A glance at a map of Europe shows that the most obvious navigable
waterways
are the Rhine, Rhone, Danube and Elbe rivers--all running mostly
north and
south. But then I saw that Peter Deilmann Cruises has an inland
itinerary
that starts near the North Sea at Amsterdam and ends two weeks later
in the
middle of Europe at Prague. How, I wondered, could Deilmann's MS
Frederic
Chopin cross northern Germany without taking a substantial detour
along the
North Sea coast to the mouth of the Elbe?
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A closer look revealed a series of canals that branch off the Rhine
in the
Ruhr Valley, then wind eastward through Lower Saxony to join the
Elbe at
Magdeburg. Along the way, we would land at a dozen varied cities,
mostly in
former East Germany. These include some well-known places like Potsdam,
site
of the World War II conference that divided Germany; Meissen, with
its fine
china factory; Dresden, a magnificent city that rose from the ashes;
and
Berlin, Germany's new capital. But they also included lesser- known
places
such as Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation town of Wittenberg;
a
Rhine-style castle at Konigstein; and for this traveler, the completely
unfamiliar names of Xanten, Braunschweig and Pillnitz. And as a
bonus, we
used the ship for overnight stays in Amsterdam and Prague, with
landings
adjacent to the city centers.
The trip began at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, where we caught
a train into
Central Station and were met by a Deilmann greeter who took our
bags and
pointed out the river landing a few hundreds yards away.
The Frederic Chopin entered service in March 2002 as a specially
built
two-deck river cruiser that can pass under the hundreds of low bridges
that
cross Europe's rivers and canals. She has a capacity of 79, but
passengers on
our sailing numbered only 54, almost evenly split between English-speakers
and German-speakers. The balance resulted in an easy international
social
life where language was no barrier, as all the German staff and
most
passengers spoke good English.
Food and service were excellent, with menu and buffet selections
at breakfast
and lunch. Wines were very fairly priced. All cabins are the same
size at 140
sq. ft. and have TVs with CNN. The upper deck rooms have French
doors that
open inward, while the lower deck accommodations have large picture
windows.
The observation lounge offered 180-degree viewing, a piano bar,
morning
bouillon and afternoon coffee, tea, cakes and pastries.
Many landings turned out to be within walking distance of the sights,
and
separate guides were provided for each language group, while on
short bus
rides, the commentary was evenly bilingual. The standard of guiding
was
excellent, a most important factor in unfamiliar parts of Germany.
The first excursions started in Amsterdam with a city overview;
a tour of the
Rijksmuseum to see the Rembrandts, Vermeers and Franz Hals; and
a canal boat
ride. In the afternoon we drove out to the Floriade, an elaborate
world
horticultural exhibition held once every decade.
Xanten, the first stop in Germany, has a 14th to 16th century town
center
with Gothic-style row houses. We saw the start of a local wine festival
in
the main square, and a tall town gate that now serves as a small
hotel. The
upper room guests order breakfast by phone and the delivery is via
a lowered
basket!
On a Saturday morning in Munster, we enjoyed watching a produce
and flower
market being set up and the local citizenry threading their way
through the
narrow surrounding streets by bicycle and foot. At Braunschweig,
a family
festival with rides, games and food stands was well underway, and
we toured
12th century residences, a castle and cathedral. We then transferred
by bus
back to the boat, moored at Wolfsburg just opposite the impressive
Volkswagen
factory and visitors center.
The Mittelland Canal, completed in the 1930s and now being widened
to the
width of an autobahn, drew a constant stream of barges laden with
coal,
stone, sand, grain, lumber and fuels. The bridges were low enough
that those
of us standing on the top deck had to duck, and high enough, in
most cases,
to pass under while sitting down. The ship's doctor kept an eye
on everyone,
allowing us to remain outside to enjoy the passing scenery of farms,
small
towns, people fishing and swimming and the busy river traffic.
Mooring at Potsdam overnight, we visited Sanssouci, one of the
great palaces
and tiered gardens of Europe; and the Tudor-style Cecilienhof, a
manor house
that served as the site for the last World War II conference involving
Truman, Stalin, Churchill and Attlee that partitioned Germany. We
were now
fully inside the former East Germany, where private enterprise has
brought
considerable investment and the closure of many uneconomic factories,
resulting in unemployment rates of 20-25 per cent.
On the tour to Berlin, we found a boomtown atmosphere and the most
amazing
urban transformation: Empty lots left over from WWII bombing have
been
converted to thriving office, hotel, residential, cultural and entertainment
complexes. For me, who knew Berlin before the wall and during its
construction in August 1961, many sections have become unrecognizable,
especially the new corporate and entertainment complex at Potsdamer
Platz and
the city's most famous avenue, Unter den Linden.
Returning to the ship, we joined the River Elbe, sailing up fast-flowing
portions and slack water sections between locks.
Madgeburg, largely destroyed in 1945, still has some monumental
buildings
from the Middle Ages and Baroque period, set among monotonous rows
of
Communist-era apartment blocks; while Wittenberg trades on Martin
Luther's
life and activity during the start of the Protestant Reformation.
According
to the guide, the town facades, now sparkling with colorful restorations,
were mostly gray and dilapidated during the German Democratic Republic
days.
A Meissen china factory tour showed us how the prized porcelain
is sculpted
and hand painted. Then we enjoyed a scenic drive along the Elbe
to Dresden,
perhaps the most amazing 20th century example of a city rebuilt
after total
destruction during one awful night. The opera house, churches, royal
residences, museums, offices, and apartments were reconstructed
in their
original styles, an ongoing 50-year project that returns the grandeur
to one
of Germany's most beautiful and cultural cities. Over the years,
the
sandstone has weathered, and someone who did not know about the
wartime
bombing would not realize that the city was newly rebuilt. At night
the
floodlighting is a must-see spectacle.
The countryside now becomes hilly in what is known as Saxon Switzerland,
and
a trip to Pillnitz Palace showed us an 18th century royal retreat
with
Italian and oriental influences and an English-style botanical garden.
After
a short drive along the Elbe, we climbed to Konigstein, a castle
fortress
perched high up on a promontory overlooking a horseshoe bend in
the river.
On the final leg, we passed into the Czech Republic, and after
an all-day
scenic river transit, we docked in the heart of Prague, a once gray
city I
had not seen for almost 40 years. Architecturally, the capital is
one of
Europe's most spectacular, with displays of Romanesque, Gothic,
Renaissance,
Baroque, Rococo, Art Nouveau and turn-of-the century Paris, differing
styles
often lined up side by side..
We walked the city's embankments, crossed the tower-gated Charles
Bridge--the
city's gathering place all day and into the night--and climbed up
to Prague's
Castle complex. On our own, we visited the Mucha Museum, commemorating
Alphonse Mucha, who created the Art Nouveau style in poster art
and
architectural design. At night the city is beautifully floodlit
and the top
deck of the Frederic Chopin gave us an orchestra seat, one that
was very hard
to vacate at the end of the 14 days.
Peter Deilmann Cruises, 1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 170, Alexandria,
VA 22324.
Phone: 800-348-8287. www.deilmann-cruises.com.
Per-person package rates for this cruise begin at $3,798, including
the
14-day cruise, all (15) shore excursions and transfers between the
airport
and the ship. Port charges are $95, and airfare is additional. 2003
rates are
scheduled to be held at 2002 levels.
