By the Avid Cruiser

Since 2006, I’ve celebrated Christmas with friends and family in an unlikely setting — on the rivers of Europe. It’s a tradition that I have very much enjoyed and one that I plan to continue.

I love the cozy feeling of being on a vessel that transports me, and a hundred or so others, along the main arteries of Europe during this festive time of year. I enjoy bundling up to stroll historic city streets among the Christmas markets and returning to the ship to sip on hot mulled cider or, when the mood strikes, Gluhwein.

If you’re lucky, as I have been on a few Christmas cruises, snow will blanket the villages along the rivers. Last year, I trudged on powder with my family and friends through the uber-charming Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We felt like we were walking in a fairy tale. Christmas trees were decorated with red ribbons and sparkly white lights. Branches were laden with clumps of snow that had fallen from the rooftops. Icicles appeared like mini-stalactites from awnings, and under them, shop windows presented everything from wurst to gingerbread cookies, baked in Old World tradition.

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By the Avid Cruiser

Cruising to or from Amsterdam? Why not do what the Dutch do and straddle a saddle? Hop on a bike and pedal your way through Amsterdam and the beautiful countryside.

Everyone, from crib to coffin, pedals a bike in Amsterdam. The entire country of the Netherlands is mostly flat and ideal for cycling, but the best part is that cyclists pedal along roads either with no cars at all (with tiny traffic lights for bikes) — or with drivers who actually pay attention to cyclists.

That is why Dutch cyclists are 30 times less likely to be killed than their stateside counterparts, according to Bicycling magazine. And that is why for tourists, cycling is a match made, well, in the Netherlands.

You can pedal in the city center, of course, but the real pleasure comes in getting out in the countryside. During my visit to Amsterdam, the rental agency, Mac Bike, recommended a route called “The Great Waterland Bicycle Tour.”

I followed the route, well described on the map, through Amsterdam, riding past charming canals, beautiful architecture, past pedestrians (and nearly over one or two who stepped in front of the bike) and alongside other cyclists and eventually found my way to the train station and the ferry across to Waterland, north of Amsterdam.

The ferries are free and transit every five minutes or so. A ramp lowers and you push your bike on.

In fact, I don’t think there is any public facility that hasn’t been set up for bikes. Even outdoor stairways, have a steel gutter to accommodate the bike’s wheels.

The ferry transit is only a couple of minutes, and I stood there among a throng of other cyclists waiting to reach the other side.

Once on the other side, I and the others pedaled off. After about an hour of pedaling past attractive countryside, I stopped for lunch in a beautiful seaside village, where I dined on a plate of mussels, french fries, salad, bread, applesauce and cole slaw.

Fortified, I pedaled again. I rode along a dyke through Uitdam and to the charming village of Marken, where the fishermen’s houses were built on poles.

The town is a tourist attraction, where all the homes are painted a dark green with red tile roofs.

During my ride, I learned at least two things about cycling in the Netherlands. The first was how to carry three ice cream cones on a bike. I saw a girl doing just that.

To carry three, she turned one cone upside down on top of the other so that she had only to contend with two cones in one hand. Smart.

I also learned how to carry twins. I saw a woman riding a bike with the front end having two wheels and a cart in between. Up front were the twin girls. I learned that this is quite common in the Netherlands.

I continued to ride to Monnickendam, a charming village, then to Zuiderwoude, where I could see the “Welcome to the town limits” and “You Are Leaving the town limits” signs as I pedaled in. There was a wonderful teahouse there.

I rode along the Amstel, past barges and boats to the small village of Ouderkerk ann de Amstel, older than Amsterdam. I stopped there to have an apple shortcake from a century-old bakery and a Witte beer at a restaurant dating back to 1624.

I picked my way back to the ferry. The complete circuit took more than six hours and was so enjoyable. I hope to do it again one day.

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By the Avid Cruiser

It’s not often that you visit destinations where the locals and tourist authorities advise you to “get out of town.” But in Rostock, Germany, and the nearby seaside resort, Warnemunde, that’s exactly what many cruise passengers are hearing.

It’s not that they, or any tourists, are unwelcome in Rostock and Warnemunde. The Baltic ports see more than 150,000 cruise passengers annually, according to Cruise Europe statistics. So why encourage them to leave? Cruise tourism authorities in both destinations are aware of the appeal of Berlin as well as the fact that theirs are the closest Baltic ports to the German capital, only three hours away by train.

