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11 days priced from $6,195 Art & Architecture Featuring a 7-night cruise from Basel to Amsterdam Along the Limited to 24 guests, with a Resident Tour Director

Amsterdam Arrive/DEPART Cruise Connections at a Glance Holland Discover your destination through these local connections. • Cruise for seven nights on the Rhine River aboard sleek, Cologne spacious ‘Amadeus Silver III’ • Enjoy an architectural tour of the Vitra Design Museum Rüdesheim Campus in Basel, Switzerland Rhine River • Learn about the art of wine with a Connections-exclusive Speyer tasting tour of the Alsace wine region in France • Embark on a Connections-exclusive excursion to Darmstadt Strasbourg with a guided visit to Mathildenhöhe, and view the Gate, consecrated under Charlemagne in 774 • On a Connections-exclusive tour of Cologne, visit the Museum Basel Ludwig with its collection of classical, modern, expressionist and Switzerland American pop art works • Tour the Kröller-Müller Museum and sculpture garden near Amsterdam, followed by a private architectural tour of Holland’s capital city

Day 1: ARRIVE basel, switzerland Arrive in Basel, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy time at leisure. Later, join your fellow guests and A&K Resident Tour Director for a private tour at Tinguely Museum, named for the Swiss artist noted for his kinetic art sculptures, followed by a welcome reception and dinner. Hotel Basel / Meals: D

28 / 2016 European River Cruise Journeys Wander the intimate, Gothic gem of Petite-France in Strasbourg

Day 2: Weil am Rhein, Germany / Amazing Architecture Daye 5: RÜd sheim & / Travel to Weil am Rhein for a private architectural tour of the Connections-Exclusive Excursion & Rhine Gorge Cruise Vitra Campus, an ensemble of remarkable buildings by renowned On a Connections-exclusive excursion today, ride the local train architects. Then, explore the Design Museum, created by Frank from Rüdesheim to Assmannshausen. After a private tasting of Gehry, which hosts major exhibits dedicated to architecture of the local red wine, take the chairlift up the hill for panoramic, the past and present. This afternoon, explore the Kunstmuseum open-air views of the wooded hillsides. Return to your ship for at leisure after a brief, guided introduction. Later, transfer to your lunch and an afternoon cruise through the scenic Rhine Gorge. stylish, modern river ship for priority embarkation. Once aboard Join your Resident Tour Director tonight for a private cocktail your ship, relax with a welcome cocktail and your fellow guests party in the ship’s Amadeus Club. Aboard Ship / Meals: B L D before dinner. Aboard Ship / Meals: B D Day 6: cochem / Picturesque Medieval Streets Day 3: Strasbourg, France / Alsatian Wine Tasting Today you may choose an optional city walk in Cochem that Enjoy a Connections-exclusive excursion that includes includes a wine tasting. Alternatively explore the picturesque Strasbourg’s soaring Gothic cathedral with its beautiful stained medieval streets on your own. Cochem is tucked amid steep glass windows. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Riquewihr vineyards in the heart of Germany’s Moselle wine region, and Kaysersberg, romantic towns along the Alsatian wine route, watched over by a reconstructed 19th-century hillside castle. for a tasting of local vintages. Aboard Ship / Meals: B L D Aboard Ship / Meals: B L D

Day 4: Speyer & Mannheim / Artist Colony Visit Day 7: Cologne / Connections-Exclusive Excursion Today, embark on a Connections-exclusive excursion that begins Enjoy a Connections-exclusive tour of in Speyer. Walk with your Resident Tour Director to the city’s Cologne today. Visit the stunning imposing cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating cathedral that has graced the city’s to the 11th century. Continue on a panoramic drive through skyline since the 13th century, despite Heidelberg to Darmstadt, and a guided visit of the artists’ colony the devastating bombings of World War called Mathildenhöhe, established more than 100 years ago. II. Designed with mathematically precise craftsmanship, Note how the city’s magnificent Art Nouveau houses help shape Cologne’s cathedral boasts remarkable gargoyles and corbel its character. Break for lunch in a local restaurant in Darmstadt. figures on its façade, with medieval sculptures and 19th-century This afternoon, stop for photos at the 1,200-year-old gatehouse mosaic flooring highlighting its interior. Continue to the of the Abbey of Lorsch. Aboard Ship / Meals: B L D Museum Ludwig to view the collection of classical, modern,

