A fresh look at the Rhine

From its source in the pristine Swiss Alps, the Rhine glides through Austria, France, Germany and The Netherlands.

With as much rich history as the countries it flows through, this river brims with stories, traditions, castles and culture, and every day spent exploring its many treasures offers memories to cherish.

Viking’s 'Rhine Getaway' itinerary offers two ways to experience its four-country route in eight days.

You can either begin your Viking Rhine river cruise in Switzerland’s Basel, or do the reverse journey from Amsterdam in The Netherlands, which is where my husband Jonathan and I set sail.

Whenever you visit, there’s so much to see and do in Amsterdam that it’s worth spending a day or two before you join your ship seeing the sights, from the world class exhibitions at the recently restored Rijksmuseum to the Anne Frank experience in the heart of the city.

After a whistle stop tour of Amsterdam, it was time to get on board the Viking Gymir and start enjoying Rhine time.

On board Viking’s roomy Longships, you’ll find choice of stunning staterooms plus fabulous common areas to relax in and watch the changing landscape.

There’s also a comfy lounge bar, fabulous restaurant and Aquavit Terrace where wine tastings, lectures, cookery demos, live music and quizzes take place.

At our first stop we docked in the ancient Dutch port of Rotterdam for an excursion to a family farm that makes exceptional gouda-style artisan cheese. We discovered that each variety of cheese is handmade and matured on site. You can sample the cheese then take it home with you as a souvenir.

Then it was on to see an unmissable Dutch treat – the windmills at Kinderdijk. The eight working windmills at this UNESCO World Heritage Site were originally built in 1738 and we were lucky enough to have a demonstration of windmill sails in operation by Aart, the museum curator and miller.

This is the kind of experience that makes journeys with Viking so memorable.

The following day, we decided to independently explore the city of Cologne, visiting its incredible Gothic cathedral which was completed in 1322.

The Hohenzollern Bridge, adorned with lovers’ padlocks, is another must see, as is the remarkable Ludwig Contemporary Art Museum.

We then took a leisurely stroll back to the Viking Gymir. Because Viking river ships often dock in the heart of each destination, it’s easy to hop on and off the ship so you get the best of all worlds – everything laid on if you want it, but freedom to create your own schedule as you wish.

Gliding through the Middle Rhine, warmed by spring sunshine and excellent hot chocolate, every guest on board the Viking Gymir is made to feel special.

This is the quintessential Rhine experience where riverbanks are peppered with fairy-tale castles.

Programme Director George was our guide to the enchanting historical details, myths and legends of each and every one, often perched atop precipitous vineyards.

Strasbourg was one of the highlights of our journey. Here we enjoyed an included tour of Petit France, a UNESCO-listed throng of cobbled streets with perfectly preserved medieval buildings, and a visit to Strasbourg Cathedral which houses the extraordinary animated Astronomical Clock.

Our guide ensured we were in time to see it in action, showing us details that we would surely have missed otherwise. Strasbourg was quite unlike any other European city we have visited and one we’d return to.

On the final morning we docked in Basel.

To get a taste of a fourth country, we headed to Basel’s Kunstmuseum, the largest art museum in Switzerland. We also discovered that Basel is the most popular section of the Rhine for swimming.

We were happy to watch keen swimmers take the plunge from the comfort of a cosy riverside café, as we chatted enthusiastically about what we’d seen and experienced on our trip.

Visiting so many great destinations had given us a fresh perspective on this mighty river and its fascinating history and people.

Get on board

8-day 'Rhine Getaway' journey, from Amsterdam to Basel via Kinderdijk, Cologne, Koblenz, Speyer, Strasbourg and Breisach.

Various 2024 dates available from March to November.

Prices from £1,995pp including 7 nights in a standard stateroom, all onboard meals, wine, beer and soft drinks for lunch and dinner, return flights from selected UK airports, 6 guided tours, Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary) and onboard gratuities.