19395 River Diary 40pp Consumer v2

EUROPE
THE MAIN RIVER
A little way south of Rüdesheim, river ships
turn left into the Main River. This is narrower
and more picturesque than the Rhine but as
there are 34 locks to navigate the sundeck
will be closed most of the time while sailing.
On most vessels that means there will be
limited outside space.
Key attractions along the Main include
Miltenberg, a pretty town with half-timbered
houses and a beautiful Renaissance fountain,
and Würzburg, where city tours usually visit
the baroque Bishop’s Residence to see its
ornate staircases, acres of stucco and one of
the largest frescos ever painted.
A NEW
DIMENSION
IN RIVER CRUISING
NAME
Koblenz, at the confluence
of the Rhine and Moselle, is
recognisable for the enormous
equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I
at the Deutsches Eck, or German Corner.
Walking tours visit the statue and the narrow
streets, squares and churches in the old city,
but it’s a small place and easy to explore
alone. A cable car goes across the river to the
Ehrenbreitstein fortress, 118 metres above
the river.
Koblenz marks the start of the Rhine Gorge,
the most scenic stretch of the river with more
than 40 castles and fortresses that date back
to the Middle Ages. Cruise directors point
out the sights during the sailing, and also tell
the legend of the Lorelei, a beautiful maiden
said to have thrown herself to her death over a
faithless lover who then lured sailors to their
deaths with her hypnotic singing.
In Rüdesheim, a small town at the
southern end of the gorge, tours visit
Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Cabinet, an
extraordinary collection of music machines
from years gone by. If that doesn’t appeal,
a cable car goes over the vineyards to the
monumental Germania statue that celebrates
the foundation of the German Empire.
Guides will point out the Drosselgasse - a
narrow street lined with bars, cafés and
souvenir shops.
A few river cruise lines alternatively
offer tours from Würzburg to
Rothenburg. It’s about 45
minutes’ drive away along
what’s known as the
Top tip:
Cabin balconies really come
into their own on cruises on the
Main and Main-Danube Canal
as passengers have their own
outdoor viewing space even
though the sundeck is
closed.
‘Romantic Road’, and
a fairytale-like town
enclosed by thick
walls that’s full of
medieval houses and
has a Christmas shop
that’s open all year.
Cruises also visit
Bamberg, a town famous
for a strange smoked beer and
architectural gems including a town hall
covered with tromp d’oeil frescoes.
THE MAIN-DANUBE CANAL
Bamberg marks the start of the Main-Danube
Canal, a man-made waterway that opened in
1994 to enable ships to sail all the way from
the North Sea to the Black Sea. There are
another 16 locks along the canal so again the
sundeck will be closed most of the time.
The main attraction on the canal is
Nuremberg. Tours go to the Nazi rally
grounds and Documentation Centre in
Hitler’s unfinished Kongresshalle, which
charts the rise of the Nazi party. In the
city, many visit the courtroom where the
war crime trials were held at the end of the
Second World War.
Most river cruise lines stay a day in the city
so there is also time to explore the medieval
centre. A castle, the vast market square, the
Church of our Lady and the local Nuremburg
rostbratwurst are among attractions.
THE DANUBE
At Kelheim, the canal flows into the Danube
River. Cruises visit Regensburg, a town with
narrow medieval streets, towers built by
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14 | RIVER DIARY | JANUARY 2019 StowawayMedia.com | 15
ABTA No.Y6393