FULL STEAM AHEAD – NOSTALGIC RIVER CRUISES ALONG THE ELBE
Big river cruise: On the paddle steamer from Dresden. Photo: Michael Hillmann
“Guests on our steamship cruises can expect everything a river cruise has to offer, with the unique atmosphere of historic paddle steamers as the real highlight,” explains Michael Hillmann, owner of Steam Cruises. “The sound of the engines, the turning of the paddle wheels and the soul these old steamships possess are truly one of a kind. They captivate our guests time and time again.” Hillmann’s connection to the paddle steamers has been part of his life since childhood. “I’ve loved the steamships on the Elbe ever since I was a boy. I even met my wife aboard my favourite steamer and dedicated a book to Dresden’s paddle steamer fleet, the oldest and largest in the world,” he says. It was this lifelong passion that inspired him to launch Steam Cruises alongside his coaching business, Wieder auf Kurs. Hillmann personally accompanies every tour as a guide. Since the launch in 2022, every year the itinerary alternates between sailing downstream 76
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Issue 144
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August 2026
to Hamburg and upstream towards the Czech Republic: Hamburg again in 2027, followed by Prague in 2028. The package includes full board, onboard talks, guided city tours, a captain’s dinner, overnight stays with breakfast in carefully selected hotels, as well as transfers and luggage transportation. “Between Dresden and Hamburg, there are countless charming towns and beautiful landscapes,” Hillmann says. “Along the way we visit Torgau, the historic Luther town of Wittenberg, Magdeburg and the picturesque town of Tangermünde. One of the highlights is undoubtedly the harbour cruise through Hamburg aboard a historic paddle steamer.” “Heading towards the Czech Republic, we travel through spectacular mountain scenery and navigate a series of locks. Prague, the Golden City, and Melnik, where the Elbe meets the Vltava, are always worth a visit,” he points out and adds with a smile, “even more so when you arrive by steamship.”
Every two years, the programme is complemented by a special voyage exploring Switzerland’s historic paddle steamers. These memorable journeys are made possible through close partnerships with shipping companies such as Weiße Flotte Sachsen, as well as Hillmann’s trusted network of partners. “Anyone who enjoys extraordinary cruises and appreciates being thoroughly looked after is warmly welcome,” says Hillmann. “It gives me enormous pleasure to bring people together and see guests return time and again.” www.steam-cruises.de www.michael-hillmann.com/dampferreisen Michael Hillmann, founder of Steam Cruises. Photo: Katrin Schindler
TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE
Anyone who has ever heard the unmistakable chuff of a historic steam engine and felt the steady rhythm of its paddle wheels knows that a journey aboard a steamship is far more than an ordinary river cruise. It is precisely this unique experience that lies at the heart of Steam Cruises.