The Romantic Rhine Valley and Holland

Included in tour package:<ul><li>Heidelberg</li><li>R&uuml;desheim : touristic train, tasting of the famous wines of the region and guided visit of the Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments </li><li>Amsterdam and its diamond merchants</li><li>Keukenhof Gardens or Volendam and Zaanse Schans&nbsp;</li></ul>

We&rsquo;ll leave by coach for a guided tour of the city. Amsterdam is one of the most unique and extraordinary cities in the world. From its romantic canals to its world-renowned museums and historical significance, it&rsquo;s a city that never ceases to surprise. Our first stop will be the Riecker Windmill, a windmill located on the riverbanks of the Amstel River, south of the city. This mill was built in 1636 in the village of Sloten and was used as a polder mill for the polder of the same name (Riekerpolder). The pumping of the polder water was taken over by an electric pumping station in 1932 and, when the polder was dug, the mill was then dismantled to create, among other things, Lake Het Nieuw Meer. The mill was rebuilt in 1961 on the riverbanks of the Amstel, around 8 km (approx. 5 miles) away, between the roads leading to Kalfjeslaan and Borcht. This part of the Amstel banks, very popular with tourists and walkers, is a prime location for an old Dutch windmill. A statue of Rembrandt was erected close to this mill to remind us that the painter made many drawings on the banks of this river. Afterwards, we&rsquo;ll head to the Diamond District to observe how the talented cutters facet the raw diamonds into the jewels we buy. Our guide will explain in detail how a diamond is valued. After our tour, you&rsquo;ll be able to spend some time browsing the shop. We&#39;ll hop back on our coach and continue on towards the Bloemenmarkt, the famous floating flower market. One of the most fragrant places in Amsterdam in any seasons thanks to its thousands of flowers and multitude of varieties, this unique market will make your head spin! At the end of our visit, we&rsquo;ll return to the ship by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>Panoramic tour with stops to take pictures and free time.</li>
	<li>The order of the visits can change.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
</ul>

Amsterdam and diamond producer

Departure for the visit of Heidelberg. This cosmopolitan, friendly, and vibrant city is made up of 15 distinct neighborhoods and is particularly attractive to families, students, business people, and researchers. Its high quality of life comes through to visitors, who feel genuinely at home here. We&#39;ll begin with a visit to the outside of Heidelberg Castle, where you&#39;ll be able to see the Renaissance ruins and parts of its restoration. The castle has a history that is almost as old as the city itself. From either the Great Terrace or the gardens, enjoy an amazing view over Heidelberg, the Neckar River, and the valley. Don&#39;t miss seeing the Heidelberg Tun. Built in 1751 by Prince Elector Karl Theodor, it housed the wine paid as taxes by the wine growers in the region. Legend has it that the permanently intoxicated court jester who guarded the cask, Perkeo, died after mistakenly drinking a simple glass of water. You can also enjoy a stroll through the castle gardens, once considered a masterpiece of their time. Built upon several terraces, they were made up of many flower beds, mazes, sculptures, heated greenhouse with orange trees, large ponds, waterfalls, and a man-made grotto. We&#39;ll then head for the Neckarm&uuml;nzplatz, on the banks of the Necker River, and continue with a guided tour of the old city. We&#39;ll pass by the Church of the Holy Spirit, the most famous church in Heidelberg, whose steeple dominates the town. And then you can take advantage of some free time to wander through the streets and shops before returning on board.PLEASE NOTE<ul><li>Depending on the cruise, departure and/or return on board in Mannheim</li><li>The access to the castle needs climbing up a 300m gradient.</li><li>Good walking shoes are recommended.</li><li>The order of the visits can change.</li><li>Times are approximate.</li></ul>

Guided tour of Heidelberg and its castle (outdoor)