Berlin, however, requires a full day on excursions offered by many of the cruise lines. Should you visit Berlin and skip Rostock and Warnemunde? Not so fast. By give short shrift to Rostock and Warnemunde, you’ll miss two worthwhile destinations.

My advice: See Rostock and Warnemunde and save Berlin for another visit. Berlin deserves more than a one-day visit. To help you decide, following is a tale of two cities — plus one — to help you make an informed decision about how to make the most of your time.

Wonderful Warnemunde, Historical Rostock

Ships typically dock in Warnemunde, a seaside resort that was famed for its baths and spas in the 20th century. Today, Warnemunde is a bit as if Miami were to meet the Baltic. Beaches are wide and sandy; hotels and bars line the streets across from the beach. Simply strolling the beach, or bicycling, is reason enough to visit Warnemunde.

Only 10 miles from Warnemunde, Rostock is one of the three original Hanseatic cities. Founded in 1218, the city is also home to one of Europe’s oldest universities, founded in 1419. For the history buff, Rostock is well worth seeing. Moreover, getting to Rostock is easy. The train that departs to the city is within walking distance of the cruise terminal in Warnemunde

A few summers ago, I visited Rostock and Warnemunde on Holland America Line’s Westerdam. Disembarking for the day, I found help and maps in the cruise terminal. With information in hand, I boarded the train for the short transit to Rostock.

Once in Rostock city center, I transferred to a tram to get to the central square, Neuer Markt. From the ship to the central square took only about 30 minutes, including the transfer on the tram. In the tourist information center, situated on the square, I learned that the city features a town wall, gothic churches, charming shops and cafes.

I was advised to begin my exploration of Rostock at St. Peters Church, where I took the elevator up nearly 12 stories for a view of the city. Afterward, I walked the city squares and wide pedestrian streets, stopping for bratwurst before heading back to Warnemunde by boat.

In Warnemunde, I rented a bike near the train station and rode for a couple of hours along the promenade skirting the beach. Westerdam did not depart until 10 p.m., so after dinner on the ship, I walked back into Warnemunde. When I returned to the ship, the trains were returning with passengers who had opted for Berlin. As I watched them disembark, tired from the long journey but enthused about what they had seen, I was glad I stayed nearby. But as with most things, I had a tinge of “buyer’s regret” that I had not seen Berlin.

Berlin In One Day

On another Baltic cruise, I decided to head for Berlin from Warnemunde, nearly a three-hour journey by train each way. Here’s how to make the most of one day in Berlin if you’re not on one of the excursions offered by the cruise lines.

Prepare for a long day, which requires a 150-mile journey each way by train or bus to Germany’s capital.

Your goal is to see the major sites, including the remains of the Berlin Wall, historic Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building. You can do all that, and you’ll also have time to walk Berlin’s most famous boulevards and sample one of the city’s many museums.

After arriving at Berlin’s main train station get yourself on the S Bahn to the Zoologischer Garten (it’s only three stops – about 10 minutes). Once there, head outside to admire the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, destroyed in a World War II air-raid. The emotional effect of seeing the stark shell of the church is a powerful reminder of the devastating effect of war.

Board double-decker Bus 100 in front of the Zoo railway station for city tour using public transportation. Take a seat on top to enjoy the scenic ride that carries you through the Tiergarten (Berlin’s large city park), past the Reichstag, along Unter den Linden, and around Alexanderplatz, the open square and public transport hub.

Exit the bus at Museum Island, situated on the Spree River and home to four internationally renowned museums. Any one of them is worth your time, but as you are trying to maintain a schedule, limit yourself to the most popular, the Pergamon, home to original-sized, reconstructed monumental buildings such as the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus, and the Ishtar Gate, all consisting of parts transported from the original excavation sites.

Leaving Museum Island, stroll along Unter den Linden until you reach Pariser Platz, a prestigious address in prewar times that has returned to its former glory.

Surrounding the square are the American, French and British embassies, and on one corner is the beautiful Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin. Take a seat at an outdoor table at Restaurant Quarré and split a Chocolate milkshake, pricey, but worth the experience and the view — and plentiful enough for two.

