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Diamonds. Rubens. Cathedrals. A medieval castle. Museums. Markets. And of course some of the best beer and chocolate you will ever taste. There is one place and only one place in the world that can deliver all of these experiences in a single day and that’s the magnificent, effortlessly cool city of Antwerp – one of the stops on our Wealth of Culture European river cruise. The best European river cruises allow time for passengers to explore the sights, sounds and tastes of the places they visit, which is why…

The best European river cruises strike the perfect balance between visiting all the big name tourist attractions a region has to offer whilst also making time to stop off at a few lesser-known places to unwind and soak up the local culture. Our Holland Culture Tour was created with this in mind. It visits all the big tourist attractions such as Amsterdam, Haarlem, Kinderdijk and Rotterdam, whilst also spending time in the 14th century town of Vianen, the canal-ringed city of Delft and the one of our personal favourites, the…

Bigger is not always better these days, especially when it comes to travel. The ongoing impact of the coronavirus means that large-scale travel such as big cruise ships and mass tourism are out, while small-scale travel is increasingly in. Due to the virus, entire industries need to change and adopt new habits and values. It’s forcing us all to reassess how and why we travel. Here at Cultural Cruises Europe we feel lucky to be already embracing a different approach. For us, this means seeing the world at a slower…

You might have seen postcards of Dutch tulip fields: rainbows of flowers under a Vermeer-worthy sky. This annual treat is a highlight of life – and travel – in the Netherlands. Whether you visit Keukenhof’s splendid gardens, or enjoy the dazzling ribbons of color as you drive past enormous bulb farms, the flower fields are sure to impress. Here, we take a look at six fascinating aspects of flower fields in the Netherlands. 1. Flower showtime The floral extravaganza usually starts mid-March, weather permitting of course. First crocuses take the…

Spring is in full swing, but instead of being able to sit in parks and soak up the sun, we’re facing a new, unprecedented crisis. The new coronavirus has caused aircrafts to stay on the ground, borders to be closed and entire countries to go under curfew. Many spring trips have been cancelled and no one knows what the summer holidays will bring. All over the world restaurants, tour operators, hotels and shops are facing incredible challenges, and the cultural industries have been hard hit. What’s become clear while we’ve…

From the superpower of the 17th century to a modern innovations hub, the Dutch have always been in the forefront of global progress. In this blog post, we take a look at three inventions you probably did not realise were brought to you by the Dutch. Jenever (and gin) While a gin & tonic may be quintessentially British, we should really be thanking the Dutch for giving us this iconic drink. Jenever was first produced in the16th century by adding herbs and spices to otherwise unpalatable distilled malt wine. The…

France may be the first destination you think of when the subject of European wines comes up, but it is by far not the only one. Some really spectacular wines are produced by its east-side neighbors. In this blog post, we take a look at a few of the best wine estates you can visit in the Netherlands and Belgium. A winemaking tradition that goes back centuries The history of winemaking in the Netherlands goes all the way back to Roman times. For a long time, other crops dominated agriculture…

The Netherlands may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think gastronomy but this does not mean it has nothing to offer. To find many mouth-watering delights you will need to look beyond the traditional white-cloth establishments and head straight to the street vendors and small homey cafes. The deal with the meal The thing is – Dutch food is simple and straightforward – like the farm tables it was originally served at. With lots of vegetables, dairy products, and little meat and fish, it’s carb-…

Seasoned travelers will often have their essentials and treasured routines they adhere to on all ventures into foreign lands, whether handy packing techniques for city hopping, preferred guides to determine itineraries or detective strategies for finding the hidden local gems. But a river cruise in the Netherlands is really a different boat game. A view that follows you Your hotel room and restaurant will literally follow you all the way. Not only will it spare you the constant checking in and out, but your breakfast view will never be the…

Happy new year and welcome into the new decade! Here in the Netherlands, we entered 2020 with traditionally exuberant fireworks. At our Cultural Cruises Europe office, we’re looking forward to another year of river-bound cultural adventures and experiential tours.   As it turns out, the way we’ve been doing things all along is completely in sync with the travel trends of the new decade. Here are some travel trend highlights that you can expect to see more of in the 2020s:   Diving in! Forget the hasty checklists of the…