Your European holiday begins with a 2 night stay in Lucerne, Switzerland. Enjoy a guided walking tour, including the Lion Monument, Old Town, Chapel Bridge, the Water Tower, Jesuit Church, and an excursion to Mount Pilatus (or Mount Stanserhorn per seasonal accessibility). A Master of Wine will accompany you on your river cruise with presentations, tastings, and wine pairings along the way.

Your cruise on the Rhine and Moselle Rivers begins in Basel, Switzerland, to explore extraordinary cities in Germany and France, as well as Holland’s capital of Amsterdam. At the foot of Kaiserstuhl Mountain on the French-German border sits Breisach— enjoy an excursion to Germany’s Black Forest or take an excursion to the charming village of Colmar, followed by a visit to a chateau wine cellar. Continue your river cruise to Strasbourg, France, where a local expert will show you the red-sandstone Gothic-style cathedral with ancient murals and its fascinating astronomical clock. Visit the ruins of Heidelberg Castle, towering magnificently over the city, or go to Speyer for a guided walk and a visit to the Wine Museum.

Cruise through the dramatic Rhine Gorge for the most beautiful view of the Rhine River, and see ancient castles standing majestically on cliffs 400 feet above the water. Visit Koblenz, strategically located at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, before coming to the charming wine village of Bernkastel. Here, you’ll go on a guided walk and taste some of the famed Moselle wines! Visit a medieval castle, then sail back into the Rhine and explore the magnificent city of Cologne, Germany, which spans both sides of the Rhine River. Your river cruise holiday ends in marvellous Amsterdam. Take in the sights on a canal cruise through the elegant Grachten lined with stately homes dating back to the city’s “Golden Age.”

About Masters of Wine
Seldom do travellers get the chance to learn about wines from a master! Avalon invites you to sail in the company of a Master of Wine (MW) who shares elite experience, unsurpassed knowledge, and personal passion for wines on board your ship. With only 450 Masters of Wine in the world, Avalon Waterways is honoured to welcome a Master of Wine on board our Wine-Lovers cruises to share their rigorous training and prestigious expertise recognized globally across the wine industry. A truly exclusive experience for wine lovers!