7 Nights River Cruise, Europe

Switzerland's second largest city is located at the elbow of the Rhine on the borders of France and Germany. Famed as a centre of the humanist movement, it is the burial site of Erasmus. It holds the oldest university in Switzerland, two dozen museums and a well-preserved Old Town.

Located at the foot of Kaiserstuhl Mountain on the French-German border, Breisach is a charming little medieval town. Once surrounded by city walls, the gates to the city still stand today. Breisach is the gateway to Germany's Black Forest region, an area of unrivalled natural beauty with its forests of thick pine trees. The most well-known products from this region are Black Forest ham and Black Forest cherry cake. (FB,L,D)

Situated on the border of France and Germany, Strasbourg is influenced by the culture of both countries and is the capital of the Alsace region. It is the seat of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. Noteworthy sights are the GOTHIC CATHEDRAL, the lovely LA PETITE FRANCE district, Place Kleber, and Place Gutenberg with its statue of the inventor of the printing press. Strasbourg is also home to the Kronenbourg Beer Brewery. An optional excursion into the Alsace wine region is available. (FB,L,D)

Speyer is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities. Speyer is dominated by the Speyer Cathedral, a number of churches and the Altpörtel.

A romantic wine village located along Germany's Rhein River.

As the meeting point of the Rhine and Mosel rivers and with the UNESCO-listed Rhine Valley as its backdrop, Koblenz has no shortage of photo-worthy scenery. Add a hilltop medieval fortress and some impressive Romanesque buildings, and it's one of the prettiest towns along the Rhine.

Cologne is the capital of the Rhineland and one of Germany's largest cities. The soaring twin steeples of Cologne's magnificent Gothic cathedral?which took more than 600 years to build?dominate the river skyline. The Germano- Roman Museum, located next to the cathedral, is a must for history buffs! The Old Town abounds with taverns, cafés, and shops. The favorite local beer here is Kölsch. (FB,L,D)

Kinderdijk is a village in the the Netherlands' South Holland province, known for its iconic 18th-century windmills. Its water-management network features 19 mills and 3 pumping stations, plus dikes and reservoirs that control flooding in the polder (low-lying land). Waterways, footpaths and bike trails crisscross the area, leading to the main visitors center and museums in preserved working windmills.

The capital and cultural centre of the Netherlands is dually considered a gracious, formal cultural centre and the most offbeat metropolis in the world. Some of the best art in the world, including that by Van Gogh, is showcased in over 40 fine museums. Its attractive canals and gabled houses are a popular subject for local burgeoning painters.