Rhine and Moselle Christmas Markets

There is a fairytale quality to the tree-lined canal streets of Amsterdam. Boutiques, cafes, apartments and hotels may hide behind the facades of the gabled townhouses, but the look of this beautiful old city has not changed much since its 17th-century Golden Age. Some 7,000 historic buildings remain, many of them beautiful merchants' mansions, located along canals that are laid out in five concentric circles, connected by bridges and intriguing small streets. No matter how many times you walk along the canals, they are enchanting to see, even when traffic and whizzing bicycles dispel the Old-World illusion. On a silent Sunday morning or on a summer evening when the old facades are floodlit, the city is magical.

Amsterdam is small enough that much of the city can be covered on foot, allowing visitors to savor sights such as the charming no-two-alike gables atop the houses, houseboats bedecked with potted greenery and masses of blooms in the colorful, floating flower market. Shops offering antiques and avant-garde art beckon everywhere. Outdoor markets, selling everything from postage stamps and parakeets to "junk-tiques," are another intriguing facet of the city.

Considered one of Europe's major art capitals, Amsterdam boasts three great Dutch museums as well as a branch of the Hermitage, the famous trove of art treasures in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Anne Frank House and Rembrandt's home are also popular attractions. In the performing arts, the city has two international stars: the National Ballet and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. (A 2008 poll from classical music magazine Gramophone called the latter the world's best.)

The canal streets of the old city are protected by ordinance and will never change, but Amsterdam is expanding outward and architecture buffs will find both modern and historic neighborhoods to explore. Though quite close to the old city, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA), known as "the wave" for its free-form facade (shaped like a whale), is the part of the Eastern Docklands area where shipping docks have given way to neighborhoods of striking contemporary design that now house more than 20,000 people. Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, a concert hall for jazz and modern music, is adjacent to the terminal, and ongoing construction will bring many more amenities, including hotels.

With so much to see and do, Amsterdam makes for a rewarding stay before or after cruising.

There is a fairytale quality to the tree-lined canal streets of Amsterdam. Boutiques, cafes, apartments and hotels may hide behind the facades of the gabled townhouses, but the look of this beautiful old city has not changed much since its 17th-century Golden Age. Some 7,000 historic buildings remain, many of them beautiful merchants' mansions, located along canals that are laid out in five concentric circles, connected by bridges and intriguing small streets. No matter how many times you walk along the canals, they are enchanting to see, even when traffic and whizzing bicycles dispel the Old-World illusion. On a silent Sunday morning or on a summer evening when the old facades are floodlit, the city is magical.

Amsterdam is small enough that much of the city can be covered on foot, allowing visitors to savor sights such as the charming no-two-alike gables atop the houses, houseboats bedecked with potted greenery and masses of blooms in the colorful, floating flower market. Shops offering antiques and avant-garde art beckon everywhere. Outdoor markets, selling everything from postage stamps and parakeets to "junk-tiques," are another intriguing facet of the city.

Considered one of Europe's major art capitals, Amsterdam boasts three great Dutch museums as well as a branch of the Hermitage, the famous trove of art treasures in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Anne Frank House and Rembrandt's home are also popular attractions. In the performing arts, the city has two international stars: the National Ballet and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. (A 2008 poll from classical music magazine Gramophone called the latter the world's best.)

The canal streets of the old city are protected by ordinance and will never change, but Amsterdam is expanding outward and architecture buffs will find both modern and historic neighborhoods to explore. Though quite close to the old city, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA), known as "the wave" for its free-form facade (shaped like a whale), is the part of the Eastern Docklands area where shipping docks have given way to neighborhoods of striking contemporary design that now house more than 20,000 people. Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, a concert hall for jazz and modern music, is adjacent to the terminal, and ongoing construction will bring many more amenities, including hotels.

With so much to see and do, Amsterdam makes for a rewarding stay before or after cruising.

Cologne, the Rhineland's largest city and Germany's fourth-largest, dates back to 38 B.C., when the Romans first started to settle in the area. By 50 A.D., "Colonia" was a major city, which would later become one of the most important trade and production centres in the Roman Empire. Significant Roman ruins can still be found in Cologne today, especially near the city's wharf area, in addition to 12 Romanesque churches.

Cologne's location on the river Rhine placed it at the intersection of the major trade routes between east and west, which was the basis for its continued growth through the Middle Ages. Construction of the famous Kölner Dom, the city's Gothic cathedral, started in 1248, consolidating its position as a place of great religious significance, as well as a trade hub (despite the fact that work stopped on the cathedral in 1473, leaving it unfinished until the 19th century).

Today, Cologne is the cultural heart of the Rhineland, with a vibrant arts scene, celebrated opera house, more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. The city has spread to both sides of the Rhine River, with the cathedral and Altstadt (Old Town) both located on the left bank. The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and became a poignant symbol of the city's survival of the Allied aerial bombing during World War II. While some 95 percent of the city centre was destroyed during the war, much of its medieval heart and churches were rebuilt according to original plans. Because of this, Cologne retains an authentic feel, with attractive open squares, pretty beer gardens and cosy wine taverns lining narrow, cobbled streets and the attractive riverfront.

