AVALON’S ROMANTIC RHINE CRUISE

THE Romantic Rhine itinerary from Avalon Waterways provides a blissful way to experience this legendary river, starting in lively Amsterdam. The best way to see the treasures of this 700-year-old city is on a canal cruise past elegant homes from the city’s Golden Age. Once the cruise-proper starts, you’ll want to be on deck to see the famous twin-spired cathedral at Cologne come into view. The Old Town abounds with cafes, shops, and taverns. Be sure to try a Kolsch beer, locally brewed in Cologne for more than a century. In the beautiful Rhine Gorge, numerous ancient castles stand sentry on lofty cliffs that rise 400ft above the water — a breathtaking sight. Cruise past the legendary Lorelei Rock, where echoes of enchanted siren song lured unwitting sailors to their doom. At 15th-century Rudesheim, the quintessential Rhone Valley wine town, visit Siegfried’s mechanical musical instrument museum — or the vast Christmas market if you’re there in the festive season. Mainz draws you to the captivating Gutenberg Museum, dedicated to the father of modern printing, who was born in the city. And in Heidelberg, you’ll visit the imposing castle ruins, built of red sandstone and towering over the city, where Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I, lived as a teenage bride. Pretty Strasbourg, on the border of France and Germany, is home to half-timbered houses, quaint shops and inviting bistros in the magical La Petite France district. Sample a local lager in the square by the cathedral, which contains an astronomical clock. And Breisach is a gateway to the charming Black Forest, known for its fine ham, cherry cake, cuckoo clocks, farmsteads and quaint traditions. Here, there’s the option of a visit to Colmar, in France’s Alsace region, before sailing on to Basel, in Switzerland, for fond farewells and your flight home. With so much included and everything taken care of, an Avalon cruise through the Rhine’s breathtaking scenery, is sure to lavish you with a store of beautiful memories.