Tag Archives: river cruise

Austrian Town of Gmunden

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Picture Perfect Town of GmundenThe Picture Perfect Town of Gmunden

The picturesque town of Gmunden is situated in the Salzkammergut region, the Austrian Lake District. It’s a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, located on the shores of Lake Traunsee and surrounded by mountains. Gmunden – the town of ceramics – is full of life and exudes southern charm.

Gmunden is not a big town. But it can’t be labeled as a passive and sleepy small village either. The town has so much to catch your attention. It is romantic, energetic, active and lively. It takes pride in its culture and offers a pleasant atmosphere. It captivates you with its charm and offers several interesting contrasts within it. It is a place which surprises you with a wonderful balance of excitement and calmness, noise and quietness. The town is a perfect place to move about – to shop or simply enjoy.

Gmunden was a significant settlement as early as Celtic times and grew in the 11th century to become an important center of the salt trade. Due to its pleasant climate and the beauty of the Salzkammergut landscape, the aristocracy and wealthy citizens spent their summers in the town at Lake Traunsee as early as the 19th century.

Emperor Franz Josef, for example, used to visit the Royal House of Hanover in Gmunden, where the nobility from all over Europe stayed, before he headed to his summer residence in Bad Ischl.

Gmunden offers a unique charm with its splendid town houses and facades dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Gmunden’s renaissance town hall has the only ceramic chimes in Austria and is quite famous as a popular tourist destination.

In Gmunden, you can find a great number of excursions and points of interest. The most important among them are the Traun Fall, 10 miles north of the town, a castle called Schloss Ort, and a ceramic factory producing Gmundner Keramic branded pottery. The “Schloss Ort” castle is situated on a small island and is the most authentic emblem of the town. It was purchased by Archduke Johann Salvator Toscana, who was related to the House of Habsburg-Lothringen. Today, the “Schloss Ort” has become even more famous, because of the TV series “Schlosshotel Orth”.

Austrian Town of Gmunden and Danube River Cruise

On a Danube River cruise, with a stop in Linz, you might have an excursion to the scenic town of Gmunden. Call us for more details! Europeanbarging 888-869-7907

Chateau De Rully In Burgundy France: Visit the Medieval Castle

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CastleExplore France in Another Light- Chateau de Rully

Chateau de Rully is a medieval fortress situated in the midst of vineyards in the commune of Rully, Saône-et-Loire département of France. The castle comes under the Burgundy region of eastern France. It stands on the side of a hill and dominates the whole region, facing the plain leading to the Saône. In the west, it commands the valley towards Nantoux and Chassey-le-Camp.

The castle was built around a 12th century square keep (i.e. Donjon), the oldest part of the chateau that remains. It shows some interesting features of medieval military architecture with its parapet walk, battlements, machicoulis and loopholes.

The present look of the castle was designed in the 15th century with the addition of a small courtyard and north and east wings, turning the fortress into a manor house. Outbuildings and the great and lower courtyards were added in the 18th century. An 18th century building takes pride as Burgundy’s largest stone roof.

Medieval Castle Is An Historical Monument in France

The castle is listed as a historical monument on the supplementary inventory of the French Ministry of Culture and is open to the visitors. Your visit to the castle will take you on a journey through French history from the Middle Ages to today.

Since the castle came into existence, it has been kept in the same family. The current owner will nicely guide you through his home, showing the history of his ancestors. The fact that the castle is private property and not a museum brings about a unique and authentic experience.

Enjoy Wine Tasting at Chateau Rully in Burgundy France

Your trip to Rully becomes more exciting with wonderful wine tastings. Its vineyards expand up to 32 hectares (approximately 79 acres), of which a third are classified as Premier Cru sites. Rully is known for its red and white Rully wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, respectively. Around two-thirds of the production consists of white wine, and around one-third is red.

Our France barge cruise is a perfect option for you to visit the Chateau de Rully and indulge in some excellent wine tastings, as well as touring this Medieval castle. Call us for more information about our France barge cruise! Europeanbarging.com 888-869-7907

Caves of Carrieres Awaits You

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Cave 1 ebVisit the Caves of Carrieres de Lumieres on a AMA Waterways River Cruise

Carrieres de Lumieres is located in the ancient village of Les Baux, which sits atop a rocky plateau overlooking the Alpilles in Provence, France. Though the village is no longer active, it still remains an attraction for tourists who want to see the ruins of the castle and the beautiful vistas. Carrieres de Lumieres is the most unusual site to experience here.

It’s actually a quarry, where the locals used to extract limestone for the construction of a nearby chateau and Les Baux. Presently, huge images of works of art are projected onto the walls, ceiling and floors, accompanied by music.

AMA Waterways Provence River Cruise offers an exciting excursion to the Carrieres de Lumieres, located in the caves of the old quarry. The term Carrieres de Lumieres refers to the ever-present role of light here.

