Recommend hopped on board Avalon Waterways’Avalon Visionary in April, cruising along the castle- and vineyard-lined Moselle and Rhine rivers from Amsterdam to Paris. Our days were a mix of strolling around medieval castles and ancient Roman ruins and sampling local Riesling near the vineyards where it’s made. When we got back on board to sail to the next stretch of the river, stopping in German towns like Cologne and Rudesheim, we made the most of our spacious Panorama suite, admiring views from the seven-ft.-wide windows that open up as balconies. Here’s a small sample of our southbound journey on board Avalon’s 8-day Canals, Vineyards & Paris itinerary.
We started our week in the 700-year-old city of Amsterdam, exploring the former working-class neighborhood of Jordaan on a culinary walking tour.
One of Avalon’s new Active Discovery excursions is a painting class at Ateliers Westerdok in Amsterdam.
View from a gondola over the vineyards of Rudesheim, one of Germany’s most famous wine towns.
Perched above the Moselle River, the Reichsburg Castle in Cochem dates back to 1000 A.D.
The Reichsburg Castle offers some of the best views over the river valley and town of Cochem.
Strolling through the Old Town of Zell, a wine town in Germany along the Moselle.
The wine village of Bernkastel is known for hosting the largest Weinfest on the Moselle. We were able to sample wines along the river at the Wine Museum.
Germany’s oldest town, Trier, still features evidence of its Roman past with ancient sites like the Imperial Baths, as well as 16th century structures like this fountain in the main market square.
For the gala farewell dinner, Avalon’s new culinary director, Joerg Penneke, whipped up an intermezzo of lobster between courses.
After disembarking in Luxembourg, we hopped on a high-speed train to Paris. Our first stop in the City of Light? The fashionable Dior Institut spa at Hotel Plaza Athenee.
