Sailing from Luxembourg

Catching Up with Ship

Once again, our ship moved from where we last left it in Grevemmacher around 1:30 PM.  Since Luxembourg excursion was optional, not all passengers disembarked after lunch.  Those that stayed onboard got several hours of extra cruising along the Moselle river.

Artistry II made a technical stop in the village of Riol to pickup passengers who had been on the Luxembourg excursion.

 
 

Evening Sailing to Cochem

 We had some time before dinner to enjoy the view from our cabin.   As you can see from both pictures, this is wine country and vineyard after vineyard lined the river banks.

After our usual Port Talk by Mark, our Cruise Director, it was time for dinner in the main dining room.   We had a lovely view of the vineyards along our route.

Dinner - Main Dining

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The main entree choice that we selected was Grilled Skewer of Beef, Pork, and Chicken.  This wasn't your typical dinner selection on most cruises we've been on previously.  It was excellent, by the way..


Click on the menu to the left to see alternative choices as well as more details about our meal.

As usual, there were two soup choices and several other starter choices.  

We completed our meal with a Belgian waffle accompanied by berries.   Note:  you can order this off the breakfast menu as well - highly recommended.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Sailing from Luxembourg

 

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Luxembourg City Dining

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Feeling Hungry?

We had eaten lunch before leaving for our city tour of Luxembourg and dinner would be waiting for us when we return to the ship, but if you didn't want to wait, there are plenty of dining options in city center.

From French Brasseries and Pâtisseries to local or international food chains, there is something for everyone.

"You Deserve a Break Today ..."

Traveling the world we've found the Golden Arches all over and that includes Luxembourg.  Here you'll find your hometown favorites as well as a local twist on the menu.

As you can see from the sign, there's plenty of seating inside or you can eat outside in the center of the plaza.

There are 9 McDonald's as of this writing.

Quality Burger

If you are looking for a fast food alternative to McDonald's, give Quick Restaurant a try while in Luxembourg.   We can't provide personal experience, and since food likes are subjective, you'll need to make your own decision on whether or not it was quality or simply fast food.

Luxembourg is one of those cities where we didn't have enough time to really try or see it all.


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Luxembourg City

 

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More Luxembourg Prominent Attractions

Grand Ducal Palace

The Grand Ducal Palace is a palace in Luxembourg City. It is the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and where he performs most of his duties as head of state of the Grand Duchy. There were no guards present which means the Grand Duke was not in residence when we were there.

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After walking around for awhile, several passengers were looking for a water closet.   Our guide directed us to the Chocolate House which had a WC downstairs.   The stairs were very narrow and had enough room for only one person at a time.

Casemates

The most prominent attractions include the "casemates" or bunkers, which are among the longest subterranean tunnels in the world. The casemates that once formed an extraordinary network of 23 km were carved into the rocks of the city and are a top attraction in Luxembourg City. Not only did they provide shelter for thousands of defenders with their equipment and horses, but they were also home to workshops of artillery and armaments, kitchens, bakeries, slaughterhouses, etc.


Chemin de la Corniche

Also called “the most beautiful balcony of Europe” (according to the Luxembourg writer Batty Weber), it runs along the Alzette valley on the ramparts - built by the Spaniards and the French in the 17th century - from the Bock Promontory up to the lower part of the Holy Ghost Citadel, the so-called “Rondellen”.

Up to the year 1870 the Corniche had staircases in steep parts which were leveled off only after the dismantling of the fortress. Moreover the greatest part of the protecting wall with its loopholes was cleared away so as to disclose a superb panorama on the valley of the Alzette, the city district of Grund and the Rham Plateau.

Place de la Constitution

The Constitution Square was put up on the ancient Beck bastion (1644, 1685). The "Gëlle Fra", a monument which is located on this square, was set up in 1923 to commemorate the Luxembourgers who perished in the First World War, today it sympolises freedom and resistance for the Luxembourg people.

From here you have a superb view over the Pétrusse Valley and the Adolphe Bridge.

Viaduct

The Old bridge – in common parlance – was built between 1859 and 1861 to cross the Pétrusse valley at a height of 45 metres.

It consists of 24 arches spanning either 8 or 15 m The total length is 290 metres whereas the slight curve in the middle is the result of military and strategic considerations.
etres and of pillars up to 30 metres high.

 
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Luxembourg City

 

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Notre-Dame Cathedral Luxembourg

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Cathedral of Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame Cathedral is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It was originally a Jesuit church, and its cornerstone was laid in 1613. It is the only
cathedral in Luxembourg.

The church is a noteworthy example of late gothic architecture; however, it also has many Renaissance elements and adornments. At the end of the 18th century, the church received the miraculous image of the Maria Consolatrix Afflictorum, the patron saint of both the city and the nation.

