In the Fall of 2022, we took our fifth river cruise in Europe on the Rhine River which was at the beginning of the Christmas market.  This river cruise was from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Basel, Switzerland on AMA Waterways with two pre-cruise nights in Amsterdam and two post-cruise nights in Lucerne.  

As we love the city of Amsterdam for its’ uniqueness and availability of so many museums, we spent our two nights pre-cruise at a hotel near the city center.  Our museum choice was the Rijks Museum which has the most paintings by Rembrandt including his “The Night Watch” painting which I must say is quite amazing.  As we had a private guide, this made the afternoon go quickly because she made it more interesting.  

Next, we went on a dinner cruise which toured the canals of Amsterdam.

After departing Amsterdam on the AMA Certo, we started cruising the Rhine River to our first port, Cologne, Germany where we visited the “Old Town and explored the UNESCO-designated Cologne Cathedral”.  Such a beautiful church.

Next, we cruised the portion of the Rhine that is known for its abundance of castles which is called Rhine Gorge and is a UNESCO-designated site for being the most beautiful stint of the Rhine.

Heidelberg was our next town which was truly magical as it is the most perfectly preserved medieval town nestled in the Neckar River Valley along Germany’s Castle Road.  

On to another magical town of Strasbourg where you get a mix of Germany and France.  Walk through its iconic “Le Petite France” district for a taste of fairy tales.

Definitely happy that we got to see Riquewihr which looks almost like it did in the 16th century. Just amazing! It is rumored that this small town was the model for Disney’s “Beauty & the Beast” movie.

After departing the AMA Certo, our final two nights were spent in Lucern, Switzerland. Nothing in this world can match the beauty of the area!