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River Castles Tour – 2010 and 2011
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The German Rivers Rhine, Moselle, Neckar and
Main and their Castles
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Burg Eltz |
Heidelberg |
Rothenburg |
For hundreds of years the Rhine has ranked as one of
the most popular travel destinations in Europe, and now this region – truly one
of the most beautiful in Germany – has been recognized with the title "World
Heritage Upper Rhine Valley" by UNESCO.
Spend plenty of time discovering the river, its castles and ruins, tales and
legends and also those of its tributaries Moselle, Neckar and Main. The days
are planned to offer you many highlights, but they are leisurely paced with
time for you to explore on your own.
Enjoy, relax and let us take care of the details for you.
Map
Itinerary
Day 1 – Saturday
Board your flight from your home destination to Frankfurt, Germany.
This itinerary assumes this to be an overnight flight.
Air fare independently arranged. |
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Day 2 – Sunday – WELCOME TO THE RHINE
Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany. Your flight should arrive at
the Frankfurt Airport by 11:15 a.m. at the latest for the complimentary
transfer at noon.
When the group is complete we drive directly to the RHINE for
lunch in one of the charming villages on the River.
Transfer to the four-star
Bellevue
Rheinhotel in Boppard, one of the best hotels in the Rhine area.
This Art Nouveau style hotel is situated directly on the river, with a
dock at its front door, and has welcomed guests since 1877. We will
spend the next five nights here.
You can spend some relaxing moments at the on-site swimming pool and
sauna. Health conscious guests can work out at the fitness centre.
Tonight we meet for a welcome drink followed by dinner at the hotel.
> Your tour includes: Transfer from airport to hotel, welcome drink,
three-course dinner with menu choices, one beverage, and coffee or tea
after, Bellevue Rheinhotel in Boppard |
Bellevue Rheinhotel |
Day 3 – Monday – CASTLES, CASTLES, CASTLES –
RUDESHEIM
Cruising all day on the Rhine on the most beautiful stretch of the
river, the part recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. We
travel upstream past the Loreley Rock and lots of medieval castles on
both sides of the river to most charming RUDESHEIM (Rüdesheim or
Ruedesheim in German).
Time for lunch and souvenirs in famous Drosselgasse, and afterwards we
take a cable car uphill through the vineyards to Niederwald Monument.
Be prepared for incredible views over the valley.
We re-board our Rhinesteamer back and later have a great dinner in a
typical Rheinkeller with wine tasting.> Buffet
breakfast, door-to-door transportation, Rhine cruises from and to St.
Goar, tickets for cable car, three-course dinner with choices and wine
tasting, Bellevue Rheinhotel |
Rudesheim from above |
Day 4 – Tuesday – MARKSBURG, KOBLENZ, EHRENBREITSTEIN
Today we cross the river by ferry to Braubach, the Town of Roses
where we take a guided tour of the MARKSBURG, an 11th century castle,
the only one on the Rhine that was never destroyed.
We continue to KOBLENZ, meaning confluence, where the Moselle joins the
Rhine at the Deutsches Eck (the German Corner). Admire the equestrian
statue of Wilhelm I. Time to explore Koblenz on you own, before we take
a cable car up to EHRENBREITSTEIN Fortress for an inside visit at
the Museum of the Rhine.
From Koblenz we take a boat back, have dinner on board, and dock in
front of our hotel.> Buffet breakfast,
door-to-door transportation, entrance fees to Marksburg and
Ehrenbreitstein, Rhine cruise from Koblenz to Boppard, three-course
dinner on board, Bellevue Rheinhotel |
Marksburg |
Day 5 – Wednesday – REMAGEN, COLOGNE
Morning stop at the Peace Museum of REMAGEN, located in the only
surviving tower of the former railway bridge which fell into the
American hands almost intact on March 7, 1945, but collapsed ten days
later under the weight of armored vehicles.
We continue to COLOGNE (Köln in German), the biggest city on our tour
and on the Rhine. See the famous gothic Cathedral, and join the locals
in one of Germany's longest pedestrian zones for a Koelsch or a cup of
coffee.
Late afternoon arrival back at your hotel. Dinner.
> Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, guided walking tour of
Cologne, entrance to Peace Museum, three-course dinner, Bellevue
Rheinhotel |
Cologne |
Day 6 – Thursday – MOSELLE RIVER, BURG ELTZ, COCHEM,
TRIER
Today we drive upstream along the MOSELLE River, which in scenery,
castles and vineyards does not stand in the shadow of its big brother,
the Rhine.
Our first stop is the twelfth century BURG ELTZ, rising majestically
above the rear end of the wild Eltz Valley, one of Germany's most
beautiful castles, surrounded by the river on three sides. Inside
visit.
