime.

When leaving Volendam, we called in at a cheese factory for a tasting session. I don’t think my palette knew what was happening but 30 minutes later I left with bags in hand, a full tummy and many euros lighter.

Amsterdam The fabulous city of Amsterdam was the last stop on the cruise and such a delight. I had been to Amsterdam before so had seen the museums and culture. As part of the excursion, we sailed along the canals of this vibrant city learning the history and points of notable interest.

Amsterdam really is a city for everybody; it has such a meandering atmosphere, nobody is in a rush and life it rather relaxed. I particularly liked the houseboats. The government of Amsterdam has restricted new boats from

If you would like us to help you plan a Rhine River cruise like the one Georgina enjoyed, we have plenty of itineraries you can choose from.

Call us on 0800 035 6411 or visit www.amadeus-rivercruises.co.uk

FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 0800 035 6411 sales@amadeus-rivercruises.co.uk | www.amadeus-rivercruises.co.uk OR SEE YOUR ABTA TRAVEL AGENT

FRED. OLSEN TRAVEL LTD Agents in the UK for Amadeus River Cruises Head Office: Olympus House, 2 Olympus Close, Ipswich IP1 5LN