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The Rhine: Empire, Reformation & Romanticism - Tracing Europe’s transformation along its greatest river – from Basel to Amsterdam
9
days
from
US$5,300
Book today with a deposit from
US$795
12th - 19th September 2027
Cruise highlights
- Follow the Rhine through eight centuries of European history, from empire and religious reform to Romanticism.
- Five distinguished speakers accompany the voyage throughout, offering expert interpretation on board and on site.
- Exclusive private evening events at Heidelberg Castle and Marksburg, the Middle Rhine’s only hilltop castle never to have been destroyed.
- Explore the cities where Europe changed, from Speyer, Worms and Mainz – centres of empire, printing and religious reform – to magnificent Cologne.
- Experience the Romantic Rhine from the elegant MS Amadeus Queen, with castles, vineyards, dramatic river scenery and a private tasting of traditional-method German Sekt.
- Travel in true Martin Randall style, aboard an exclusively chartered ship for no more than 100 guests, with all dinners, wine, excursions, admissions and gratuities included.
Few waterways have played a greater role in the making of Europe than the Rhine. For centuries it served as a political frontier, a commercial highway and a conduit through which ideas, beliefs and artistic movements travelled across the continent. Along its banks empires rose and fell, cities flourished, religious certainties were challenged and new visions of Europe emerged.
This voyage follows the course of that story. Travelling from Basel to Amsterdam, we explore the religious, political, artistic and intellectual forces that shaped Europe through the cities, landscapes and monuments of the Rhine corridor. From the great Romanesque cathedrals of the Holy Roman Empire to the upheavals of the Reformation, from the flourishing Jewish communities of the medieval Rhineland to the castles, myths and landscapes that inspired the Romantic imagination, each stage of the journey reveals another chapter in Europe’s transformation.
Accompanied by five expert speakers, specialists in medieval history, art, architecture and German cultural history, we approach the Rhine from multiple perspectives. Through lectures on board and visits ashore, the voyage becomes not simply a journey along one of Europe’s most beautiful rivers, but an exploration of how the continent itself was shaped.
Along the way we encounter some of the most significant places in European history: Speyer, Mainz and Worms, heartlands of the Holy Roman Empire and centres of the Reformation; Heidelberg and the Middle Rhine, where history, legend and landscape converged to inspire Romanticism; Cologne, one of medieval Europe’s greatest cities; and Xanten, where Roman frontiers, medieval myth and modern ideas of nationhood intersect.
The result is a journey through more than eight centuries of European civilisation, viewed through the lens of one of its defining rivers.
Brochure
Itinerary
There is the option to arrive a day before the cruise begins. Book our flight to Zurich or train to Basel, or alternatively make your own way. Arrive in time for dinner and an introductory talk by Ulrike Ziegler. Overnight in Basel
Book one of our flight options from London to Zürich, or make your own way. Basel is a city that has long stood at the crossroads of northern and southern Europe. Visit the Kunstmuseum, home to outstanding works by Holbein, whose career unfolded against the backdrop of the Reformation and the profound religious and cultural changes it brought to Europe.
Pre-cruise extension (having arrived a day early): Morning visit of Basel Minster. The architecture of this cathedral built in the 12th and 13th centuries bears witness to the Upper Rhine valley as an architectural melting pot absorbing both German and French influences. Continue in the afternoon to the Kunstmuseum, focusing on the works of Holbein, an artist at the centre of artistic innovation around the time of the Reformation.
Transfer to the ship in time for an introductory talk by Jean-Michel Johnston, followed by drinks and dinner, as we begin our journey along the Rhine. Sail overnight to Breisach.
A morning talk introduces the shifting frontier between France and the Holy Roman Empire before a full-day excursion to Colmar, one of the most attractive towns of the Upper Rhine. Stroll among its colourful half-timbered houses and canals before visiting the Musée d’Unterlinden, home to Grünewald’s extraordinary Isenheim Altarpiece and one of the finest collections of northern European art. Lunch with Alsatian wines is included. Sail overnight to Speyer.
Morning lectures explore the rise of the Holy Roman Empire and the religious upheavals that transformed the Rhineland in the 16th century. Arrive in Speyer, dominated by Germany’s largest Romanesque cathedral and the burial place of the Salian emperors. Continue to Heidelberg, where the great castle overlooking the Neckar encapsulates centuries of German history: medieval stronghold, Renaissance palace, casualty of war and ultimately one of the great symbols of Romanticism. The day concludes with a drinks reception overlooking the town and a private dinner in the castle’s historic surroundings.
