Christmas in Cologne aboard Viking Baldur

Today, Viking Rivers’ Viking Baldur arrived just after 9 a.m. in the city of Cologne, passing near the shadow of the towering Cologne Cathedral, or Dom, which remains one of the city’s most instantly-recognizable (and admired) landmarks.

Aside from sparing the Cathedral, much of Cologne was completely destroyed […]

Viking Baldur arrives in Heidelberg and Rudesheim

Viking Rivers’ Viking Baldur was already in Mannheim, Germany this morning when I woke up, preparatory to another morning of exploration – this time, in the nearby town of Heidelberg.

Located in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, Heidelberg is renowned for its naturally-romantic setting that includes the […]

Breisach and the Black Forest

Ever since I was a kid, I have always wanted to visit Germany’s famed Schwarzwald – or Black Forest – region. Today, I had that opportunity as Viking Rivers’ Viking Baldur came alongside in the quaint town of Breisach, Germany.

After a restful night’s sleep, I flung open my […]

Exploring the Christmas Markets of the Rhine

Today, I am travelling from Vancouver to Basel, Switzerland for the start of yet another Live Voyage Report: a weeklong river cruise along the Rhine aboard Viking Rivers’ Viking Baldur. But this is no ordinary European river cruise; instead, it’s a wintery journey through the Christmas Markets […]