FLOWERS OF FLORIADE AND ZUNDERT DAHLIA FLOWER PARADE
NEW
10 nights FULL BOARD from £2099
aboard Spirit of the Rhine
!!!!!
– see pages 144-149 for details No fly option
Includes insurance and cancellation cover§ Price reduction available if not required.
SPIRIT OF THE RHINE DUTCH WATERWAYS
Admire the floral displays of the Floriade Expo in Almere and Zundert’s Dahlia flower parade on this river cruise from Trier to Dordrecht.
Dutch tulips
Day 1: UK to Trier. Travel by coach and Eurotunnel or ferry to Trier and embark Spirit of the Rhine.
ride aboard the Tourist Train or a visit to the castle with a wine tasting at a local vineyard. Your ship remains moored here overnight.
Day 2: Trier to Bernkastel-Kues. Spend the morning in Germany’s oldest city, Trier, founded in 16BC by Emperor Augustus. Trier lies in the heart of Germany’s oldest wine region, the Moselle. Trier retains many relics of its illustrious past, as you will discover on an included tour to see the Porta Nigra, one of the best-preserved Roman city gates in the world, the city walls and cathedral. You’ll rejoin your ship in Issel before cruising through the afternoon to Bernkastel-Kues for an overnight mooring.
Day 5: Cochem to Koblenz Depart Cochem this morning and sail on to Koblenz, arriving this afternoon. Koblenz sits at the meeting point of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, in between the famous wine regions of the Moselle and the Middle Rhine – renowned for their Rieslings. Perhaps enjoy a cable car ride from Koblenz up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress on an optional excursion.
Day 3: Bernkastel-Kues to TrabenTrarbach During the morning in Bernkastel-Kues you may like to take an optional ride on the panorama train. Sail on late this afternoon to the ‘twin towns’ of Traben-Trarbach, which straddle the Moselle and are linked by a bridge. This was once the second-largest wine-trading centre in Europe, after the French city of Bordeaux, and you can sample the local produce on an included wine tasting excursion. Day 4: Traben-Trarbach to Cochem This morning, sail from Traben-Trarbach to arrive in the wine town of Cochem this afternoon. With the backdrop of neo-Gothic Reichsburg Castle, which sits atop a hill cloaked entirely in vines, Cochem is one of the most visited places on the Moselle River. This afternoon a choice of optional excursions includes a
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Day 6: Koblenz to Bonn Sail through the morning to Bonn, arriving at lunchtime. An optional walking tour will reveal some of the main sights such as the Electoral Palace and the baroque City Hall. Entrance to Beethoven's former home, now a museum dedicated to his life and work, is also included in the excursion. Your ship remains moored in Bonn overnight. Day 7: Bonn to Cologne Following an early departure from Bonn you’ll arrive this morning in Cologne, Germany's cultural capital where you can see some of the city’s attractions during an optional sightseeing coach tour. The Gothic cathedral, started in 1248 to house the relics of the three Magi, wasn’t completed until 1880! Depart this afternoon and cruise overnight to Lelystad. Day 8: Lelystad This morning, step on the shuttle bus for your included full-day visit to the Floriade Expo held in Almere.
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This world horticultural exhibition will last six months, and the theme for the 2022 Expo will be ‘Growing Green Cities’, focusing on how nature can be better incorporated into cities. As well as hundreds of species of flowers, plants and vegetables, there will be 40 country presentations, a greenhouse complex and a cable car across the site. A ride on the cable car will be included with your ticket. Afterwards you’ll travel back to your ship, which departs later this evening. Day 9: Lelystad An optional excursion this morning visits the lake town of Giethoorn, alternatively spend the day exploring Lelystad, a city built on land reclaimed from the inland sea, the Zuiderzee, in 1967. Perhaps visit Bataviawerf to learn more about wooden ships, spices and the long trade missions to ‘The East’ on an optional afternoon excursion. Depart for Dordrecht this evening. Day 10: Dordrecht. Travel by shuttle bus this morning to Zundert, where you’ll spend the day at the Dahlia Flower Parade. This annual Bloemencorso features colossal displays created from millions of locally grown dahlias. Local communities compete to create the most impressive display and each year the floral dioramas become more and more ambitious. You’ll return to Spirit of the Rhine by shuttle bus for dinner on board and she will remain moored here overnight. Day 11: Dordrecht to UK. Disembark Spirit of the Rhine for your return journey.
