Have an active adventure on a European river cruise. Photo / Getty Images
Swap your slippers for your best activewear and jump aboard a river cruise that’s well-catered for active relaxers, writes Tiana Templeman
Rheinstein Castle is lit by a full moon as my husband and I gaze out at the Rhine River from inside the castle’s highest tower. We’ve been given free rein to explore by the castle’s owners and arrived at our lofty perch after puffing our way up a winding path, walking across the castle’s drawbridge and climbing up a narrow stone staircase that required steady feet and nerves of steel.
We’re on a seven-night Avalon Waterways’ Active & Discovery cruise along the Rhine River that proves river cruising doesn’t have to be about shuffling through quaint European towns and getting bussed around on coaches. It’s turned our preconceived idea about this type of holiday on its head.
There are action-packed included excursions ranging from food and wine tasting to e-bike and walking tours, and kayak adventures along Amsterdam’s famous canals. Exclusive musical performances and cultural activities are also on offer as our ship, Avalon Expression, takes us from Switzerland to France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Active & Discovery itineraries also tend to attract a younger demographic, with our fellow passengers ranging from honeymooners in their thirties to fit retirees, all of whom enjoy doing adventurous things such as exploring historic castles like kids at a fun park as the clock ticks closer to midnight.
Our first few days on board involve plenty of walking, including a tour around Freiburg’s medieval marvels and an in-depth exploration of Heidelberg, a vibrant university town filled with cobblestone streets and topped by a crumbling Renaissance castle.
A little rain doesn’t deter us from exploring the castle grounds before we enjoy a wine tasting in the historic cellar, which is still home to the world’s largest wooden wine barrel, and head downtown for another walking tour. With our tired legs begging for mercy, we realise we’ve made a rookie mistake.
Desperate to avoid Fomo, we pre-booked a mix of complimentary and additional for-a-fee excursions that included the bites and highlights of Strasbourg, cycling through Moselle’s famous vineyards, and going underground to explore World War II history along the Maginot Line in Alsace, before we left home.
One of our fellow passengers was smarter. She had done an Active & Discovery itinerary before, and this time she is embracing Jomo, the joy of missing out. As we race off on yet another adventure, she can often be spotted sitting on a deckchair with a book, soaking up the Rhine’s gorgeous views.
By day five, our legs tell us that perhaps her Jomo strategy isn’t such a bad idea, but a couple of e-bikes and wineries along the nearby Moselle River beckon. As soon as we leave the city, vineyards filled with neat rows of grapes line the river’s opposite bank, and our tired muscles are forgotten.
Tractors rumble between the vines and pickers wearing colourful t-shirts dot the slopes like flowers in a field. We pedal to a Weinstube (wine bar) in the historic town of Winnigen where the owner pours us a glass of the region’s famous Riesling and has a chat. Riding back to the ship along the Moselle River’s opposite bank, the pickers shout “Guten tag!” and “Hello!” as we go past.
It has been a highlight-filled day with 30km of cycling, as well as sailing through the Rhine Gorge, a Unesco World Heritage Site with around 40 castles lining the river, in the morning. Brooding grey clouds descend, and so does the temperature, but a small group of hardy travellers remain huddled inside their sweaters and under blankets on the top deck. It’s easy to spot the Kiwis – they’re the only people strolling around wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt.
Most of the other passengers take their blankets and go downstairs to their Panorama Suites, which have beds facing the view and floor-to-ceiling windows for watching the scenery pass by. Whenever the ship sets sail each evening, we are so busy chatting with new friends that, much to our later regret, we don’t end up enjoying the view from our room once while we are sailing.
In fact, we don’t spend much time in our cabin at all due to all the activities on offer, but its luxurious decor, comfortable bed and bathroom stocked with L’Occitane toiletries are a hit. Especially the bed we fall into each night after a day spent cycling, walking, discovering and exploring.
After the day’s many highlights, capped off by an intimate classical music recital inside a Baroque castle after dinner, we set sail for Dusseldorf and wake up to blue skies and a perfect day. However, the city itself is a bit of a letdown.
Dusseldorf has a reputation as Germany’s fashion capital, but we’re in town on a Sunday, so no shops are open. Our walking tour is more of a frustration than a delight as it highlights lots of great things to see and do, most of which are closed.
We’re happy to leave disappointing Dusseldorf and set sail for our highly anticipated final destination, Amsterdam, where an overnight stay should help us make the most of our time. We’ve booked not one, but two, excursions here: A morning canal cruise and an afternoon food tour.
It’s an easy walk from our ship to another dock where a fleet of Amsterdam’s canal boats are waiting to take us under the city’s famous low bridges and past 17th-century mansions, some of which are sinking and leaning at crazy angles.
The city is treasured by the locals, but it hasn’t been spruced up for tourists, and the historic streets, canals and original merchants’ houses have an air of shabby chic gentility.
We disembark the canal boats in the city centre for a walking tour that showcases some major sights before we head back to the ship to prepare for our afternoon adventure. It’s another walking tour, and my legs are begging for mercy, but my stomach says, “Bring it on!”
The following morning, we grab our bags and disembark, ready to spend a couple more days exploring Amsterdam and – you guessed it – doing another pre-booked walking tour.
GETTING THERE
Avalon Waterway’s Active & Discovery on the Rhine departs from Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Fly from Auckland to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol with Qatar Airways, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Air NZ/ United with one stopover.
DETAILS
Avalon Waterways’ 2024 Active & Discovery on the Rhine cruises are priced from $6276 per person, with no single supplement. It’s worth keeping an eye out for sale fares and special offers.
The chef chats to Herald Travel about unforgettable foodie experiences in Aotearoa.