Around 50 years later, the church was consecrated as the Church of Our Lady and in 1870, it was elevated by Pope Pius IX to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.

The Towers 

The Cathedral has three towers, the west tower, which was the tower of the Jesuit church and which contains the bells, the east tower, and the central tower, which stands over the transept.

When the Cathedral was enlarged in 1935-1938, the east and central towers were added. The central tower, which is only a third of the height of the other towers, consists of a wide, pyramid-shaped base and a narrow peak covered with copper. The roof itself is carried by a steel frame, consisting of two PN20 beams from ARBED-Belval.


 

 Cathedral Repaired

On Good Friday, 5 April 1985, around mid-day, work on the roof caused the west tower to catch fire. The church bells, i.e. the Virgin Mary bell, the Willibrord bell, the Peter bell, and the Cunigunde bell were destroyed in the fire. When the tower collapsed, the roof of the central aisle was also partly damaged. It took until 17 October 1985 for the tower to be repaired.

The crypt of the Cathedral contains the remains of members of the Grand-Ducal family.  In particular, John of Bohemia (1296–1346), Marie-Adélaïde (1894–1924), Marie Anne of Portugal (1861–1942),  Felix of Bourbon-Parma (1893–1970),  Charlotte (1896–1985), and Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium (1927–2005) are buried in the crypt.

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Luxembourg Notre-Dame

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Luxembourg City Tour

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Motor Coach to

Luxembourg

Following lunch, we boarded a motor coach for our optional tour to the capital of Luxembourg. The scenic ride took about 45 minutes from our ship's docking location in Grevenmacher.

Because of its location and natural geography, Luxembourg City has, throughout history, been a place of strategic military significance, the first fortifications having been built as early as the 10th century.

The city center occupies a picturesque site, perched high on precipitous cliffs that drop into the narrow valleys of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers.

A local guide acquainted us with the city, whose layout is complex as it is set on two levels, straddling hills and dropping into the two river valleys.  Earlier there had been some rain, evident by the wet sidewalks and streets, but it was lovely while we were there.

 Walking  Tour

Our tour began at The Monument of Remembrance, usually known by the nickname of the Gëlle Fra ('Golden Lady'). This war memorial in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg, is dedicated to the thousands of Luxembourgers who volunteered for service in the armed forces of the Allied Powers during World War I.

  Town Hall

Located on William Square, it was built between 1830 and 1838 in neo-classical style. The stones of the old Franciscan monastery, dismantled in 1829, mainly went into its construction. In 1931 two bronze lions were added to flank both sides of the outdoor stairs.

The edifice is the seat of the city administration and houses the plenary hall of the municipal council.

A little bit further you will find the Luxembourg City Tourist Office.


Equestrian Statue of William II


This bronze statue was set up on William Square to pay tribute to the King and Grand Duke William II of Nassau-Orange. He ruled from 1840 to 1849 and, one year before his death, granted the Grand Duchy its first parliamentary constitution, one of the most liberal in Europe at the time.

The riding figure of William II is the work of the French sculptor Antonin Mercié; the statue of the horse is by Victor Peter. The pedestal of the monument reveals the coat of arms of the House of Orange-Nassau and of Luxembourg and the ones of the 12 cantons of Luxembourg.

From William Square, we walked to the Notre-Dame Cathedral which we will cover in a separate post.

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Drive to Luxembourg

Luxembourg City

 

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Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise

Avalon Waterways

The Rhine & Moselle Northbound

MS AVALON ARTISTRY II^®

The Rhine flows through six countries (Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France, Germany and The Netherlands).  We began our journey in Zurich, Switzerland and ultimately ended up in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

When 2015 began, we had not anticipated taking a river cruise this year, but several events put things in motion which ultimately ended up with our selecting this particular river cruise.

We'll share our story, including the highlights of the cruise.   It will take some time to tell the complete story, so we've created this "anchor" page.  It will later become an in-depth reference for anyone planning a similar adventure.
  

Bookmark this page, follow us on our various social media outlets, and  join us on our journey.  