800 323 7308 / abercrombiekent.com 29 Tour the art-packed Mathildenhöhe artists’ colony in Darmstadt

expressionist and American pop art works. Then, enjoy free time for shopping and lunch on your own (or included aboard ship). This evening, join your captain for a gala dinner aboard ship. Aboard Ship / Meals: B L D

Day 8: Volendam & Amsterdam, holland / Classic Dutch Fishing Village, Cheese Tasting & Canal Cruise Today, arrive in Holland and disembark for a stroll through the old fishing village of Volendam, with its colorful period houses. Continue to a local cheese farm for a tasting. In Amsterdam, drive past Dam Square — the city’s vibrant heart — and through the Museum Quarter, with a cruise on the city’s landmark canals. Then, re-board your vessel in Amsterdam for a final overnight stay. Aboard Ship / Meals: B L D

Day 9: Amsterdam / Canal District Architecture Walk Receive a guided tour of the Kröller-Müller Museum and sculpture garden, followed by lunch. Founded by art collector Helene Kröller-Müller, the museum contains an extensive Van Gogh collection as well as works by Seurat and Picasso. Return to Amsterdam for an architectural boat tour in the canal district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the picturesque canal houses, tiny alleyways, gardens and drawbridges that lend this cosmopolitan city its unique charm. Park Hotel / Meals: B L

View the Kröller-Müller Museum’s extensive Van Gogh collection

30 / 2016 European River Cruise Journeys local connections Study the art of wine in style, visiting two romantic medieval towns on a Connections-exclusive tasting tour through the Alsace wine region of France.

Day 10: Amsterdam / Rembrandts & Restorations A ccommodations Spotlight This morning, visit the famous Take a closer look at this journey’s river ship and hotel stays. Rijksmuseum, which re-opened in 2013 after an impressive reconstruction. ‘Amadeus Silver III’ On your guided tour, view a choice Spacious cabins and suites — most selection of the countless masterpieces with French or walk-out balconies — in its exceptional collection, including Rembrandt’s Night Watch. and an open, modern design paired with Old World hospitality make for Relax at leisure this afternoon, further exploring the museum or a superb, stylish cruising experience. perhaps shopping for tulip bulbs. This evening, visit the Douwes family gallery, seven generations in the same family, for a reception and talk on art restoration. Later, gather for a farewell Hotel Basel dinner to celebrate your journey. Park Hotel / Meals: B D A perfect base for exploration, this boutique hotel set in the center of Day 11: depart amsterdam Basel features spacious rooms and Today, transfer to Amsterdam airport for your flight. Meals: B contemporary comforts. note: High or low water levels may impact sailing and require changes to the itinerary. Visit abercrombiekent.com for photos of all the hotels on this journey.

Dates & Pricing Departure C-4 C-1 B-4 B-1 A-1 Amadeus Suite Dates Haydn-Deck Haydn-Deck Strauss-Deck Strauss-Deck Mozart-Deck Mozart-Deck Jul 31–Aug 10 $6,195 $6,495 $7,195 $7,695 $8,195 $8,695 S ingle Supplement $795 $895 $1,395 $2,095 $2,595 $4,595 S ep 11–21 $6,495 $6,795 $7,495 $7,995 $8,495 $8,995 S ingle Supplement $895 $995 $1,495 $2,195 $2,695 $4,695

Journey Details Minimum age is 12 years. First group event: welcome briefing at 4:15 p.m. on Day 1. Last group event: farewell dinner at 7:30 p.m. on Day 10.

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