Speyer is a beautiful city along the Rhine River and a great stop for cruises (Designed by Mandy Mills)
Meeting at the Docks
For visiting friends and family, or for your next leisure trip, a Rhine River Cruise may be the perfect option to see more of Germany and surrounding countries. My aunt and uncle recently decided to take one with Viking Cruises and luckily, they had stops planned in a couple of cities close to Kaiserslautern. This made for an easy day trip for me and my spouse to meet them. From the KMC, there were a few options within ideal driving range: Rudesheim, Speyer and Strasbourg, France. We choose to meet them in Speyer, less than an hour away.
While we waited for them to port, my spouse and I grabbed a table by the docks to enjoy tiramisu and tea on a rare, sunny day in Germany. It was fun to watch large and small ships pass and then to greet my relatives as they disembarked. Their cruise started in Amsterdam where they did a one-day excursion to see the famous tulips in bloom and ended a week later in Basel, Switzerland.
Tiramisu and whipped cream at a riverside restaurant in Speyer (Katie Wells)
Strolling through Speyer
Speyer, founded by ancient Romans, is one of Germany’s oldest cities. Walking in from the docks, you cross an arching bridge and find a beautiful Romanesque cathedral, historic half-timbered houses and plenty of cafés which make for a charming stroll. To experience a traditional folk festival, or volksfest, Brezelfest occurs over six days, the second weekend of every year. It honors delicious salty, slightly crispy, soft pretzels and guests are encouraged to dress in traditional dirndls and lederhosen.
Walking over the bridge into Speyer (Katie Wells )
Visitors driving into town will likely notice large planes propped up into the sky, impressive locomotives and vintage cars. That’s because the Technik Museum Speyer (a mechanical museum with an emphasis on transportation) is located here. For any lover of planes, trains, automobiles, submarines and much more, it’s a must. For visitors without the worry of their ship leaving them behind, a “2-Day Museum Package” is offered along with an overnight stay at Hotel Speyer am Technik Museum or their sister hotel (a 40-minute drive), Hotel Sinsheim near the Technik Museum Sinsheim. This package includes entrance to both museums and a show at Sinsheim’s IMAX 3D movie theatre and Speyer’s IMAX DOME movie theatre.
Inside a Rhine River Cruise
A cruise ship along the Rhine River (Katie Wells )
If you wish to plan a Rhine River Cruise, you have various options, from single-day trips to mini and week-long voyages, plus themed cruises that focus on things such as wine, cheeses and Christmas markets.
My family offered us a sneak peek into their trip. Each day, they had optional excursions where they could learn more about the history of the cities they stopped in; or, they could simply meander on their own.
A man playing shuffleboard on a cruise ship deck (Katie Wells )
They even snuck us on the ship and gave us a quick tour of the facilities. The deck was lined with a variety of lounge chairs. My uncle joked about fellow passengers quarrelling each evening to claim the most desirable rocking chairs at the bow of the boat. On the upper deck, an herb garden was growing which my aunt said the chef used to prepare meals each night. A shuffleboard and a small track for walking laps was also available. River cruises are meant to be slow-paced and relaxing. There was one intimate dining area and a bar for drinks and coffee. Each bedroom had a balcony from which my aunt enjoyed reading books and glancing up every so often to admire the many castles passing by.