Departure by coach in the company of your hostess towards Keukenhof. Upon arrival, your hostess will give you an entry ticket that will allow you to stroll freely inside this beautiful flower garden extending on 32 hectares (79 acres). You&#39;ll be delighted by its wonders, from the enchanting colors and fragrances of the many tulips, narcissus, daffodils and other ornamental bulbs to the orchid pavilion and the Japanese country garden. Do not miss the breathtaking view over the tulip fields from the 1892 windmill located at the back of the garden! In the 15th century, the garden as we know it today was nothing but hunting grounds where aromatic herbs were grown for the kitchens of the castle belonging to Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut, hence its current name, &quot;Keukenhof&rdquo; - &quot;kitchen garden&rdquo; in English. Return on board in Amsterdam by coach.PLEASE NOTE<ul><li>Only on pre-booking.</li><li>Good walking shoes are recommended.</li><li>Free visit in the park; open from March 24th to May 15th 2022.&nbsp;The opening dates are subject to change by Keukenhof Flower Park.&nbsp; </li><li>The order of the visits can change.</li><li>Times are approximate.</li><li>Wheelchairs are available through online booking on the Keukenhof website (passengers will have to use their own credit card).</li></ul>

Excursion to the Keukenhof Gardens

We&#39;ll leave by coach with our guide for Volendam, a charming village that has preserved its character for over six centuries thanks to the tough vitality of its fishermen. We&#39;ll then visit a cheese factory in the area to discover how the famous Gouda cheese is made. We&#39;ll enjoy tasting the different flavors and ages available of one of the most popular cheeses in the world. We&#39;ll then head for Zaanse Schans, an open air museum with wooden windmills, barns, and houses. Take a walk through the stunning buildings and the unique peat landscape or watch traditional clog making techniques. Don&#39;t miss the small but impressive clog museum that features one of the largest and most attractive collections of wooden shoes in the Netherlands: painted, carved, ice clogs with iron trimmings, horse clogs, and decorative clogs. Take advantage of some free time on this excursion to indulge in authentic Dutch traditions. We&#39;ll return to our ship in Amsterdam by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>Good walking shoes are recommended: guided visit on foot at Volendam and Zaanse Schans.</li>
	<li>The order of the visits can change.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
</ul>

Excursion to Volendam and Zaanse-Schans

You will start the visit with a tour and commentary of the R&uuml;desheim vineyards by mini-train, during which you will discover the famous vineyards already cultivated in the Roman period. During this tour, the history of winemaking in the region will be explained and you can enjoy a breathtaking view of R&uuml;desheim and the Rhine. The train will then stop right before the historical Bassenheimer Hof cellar, a seigneurial residence from the 16th century, where we&#39;ll indulge in a wine-tasting*. A winemaker from the St&ouml;rzel family cellar will guide you through a tasting of three different wines, from the driest to the sweetest, all the while telling you about the history of the cellar and winemaking in the R&uuml;desheim region, complete with local stories. Afterwards, our visit will continue on to the Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments located 100m away from the cellar in an old building from the 15th century. The &quot;Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett&quot; is the first German museum dedicated to self-playing musical instruments, which holds an impressive collection of no less than 350 mechanical musical instruments dating back to the 18th century to the 20th, all spread out on more than 4000 ft&sup2;. This is a vast collection, dating back three centuries, of fascinating musical instruments that function like computers, ranging from tiny, delicate music boxes to an enormous orchestrion. Tools and machines for the production of organ pipes, cardboard sheet music, rolls of sheet music and perforated disks are also on display in the collection. Whatever their age, museum visitors always take great pleasure in discovering this special music, the techniques from the past and how these instruments work. After visiting the Museum, you will have some free time to stroll through the streets of R&uuml;desheim ambling down the famous Drosselgasse, before making your own way back to the boat.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>Warm clothes are recommended for the visit of the cellar.</li>
	<li>After the visits, passengers will have free time in Rudesheim until they go back to the boat on foot on their own.</li>
	<li>Good walking shoes are recommended.</li>
	<li>The order of the visits can change.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
	<li>*Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.</li>
</ul>

R&uuml;desheim : wine tasting* and visit of the Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments

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CLASSIC EXCURSIONS PACKAGE

Included in tour package: Heidelberg Rüdesheim : touristic train, tasting of the famous wines of the region and guided visit of the Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments Amsterdam and its diamond merchants Keukenhof Gardens or Volendam and Zaanse Schans

CLASSIC EXCURSIONS PACKAGE

CLASSIC EXCURSIONS PACKAGE

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The Romantic Rhine Valley and Holland

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