Our recent European river cruise on the Mosel, Rhine and Main rivers began with three days in Paris. A road trip from Paris through Luxembourg to Trier, Germany, took us to the Idun, one of Viking River Cruises’ award-winning longships. An eight-day cruise from Trier ended in Bamberg, Germany. Then it was on to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, by road.
Once aboard Viking’s Longship Idun, 135 meters in length, we felt at home. The ship was immaculate, the staff gracious and the amenities—including comfortable staterooms with balconies, excellent cuisine and educational shore excursions—were excellent. One of a fleet of over 60 river vessels (with more to come), the ship is a state-of-the-art nautical marvel. It can be navigated in good and bad weather around river bends and through locks with a small joystick and the help of a professional crew and excellent radar system.
Viking is the world’s largest river cruise company, claiming over 40 percent of the North American market for European river cruises, and has won numerous awards in the travel industry. It takes guests on journeys in Europe, Russia, China, Southeast Asia and Egypt. Viking has also introduced ocean cruises in the Baltic, Mediterranean, Caribbean and North America. For more information, go to vikingcruises.com
Stay tuned for our magazine feature story and video, coming in early January.
The views from the Alexandre III Bridge in Paris are phenomenal, particularly at night. In addition to appreciating the elegant statuary on the bridge, pedestrians can visit the nearby Grand Palais museum or board a boat just under the bridge to cruise the Seine River.
Medieval Stolzenfels Castel on the Rhine near Koblenz, Germany, fell to ruin but was restored in the 19th century for Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV.
Viking’s Longships are ideal for cruising Europe’s rivers with their shallow drafts and state-of-the-art maneuverability.
The view of Prague—the City of a Hundred Spires—from Petrin Hill is one of our favorite panoramas in Europe. From here, travelers have a bird’s-eye-view of the Old Town.
The activity on Prague’s 14th-century Charles Bridge goes on day and night.