A Surprising Visit of Stuttgart Germany

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 Travel to Stuttgart Germany

Ludwigsburg_Palace_StuttgartOn a recent short visit to Stuttgart I was pleasantly surprised by all the city had to offer.  On my first day in Stuttgart I toured past the Old Palace and the New Palace, built in the 16th century for the Kings of Wurttemberg.  Stuttgart_New_PalaceThe New Palace is a magnificent Baroque palace complex with elaborate gardens and a Palace Square.  The next day I visited an even more splendid palace – Ludwigsburg Palace, known as the “Swabian Versailles”.  Ludwigsburg is Germany’s largest Baroque place complex preserved in its original form.  Our tour was hosted by guides in elaborate period costume.  The palace is fully furnished in beautiful period furnishings.

Then on to the spectacular MercedesBenzMuseum.  Nine levels of the spiral-shaped building featuring the history of Mercedes Benz from conception to now, as well as showing important historical events along the way.  The museum also showcases 127 years of automotive history from the first engines, transportation vehicles and over 160 cars from the beginning to now – with some really beautiful old classic roadsters and sedans.  Finished up the tour with a nice dinner in the museum restaurant.

Mercedes_Sedan_StuttgartMercedesMuseum

The Treats of Stuttgart

Had to sample a few to make sure of my favorite again – dark chocolate hazelnut or milk chocolate coated cookie – both as great as remembered.While in Stuttgart, I reacquainted myself with the Ritter Chocolate bars – and found that they are made just outside of Stuttgart.

I definitely need to go back for a longer visit.  There is the hop on hop off tour of the city – I always try to take one of these tours when I visit any new town as they give me a quick overview of where everything is and they are a great value for money as you can get on and off the bus as many times as you like in a 24 or 48 hour period.   I want to be sure and visit the Stuttgart market hall next time as it looks like a taster’s paradise.  Built in 1914, with 32,000 square feet, this art nouveau styled market is a must visit for “foodies”.  And then there is the wines from the Stuttgart Region.  The Stuttgart Wine Trail is just a short hop from the main train station in Stuttgart.

Stuttgart, is the only German city to have it’s own wine-growing estate.  The city hosts an annual wine festival to be held from August 28 – September 8 in 2013.

Christmas time might be a good time to return as they have 3 different themed Christmas Markets that are reachable by public transportation – Stuttgart Christmas, the Baroque Christmas Market at the Ludwigsburg Palace and the Medieval Market at Esslingen.

With Stuttgart having so much to offer with the many sites and festivals, any time is a good time to go.

Cruises on the Neckar River feature stops in Stuttgart.

Contact us to book your Neckar River Cruise and enjoy the Stuttgart sites when it stops in that remarkable city.

The Austrian City of Graz

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The Austrian City of GrazThe Austrian City of Graz is Quite The View

After Vienna, Graz is the second biggest city in Austria and is also the capital of Syria. The city is a symbol of southern beauty, which surprisingly remained undiscovered by the American tourists for a long time. It is located on the Mur River in the southeast of Austria and is about 200 km southwest of Vienna. It takes around an hour and a half from Vienna to reach the historical city of Graz, which offers some of the most remarkable architectural and cultural treasures of Austria.

Graz shows a clear Mediterranean influence from around southern Europe and presents a unique culinary fusion, lifestyle, and one-of-a-kind atmosphere. Graz enjoys an enviable reputation as a student city with six universities and more than 44,000 students. The students can relax and enjoy in many street cafes which impart the city a likely Mediterranean flair.

The “Old Town” Or the Austrian City of Graz

The “Old Town” of Graz is one of the best-preserved city centers in Central Europe. It is the soul of the city and presents many attractions such as the city mountain, former fortifications, charming alleyways, medieval building facades as well as a remarkable modern architecture. It would not be an exaggeration to call it a living museum with a modern twist. Regardless of whether it is summer or winter, the place is always full of activity.

One particular feature that makes Graz so special is an exciting combination of ancient treasures and modern architecture like the Kunsthaus Graz, which wonderfully mirrors the Old Town in its façade. The art galleries, great shopping opportunities, the excellent restaurants-both modern and traditional, and a busy event calendar make sure that the city is always bustling with activity and remains a happening place.

Graz is popularly called the capital of culinary delights, as it offers some great foods and wines. It’s no surprise that in 1999, Graz was added to the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites, thanks to its countless sights and attractions.

With so much to offer, Graz is worth a visit. Many Danube River Cruises offer 2 days in Vienna while cruising. We can assist with train tickets and other travel arrangements so you can fully enjoy your time in the city of Graz and discover this amazing place for yourself!

A Visit to the Italian City of Adria from the 30 Passenger Ave Maria Barge

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The Italian City of Adria

JUNE 6Positioned between the mouths of the rivers Adige and Po, Adria is a town and commune in the province of Rovigo in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. It is believed that Adria gave the Adriatic Sea its name during earlier times when the two were connected through a number of waterways.

The ancient Adria was divided into two parts by the Canal Bianco, which was used for irrigation of the fields. The Etruscan city of Atria underlies the modern city, 3-4 meters below the current level. Situated 20 kilometres east of Rovigo, the small town was once positioned directly by the sea!