A morning lecture prepares us for Worms, one of the most historically significant cities on the Rhine. It was here that Luther defended his beliefs before the Emperor at the Diet of Worms, and here too that some of Europe’s most important medieval Jewish communities flourished. Visit the Romanesque cathedral, the Rashi Synagogue and the ancient Jewish cemetery, among the oldest and most significant in Europe. Time is also devoted to a tasting with one of Germany’s leading sparkling wine producers. Sail overnight to Mainz.
Spend the morning in Mainz, a city central to the story of Europe’s transformation. Visit the cathedral and the Gutenberg Museum, where the invention of movable type reveals how ideas could spread across the continent with unprecedented speed, helping to make the Reformation possible. In the afternoon, sail through the most dramatic stretch of the Rhine, where castles crown vine-clad hills above the river. Commentary on board explores how these landscapes became central to the Romantic imagination. This evening, stroll through the pretty town of Braubach and enjoy a drinks reception at Marksburg Castle, dramatically positioned above the Rhine.
A morning lecture introduces Cologne and the artistic culture of the Lower Rhine. Visit the Rococo palaces of Augustusburg and Falkenlust, masterpieces created for the Prince-Archbishops of Cologne. Returning to the city, explore the magnificent Gothic cathedral, one of the greatest architectural achievements of medieval Europe, or choose to visit one of Cologne’s outstanding museums. Sail overnight towards the Dutch border.
Today’s visits explore how history, legend and identity became intertwined along the Lower Rhine. At Xanten Archaeological Park, discover one of the most important Roman sites in Germany, where reconstructed buildings bring the ancient frontier vividly to life. Continue to Kleve, whose imposing Schwanenburg is linked to the medieval legend of Lohengrin, later immortalised by Wagner and woven into the cultural imagination of 19th-century Germany. Sail overnight to Amsterdam.
Arrive in Amsterdam. Depending on departure arrangements, enjoy free time or join a guided visit of the Rijksmuseum before returning to the UK.
Expert speakers
Mr Tom Abbott
Specialist in architectural history from the Baroque to the 20th century with a wide knowledge of the performing arts. He graduated in Psychology and Art History from Carleton College, Minnesota and studied at the Louvre School of Art History in Paris. Since 1987 he has lived in Berlin and has organised and led many academic tours in Germany. Tom has a particular interest in the German and American architectural and artistic modern including the Bauhaus and Expressionism.
More tours led by Mr Tom Abbott
Dr Ulrike Ziegler
Specialist in mediaeval art and architecture. She studied art history and archaeology at the University of Regensburg and King’s College Aberdeen. Her PhD focused on art exhibitions and the cultural politics of post-war Germany. She has taught at university and now lectures for various cultural institutions as well as organising and leading many study days and trips in Germany and Austria.
More tours led by Dr Ulrike Ziegler
Dr Hugh Doherty
Lecturer in medieval history at the University of East Anglia. He was taught at the Universities of London, Cambridge, and Oxford, and was a research fellow at Jesus College, Oxford. He specialises in the period, 700–1200, and publishes on western kings, secular élites and their records. He is a keen believer in the value of exploring and understanding the architectural fabric, material culture and landscapes of the past.
More tours led by Dr Hugh Doherty
Dr Jarl Kremeier
Art historian specialising in 17th- to 19th-century architecture and decorative arts; teaches Art History at the Berlin College of Acting and the Senior Student’s Department of Berlin’s Freie Universität. He studied at the Universities of Würzburg, Berlin and the Courtauld, is a contributor to the Macmillan Dictionary of Art, author of a book on the Würzburg Residenz, and of articles on Continental Baroque architecture and architectural theory.
More tours led by Dr Jarl Kremeier
Dr Jean-Michel Johnston
Historian of Germany and modern Europe, Jean-Michel Johnston is Associate Professor of Modern European History at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. His research explores the political, cultural and intellectual history of Germany and the ways in which ideas have shaped European society. An engaging and insightful lecturer, he has a gift for revealing the connections between places, people and events, bringing fresh perspective to the Rhine’s role in the making of Europe. His lectures illuminate the themes at the heart of this journey.
