A River Cruise Through Germany

In August, I set sail with my gals A Whimsy Wonderland and Splendid Rags, to explore Germany in an entirely new way–via ship! We went on the Germany’s Finest cruise, with U River Cruises by Uniworld which was so exciting because we were able to visit a number of cities in 1 week without losing any travel time (because that happened primarily while we were sleeping).

U by Uniworld is a new type of luxury cruise aimed at the the younger traveler, and with a more affordable price tag. The ship was super modern, but with all of the comforts you’d need. We went on the themed cruise, which was a fun added experience, but they also have non-themed cruises here too.

To be honest, I had no idea how incredible of a place Germany was until this cruise. I had done Berlin, and loved it, but I would have never been able to experience all of the charming little towns we explored without this trip. The entire country was straight out of a fairytale, and all of the people we’re so nice. I couldn’t recommend a visit to these cities, or on the cruise ship more.

The Ship

First off, we were clearly cruising in the coolest ship on the Main River. It’s jet black, super sleek, and had a cozy lounge area and top deck to hang out at. We spent most of our time off the ship exploring the towns, but once we were back on it each evening we always had a comfy spot to chill, and have a drink.

The best part about doing a European river cruise is how convenient it is. You essentially travel while you’re sleeping, chilling on the rooftop, or eating breakfast. Had we tried to plan out this whole trip ourselves, and do all of the same things we would have taken double the time for travel between cities.

I got a ton of questions about what the food was like, and it was so good that I actually miss it. Can you believe it? Each morning there was a huge breakfast spread with all of the pastries, potatoes, and meats you could want, a scramble station, and parfait station. They even had an assortment of smoothies and juices each morning which was so my jam. It was the perfect way to start off the days because we basically adventured all day long and needed some serious fuel. Dinner was top-notch too. Some nights we had buffet, and some nights we had a 3 course family style meal with 3+ entrees. It was so much yummy food I’m surprised they didn’t have to wheel us out of there… let’s just say we were well fed!

The rooms were modern and had the most insane amount of storage, which is essential for a cruise. You could fit your suitcases under the bed, and there were storage units on each side of the bed, and a double closet by the door. I would definitely go for a balcony room so that you can open your door and peek out at the river or get the breeze, too!

The Sights

We saw so many beautiful places. As soon as we got on the ship they gave us a digital itinerary (because they are completely paperless, super cool and eco-friendly!) that outlined all of the towns we would explore. They had a mix of plans that were included, as well as some add-ons if you wanted to do something more special. I’m outlining all of the cities we went to below!

Frankfurt + Miltenberg

We boarded the ship in Frankfurt, and had the evening to explore before we set sail to our first town. They gave us a tour of four cool places we could go to in the city, and then let us go onto explore on our own. We went to a cider market and tried a few different strawberry ciders before heading back to the ship for the evening. Then, the next morning we woke up in Miltenberg, hiked up to a castle, and then took a pretzel-making class. The class was taught by the funniest guy man whose family has been making pretzels since the 1800s! How quaint is this town? Day one, and we were already in love!

Wurzburg

On day two, we headed to Wurzburg. It was an incredible, packed day and I still can’t believe how much we did on this magical day. We opted for the bike ride, and had the most incredible bike ride along the river (and the ship!). We split off from the river and biked through miles of beautiful wine vineyards, before heading up a hill for a castle. It ended up being a 20 mile bike ride, and then we met the ship down on the river and had a local favorite called radlers (lemonade and beer) before heading back onto the ship.

Once we got back onto the ship, we jumped back off the ship and onto a tour bus and toured a Baroque Palace called the Würzburg Residence. It was so beautiful, and we weren’t allowed to take photos but it’s famous for its grand staircase, hall of mirrors and ginormous ceiling fresco that’s actually larger than the Sistine Chapel’s! The garden was an absolute dream, and I’m basically ready to move in. Hah!

But wait, there’s more! After the mansion, we headed back to the town and it just happened to be happy hour, so the guides took us to this lovely bridge where everyone in the town meets and has a glass of wine every evening. At this point we were all like “okay, we could do this everyday, let’s move here!” It was such a magical thing to experience. Obviously, we walked around the town and got gelato before heading back to the ship for dinner.

We woke up the next morning still docked in Wurzburg, and took a tour of the towns local farmer’s market. The ships head chef even came with us to buy local produce for our meals! How cool is that?

Rothenburg

Next, we headed to Rothenburg AKA a town straight out of a fairy tale! I don’t even know where to begin describing this magical town. First of all, to get there we drove down the Romantic Road, and yes, it’s literally called that. And second, they have a year-around Christmas store. Need I say more? The streets were so colorful, and we were basically in our own little rainbow heaven.

Bamberg

We explored Bamberg on our own, and it was so quaint. U offered a walking tour, but we decided to get some work done in the morning instead, and explored the city on our own. We stopped by Schlenkerla, which is known for a smoked beer. I tried it, of course, but couldn’t decide if I liked it or not. A few people compared it to BBQ beer, or an ash tray. Hah! It reminded me of a coffee stout with a bit of a smoky taste. The town was another magical dream, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over how cute it was. I kept saying I felt like I was living in a Shakespeare play.

Nuremburg

We also went on a historical tour of Nuremburg, which was heavy and hard and so important to learn about the history in Germany. Some of the WWII sites we went to were the Zeppelin Field where Hitler spoke at rallies, the Documentation Center and the site of the famous post-war Nuremberg Trials. We were lucky enough to actually sit in the courtroom where it all happened, and it was really impactful to see all of it. If you’re ever nearby, I would make it a point to go.

Regensburg

For our last stop we landed at the cutest Historical town right in front of a castle! Regensburg is a Bavarian city nestled along the Danube River, with over 2,000 years of medieval history. We wandered through the Old Town, walked across the famous Old Stone Bridge, and found a magical carnival.

We had our last drinks on board at the rooftop that evening, and watched the sunset. We did not want to leave! I’m already dreaming of another river cruise…

Want to check out a river cruise with U? See all of the options right here! xoxo Erika

This trip was sponsored by U by Uniworld, but all opinions are my own.