European river cruises offer history enthusiasts the perfect vacation, thanks to daily escorted tours that take you directly to UNESCO World Heritage sites. However, it should be remembered that most river ships dock right in the heart of historic towns and cities requiring lots of walking on cobbled streets.
1. Theme Cruises
European riverboat cruises take you to UNESCO world heritage sites and beyond, providing an opportunity for you to learn about a region from its people, while experiencing local culture like never before.
Select a themed cruise to satisfy your specific interests. Wine-tasting is one such theme; or explore how Van Gogh and Picasso were inspired by various landscapes on a painting-themed voyage.
Or get to know Europe’s legendary cities more intimately on an educational river cruise, from magnificent palaces to medieval half-timbered houses – see these historic capitals with fresh eyes! Or discover Eastern Europe on Emerald’s nine-day Enchantment of Eastern Europe cruise between Budapest and Bucharest!
2. Embarkation & Disembarkation
River cruise vessels often dock right into town for convenient sightseeing on foot or by bus, with daily escorted tours provided by cruise lines to explore UNESCO World Heritage sites, city and village attractions and more.
Crossing the Elbe” from Prague to Berlin is an iconic European riverboat cruise, where visitors visit Meissen for its fine porcelain; Dresden as “Florence of the Elbe”, and Wittenberg, where Martin Luther was born.
An additional highlight is a Main River cruise to Bamberg, Germany where you will witness sprawling slope-side vineyards and medieval half-timbered houses reminiscent of those seen during your cruise along the Rhine and Elbe rivers. Bamberg was also the site of Protestant Reformation birthplace as it served as Constantinople – capital city for three empires including Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule during its history.
3. Ships & Shipboard Activities 
River cruise ships gently sail past Old World cities, villages and vineyards while offering guided tours that enable guests to see iconic sites and hidden gems with ease. On the Seine you may visit Claude Monet’s Giverny home and gardens while on the Danube you may witness an equestrian show in Budapest as well as Junior Adventurer goulash competitions!
Istanbul, Vienna and Budapest all boast UNESCO World Heritage sites that make a visit truly worth while. Istanbul boasts its historic city walls; Vienna hosts opera and art museums while extravagant royal palaces; while Budapest features illuminated parliament buildings like its crown jewel, Hungarian Parliament.
Some river cruises feature onboard experts in areas of special interest, such as World War II historians or classical music specialists. Tauck and Avalon Waterways both include historians on certain itineraries for additional perspective.
4. Tours & Excursions
European river cruises feature tours and excursions that take guests to some of the world’s most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in every destination. Cruises like Danube Explorer offer daily walking tours as well as guided trips to visit key attractions.
Bratislava offers an abundance of marionette shows and family karaoke events; on a ten-day Rhine Journey you can visit Koblenz Castle Ruins as part of a trip to an auto museum in Wolfsburg; while an eight-day Highlights of Rhine itinerary features guided walking tours as well as harbor cruises in Cologne.
Road Scholar offers numerous river cruises throughout Europe to give visitors an exclusive look into European history. Each educational tour itinerary comes accompanied by an expert who can help shed more light on all the locations visited on your voyage.
5. Local Experts
Local guides bring Europe’s history alive for your group. They will lead them on tours of hilltop castles, rolling vineyards and storybook villages along the riverbanks.
An excursion through Kinderdijk and Rotterdam with the Afloat in France voyages of Belmond will offer glimpses of tulips, windmills and Delft pottery; as well as gardens at Keukenhof. From April through October they sail Burgundy, Provence and Alsace rivers aboard their seven elegant barges – giving cruise passengers the best of what Holland and France have to offer!
Tauck Travel Company excels at many forms of travel. Offering small-ship journeys around the globe, family tours and river cruises with itineraries based around some of Europe’s iconic waterways – their all-inclusive fares cover excursions, meals and shipboard activities; you may also book custom itineraries.
