Cruising Holidays Home > Europe River Cruises > River Rhine, Main and Danube Cruises > European Discovery Cruise
Travel along three majestic rivers, the Rhine, Main and Danube, where you will be inspired at every turn. Discover the diverse cultural heritage, medieval towns and grand cities that have developed with the help of these historically significant rivers. Touch history in Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria. You see the sights from the ship and coach, as well as canal barges and a gondola.
Experience recent history first-hand visiting the World War II sight in Nuremberg. Hear the world’s finest classical music in the city where much of it started – Vienna. Visit towns untouched by time and right out of the pages of a fairytale such as Miltenberg, with its crooked streets and leaning houses, and Strasbourg’s Petite France. Discover, explore and be amazed.
More information about River Countess
Begin with the VIP Departure Service to London Heathrow or Gatwick Airport for your scheduled British Airways or other leading airline flight to Basel. Meet your representative on arrival and transfer to the port to embark the River Countess.
See Strasbourg in the way it has been seen through the centuries - on a canal cruise. You will also see Petite France, a picturesque district that seems as if it has been lifted from the pages of a fairytale with its timberland houses adorned with flower boxes. Captain’s Welcome Dinner this evening.
Your tour of Heidelberg, home of Germany’s oldest university, takes you to Heidelberg Castle and through the Old Town. Afternoon visit to Rüdesheim, one of the most scenic wine towns of the Rhine Valley.
You will get to see the beauty of Rüdesheim from up high as you travel by gondola to the top of the Niederwald Monument, a symbol of Germany's birth as a nation.
Your city tour of Miltenberg, a Medieval town with crooked streets and leaning houses right out of the pages of a German fairytale, takes you past Main Castle on the way into Old Town and New Square. See the famous Royal Inn, which has been a working hotel since the 16th century, the aptly named Crooked House, and Old Square.
You will visit Würzburg Residenz Palace, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and one of Germany’s greatest architectural treasures. Your tour will be capped off with a wine tasting of Franconian wines.
Bamberg is an architectural gem and UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting Renaissance palaces, Baroque houses and a breathtaking cathedral. You will discover on your walking tour a town untouched by time.
An archetypal German medieval city, Nuremberg is the second largest city in Bavaria and home to the world-famous gingerbread. Today is free to make discoveries at your own pace.
Your Nuremberg tour begins with the Nazi Party Rally grounds and its courtrooms*, the medieval landmark of the Kaiserburg Castle, the Medieval town wall and its towers, and ends with a walk to the central market with its beautiful fountain. Enjoy cruising the Main River passing picturesque green meadows and typical Franconian towns. At the mouth of the Regnitz River marvel at the engineering prowess exemplified in the Main-Danube Canal as you travel through it.
An unspoiled gem, Regensburg is a friendly town with quaint cobblestone streets and historic Roman remnants. On your tour, you will see the Cathedral of St. Peter, with magnificent stained glass windows dating from the 14th century and the town’s famous 12th-century Stone Bridge.
Your guided walk starts in the medieval section of Passau and then takes you past St. Stephan’s Cathedral home to Europe’s largest pipe organ and site of your concert.****Concert not available before May 2 and after November 1 or on Sundays
While in Melk, you will be guided through the Melk Abbey, one of the finest examples of Baroque art in the world. On leaving Melk, you enjoy a scenic cruise through the vineyard-rich Wachau Valley. On day 13 you will visit a Krems vineyard before leisurely strolling through the quaint streets. Captain’s Farewell Dinner this evening.
Vienna is a city steeped in history yet on the cusp of current trends. With your panoramic city overview, travel the stately Ringstrasse to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where Mozart was married. Explore the historic Mozart House where Joseph Hayden frequently visited
Disembark the ship and transfer to Vienna Airport for your British Airways or other leading airline flight home. Arrive at London Heathrow or Gatwick where a representative will meet you and transport you to your door.