More tours led by Dr Jean-Michel Johnston
Practicalities
Haydn deck (front) – lowest
Single occupancy: US$5,550
Not available for double occupancy
Strauss deck (back) – middle
Single occupancy: US$5,780
Not available for double occupancy
Strauss deck (front) – middle
Two sharing: US$5,300 per person
Single occupancy: US$7,610
Mozart deck – top
Two sharing: US$5,780 per person
Single occupancy: US$8,600
Suites – Mozart deck
Two sharing: US$6,700 per person
Single occupancy: US$9,930
Arriving a day early: Basel extension
Two sharing: US$810
Single Occupancy: US$980
Travel options: if you choose to take one of the offered flight options, there is an additional cost of US$500 per person. For the option to travel by train, there is an additional cost of US$630 per person.
–Seven nights’ accommodation aboard the first-class river cruiser MS Amadeus Queen.
– Almost all meals, from dinner on the first evening to breakfast on the final morning, with wine, beer and soft drinks included. (Just two lunches are independent.)
– Coach travel for excursions where destinations are not reached on foot. If making your own travel arrangements, you may join our scheduled transfers where these coincide with your arrival and departure.
– Five distinguished speakers accompany the voyage throughout, with lectures on board, expert-led visits ashore and the services of local guides where appropriate.
– All excursions, visits and admission charges.
– All gratuities for waiters, crew, guides and drivers, together with all taxes.
– The assistance of an experienced team of Martin Randall Travel staff throughout.
– A printed booklet containing practical information, maps and background reading.
Pre-cruise: arriving a day early
Option 1 (by train)
Saturday 11th September: by Eurostar from London St Pancras (No.9008 departing 8.00am), continuing by TGV to Basel (No.9213 arriving 17.30).
Sunday 19th September: by Eurostar from Amsterdam to London St Pancras (No.9143 departing 12.40 and arriving c.15.57).
Option 2 (by plane)
Saturday 11th September: London Heathrow to Zurich (BA745 departing 11.50 and arriving 14.45)
Sunday 19th September: Amsterdam to London Heathrow (BA431 departing 11.30 and arriving 11.55)
Cruise only
Option 3
Sunday 12th September: London Heathrow to Zurich (Swiss LX 317 departing 8.45 and arriving 11.45). A box lunch is provided en route from Zurich to Basel.
Sunday 19th September: Amsterdam to London Heathrow (BA431 departing 11.35 and arriving 11.55)
Option 4
Sunday 12th September: London Heathrow to Zurich (BA732 departing 9.20, arriving 12.15). A box lunch is provided en route from Zurich to Basel.
Sunday 19th September: Amsterdam to London Heathrow (BA435 departing 16.15 and arriving 16.40).
Pre-cruise accommodation:
Hotel Teufelhof, Basel: located in Basel’s historic centre, this characterful 3-star hotel is housed in two integrated, historic townhouses from the 18th century. The hotel does not have air-conditioning. Fans can be provided in particularly warm weather.
MS Amadeus Queen is one of the most comfortable river cruisers in Europe.
With a floor area of 16m2 (Haydn deck) or 17.5m2 (Strauss and Mozart decks) the cabins are reasonably spacious by the standards of river cruisers. All have windows to the outside and are equipped with the facilities one would expect of a first-class hotel. Bathrooms have showers only. Special attention has been paid to noise insulation.
The significant differences are the size of windows and height above water level (higher cabins enjoy better views and fewer stairs).
Cabins on the top decks (Mozart and Strauss) are the most desirable, with floor-to-ceiling windows which drop down to open, and minibars. There are 12 suites (Mozart) measuring 26.4m2 with a corner sofa and small balcony. Cabins on the lowest deck (Haydn) have smaller windows which do not open.
The public areas include the lounge and bar and a restaurant which can seat everyone at a single sitting. The sun deck has a tented area for shade. There is an indoor swimming pool.
Quite a lot of walking is involved, some of it uphill. A good level of fitness is necessary. The cruise should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. We ask that you read our fitness guidelines before booking.
Travel in true Martin Randall style, aboard an exclusively chartered ship for no more than 100 guests
Before booking, please refer to Travel.State.Gov to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting. As a British company we follow the advice of the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
Dates & prices
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2027
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
12th - 19th September 2027
Speaker:
Mr Tom Abbott & Dr Ulrike Ziegler
Price:
from US$5,300
(Based on two sharing)Testimonials
“Ulrike is outstanding: clear, comprehensive, concise, friendly and an absolute pleasure to travel with.
”
“Jarl’s breadth of knowledge and ability to put it over in such an interesting way was exceptional.
”
“Excellent cruise: perfect organisation, excellent itinerary, very nice ship with perfect cabins, fascinating lectures and explanations, very good food - what could I add?
”
Combine with
We are happy to advise on combining this itinerary with another tour or event. Please contact us for information about linking accommodation and transport.
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