Festive Time on the Romantic Rhine with Lucerne - Northbound

Before you embark on one of Europe’s most legendary rivers, begin your vacation with two nights in exquisite Lucerne, Switzerland, and a ride up one of the country’s legendary mountains. Your journey along the Rhine River starts in Basel, Switzerland, with stops in France, Germany, and Holland! Each town is festively lit and decorated and strains of Christmas carols fill the air. Lucerne with its ornate patrician houses and famous covered Chapel Bridge is a delight during this Advent time and the Christmas markets are of an impressive variety! A cable car ascent of Mt. Pilatus rewards with a spectacular view over the wintry Alps. Embark your ship in Basel and head for Breisach, Germany—gateway to the Black Forest, an area of unrivaled natural beauty, best known for Black Forest ham, cherry cake, and the cuckoo clock. Free time lets you explore the Christmas market offering many traditional items. Continue to Strasbourg, France, where you’ll visit the red-sandstone gothic cathedral with ancient murals and fascinating astronomical clock. Strasbourg is home to one of the oldest and finest Christmas markets in Europe and its centerpiece is a giant Christmas tree. Visit the ruins of Heidelberg’s castle, towering magnificently over the city, and watch the skaters on the ice rink below. Stop in Mainz for a guided walk and visit the captivating Gutenberg Museum. Next up is the charming wine town of Rüdesheim, and unique Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. You’re sure to be enthralled by the life-size figures of Europe’s largest nativity scene on the Market Square. Pass through the dramatic Rhine Gorge before the last stop in Germany, Cologne. Wander through the magical Christmas market, try some traditional Lebkuchen and get some inner warmth with a cup of Glühwein. Finally, spend time in Holland’s popular, modern capital of Amsterdam. The best way to see the treasures of this 700-year-old city is on a canal cruise along the elegant grachten lined with homes dating back to the city’s “Golden Age.”