Medieval Cities of Germany by Rail

We meet at London St Pancras and board the Eurostar to Brussels. From here, we continue by rail to the city of Cologne, where we spend the night and have dinner.

• Dinner

After a guided tour this morning - seeing Cologne's imposing cathedral with it twin spires, and other medieval landmarks - we continue by rail to Passau in picturesque Lower Bavaria. On arrival, we meet our Amadeus ship and are welcomed with a cocktail in the lounge. We set sail into the serene and meandering Danube, whose densely-forested banks are dotted with medieval towns and villages. This evening we enjoy the first 5-course dinner aboard our cruise ship.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Regensberg is our first port of call, which we discover on a guided city walk. The historic buildings of this medieval town testify to its heritage as an important trading centre. Now a vibrant university town, its most prominent landmark is the Dom St Peter, a grand Gothic cathedral with beautiful stained-glass windows. We return to our ship for lunch. This afternoon we visit the lovely Weltenburg Abbey, the oldest Benedictine monastery in Bavaria, in a magical setting on a scenic bend of the romantic Danube Gorge. We're taken on a guided tour of the Abbey, founded by missionary monks in 620 AD, and the Baroque church, dedicated to St George. We enjoy dinner with drinks back on board this evening as we set sail, travelling overnight to Nuremberg.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

At lunchtime we moor into the fascinating historical city of Nuremberg - once the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire - where we enjoy a guided sightseeing tour. Nuremberg suffered badly during Second World War but the city was slowly but proudly rebuilt, using the original stone of the buildings which were destroyed. Nuremberg's main landmarks are its castle in the Altstadt, a superb Gothic church and colourful marketplace. The town has many unique features including colourful figurines, stone sculptures and murals depicting its medieval period. During dinner this evening we set sail for Bamberg, cruising overnight.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We arrive and moor in beautiful 9th century Bamberg this morning. After breakfast we are transferred into the city for a guided walking tour of this quintessential medieval town with unique and beautifully preserved architecture. A highlight here is the stunning Bamberg Cathedral, featuring Romanesque and early Gothic style architecture, which looks over the town. The area of Little Venice in Bamberg is particularly enchanting, where quaint half-timbered houses line the riverside. We return to our ship for lunch then begin sailing to our next medieval city, Ochsenfurt, an overnight journey. Dinner is served on board our ship again this evening.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we dock in Ochsenfurt then travel by coach along Bavaria's wonderful Romantic Road to the enchanting medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber for an extensive sightseeing tour. Rothenburg is a small but adorable city, full of medieval wonders - museums, churches and abbeys. Our tour takes us back to the Middle Ages, through atmospheric cobbled lanes, past brightly painted houses and characterful squares with flower-boxes and quirky features. After our morning tour, we rejoin our cruise ship in Würzburg. After lunch we take an afternoon coach excursion to the town of Würzburg where we visit the Würzburg Residenz - a grand Baroque palace - and enjoy a wine tasting.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we arrive into the town of Wertheim. After breakfast we set out by coach on a guided walking tour of Wertheim and Miltenberg. Wertheim has an ancient castle which over-looks its medieval centre and market place. Our morning tour includes a visit to the Glass Museum, which houses an extensive collection of glass objects from the past and present. We continue to Miltenberg, with its impeccably preserved medieval centre - a town surrounded by dense green forests and gentle hills. We then return to our ship, now moored in Miltenberg, for lunch. This afternoon we begin our overnight cruise to the German wine capital, the city of Mainz.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our ship docks in Mainz this morning, where the Rhine and the Main rivers meet. We explore the atmospheric city, capital of the Rhineland-Palatinate region, on a guided city walking tour. In the heart of Germany's winelands, Mainz has a fascinating ancient history. We see the wonderful 1,000 year old Romanesque cathedral, the Mainz Dom, and walk among the city's lovely half-timbered medieval buildings. We enjoy our last delicious five-course dinner on board this evening, before sailing to Strasbourg.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After arriving into Strasbourg and an early breakfast, we are transferred to Strasbourg station for the train to Paris Est. Here, we are taken to Paris Nord to join the Eurostar service to London St Pancras.

• Breakfast