Make Cave Exploring Real

An innovative and ambitious project is being organized in order to give this man-made site a new focus. There are four main aspects of the project:

  • A new program of cultural events is proposed on the theme of the “History of Art” in the Carrières rooms and galleries with audio visual shows, live shows, concerts, lectures, and more. The aim of the program is to make ‘Carrières de Lumières’ a cultural hub for multiple events. It will be offering one big new show every year, profiling the greatest names in the history of art.
  • A new and quite captivating event has the Carrières quarries gradually lighting up, highlighting the unique nature of the site between each show. No wonder, the spectators all praise the mineral beauty of the site.
  • New high-performance technological equipment is being procured for this outstanding audio visual show. Each area of the Carrières invites visitors on an extraordinary audio visual journey made possible by cutting-edge technological equipment and methods developed by Culturespaces and its multimedia partners, which includes 70 video projectors, 3D audio adapted to the specific characteristics of the site, etc.
  • More surfaces are to be used in the show to give it a bigger platform and extend this artistic journey.

Visitors are totally spellbound and get immersed in the images projected onto all the surfaces of the rock. Now, twice the number of video projectors is being used in order to cover twice the wall area. The completely covered ground itself becomes a huge carpet of images.

An upcoming new show will continue until January 5, 2014, titled Monet, Renoir … Chagall – Journeys Around the Mediterranean.  Europeanbarging.com   888-869-7907

Cruise the Rhine and Mosel Wine Regions

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Experience a Wine Cruise along the Rhine and Mosel Rivers

AMA Rhine and Mosel Wine Cruises are designed with wine connoisseurs in mind. However, did you know the historic beauty of the Rhine River makes this trip a Germany Castle Cruise as well? Take the Rhine River Cruise for the castles and the Mosel River Cruise for the vineyards – AMA combines the two treats in one deluxe package.

Cruise and Visit the Wine Villages of Germany

Ships docked on the Moselle RiverExplore the world’s oldest wine Road, the German Wine Route. Tour around the wine villages in Germany looking for the biggest wine barrel in the world, large enough to house a restaurant. Try pronouncing “Gewurztraminer” while you enjoy this crisp, spicy wine in Germany’s oldest vineyard. Wine villages in Germany are surrounded by castles, palaces and Roman ruins. Keep your camera handy to snap shots of romantic corners in these picturesque villages.

Wine Cruise

The wine cruise meanders along the Rhine and Mosel Rivers, waterways famous for their scenic views. A Rhine River Cruise includes castles surrounded by emerald green landscape. The Mosel River Cruise offers a vineyard-rich countryside. Step off the luxurious vessel straight into the heart of an ancient village, host to local wineries. Towns that boast over 1,000 years of wine history beckon with the promise of medieval marketplaces and fountains surrounded by quaint town squares.

Wine Tasting

In addition to delightful excursions to museums housing self-playing musical instruments as old as 300 years, the wine cruise offers, well, many chances for wine and even beer tasting. Enjoy sampling wines at the Bergweiler Winery in Bernkastel. Kick your heels up at a medieval wine festival in Zell. Admire the historic Cologne Cathedral before enjoying tastings of the city’s famous beer, Kölsch, at the Früh Brewery. Explore narrow alleys lined with wine taverns and indulge in tastings hosted by local vintners.

Starting in legendary Paris, take an exciting high-speed TGV ride and embark on your river cruise. The Rhine offers a Germany Castle Cruise while the Mosel is nestled into twisting landscapes of vineyards and villages. The cruises feature gourmet dining, free-flowing wine, beer and soft drinks and musical performances. Enjoy informative lectures and cooking demonstrations or explore on one of many culinary excursions or daily tours.

AMA Cruises along the Rhine and Mosel rivers offer guests the experience of lavish travel and site-seeing opportunities that create lasting memories. Castles, medieval villages and vineyards hosting wine tastings are waiting.

For more information contact us at 888-869-7907  or jan@europeanbarging.com  to learn more about our wine themed river cruises in Europe.

Bastogne War Museum Opening in 2014

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The Bastogne War Museum is Expected to Open in the Spring of 2014.

You can travel by river cruise to visit this new innovative museum located next to the Bastogne Historical Center, one of the current WWII museums, and see other Belgium culture sites while you are there in the vicinity. Bastogne, a modern town in the Belgian Ardennes, is still primarily dedicated to the battles that were fought in the region and to preserving them in the local WWII museums.

743535_battle_of_the_bulgeThe new Bastogne War Museum will be a brand new modern building with unusual and bold architecture. There will be multi-sensory history scenes in 3D, three scenovisions, interactive activities, a cafe, a museum shop, a terrace and an area for temporary exhibitions and events. Visitors are able to go back in time and understand what the Battle of the Bulge and other skirmishes were all about. There will be a reconstruction of a German and an allied headquarters and also show what life was like for the soldiers and civilians.

The Bastogne War Museum Exhibits Battle of the Bulge

These sites mostly include those involved in the famous Battle of the Bulge, a German offensive which took place from December 1944 to January 1945 and where many thousands of civilians and soldiers died during that bloody time, as well as the Second World War in general. You can visit these important historical sites during your river cruise.

The current Bastogne Historical Center and adjoining American Memorial

At the Center you will find an amazing collection of items and exhibits from the Battle of the Bulge along with authentic uniforms and artifacts, an American M10 Tank Destroyer based on the M4 Sherman tank chassis, a tank gun turret and other vehicles. There is a film with shots taken during the battles between the Germans and Americans at the Bastogne War Museum. From the top of the Mardasson Memorial you get a good view of the battlegrounds. In the form of the five-pointed American star, the Memorial honors the 76,890 American soldiers who were killed, missing or wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.

For more information and to book your River Cruise, contact us today.