Cologne is celebrated for its locally brewed beer, called Kölsch, with about 30 traditional brewing houses creating their own versions and selling them on-site in lively beer gardens and cellars. (Kölsch is also the name for the local dialect, resulting in the joke that Kölsch is the only language one can drink.) Considerable quantities of Kölsch are consumed each November, when carnival season transforms the city into one of Europe's biggest street festivals, with the numerous bars and pubs on Neumarkt Square, Heumarkt and Zülpicher Strasse packed with people in costumes, dancing and drinking.

Whether you visit Cologne during the summer to make the most of the beer gardens and pretty landscaped riverbanks or during winter for the raucous Carnival or magical Christmas markets, you'll discover an intriguing, cosmopolitan city with bags of character. Furthermore, Cologne has a compact heart, which is easily navigated on foot, making it the perfect destination to explore from a cruise ship.

Surrounded by steep vineyards, overlooked by an imposing castle and with a charming old town filled with half-timbered houses, Cochem is the archetypal German town and one of the prettiest places on the Moselle. River ships moor in the heart of the town, which is divided by the river. A nearby bridge leads to the waterfront and narrow cobbled streets of the old town, which can easily be explored on foot. The main attraction is Reichsburg Castle, also called Cochem Imperial Castle. It dates back to the 11th century and is the largest hill castle on the Moselle. Most river cruises offer a tour of the castle as an included shore excursion. Cochem is also in the heart of Moselle's wine-producing region, known for crisp dry Rieslings. The town has many wine stores and your cruise may also include a tasting.

Rüdesheim (pronounced roo-des-hyme) is a town built for tourism. Its omnipresent oompah bands and sprawling hillside vineyards tickle all the right notes of "quaintness" for the river cruise traveller who's looking for a picturesque German village. But the town and its environs -- particularly through the craftsmanship evident in the region's food and wine -- offer more than just a simple stereotype for those who want to peer behind the old-fashioned façade.

It is easy (and worthwhile) to allow yourself to be swept along in the festive currents of music, tempting aromas of grilled meat, free-flowing Rheingau wines and crowds of travellers who seem to find their way to the town's narrow Drosselgasse ("choke alley") year-round. The nice thing about Rüdesheim size and setting is that you can also make a quick exit from the melee. Within minutes, you can find yourself wandering through row upon row of ripening grapes to an uncrowded vista over the Rhine Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- or relaxing in a beer garden (biergarten).

Rüdesheim is little, but it has a little bit of everything in an easily accessible package. So, indulge yourself. Take a gondola ride, taste some Rhenish wine and enjoy the summer sunshine on the Rhine Valley. Or meander through a winter evening's Christmas market in the warmly lit confines of ancient cobbled streets... and if you fancy a nightcap, top off your coffee with local brandy and set it alight.

The capital of Alsace, France's smallest region, is also known as the principal city of Europe because it's the official seat of European Parliament and home to important institutions like the European Court of Human Rights, but there's much more to Strasbourg than politics and officials in gray suits. While the city reigns as a political powerhouse, it also represents a perfect blend of cultures.

Built along the Rhine and located close to trading routes, Strasbourg borders Germany and Switzerland in the northeast of France and possesses a unique cultural and architectural heritage. Even dedicated Francophiles are often surprised how different the city is from the rest of the France. Once part of Germany, it offers the "best of both worlds," a combination that's most deliciously illustrated in its cuisine, which reflects a happy marriage of French flair and German heartiness.

With a history stretching back over 2,000 years, an obvious first stop for cruisers is Grande-Ile, the city's UNESCO-listed Old Town centre. Visitors can admire Strasbourg's landmark lopsided cathedral, the beautiful Petite France neighbourhood and the gateway to river cruises and streets chock-a-block with half-timbered Renaissance buildings. Many churches also went up in the Middle Ages, including Saint-Etienne, dating to the 12th century, and Saint-Thomas, which was built between the 12th and 14th centuries and ranks as the largest in size after the Strasbourg Cathedral.

Strasbourg is a town made for walking, but energetic visitors can also turn to pedal power and hop on a bike like the locals. Even the most haphazard stroll will take you past a wealth of well-preserved buildings, luxury shops and designer boutiques. More affordable buys can be found in Rue des Grandes Arcades, which is Strasbourg's main shopping area and features a variety of clothing stores.

Breisach, nestled on the Rhine in Germany's Black Forest region, offers a charming blend of history and picturesque scenery.  With its impressive cathedral, medieval architecture, and vineyards producing excellent wines, Breisach is a delightful stop for those exploring the Rhine Valley.

Basel, which lies in the northwest region of Switzerland, near its French and German borders, is a delightful city with a rich history, intriguing medieval quarter, fabulous art galleries and stunning architecture. It also boasts a lively social scene, much of which focuses on the city's most important asset, the meandering Rhine River. The mighty river first becomes navigable at Basel, which makes the city the nearest thing landlocked Switzerland has to a seaport, and residents really make the most of it. The river banks are lined with restaurants and hotels (which charge extra for a river-view room). Many residents use little tow-lined ferries rather than bridges to travel between Grossbasel (Big Basel, home to the medieval Old Town) on the south bank and Kleinbasel (Little Basel, centre of the city's lively social scene) on the north bank. Basel is an important turnaround port for Rhine riverboats, many of which run between there and Amsterdam on weekly rotations. Because it's an embarkation and debarkation port, many river cruise passengers spend at least a day in Basel , which is no hardship, considering it's not only a fascinating city but also a gateway to Alsace and Germany's Black Forest region.