From your seat outside Hotel Adlon, take time to admire Brandenburg Gate, once the formal entrance to the city and still a grand symbol of Berlin. When you’re done, head through the Gate, across Ebertstrasse, to the Reichstag. The first parliament of the German Empire, the Reichstag was opened in 1894 and housed the German parliament until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire supposedly set by a Dutch communist.

This fire proved to be a valuable excuse for the Nazis to suspend most civil rights and increase the state security apparatus. Following World War II, the Reichstag building again became the seat of the German parliament, and in October 1990, the official German reunification ceremony was held there. The building was completely reconstructed in a project led by architect Norman Foster and completed in 1999.

Check your watch. If time allows, take the free elevator up into the dome, which the locals call “the light bulb,” for stunning city views and to watch the democratic process take place below.

Head back to Ebertstrasse to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Also known as the Holocaust Memorial, the five-acre site has thousands of irregularly sized concrete slabs arranged in an unpredictable grid.

According to the designer’s project text, the slabs are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. About a block away, you’ll find a sign marking the spot of the bunker where Adolf Hitler and his wife Eva Braun committed suicide.

Move on to Potsdamer Platz, a study in urban renewal and modern architecture, and continue to the Topography of Terror, a free, open-air exhibit on the organizations of the SS and the Gestapo, their crimes and their victims.

The site is bordered by a remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall. Checkpoint Charlie lies another 250 yards further east. After viewing the Topography of Terror, continue on to the Mauermusuem Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, which is open until 10 p.m.

From Checkpoint Charlie, walk up the other side of Friederichstrasse six blocks to Berlin’s most beautiful plaza, Gendarmenmarkt.

Twin cathedrals (French and German) topped by tall domes in the gorgeous Baroque style anchor this square, with the grand Konzerthaus standing between them.

Each church has attractions: On the south side, the Deutscher Dom offers a government history museum, while the Franzosischer Dom has a nice restaurant and a tower with wine bar and dizzying spiral staircase leading to a panorama view.

Find your way to double-decker Bus 200 to travel the opposite side of the Tiergarten to the Zoo, and make your way back to the main train station and back to Rostock/Warnemunde before your ship departs.

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By the Avid Cruiser

I checked into my hotel in Budapest, Hungary, and checked out a week later in Passau, Germany. Each evening, sometimes after I had fallen asleep, my hotel moved, from Budapest, to Bratislava, to Vienna, to Durnstein and Melk on the same day, to Linz and finally Passau. If you’re scratching your head, I’ll let you in on a secret: My hotel was a river cruiser.

River cruisers combine the best features of motorcoaches (in that they get you from one destination to the other) with the best features of a deluxe hotel (in that you are transported in comfort).

You need not sit with your nose pressed against the windows of a bus as you move from one destination to the next. Instead, you admire the scenery from the ship’s sun deck as you are transported along with your accommodations.

Nor will you have to obligingly put out your luggage by 7 a.m. (or earlier) to be loaded onto the motorcoach before it sets off to the next destination. You’ll unpack only once during the course of your cruise as you move from one city to the next.

Sitting on the top deck of a ship under brilliant blue skies, gaze on fabled landscapes dotted with castles, villages and vineyards. A flight of stairs down, and you have all the amenities of a modern hotel: a restaurant, bar, lounge, fitness facilities, spa, and a comfortable stateroom.

What’s more is that river cruisers become part of the destinations where they dock. A simple gangway from the floating hotel allows passengers to come and go just as they would at a destination-based hotel.

The only difference is that later on, the floating hotel will untie from the docks and cruise to the next destination. Make sure to keep an eye on your watch. You wouldn’t want to miss the boat – er, hotel.

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By the Avid Cruiser

The port of Falmouth’s greatest asset has always been its prime location, sheltered by Pendennis Point and lying within the third largest natural deep water harbor in the world. It is Falmouth’s dramatic unspoilt scenery that has made it the Royal Duchy of Cornwall’s leading south coast resort.

Known locally as Carrick Roads, this unique natural harbor came about at the end of the ice age. As the global ice melted and sea levels rose, the river valley flooded creating a huge inlet to what we know today. Carrick Roads remains deeply rooted within Falmouth’s culture and heritage.

During the reign of Henry VIII, 450 years ago, two twin castles were built at either side of the entrance as a defense against an invasion of the French. Today, cruise passengers will sail into Carrick Roads to the heart of the town, where the twin forts of St Mawes Castle and Pendennis Castle can be seen on either side.