We continue to COCHEM, located on an idyllic bend on the river, where
you have time for lunch on the Moselle Promenade.
Then on to TRIER, Germany's oldest city, with lots of Roman sights. We
get a deeper insight into this place with a guided walking tour, which
takes you inside the Porta Nigra, a roman fortress from the second
century, and the best preserved roman construction north of the Alps.
The tour also includes the Cathedral, one of Germany's oldest churches
with foundations dating from the fourth century, and the Church of our
Dear Lady, the oldest purely gothic church in Germany. All three sights
are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Time for dinner on your own in Trier tonight before we return to the
hotel.> Buffet breakfast, door-to-door
transportation, entrance fees for Burg Eltz, Porta Nigra, Cathedral,
Church of our Dear Lady, local guide in Trier, Bellevue Rheinhotel |
Burg Eltz |
Day 7 – Friday – RHEINFELS, HEIDELBERG, BURGENSTRASSE
Today say goodbye to the Rhine after your visit to Rheinfels Castle
in St. Goar and head south to HEIDELBERG, on the banks of the Neckar
river. In medieval times the Electoral Palatinate with Heidelberg as
the political centre was one of the most advanced European States.
See the beautiful red-walled Heidelberg Castle (Heidelberger Schloss in
German) including the great vat with a guided tour. Afterwards we take
a cogwheel train down into the city where you have more time for
sightseeing, shopping and postcards.
Tonight we are staying in a typical country hotel in the Neckar valley
on the BURGENSTRASSE (Castle Road).> Buffet
breakfast, door-to-door transportation, Heidelberg Castle Tour, Cogwheel
Train, three-course, hotel in Neckar valley |
Heidelberg |
Day 8 – Saturday – ROTHENBURG, THE ROMANTIC ROAD,
WURZBURG
Our last traveling day takes us to medieval ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER
in Frankonia where you feel like you just jumped back into the 16th
century. Completely surrounded by its medieval ramparts with countless
towers, Rothenburg is famous for its ancient houses, fountains, cobbled
lanes, hidden corners and street signs. Also famous for the
Meistertrunk, in which -- according to legend -- the burgomeister saved
the town by emptying a 6-pint tankard in one single draught.
After lunch we take the ROMANTIC ROAD all the way to where it starts, to
WURZBURG (Würzburg or Wuerzburg in German) on the Main River. Take a
guided tour of Wurzburg Residenz (Residence), this superb baroque
palace, one of the biggest in Germany, and a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Admire the staircase, the frescoes by Tiepolo, the Hofkirche and
the Gardens.
Afterwards you have time to see more of Wurzburg on your own and get
your final shopping done.
Back to Frankfurt for overnight.
Farewell dinner tonight at our hotel.> Buffet
breakfast, door-to-door transportation, entrance fees and tour of
Residence, three-course dinner with choices, one beverage, and coffee or
tea, hotel in Frankfurt |
Rothenburg |
Day 9 – Sunday
Time to say "Auf wiedersehen".
Transfer to Frankfurt Airport for your return flight home.
> Buffet breakfast, transfer to airport |
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Tour Director
Astrid Baur is a German native who has successfully conducted over
200 tours throughout Europe and Germany for thousands of happy clients.
Astrid will take you along the rivers, which she knows by heart.
The tour language is English only.
Astrid organizes the tour personally, and you can contact her directly
as explained in the Contact Information section below.
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Astrid has posted a short video clip on YouTube introducing
herself and her tours.
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Castles Intro Video |
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Astrid Baur |
Images
Boppard |
Drosselgasse, Rudesheim |
Mouse Tower |
Burg Rheinstein |
Marksburg armour collection |
Heidelberg Castle |
At Heidelberg Castle |
Burg Eltz |
Porta Nigra, Trier |
Rothenburg |
Wurzburg Residence |
October 2008 Tour farewell dinner |
There are more pictures in the In Depth section
below. The Gallery has larger images of tour destinations, and Groups has
photos of participants in past tours.
River Castles Tour In
Depth
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Larger Pictures of Castles, Communities and
Regional Highlights
Images of River Castles Tour features, contributed by past guests
and from public domain sources |
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Detailed Itinerary Destination Maps
5-page printer-friendly PDF including:
- River Castles Tour Destinations map from the top of this page,
- Detailed maps with River Castles destinations marked by day (2
pages),
- Close-up map of the Rhine Valley, focused on the Rhine Gorge
between Rudesheim and Koblenz, and
- Pictorial map of castles along the Rhine Gorge from Rudesheim to
Boppard. |
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Links to Sources of More Detailed Information
Clickable links to detailed articles on major River Castles Tour
itinerary features and information for those with extra time in
Frankfurt |
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Pictures of Previous Tour Groups and Participants
Photos from recent year River Castles Tours |
Four other website pages, shared with other
tours, also provide in depth information and travel services.
