Rhine, Lorelei & Urban Charm 2027

Duisburg is a city in western Germany, at the junction of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers. It’s known for its large harbor and the Innenhafen (Inner Harbour), a waterfront dining and nightlife district. The Museum Küppersmühle has a collection of modern German art, and the Lehmbruck Museum displays modern sculpture. The site of an old ironworks, Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord is now a park with trails and a ropes course.

What do you get when you cross modern rationality with southern nonchalance? Koblenz. This is where you’ll find Roman history, a high-tech research hub and a buzzing cultural scene all in one place. Don’t miss the delightful Kaiserin-Augusta-Anlagen, the southern part of the Rhine promenade. It was turned into a landscaped park with artistic historical monuments and sculptures between 1856 and 1861. If you fancy a treat, try Debbekooche. Originally eaten by those who couldn’t afford goose on Saint Martin’s Day, it is now considered a regional speciality and is traditionally served with apple sauce. Delicious!

Lelystad is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands, and it is the capital of the province of Flevoland. The city, built on reclaimed land, was founded in 1967 and was named after Cornelis Lely, who engineered the Afsluitdijk, making the reclamation possible.

Mannheim is a city in southwest Germany, on the Rhine and Neckar rivers. The baroque 18th-century Mannheim Palace houses historical exhibits, plus the University of Mannheim. In the grid-like center, called the Quadrate, Marktplatz Square features a baroque fountain with statues. Planken shopping street leads southeast to the Romanesque Water Tower, in the art nouveau gardens of Friedrichsplatz.

In the Upper Middle Rhine Valley – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the town of Rüdesheim marks the end of several old merchants’ routes. This strategically important point used to be protected by four castles. Picturesque Rüdesheim is known all around the world for its outstanding wines. Make sure you take a walk through the charming little streets of the old town. Drosselgasse, an alleyway with half-timbered facades, is known as ‘The World’s Longest Wine Bar‘ and is reputed to be the most-visited tourist attraction in Germany after Cologne Cathedral. Wine cultivation was already in full swing here in Roman times – learn more about the winegrowers of antiquity and their successors at the Rheingauer Weinmuseum in the Brömserburg, an old castle. And if you want to sample the wines that are being produced today, head to the rustic wine taverns in the old town.

In the Upper Middle Rhine Valley – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the town of Rüdesheim marks the end of several old merchants’ routes. This strategically important point used to be protected by four castles. Picturesque Rüdesheim is known all around the world for its outstanding wines. Make sure you take a walk through the charming little streets of the old town. Drosselgasse, an alleyway with half-timbered facades, is known as ‘The World’s Longest Wine Bar‘ and is reputed to be the most-visited tourist attraction in Germany after Cologne Cathedral. Wine cultivation was already in full swing here in Roman times – learn more about the winegrowers of antiquity and their successors at the Rheingauer Weinmuseum in the Brömserburg, an old castle. And if you want to sample the wines that are being produced today, head to the rustic wine taverns in the old town.

Lelystad is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands, and it is the capital of the province of Flevoland. The city, built on reclaimed land, was founded in 1967 and was named after Cornelis Lely, who engineered the Afsluitdijk, making the reclamation possible.

Bonn is a city in western Germany straddling the Rhine river. It’s known for the central Beethoven House, a memorial and museum honoring the composer’s birthplace. Nearby are Bonn Minster, a church with a Romanesque cloister and Gothic elements, the pink-and-gold Altes Rathaus, or old city hall, and Poppelsdorf Palace housing a mineralogical museum. To the south is Haus der Geschichte with post-WWII history exhibits.

Bonn is a city in western Germany straddling the Rhine river. It’s known for the central Beethoven House, a memorial and museum honoring the composer’s birthplace. Nearby are Bonn Minster, a church with a Romanesque cloister and Gothic elements, the pink-and-gold Altes Rathaus, or old city hall, and Poppelsdorf Palace housing a mineralogical museum. To the south is Haus der Geschichte with post-WWII history exhibits.

It’s not just the locals who consider Cologne to be among the best cities in the world. The typical friendliness that you find at every turn makes visitors feel at home right away. It’s not unusual to quickly get chatting to strangers and even go for a couple glasses of Kölsch with them. The main landmark – Cologne Cathedral – watches over the whole city. It is the third-tallest church building in the world, at 157.38 metres. It might be a bit of a trek up to the top of the tower, but it’s worth it. You’ll be rewarded with an unforgettable view of the city and the Rhine spread out before you.

Whether you’re strolling along one of Germany’s leading luxury shopping streets, the ‘Kö’, enjoying an Altbier fresh from the tap in one of the old town’s more than 300 pubs or discovering one of the city’s many green spaces, such as the Hofgarten, on foot, Düsseldorf has almost everything you could wish for. Most of the city’s population seems to frequent the Uerige – the archetypical Düsseldorf brewery – even though the name of the establishment comes from a local word for ‘grumpy’. The Köbesse – as waiting staff are known here – are rather unfriendly, in keeping with tradition. Nevertheless, it’s always full.

Whether you’re strolling along one of Germany’s leading luxury shopping streets, the ‘Kö’, enjoying an Altbier fresh from the tap in one of the old town’s more than 300 pubs or discovering one of the city’s many green spaces, such as the Hofgarten, on foot, Düsseldorf has almost everything you could wish for. Most of the city’s population seems to frequent the Uerige – the archetypical Düsseldorf brewery – even though the name of the establishment comes from a local word for ‘grumpy’. The Köbesse – as waiting staff are known here – are rather unfriendly, in keeping with tradition. Nevertheless, it’s always full.

Duisburg is a city in western Germany, at the junction of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers. It’s known for its large harbor and the Innenhafen (Inner Harbour), a waterfront dining and nightlife district. The Museum Küppersmühle has a collection of modern German art, and the Lehmbruck Museum displays modern sculpture. The site of an old ironworks, Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord is now a park with trails and a ropes course.