Cruising the Rhine 2027

Wiesbaden arrives next, a historic spa town where the thermal springs have drawn visitors for centuries, followed by Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, where the baroque palace and riverside parks quietly invite exploration. A border crossing leads to Strasbourg, with its half-timbered houses and a cathedral housing a clock that sets figures into motion on the hour.

The journey continues past the Lorelei Rock, the site of a local legend, with time to stroll through Rudesheim’s well-preserved streets. Koblenz, one of Germany’s oldest cities, offers more walking or options to linger on the riverbank before the route loops back to Cologne and onward to Brussels for the return journey to the UK.

New to Germany? Our Germany guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.