CANALS, VINEYARDS & CASTLES - SOUTHBOUND

There is a fairytale quality to the tree-lined canal streets of Amsterdam. Boutiques, cafes, apartments and hotels may hide behind the facades of the gabled townhouses, but the look of this beautiful old city has not changed much since its 17th-century Golden Age. Some 7,000 historic buildings remain, many of them beautiful merchants' mansions, located along canals that are laid out in five concentric circles, connected by bridges and intriguing small streets. No matter how many times you walk along the canals, they are enchanting to see, even when traffic and whizzing bicycles dispel the Old-World illusion. On a silent Sunday morning or on a summer evening when the old facades are floodlit, the city is magical.

Amsterdam is small enough that much of the city can be covered on foot, allowing visitors to savor sights such as the charming no-two-alike gables atop the houses, houseboats bedecked with potted greenery and masses of blooms in the colorful, floating flower market. Shops offering antiques and avant-garde art beckon everywhere. Outdoor markets, selling everything from postage stamps and parakeets to "junk-tiques," are another intriguing facet of the city.

Considered one of Europe's major art capitals, Amsterdam boasts three great Dutch museums as well as a branch of the Hermitage, the famous trove of art treasures in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Anne Frank House and Rembrandt's home are also popular attractions. In the performing arts, the city has two international stars: the National Ballet and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. (A 2008 poll from classical music magazine Gramophone called the latter the world's best.)

The canal streets of the old city are protected by ordinance and will never change, but Amsterdam is expanding outward and architecture buffs will find both modern and historic neighborhoods to explore. Though quite close to the old city, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA), known as "the wave" for its free-form facade (shaped like a whale), is the part of the Eastern Docklands area where shipping docks have given way to neighborhoods of striking contemporary design that now house more than 20,000 people. Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, a concert hall for jazz and modern music, is adjacent to the terminal, and ongoing construction will bring many more amenities, including hotels.

With so much to see and do, Amsterdam makes for a rewarding stay before or after cruising.

There is a fairytale quality to the tree-lined canal streets of Amsterdam. Boutiques, cafes, apartments and hotels may hide behind the facades of the gabled townhouses, but the look of this beautiful old city has not changed much since its 17th-century Golden Age. Some 7,000 historic buildings remain, many of them beautiful merchants' mansions, located along canals that are laid out in five concentric circles, connected by bridges and intriguing small streets. No matter how many times you walk along the canals, they are enchanting to see, even when traffic and whizzing bicycles dispel the Old-World illusion. On a silent Sunday morning or on a summer evening when the old facades are floodlit, the city is magical.

Amsterdam is small enough that much of the city can be covered on foot, allowing visitors to savor sights such as the charming no-two-alike gables atop the houses, houseboats bedecked with potted greenery and masses of blooms in the colorful, floating flower market. Shops offering antiques and avant-garde art beckon everywhere. Outdoor markets, selling everything from postage stamps and parakeets to "junk-tiques," are another intriguing facet of the city.

Considered one of Europe's major art capitals, Amsterdam boasts three great Dutch museums as well as a branch of the Hermitage, the famous trove of art treasures in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Anne Frank House and Rembrandt's home are also popular attractions. In the performing arts, the city has two international stars: the National Ballet and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. (A 2008 poll from classical music magazine Gramophone called the latter the world's best.)

The canal streets of the old city are protected by ordinance and will never change, but Amsterdam is expanding outward and architecture buffs will find both modern and historic neighborhoods to explore. Though quite close to the old city, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA), known as "the wave" for its free-form facade (shaped like a whale), is the part of the Eastern Docklands area where shipping docks have given way to neighborhoods of striking contemporary design that now house more than 20,000 people. Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, a concert hall for jazz and modern music, is adjacent to the terminal, and ongoing construction will bring many more amenities, including hotels.

With so much to see and do, Amsterdam makes for a rewarding stay before or after cruising.

Cologne, the Rhineland's largest city and Germany's fourth-largest, dates back to 38 B.C., when the Romans first started to settle in the area. By 50 A.D., "Colonia" was a major city, which would later become one of the most important trade and production centres in the Roman Empire. Significant Roman ruins can still be found in Cologne today, especially near the city's wharf area, in addition to 12 Romanesque churches.

