Liturgical Living along the Rhine River with Tsh and Kyle Oxenreider

Depart for an overnight flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Add-on airfare from most major airports, as well as premium and business class upgrades, are available upon request.)

We'll meet our English-speaking tour guides for our pilgrimage as we visit the picturesque village of Zaanse Schans, where we'll view traditional wooden houses and a bonafide windmill. We'll then immerse in the Dutch's love affair with cheese and make our own during a workshop at a working farm. We'll go through the Beemster region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Netherlands’ first polder (a tract of land reclaimed from a body of water and surrounded by dikes), then stop at a family-run farm in Middenbeemster and enjoy a drink. We'll learn the basics of cheese-making during a hands-on demonstration (and take some with us). We'll also visit the charming town of Edam, world-famous for its namesake cheese, where we'll have lunch and stretch our legs. At the Kaaswaag, or cheese weighing house, we'll wander the museum on Dutch cheese production, sample several cheeses, and see the old-fashioned scales used by merchants to weigh cheeses brought to the market. We'll board our ship at 5 pm, and after settling into our cabins, we'll have a welcome drink and meet the crew, fellow passengers, and our group leaders. (overnight onboard; welcome drink & dinner included)

The ship is docked in Amsterdam for the day, giving us ample time to explore Amsterdam on our own. Mass will be celebrated on the ship in the morning. Visit one of the many museums (be sure to purchase tickets online in advance), the flower market, rent a bike, or take a boat tour through the city's many canals. You may also stay in town for lunch or return to the ship. Before dinner in the evening, we'll meet in the lounge for a talk by one of the group leaders. Our ship will then cruise through a canal to Nijmegen. (overnight onboard; breakfast, lunch, & dinner included)

We’ll celebrate Mass at the iconic Gothic masterpiece St. Stephen's Church in Nijmegen, a charming Dutch city known for its rich history, picturesque architecture, and vibrant cultural scene. We’ll then visit the Dutch open-air museum in Arnhem, then return to the ship to spend time with other passengers as we have lunch on the ship. In the afternoon, we'll sit on the deck and leisurely watch the ship sail past lovely villages and windmills. We'll also gather in the lounge for a retreat with the group leaders. Our ship will then cruise in the evening toward Cologne, Germany. (overnight onboard; breakfast, lunch, & dinner included)

Early this morning we'll arrive in Cologne, a 2,000-year-old city, where we'll enjoy a guided tour of the world-famous Cathedral and Treasury. The immense Cathedral is the most visited tourist attraction in Germany— amazingly, although much of the city around it was destroyed during World War II (and fourteen bombs hit the Cathedral itself), it emerged mostly unscathed. St. Edith Stein studied Catholicism in Cologne and converted on Jan 1, 1922 at St. Martin’s Church; later she was beatified on May 1, 1987, in Cologne by Pope St John Paul II and canonized by him in 1998 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. We'll hear the story of the saint, also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, including her journey as she left Cologne for Echt, Holland. We'll also see the Church of St. Andrew and the tomb of St. Albertus Magnus, as well as attend Mass. We'll have lunch on the ship as we enjoy watching the prettiest part of the Rhine as we sail past castles and lovely little towns. In the afternoon, we'll arrive at Koblenz, a small walkable city ideally situated at the Rhine and the Moselle confluence. We'll enjoy wine tasting in Koblenz and leisure time exploring the town or relaxing on the ship. (overnight onboard; breakfast, lunch, & dinner included)

In the morning we'll disembark in the wine village of Rudesheim to celebrate Mass at St. Hildegard Church and visit the Benedictine Abbey of St. Hildegard of Bingen. Pope John Paul II called Hildegard “a light for her peoples and her time” and was later made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict in 2012. The Abbey is on a hill above Rudesheim with a magnificent view of the Middle Rhine Valley. Set amidst scenic vineyards, the Abbey is home to a community of nuns who continue to live by the rules of Saint Benedict, dedicating themselves to prayer and work. You may choose to walk from the town to the Abbey or take the bus. Rüdesheim am Rhein is one of Germany’s most prolific and scenic wine regions and offers beautiful hikes through its mountains and prime views over the dazzling Rhine River valley. Explore this lovely city before we return to our ship at noon for lunch. We'll then arrive at the city of Mainz for a visit to the Gutenberg Museum. Here, we witness Gutenberg’s first Bible and the evolution of printing, as well as the historical development of books, media, art, and printing technology. We'll have lunch on our own in Mainz, then continue to St. Martin's Cathedral, built in the 8th century and towering in all its might and grandeur over the city, and finally celebrate Mass at St. Stephen's Church before returning to the ship for dinner and dancing in the lounge. We’ll then sail to Strasbourg. (overnight onboard; breakfast, lunch, & dinner included)

We'll disembark in Speyer to visit the Speyer Cathedral, the burial site of German kings and the oldest church in Germany. We'll also have an opportunity to taste the famous spaghetti ice cream before we board our bus for a 90-minute ride through the countryside to Strasbourg to celebrate Mass and tour the ancient French city. Sights include the famous Strasbourg Münster and the Petite France Quarter, a former mill and tanner district that still maintains its medieval charm. We'll also visit the beautiful Cathedral of Our Lady, which is home to the world’s first documented Christmas Tree — Strasbourg is the self-described ‘Capital City of Christmas,’ as the Strasbourg Christmas Market is the oldest and largest in France. Following a boat ride on the city canals, we'll enjoy lunch at our leisure in town. In the evening we'll enjoy the Captain’s Gala Dinner on the ship and head to the Black Forest region overnight. (overnight onboard; breakfast & dinner included)

After cruising through the night we'll arrive in Breisach, the gateway to the Black Forest. Our morning excursion through the mountain landscape, rolling meadows, and dense forests will remind us of the fairytales written about this area. In the heart of the Black Forest we'll visit a local workshop for a cuckoo clock-making demonstration. In the afternoon, we'll cross into France and the medieval city of Colmar, which dates back to the 9th century. With tiny cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and wonderful signs above shop doors, the village looks like something out of a movie. The city is on the Alsace Wine Route, with local vineyards specializing in Riesling and Gewürztraminer wines, the perfect drink on a warm June afternoon. We'll celebrate Mass at the Dominican Church before returning to Breisach and our ship for dinner. We’ll then set sail for Basel. (overnight onboard; breakfast & dinner included)

We'll enjoy our last buffet breakfast on board the ship before disembarking in Basel. We'll then travel through Switzerland to the Einsiedeln Marian Shrine and explore the magnificent monastery with its elaborately decorated pastel ceilings, marble side altars, and a large high altar. The most important part of the Basilica is the Lady Chapel, which is reminiscent of Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Above the chapel’s altar is the Black Madonna, resplendent in rich robes and surrounded by gold clouds. We'll visit the monastery, celebrate Mass, enjoy lunch, and then continue on to Lucerne for dinner and overnight. (overnight onboard; breakfast & dinner included)

Today we'll travel to Orselina, located on the border between Italy and Switzerland, to see the pilgrimage church of Our Lady of the Rock (Madonna del Sasso), which can be reached only by foot — either a 30-minute hike to the top of the mountain or by a funicular (which is what we'll take!). We'll visit the Shrine and celebrate Mass, then end the day with a special farewell dinner in a local restaurant. (overnight in Lucerne; breakfast & special dinner included)

After breakfast, we'll be transferred to the Zurich airport for our flights home, taking with us fond memories of our unforgettable journey down the Rhine River.