Emerald Cruises Northern Europe: 7 nights from Amsterdam with Emerald Destiny
Aug 9, 2025

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a charming city with a particularly relaxing and serene atmosphere, despite its large size. The city has been a World Heritage Site since 2010 and has buildings dating back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is no coincidence that it is one of the most visited cities in the world.

The structure of the city is determined by a network of charming waterways. The historic center, which dates back to the 13th century, is surrounded by five concentric canals - the Grachtengordel - built in the 17th century as part of a perfectly successful expansion project designed to create a unique and refined urban environment.

It is here that the city's mercantile class built its characteristic gabled houses, with bright, gracefully decorated colors, whose romantic features are reflected in the olive-green waters of the picturesque canals.

Koblenz

Heidelberg

With an annual influx of around three million tourists a day, Heidelberg is at the top of all statistics in Germany, Europe, and probably the world. Considered one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Heidelberg is the city of love stories and classic international urban tourism. It brings out the strengths, including the romanticism of the Old Bridge and the majestic castle, with cultural events offering high-level gastronomy, rather tasty and welcoming. It will take at least a day to visit the city and its castle. From the historic center, you will reach the picturesque ruins of the castle north of the Königstuhl in a few minutes on foot or by rail, for those who wish to enjoy a breathtaking view, you can go up the Philosophers' Way (Philosophenweg). You will understand the turbulent history of this imposing building during its 700 years of existence. It houses the largest barrel in the world, built from 130 oak trunks, along more than eight meters wide, can contain a volume of 221,726 liters. The castle hosts, every summer, one of the most beautiful open-air theater festivals in southern Germany, the first edition of which dates back to 1926. From the fortress you take the path that descends into the Burgweg, a magnificent territory that has a great historical place: the Cultural Documentation Center of Rom and Sinti Germans. A permanent exhibition presenting the life and destiny of this community, remembering the Nazi genocide of which they were victims. In the heart of the old city there is the Marktplatz ("market square") where you will find elegant patrician houses, numerous bars, and a lot of nice shops, decorated by a beautiful fountain that adorns Heidelberg.

Kehl

Strasbourg

Prosperous and cosmopolitan Strasbourg is a large metropolis in north-eastern France and is the intellectual and cultural capital of Alsace. Located a few kilometers west of the Rhine, the city is rightly entitled “city of roads”, its vital transport arteries that have linked Northern Europe with the Mediterranean since the Celtic era.

Strasbourg continues to serve as an important European crossroads thanks to the presence of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, the Eurocorps, and a student population of approximately 48,000. Strasbourg is one of the most cycle-friendly cities in Europe. In the lively old city you will find restaurants, Winstub (traditional Alsatian restaurants), and the oldest pubs, a splendid area to explore on foot is the cathedral, a medieval wonder in pink sandstone. Nearby you will find one of the most beautiful ensembles of French museums.

Basel

The city of Basel is a Canton of Switzerland and crosses the Rhine. Its borders are a triple border, together with those of Germany (Land of Baden-Württemberg) and France (Alsace).

Rich in both parts, the area appears very particular. The dialect is still deeply immersed in the mixture of cultures. Surrounded by the hills of the Jura, the Vosges lakes and the fir trees of the Black Forest, Basel is a city immersed in greenery. The Botanical Garden and the numerous parks along the Rhine invite you to long walks. In the zoo, the Etoscha house gives spectacular wildlife insights.
With forty world-famous museums, the city has the highest concentration in the country. The large market square, the richly decorated town hall, and the Roman-Gothic cathedral are the historical symbols of the city. During a trip to the historic center you will discover small boutiques, antique bookshops, but also modern design businesses. We recommend a stop at the "Läckerli Huus" and taste the traditional honey sweets, which are really delicious.
In winter, the whole city warms up by participating in the carnival ("Fasnacht"), the most famous in all of Switzerland, opening the Lenten celebrations. Every Monday, after Ash Wednesday, the participants compete with each other for the best mask, accompanied by deafening "Guggenmusik" (popular carnival bands), together with the carnival Napoleonic armies. Basel is today the third largest city in Switzerland, made up of Zurich and Winterthur with the "golden triangle" of the Swiss economy.