	Port	Blog Posts	Photo Albums
	Planning, Travel, Tips & More	Heading for Zurich Save Time and Money in Zurich	Zurich - Movenpick Hotel
Pre	Zurich, Switzerland	National Museum Zurich Felsenegg Lookout Zurich Boat Tour	Zurich - National Museum Zurich - Stained Glass (National Museum)  Zurich - Felsenegg Zurich - Boat Trip
1	Zurich, Switzerland	Excursion to Mount Pilatus Beautiful Lucerne	Pilatus - Gondola Pilatus - View Pilatus - Cave Tunnels Pilatus - Cogwheel Railway Lucerne
	Avalon Artistry II	Artistry II Embarkation Evening Artistry II Embarkation Basel Artistry II Embarkation Dinner Welcome Aboard Avalon Artistry II How Suite It Is on Artistry II Avalon Panorama Bistro Dinner Avalon Artistry II Chef's Dinner Avalon Artistry II Galley Tour  Avalon Wheel House	Basel - Embarkation Artistry2 - Embarkation Evening Artistry 2 - Embarkation Dinner Avalon Artistry II   Avalon Artistry II - Panorama Bistro  Artistry II - Chef's Dinner Avalon Artistry II Galley Artistry II Wheel House
2	Breisach, Germany	Excursions in Breisach On-board Buffet Lunch Breisach Afternoon Excursion to Colmar Colmar Unterlinden Museum Breisach Welcome Dinner	Breisach - Black Forest Colmar - Walking Tour Colmar - Unterlinden Museum
3	Strasbourg, France	Strasbourg Complimentary Visit Avalon Grill Lunch History Lesson Near Strasbourg Strasbourg Shopping Strasbourg Evening Program Sail-Away from Strasbourg	Strasbourg - Canal Boat Tour Strasbourg - Walking Tour Strasbourg - Cathedral Strasbourg - Grill Lunch Strasbourg - Maginot Line Strasbourg - Evening Strasbourg - Sail-Away
4	Mannheim, Germany	Heidelberg Castle & Courtyard View from Heidelberg Castle  Helidelberg Walking Tour Playing Hide & Seek with Artistry II Late Afternoon Tour of Mainz Spending Evening in Mainz	Heidelberg - Castle Ruins Heidelberg - Castle Courtyard Heidelberg - Castle Barrel Building Heidelberg - View from Castle Heidelberg - Old Town Mainz - On Our Own Mainz - St. Stephan Mainz - Cathedral
5	Rudesheim, Germany	Self-Playing Musical Instrument Collection Rüdesheimer Coffee Tasting Cable Car in Rüdesheim Rüdesheim Shopping Castles Villages & Vineyards Oh My Middle Rhine River - Loreley Avalon Panorama Bistro Dinner	Rudesheim - Siegfried's Museum Rüdesheimer Coffee Tasting Rüdesheim - Cable Car Rüdesheim - Return Ship Romantic Rhine Cruising Avalon Artistry II - Panorama Bistro
6	Bernkastel, Germany	Good Morning Bernkastel Taste of Bernkastel  Visit to Landshut Castle Bernkastel Wine Tasting Avalon Artistry II Chef's Dinner	Bernkastel - Walking Tour Landshut Castle Bernkastel - Wine Tasting Artistry II - Chef's Dinner
7	Grevenmacher, Luxembourg	Grevenmacher to Trier Trier City Tour Sunday in Trier Luxembourg City Tour Notre-Dame Cathedral Luxembourg More Luxembourg Prominent Attractions Sailing from Luxembourg	Grevenmacher to Trier Porta Nigra Trier - Churches Trier - Market Square Trier - City Tour Drive to Luxembourg Luxembourg City Luxembourg Notre-Dame Sailing from Luxembourg
8	Cochem, Germany	Cochem Town Walk Reichsburg Castle Cochem St. Martin Chuch Cochem German Lunch Buffet Cochem to Koblenz Thanksgiving Dinner in Koblenz	Cochem Walking Tour Cochem - Reichsburg Castle Cochem - St Martin German Lunch Evening in Koblenz Koblenz Dinner
9	Koblenz, Germany	Sayn Butterfly Garden Sayn Palace St Castor Basilica Koblenz Rhine Moselle Confluence Cogwheel to Dragons Castle Avalon Dinner in Königswinter	Sayn Butterfly Garden Sayn Palace Koblenz - St Castor Basilica Koblenz - Confluence Konigswinter Konigswinter Dinner
10	Cologne, Germany	Walking Tour Cologne Cologne Cathedral Sailing From Cologne Avalon Wheel House	Cologne Walking Tour Cologne Cathedral (Interior) Cologne Cathedral (exterior) Cologne Sail-away Artistry II Wheel House
	Kinderdijk, Netherlands	Inside a Kinderdijk Windmill Kinderdijk - Old Meets New  Artistry II Farewell Dinner Overnight in Hoorn Netherlands	Inside Kinderdijk Mill Kinderdijk Artistry II Farewell Evening in Hoorn
12	Volendam, Netherlands
13	Amsterdam, Netherlands

Rhine & Moselle River Cruise Play all

Video Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise on Artistry II. This was a 13 day river cruise that started in Zurich, Switzerland and concluded in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

We posted a few teaser images during our cruise on our Facebook page.  Now we are completing the story - come back often.

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