To view cruises to England, click here.

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By the Avid Cruiser

Scotland has not been an independent nation for 300 years, but the country continues to sustain its own capital: Edinburgh. And all the attributes that one would expect from a capital city can be found here. One of the most visible is the Edinburgh Castle, visible from almost any part of this second-largest city in Scotland (Glasgow is larger).

Rendering the city a profile that could be described as dramatic, the castle towers high on a cliff. Resolute stone statues of the legendary Scottish Kings Robert the Bruce and William Wallace guard the walls that have witnessed centuries of Scottish history. Edinburgh Castle is one of the main tourist attractions in Britain.

The crown jewels are kept in the castle, as is the Stone of Scone. Used in connection with coronations of the monarchs of Scotland and, later, the monarchs of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland in 1996 after being kept for 700 years in London’s Westminster Abbey.

The Scottish Parliament is also based in Edinburgh, situated in the Holorood area. While it is unclear if the seven hills that surround the city have anything to do with the capital status, it is a fact that both Rome and Lisbon, the capital cities in Italy and Portugal, respectively, are also famous for being built on seven hills.

To view Northern Europe cruises, click here.

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By the Avid Cruiser

Immortalized by Johann Strauss in the Blue Danube Waltz, the Danube winds from Germany’s Black Forest through Austria into the Balkans before dumping into the Black Sea.

The romantic river flows through six countries and meanders for nearly 1,800 miles. Some of Europe’s most fabled cities, including Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest, are situated on the banks of the Danube, making the Danube a good choice for first-time river cruisers.

On our eight-day cruise on Uniworld’s River Empress, there were both first-timers and repeaters. Our cruise began in Budapest and ended in Passau, with an overnight on board in each city at the beginning and end of the cruise.

Ashore, Uniworld includes at least one free tour in each destination, so that passengers get an overview and introduction to the places they visit. Following is a brief overview of the destinations we visited along the Danube.

Budapest was once referred to as the Queen of the Danube, because of the city’s cultural significance at a time when Hungary was three times the size it is today.

On one side of the Danube, hilly Buda retains much of its Middle Age charm; its cobbled streets and Gothic buildings have been well preserved. On the other side of the river, Pest is the thriving city center.

River Empress was docked on the Buda side. A free ferry shuttled us between Buda and Pest.

Bratislava. Slovakia’s capital city was a capital in exile for Hungary’s kings and archbishops during Turkey’s occupation of Hungary and most of the middle Danube basin from 1526 to 1784.

Bratislava is dominated by an enormous castle that stands sentinel over the Danube. Though the castle dates back to the 9th century, it was razed in 1811 and rebuilt.

Vienna was the next stop for River Empress. After the included city tour, many passengers visited Schonbrunn Palace, the imperial summer palace of the Habsburgs, one of Europe’s principal sovereign dynasties from the 15th to the 20th centuries.

Vienna is characterized by beautiful parks, legendary Viennese coffee houses and Baroque palaces. One of the city’s most famous landmarks, Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) is also one of Europe’s most impressive Gothic structures.

The musically inclined will appreciate that Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss composed their greatest operas and symphonies in Austria’s capital city. The composer Schubert was born here.

An optional excursion offered by Uniworld features an evening concert, and this one is a “don’t miss” for lovers of music and culture.

River Empress called on Durnstein one morning, and Melk that afternoon, with scenic river cruising and an outdoor Bavarian buffet on the upper deck.

Using the bicycles on board, a group of us bicycled through the vineyard-rich Wacchau Valley in Durnstein.

In Melk, the included tour took us to the 900-plus-year-old Melk Abby, situated high atop granite cliffs overlooking the Danube and the village of Melk.

From Linz, on the following day, most passengers opted for the included tour to Salzburg (about two hours each way), birthplace of Mozart and the setting for the acclaimed musical, “The Sound of Music.”

Situated at the confluence of three rivers, Passau marked the end of our cruise. We overnighted on board.

The included tour featured a walking tour and an organ concert, performed on Europe’s largest pipe organ at St. Stephan’s Cathedral.

Disembarking passengers either transferred to Munich’s international airport, a 90-minute drive away, or for a post-cruise stay in Prague, about three hours by motorcoach.

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