Lucerne and the Legends of Germany

Day 1 - UK - Basel - Lucerne

Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home, for your flight to Basel. Upon arrival we transfer to Lucerne and our hotel for a two-night stay.

Day 2 - Lucerne

Discover the charming lakeside town of Lucerne on an included walking tour. The well-preserved medieval Old Town is a delight to explore, and a stroll over the lake on Chapel Bridge is essential - this medieval landmark is one of Europe’s oldest covered wooden bridges. Museggmauer, part of the town’s 14th-century ramparts, is also worth visiting, with four of its nine towers still accessible. On one, Zytturm, is the city’s oldest clock, which strikes one minute before all others.

Day 3 - Lucerne - Basel

We transfer to Basel to embark our ship, where light refreshments are available.

Day 4 - Basel (Mount Rigi)

Today our adventure takes us to Mount Rigi. At Arth-Goldau we’ll board a cogwheel train for a journey with beautiful views over meadows and steep waterfalls, to Rigi Kulm - the highest peak of Mount Rigi. The best scenes are from the top, 1,797 metres above sea level, when a clear day gives fantastic views over a sea of mountain peaks and 13 lakes. Fill your memory (and your camera) with the views, before we take a cogwheel train down to Vitznau - a spectacular experience on Europe's first mountain railway. The journey finishes on the shores of Lake Lucerne, where an elegant steamboat takes us to Lucerne before we return to Basel.

Day 5 - Breisach

The Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of St Stephen dominates the town of Breisach. Its hilltop location has fantastic views over the town, the upper Rhine and the Black Forest - the vast and mysterious setting of Brothers Grimm fairy tales, and home of cuckoo clocks and cherry gateau. You have the choice to spend your day wandering freely through a town that has 4,000 years of history, detailed in its city museum; or head for a cruise on beautiful Lake Titisee with free time to enjoy the peaceful ambience.

Day 6 - Strasbourg

We have a full day to explore Strasbourg, starting with a tour and canal cruise. Its share of historical heritage sites includes ‘Petite France’, through which the city’s canals flow between beautifully preserved half-timbered houses. There’s also UNESCO-listed Grande Ile - the wonderful city centre influenced by both its French and Germanic heritage, and structured around an outstanding Gothic cathedral. Afterwards, you can continue to explore this dynamic French city independently.

Day 7 - Speyer

Spend today in Speyer, a handsome town of great importance through the Middle Ages and beyond. Choose to meander at leisure in this compact city, or join an optional walking tour. The stately City Hall which housed the city fathers, the baroque Old Mint, and the Jews’ Courtyard, one of the most important medieval Jewish sites in Germany, all tell parts of its tale. As does Emperor Konrad II’s extraordinary Romanesque cathedral, a vast temple where eight emperors and kings, along with some of their queens, are buried. We sail on this evening.

Day 8 - Lorelei Passage - Koblenz

We sail through the most beautiful stretch of the Rhine Gorge, and navigate the legendary Lorelei Passage. It is said a beautiful siren would sit on the rock and lure fishermen with her songs. We sail on to Koblenz where we take a tour of the beautiful city. At German Corner, an impressive monument to Emperor Wilhelm I watches over the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. Behind him are beautiful castles, a neoclassical Electoral Palace and historic squares. In front of him, on the opposite bank of the Rhine, sit the vast ruins of Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, which we also visit today. Within the old battlements, several museums detail a millennium of history.

Day 9 - Bonn - Cologne

We spend the morning in Bonn, the hometown of Beethoven, where we’ll enjoy an included walking tour and make a stop outside his birthplace. In the afternoon we sail on to Cologne, one of Germany’s oldest cities. The city centre holds one of Europe’s largest and most magnificent cathedrals which you can explore on an optional walking tour.

Day 10 - Cologne - Düsseldorf - UK

We transfer to Düsseldorf Airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.