NEW: Rhine Legends

Lined with a bustling wide promenade and criss-crossed with bridges, your first glimpse of the mighty Rhine in Cologne is destined to be a memorable one. A major trading centre since the Roman times, this impressive city merges the old and the new perfectly. You'll find ancient walls and medieval churches rubbing shoulders with modern quarters, a fantastic selection of quality museums and, the calling card of the city, its famous cathedral, dominating the skyline.
Head into the charming Altstadt (Old Town) on the banks of the Rhine, and find yourself lost in narrow streets filled with traditional old houses, breweries, beer halls, cafes and shops. This is the place to come to experience a more traditional taste of Germany's fourth largest city, and the ideal way to kickstart your river cruise. Interested in exploring in detail? We'd recommend arranging an extra couple of days in the city at one of our partner hotels before you embark on your A-ROSA Rhine river cruise. That way, when you board your ship, you'll be relaxed, ready to go, and already have one fantastic city under your belt.

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Sitting in prime Rhine wine country on the beautiful banks of the German Rhine, your call at Ruedesheim opens the doors on a historic town set in picture-perfect rolling hills. The main calling card of Ruedesheim is its lively Drosselgasse, described as '144-metres of joie de vivre' or 'the merriest street in the world'. Winding its way through the town, this cobbled street is lined with timber-framed houses, taverns and shops, draped in the town's notable vines. Start your explorations of Ruedesheim here after disembarking your A-ROSA river cruise ship and follow the same route the boatmen of the Rhine took during the 18th and 19th century in their search for a place to stay.
Other notable attractions in the town include the charming Siegfried's Musical Museum home to the largest collection of automated musical instruments in Germany, or, for scenic splendours, enjoy panoramic views across Ruedesheim and its impressive setting tucked aside the glistening Rhine from the Seilbahn, or cable car, that climbs into the hills to visit the iconic Germania Monument.

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Today, you'll find yourself in Germany's enchanting Upper Rhine nestled in the heart of Europe. Here, the natural surrounds are some of the most picture-perfect you'll see on your A-ROSA river cruise, with terraced vineyards, expansive forests, high peaks and nature trails just waiting to be explored. Your port today will be in Speyer, depending on availability of docking locations. Whichever town you find yourself in, you'll discover rich German hospitality and history, and the perfect place to spend a day of laidback discovery.

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Treading the tightrope between Germany and France, Strasbourg is a city straight out of the story books. The images you expect of this highlight of the Alsace region are all conjured up before you in the old town's higgledy-piggledy colourful houses and twisting streets. Head down to the canals of Petit France and hole up in one of the traditional cosy winstubs, or Alsatian taverns, they're the perfect place to get your bearings of this quirky city before hitting the tourist trail. Strasbourg Cathedral is a must-see. For 227 years, this spellbinding sandstone structure was the tallest building in the world, and it's still well worth a trip to the top of the tower where views stretch as far as the Black Forest, some 30km away.

ARR 07:00 | DEP 18:00

At the very heart of the Rhineland's wine growing region, sophisticated Mainz is the perfect mix of history, culture and high-living. Wander the cobbled streets of the Old Town, and lose yourself among half-timbered buildings housing colourful bars, traditional shops and great eateries. This area is most famed for its fantastic Riesling and Silvaner wines, so it'd be remiss not to sit, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy a perfectly chilled glass of this top tipple whilst on dry land. There's much more than just excellent vintages to this pretty city though. The Altstadt also plays host to the impressive 1,000-year-old Mainzer Dome, a masterpiece of Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque styles, as well as the fantastic Gutenberg Museum. Commemorating Mainz's illustrious printing past, bibliophiles can explore how home-grown Mainz talent, Johannes Gutenberg invented the letterpress, revolutionising how books were printed and told through presses, magazines, newspapers, and most notably, the two fascinating and almost 500-year old Gutenberg bibles.

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AFTERNOON: LORELEI VALLEY
The Lorelei Valley is Rhine river scenery at its most romantic, so this morning's sailing is sure to be one of the highlights of your cruise. We recommend letting one of our waiters bring you a coffee as you sit on the Sun Deck of your elegant A-ROSA ship and let the views unfurl in front of your eyes. And what views they are. Each gentle bend in the river delivers something new to admire, steeply-terraced vineyards plunging down towards the river, picture-perfect villages replete with half-timbered houses and Gothic church steeples, fairy tale castles perched on hilltops, rugged cliffs and lush green forests. The Lorelei Valley is river cruising exactly as you imagined it.

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Where the mighty Rhine meets the Moselle, Koblenz is the perfect jumping off point for exploring the gorgeous scenic surrounds and rich history of the UNESCO-listed Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Its strategic location has made it the focus of battles over the centuries, with 2,000 years of glorious and bloody history under its belt. The site of an early commandery for the Teutonic Order, sailing past its iconic headland, Deutsches Eck (German Corner) and famous Kaiser Wilhelm statue on your A-Rosa river cruise ship will be one of the unforgettable highlights of this trip.
Now a park and flower-filled city set in this beautiful river valley, we recommend taking in the Baroque town hall, colourful Altstadt and impressive hilltop Ehrenbreitstein Fortress before hitting some of the twisting countryside paths that line the rivers edge delivering stunning vistas and magnificent castles. A trip over the Rhine via cable car is a must too. The birds eye view from this 900-metre journey across the river banks is best from Car 17, complete with a glass floor.

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It's little wonder that Cologne's residents think they're onto something special. This welcoming city can't fail to charm you. The typical friendliness that you find at every turn makes visitors feel to this magnificent place feel at home right away and it's not unusual to get chatting to strangers and find yourself enjoying an ice-cold Kölsch with them. The main landmark – the dramatic Cologne Cathedral – watches over the whole city. It is the third-tallest church building in the world, at a staggering 157.38 metres. It might be a bit of a trek up to the top of the tower, but it’s worth it. You’ll be rewarded with a mesmerising view of the city and the Rhine spread out beneath you.

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