Day 5
Be charmed by Rüdesheim, where you’ll board the Winzerexpress mini-train for a guided visit of Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. Afterwards, enjoy a cable car ride to the Niederwald Monument for a spectacular view of the river. Later, you can look forward to unrivalled views across the spectacular World Heritage-listed Rhine Gorge.
Also a Sundowner is scheduled… Mingle with newfound friends against yet another spectacular backdrop.
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Rüdesheim am Rhein is a German wine making town in the Rhine Gorge, and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in this region. The area was settled first by the Celts, then after the turn of the Christian Era by Ubii and later by Mattiaci. In the first century, the Romans pushed forth to the Taunus. In Bingen they built a castrum, and on the other side, near what is now Rüdesheim, lay a bridgehead on the way to the Limes.
The Romans were followed by the Alamanni, and during the Migration Period the Franks migrated into the region. Archaeological finds of glass from this time suggest that there was already wine growing in Rüdesheim.
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After breakfast we transferred by mini train to Siegfried’s Musikkabinett for our tour at 9:00am. An amazing place filled with historic mechanical music instruments. We avoided the line up to the cable car and instead opted for some famous Rüdesheim coffee. Afterwards we wandered the narrow lanes shopping before heading back to the ship for lunch. The afternoon was spent on the ‘sun’ deck viewing the incredible Rhine Gorge scenery – vineyards, castles and villages – as it passed by. Our entertainment after dinner was the Three Tenor Horns followed by live music with David.
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Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet – The collection of 350 mechanical instruments dating back three centuries is housed in the Brömserhof, a 15th-century knight’s manor. The manor is an impressive aristocratic residence complete with a Gothic chapel and fresco-adorned halls.
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The Middle Rhine between Rüdesheim and Koblenz was created a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its historic and scenic interest.
