Sparkling Rhine
AIDAN MCGURRAN CELEBRATES THE WINE HARVEST CRUISING BY GERMANY’S FAIRYTALE VILLAGES
The Rhine looked like it was on fire. As we floated along the calm black water, part of a large flotilla, fireworks exploded all around. Thousands of people were lining the banks celebrating with pints in hand as fireworks soared skywards into the night.
On deck, we were enjoying champagne and toasting all things wine during the annual The Rhine in Flames – Night of a Thousand Fires festival, celebrating harvest in the tiny town of Oberwesel whose city square had become a giant wine-tasting room.
STUNNING
My partner Deborah and I had timed our first river cruise to coincide with the celebrations, booking a cruise on the 46-berth vessel, River Cruise Line’s Lady Anne. We boarded in the small town of Andernach for the sevennight cruise.
Our first stop was the stunning city of Koblenz where the Rhine and the Moselle meet. It is one of Germany’s most historic places and we took it in via a cablecar ride. This gave us the most extraordinary view of the two rivers – the Moselle identifiable by its green hue – before exploring the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and its 3,000 years of history. Here we watched a video show projected on to the ancient walls. Koblenz consists of narrow streets, pretty courtyards and squares lined with cafés. Don’t miss the German Corner where the two rivers actually meet. The area is also dominated by the vast monument of Emperor Wilhelm I, sitting atop his horse.
At this point, the Lady Anne would usually continue down the Rhine, but due to the unusually dry summer and low water levels, we took a detour down the Moselle.
Some passengers may have been disappointed by this, but our cruise director said that in many ways this was a bonus.
It flows through steep green hillsides, most of which are covered with vines - around twelve million. It’s a fairytale scene with castles and German villages like Bernkastel- Kues, home to some of the oldest and quirkiest half-timbered houses in the region. Some seem impossibly narrow but have numerous floors – when they were built, taxes were applied on the width of the house, not the height.
Then it was on to Boppard and its beautifully preserved medieval town walls, in the meeting place of six valleys.
EXPLORE
Obviously, it would be churlish not to visit a winery while in the heart of the Moselle. The region is best known for its rieslings but it does produce decent reds which we tasted at the small, family-run winery, Weingut Haxel in Cochem.
Guests on board the MPS Lady Anne tend to be older and are largely repeat cruisers. Part of the draw is the crew and possibly the fact that it is the only cruise allowed to take part in the Rhine in Flames flotilla.
The ship is docked for long stretches – particularly at night – so there are plenty of opportunities to explore.
There is also lots of room on the sun deck where, even though it was September, it was warm enough to sit out.
PASSIONATE
A big part of Lady Anne’s success is its captain and owner, Dutchman Wido Arts.
He started at naval college when he was just 15 and by 20 he was first officer. Two years on, he became captain. After pursuing his career elsewhere, he bought the Lady Anne in 2002. And you can see how passionate he is – everything is run like clockwork.
After our fill of quaint villages and dramatic countryside, we headed to Bonn, the modern former capital of West Germany.
Here we boarded the Dragon Rock Railway which took us up to the top of the Drachenfels, the most well-known of the Siebengebirge mountains. Legend has it this is the place Siegfried slew the dragon that lived in a cave on the mountain.
Although there were no dragons in sight when we visited, what we did discover was a spectacular view over the city and river.
Our final port was Cologne – a city that has retained some of its historic charm despite bombing during the Second World War. Its big draw is the Gothic Cathedral, the location of a spectacular Christmas market. A winter cruise might just be on the cards...