Adria has a rich history associated with it. The city was originally a small village named Hatria. Around 2500 years ago, Etruscan and Greek merchants inhabited this small farming village and turned it into the most important trading port in the whole region. The influence of the ancient port is visible even today and is evident in the name of a whole section of the sea – the Adriatic. The city slowly lost its connection to the sea because of the increasing deposits of the Po and thus, lost its importance in the region. The city of Adria is now located some 25 kilometers from the sea and can only feel nostalgic of it’s great history, looking back on a bygone past.

History of The Italian City of Adria

The city of Adria is full of great religious sites, architecture, and culture. The most spectacular of Italian churches are located here, such as the Church of Santa Maria and the Adria Cathedral. The Church of Santa Maria Assunta della Tomba (formerly the cathedral) dates back to medieval period but was rebuilt in 1718. It houses an octagonal baptismal font from the 7th or 8th century, with the carved name of the 3rd bishop of Adria, Bono. Other works of art include several 15th and 16th centuries’ paintings and in the chapel a beautiful terracotta relief depicting a Dormitio Virginis, attributed to Michele da Firenze. Adria Cathedral is the New Cathedral (Cattedrale Nuova dei Santi Petro i Paulo), that has been dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Adria is another must-see attraction for tourists visiting the region.

While traveling on a Casual Bike and Barge Cruise on the Ave Marie or Vita Pugna in Italy, you will make a stop at the Italian city of Adria where you get a chance to feel and imbibe the unforgettable Italian history and culture!

A Burgundy Barge Cruise On The River Rhone and Hospices du Beaune history

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A Burgundy barge cruise along the River Rhone

ID-1007958The Hospices du beaune, nestled among the gently rolling hills of Burgundy, is one of the most popular travel destinations in all of France. As one travels south down the Rhone River on the Burgundy barge cruise towards the Mediterranean sea, the cheerful roofs of the Hospices will beckon for a closer look.

The History of the Hospices of Beaune

The Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune, also known as the Hospices, is one of the iconic buildings of Burgundy that you can see while vacationing the Burgundy barge cruise. It was built as an “almshouse,” or a home for the poor and needy. It was founded by Nicholas Rolin, a man who lived at the time of Joan of Arc. burgundy was not then part of France, but a rival kingdom, though Rolin was one of those who would help broker the peace that ended the Hundred Years War and paved the way for the eventual union of burgundy and France. Rolin and his formidable wife, Guigone de Salins, founded the Hospices as a charitable institution in 1443.

Burgundy is a rich province and always has been. The history of the province goes back thousands of years, to the legendary Merovingians. The Hospice was built with the same sumptuous quality and attention to detail that one sees all throughout Burgundy. The famous roof of the Hospices, with its distinctive checkerboard of golden tiles, is visible from kilometers away. At the time the hospice was one of the finest hospitals anywhere in the world, and the poor could be sure of good treatment there. The hospital maintained its tradition up to the present day, with an exceptionally interesting role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and continues to serve the poor and indigent today. However, the patients are now served in a modern hospital. The original Hospices is now a museum, visited by thousands of people every year. It is also home to a world famous charity wine auction every November. The auction is held in the spectacular “Grande Salle des Pôvres,” or the Great Hall of the Poor.

A Burgundy barge cruise on the River Rhone

The Hospices is especially delightful to visit by the Rhone River. A Burgundy barge cruise can leave from Dijon or Provence and travel down the pleasant river for a wonderful excursion to the city. We welcome your inquiry into these spectacular barge cruises.

Wine and Barge Cruise in the Cote Du Rhone of France- Rhone River Cruise

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Rhone River Cruise- Do Not Miss The Opportunity

Rhone River CruiseA wine-growing Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for the Rhône wine region of France, Côtes du Rhône may be used throughout the region, also in those areas which are covered by other AOCs. In a limited part of this long narrow region, the AOC Côtes du Rhône-Villages may be used, in certain cases together with the name of the commune.

The Cotes du Rhone appellation was introduced in November 1937 with the purpose to provide a catch-all title for Rhone wines of admirable quality, but which come from less well-known viticulture areas. The Cotes de Rhone- Villages appellation is way ahead from this, being given to those communes that show particular viticulture qualities.

Côtes du Rhône stands for the basic regional red, rosé and white wines covering the length and breadth of the Rhone Valley in eastern France generally dominated by Grenache (reds and rosés) or Grenache blanc (whites).

A Well Known Wine Town- Rhone River Cruise

Côtes du Rhône is such a well-known wine, almost a synonym for a not-too-fancy French red. Still the fact remains that few wines can match Côtes du Rhône in exemplifying the countless changes which have brought a revolution in the French wine industry in the last 20 years.

At the most exacting level of distinction, a total of 16 crus are permitted to be recognized by their village name without requiring the mention of Côtes du Rhône on the label. With the distinctive exception of Château-Grillet, a white septentrional within the AOC Condrieu, a feature of the nomenclature of CDR wines is that at the top level they are named only after their villages, and not after châteaux as usually happens in the case of Bordeaux wines.

Regardless of the fact that it does not share the honour associated with Rhone’s more famous names (such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cote Rotie and Hermitage), the Cotes du Rhone title stands for some very fine wines indeed. Often you will find that your fine Cotes du Rhone comes from a particularly dedicated winemaker whose vineyard happens to be justoutside the boundaries of the famous appellations.

We offer the 18 passenger Le Phenicien barge and several Rhone river cruises in the Cote Du Rhone region of France. So book one of these and visit the beautiful Cote Du Rhone!