Cologne's location on the river Rhine placed it at the intersection of the major trade routes between east and west, which was the basis for its continued growth through the Middle Ages. Construction of the famous Kölner Dom, the city's Gothic cathedral, started in 1248, consolidating its position as a place of great religious significance, as well as a trade hub (despite the fact that work stopped on the cathedral in 1473, leaving it unfinished until the 19th century).

Today, Cologne is the cultural heart of the Rhineland, with a vibrant arts scene, celebrated opera house, more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. The city has spread to both sides of the Rhine River, with the cathedral and Altstadt (Old Town) both located on the left bank. The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and became a poignant symbol of the city's survival of the Allied aerial bombing during World War II. While some 95 percent of the city centre was destroyed during the war, much of its medieval heart and churches were rebuilt according to original plans. Because of this, Cologne retains an authentic feel, with attractive open squares, pretty beer gardens and cosy wine taverns lining narrow, cobbled streets and the attractive riverfront.

Cologne is celebrated for its locally brewed beer, called Kölsch, with about 30 traditional brewing houses creating their own versions and selling them on-site in lively beer gardens and cellars. (Kölsch is also the name for the local dialect, resulting in the joke that Kölsch is the only language one can drink.) Considerable quantities of Kölsch are consumed each November, when carnival season transforms the city into one of Europe's biggest street festivals, with the numerous bars and pubs on Neumarkt Square, Heumarkt and Zülpicher Strasse packed with people in costumes, dancing and drinking.

Whether you visit Cologne during the summer to make the most of the beer gardens and pretty landscaped riverbanks or during winter for the raucous Carnival or magical Christmas markets, you'll discover an intriguing, cosmopolitan city with bags of character. Furthermore, Cologne has a compact heart, which is easily navigated on foot, making it the perfect destination to explore from a cruise ship.

Koblenz, Germany, is located at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, at one end of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley -- a scenic stretch of river known for its castles and vineyards. The city dates back to Roman times, has been under French and German rule, and has a delightful Old Town to explore.

Around every corner is a bit of whimsy: the face under the clock on the Mittelrhein Museum building that sticks out its tongue on the hour; the boy in the Schängelbrunnen Fountain who spits water across the courtyard at random; and the myriad statues that dot the squares and street corners. Climb the steps up to the statue of Emperor Wilhelm I at the Deutsches Eck, ride a cable car across the river to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, or sample local vintages at the Wine Village, built for the 1925 German Wines exhibition. Some river cruise lines also offer tours from Koblenz to the medieval town of Cochem.

Surrounded by steep vineyards, overlooked by an imposing castle and with a charming old town filled with half-timbered houses, Cochem is the archetypal German town and one of the prettiest places on the Moselle. River ships moor in the heart of the town, which is divided by the river. A nearby bridge leads to the waterfront and narrow cobbled streets of the old town, which can easily be explored on foot. The main attraction is Reichsburg Castle, also called Cochem Imperial Castle. It dates back to the 11th century and is the largest hill castle on the Moselle. Most river cruises offer a tour of the castle as an included shore excursion. Cochem is also in the heart of Moselle's wine-producing region, known for crisp dry Rieslings. The town has many wine stores and your cruise may also include a tasting.

If you're looking for European quaintness, it's hard to do better than the pretty German town of Bernkastel. Located in the heart of Moselle wine country, Bernkastel specializes in dry white whites made from the Riesling grape; if you think all German wines are sweet, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the quality in this area. Even if you don't like wine, Bernkastel provides a pleasant stop. The old town is full of half-timbered buildings from the Middle Ages, including the Town Hall, which dates back to 1608. There are also cafes and restaurants for people watching or a late lunch, as well as shops for souvenirs. Those seeking a nice walk can go up the hill to the ruins of Castle Landshut, which offers nice views of the valley; there's also a shuttle bus from the village. If your riverboat has bikes onboard, there's a path along the river for riding. Finally, Bernkastel is occasionally used as a jumping-off point for day trips to Trier or Luxembourg.