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Tours Characteristics
Notes on the distinguishing features of the various tours offered.
What's so special about these tours? How do they differ
from each other? |
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References
Comments from participants in this and other Castles tours. |
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Travel Info
Clickable links to air and rail travel resources, currency and time
conversion, etc. |
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Book Travel - Flights, Hotels, Packages, Cars, Cruises,
Activities
Through a partnership with
Expedia.com we are pleased to offer self-service travel
search and booking services. |
References
Additional comments on this and other Castles Tours are
provided on a separate
References
Page .
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Comments, experiences and recommendations from guests on the May and
June 2009 Bavarian Castles and July 2009 Kids and Castles Tours are
featured in the European Castles Tours
References Video . |
Cost and Date Information
| Complete printable itinerary in PDF format > |
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The 2010 and 2011 River Castles Tours
listed below are offered on the following basis:
Tour prices are for the land segment
only. Air fare is not included.
Prices are per person, in U.S. dollars,
based on double occupancy.
Single Occupancy is available for a Single Supplement charge of US $ 250.
Three adults sharing one room each receive a Triple Occupancy reduction of US $
150.
A child 8 to 16 years old sharing a room with two adults receives a 30%
reduction on this tour.
Guaranteed Departure: These 2010 and
2011 River Castles Tours are guaranteed to operate as scheduled and will not be
cancelled due to a low level of participation.
A deposit of US $ 300 per person is
required to secure a reservation.
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River Castles Tour – 2010 |
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Your overnight
flight leaves ... |
Status |
Double
Occupancy |
Single
Occupancy |
Triple
Occupancy |
Child 8-16
with 2 Adults |
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September 4, 2010 |
Available - Book now |
US $ 2,399 |
2,649 |
2,249 |
1,679 |
Private Tour Option
Do our dates not work for you? We can arrange the tour for
you or your party as a private tour. Same itinerary as above in a private
limousine or van, with bilingual, professional private guide / chauffeur. With
4 people in a group, for example, the price per person is typically EUR 1,900.
Please send an
e-mail to get a quote for your specific situation.
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River Castles Tour – 2011 Departures |
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Your overnight
flight leaves ... |
Status |
Double
Occupancy |
Single
Occupancy |
Triple
Occupancy |
Child 8-16
with 2 Adults |
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July 9, 2011 |
Available - Book now |
US $ 2,499 |
2,749 |
2,349 |
1,749 |
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September 3, 2011 |
Available - Book now |
US $ 2,499 |
2,749 |
2,349 |
1,749 |
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2011 Early Bird Special Book a 2011 River Castles
Tour by August 31, 2010 and save US $ 100 per person from the above
prices. |
Reservation details and materials >
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| Dates for all current European Castles
Tours > |
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To anyone who is considering taking the Rhine Area River Castle tour, this trip surpassed other tours we have taken around the world. Each day was a highlight when one enjoys living a bit of History, visiting and touching Roman walls, Medieval Castles, and quaint European villages. And while Ms. Baur offers excellent and interesting commentary, one also has time to explore the sights at their leisure. We could not be more pleased with our visit.
- Bob and Jeanne Lawler, Illinois, July 2007
I have participated in two Astrid Baur tours. Both tours exceeded my expectations. These were exceptionally well-designed and flawlessly executed adventures that constantly interested, surprised, and delighted me. Astrid passed on her encyclopaedic knowledge of the history and background of the featured sites and areas in a professional but relaxed manner best described as genuine “sharing”. She is knowledgeable, well-organized, sensitive to people's interests and wishes, and fun.
- Bruce McKay, Ontario, July 2007 Read more ...
For castle buffs, a tour with Astrid is a must. We took both the Bavarian tour and the Rhine River tour, and enjoyed them both. Her selection of castles, hotels, restaurants, and city tours was superb. She created a wonderfully enjoyable time for all of us with her warmth, her flexibility, and her graciousness.
- Pat and Lee Flocke, Florida, July 2007 Read more ...
Astrid Baur in my opinion is without a doubt the best Tour Director to be found anywhere. She demonstrates professionalism in conducting the tour, while maintaining a very personal relationship with her clients. She responds to the needs and concerns of her group in a prompt and efficient manner. I plan on joining Astrid on another tour in the future.
- Richard Smith, Illinois, July 2007