Maine Historical Society 2008 Trip

Castles of the Rhine & Moselle October 9 – 21, 2008 Aboard Uniworld Grand River Cruise’s Ambassador

Day 1 October 9 USA to Amsterdam Board your transatlantic flight to Amsterdam

Day 2 October 10 Amsterdam Arrive in Amsterdam where we’ll be greeted by a local representative and transferred to the hotel. 2 night’s hotel accommodations, Hotel Pulitzer or similar (B)

Day 3 October 11 Amsterdam Half-day tour through the city center and its suburbs. We will be taken from the historical city center, with its reminders of a glorious past, through 19th century quarters to modern day Amsterdam. A photo stop will be made at one of the remaining windmills. Also the diamond factory will be visited, which commemorates the wealthy past of Amsterdam. Reminders of the city’s glorious past can be admired by visiting the Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum with a separate open-date ticket for viewing at your leisure

Day 4 October 12 Embark ship

Day 5 October 13 Cologne Included Excursion: Cologne walking tour and cathedral visit. We’ll meet up with our guide on the pier and begin our walking tour. Stroll through the narrow streets of Old Town, passing by tiny squares and little churches as we make our way to the Cathedral, the city’s most famous landmark, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the largest in Germany. A visit inside features the Shrine of the Three Magi and the beautiful glass windows that survived WWII. (BB, L, Captain’s Welcome Dinner)

Day 6 October 14 Cologne and Koblenz Included Excursion: Koblenz walking tour. Arrive in Koblenz, situated on the beautiful corner at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. Our guided walking tour will highlight the appeal of Koblenz – its romantic narrow streets and historical squares, the picturesque alleyways and fountains in the old quarter and the 12th-century churches of St. Florin and Our Lady. (BB, L, D)

Day 7 October 15 Koblenz and Rudesheim Included Excursion: Castle Vollrads wine tasting. Departing in the morning from Koblenz to Rüdesheim, we’ll sail along one of the most beautiful sections of the Rhine, the scenic 40 miles of the upper Middle Rhine Valley declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

With its vine-filled slopes, its more than 40 castles strung like pearls along the riverbank’s ledges, and the famous Lorelei Rock, the gorge is the perfect embodiment of the romantic Rhine. Rüdesheim has a long history dating back to Roman times, and is considered one of the most charming of the Rhine Valley ports of call. We’ll enjoy the first part of the afternoon exploring the town on our own, and then visit the prestigious Castle Vollrads – ranked as one of the world’s top wine estates – for a unique wine tasting at the castle. (BB, L, D)

Day 8 October 16 Speyer Included Excursion: Speyer walking tour: Our guided walking tour through Speyer reveals a medieval town with a grand heritage and a compact historical center dominated by the largest Romanesque cathedral in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its basilica laid out in the form of a Latin cross, and including four towers and two domes. (BB, L, D)

Day 9 October 17 Strasbourg, France Included Excursion: Strasbourg canal cruise. See Strasbourg in the way it has been seen through the centuries – on a canal cruise. In addition to viewing the town’s covered bridges, medieval watchtowers and modern building that houses the European Parliament, we will see “Petite France,” a picturesque district that seems as if it has been lifted from the pages of a fairy tale. (BB, L, D)

Day 10 October 18 Strasbourg, (Colmar) Breisach Included Excursion: Full-day tour along the Alsatian Wine Road. Leaving Strasburg we head for a famous road, the Alsatian wine route, which hugs the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. Charming villages and lush vineyards, producing great white wines, line this winding scenic route. Stops in the medieval town of Colmar and the picturesque village of Riquewihr are included. (BB, L, Captain’s Farewell Dinner)

Day 11 October 19 Basel, Switzerland to Lucerne, Switzerland Disembark ship transfer to Lucerne. 2 night’s hotel accommodations Monopol Hotel or similar, including breakfast.

Day 12 October 20 Lucerne, Switzerland Private 2 hours sightseeing tour of Lucerne & Public cruise along Lucerne Lake. Tour will visit Chapel Bridge, Lion Monument, and Spreuer Bridge before 1-hour boat cruise on Lake Lucerne

Day 13 October 21 Depart Zurich to Home

Trip Includes: About the River Ambassador:

• Round-trip air transportation to Europe • All river view staterooms are lavishly appointed • All European transfers and have generous built in closets, hair dryer, • 2 nights hotel in Amsterdam with breakfast air conditioning, flat screen TV, and bathroom daily with thick cotton towels, bath amenities, and • Half day sightseeing, Amsterdam thick terry robes. • 7-Day Rhine/Moselle River cruise • Beautiful lounge with full service bar • All meals on cruise, wine with dinner • Library/ Game room • Six shore excursions with portable audio • Panoramic restaurants with open seating headsets • 24 hour coffee bar • 2 nights hotel Lucerne with breakfast daily • Sun deck, sky lounge, fitness center, sauna • Half-day sightseeing, Lucerne • Laundry facilities • Tour escort throughout

For further information contact: Eric Baxter at Hewins Travel (800) 370-0888 x 1209 or [email protected]