Secret Waterways of Germany

Day 1 UK to Amsterdam to Lemmer

Fly to Amsterdam where you'll embark MS Johannes Brahms.

Enjoy a welcome drink and dinner on board tonight as you cruise across IJsselmeer, an artificial lake created by closing off the Zuiderzee (South Sea) from the Wadden Sea.

Arrive in Lemmer late tonight, where the ship will remain moored.

Day 2 Lemmer to Groningen

Set sail early this morning and enjoy breakfast and a leisurely lunch on board as you sail along the Princess Margriet canal, through extensive polders (reclaimed land).

MS Johannes Brahms will arrive in the lively university city of Groningen this afternoon where you'll enjoy an included city walk before mooring here overnight. Often referred to as the 'Metropolis of the North', Groningen, as with many other Dutch cities, has a number of canals running through its historic centre. In the Grote Markt square you’ll see the Gothic Martini Tower next to the Martini Church. Contrast this with the quirky, ultra modern Groninger Museum of Art… 

Day 3 Groningen to Oldenburg

Cruise along the Canal van Starkenborgh and the Eems Canal across the border to Herbrum, so passengers can disembark to join an optional excursion to the Meyer Werft shipyard, located in Papenburg on the River Ems. Your cruise continues to Dörpen where excursion participants rejoin the ship. Sail to Oldenburg for the night.

Day 4 Oldenburg to Bremen

Depart Oldenburg early this morning and sail to Bremen, arriving this afternoon.

After lunch, explore this Hanseatic city on an included tour. Attractions include St Peter's Cathedral whose history spans 1,200 years and the 15th-century UNESCO-listed town hall, both in the market square. Close to the town hall is the statue of the Bremen Town Musicians, the characters in a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. The Schnoor quarter is a maze of streets of tiny 15th and 16th-century houses while the bohemian area offers quirky shops, galleries and museums.

Day 5 Bremen to Nienberg

Depart Bremen before breakfast. Cruise through a meadow landscape to the picturesque city of Nienburg, on the banks of the River Weser. Arrive late this afternoon and moor overnight. The historic city has an array of half-timbered buildings, a pretty statue of the city symbol – the Little Nienburg Girl – created to mark the city’s 950th anniversary in 1979 and even an Asparagus Museum!

Day 6 Nienburg to Hanover

Depart early and sail through the morning.

Perhaps take an optional tour of the city of Minden this afternoon. Later, MS Johannes Brahms negotiates the Schachtscleuse lock from the River Weser to the Midland Canal, continuing along the canal – Germany's longest artificial waterway – to Sachsenhagen, then on to Hanover.

Arrive late tonight and moor.

Day 7 Hanover to Wolfsburg to Bülstringen

Enjoy an included full-day excursion to the Harz Mountains, northern Germany's highest range.

You'll visit the historic UNESCO-listed towns of Goslar, whose streets are lined with half-timbered houses, and Wernigerode, a beautiful, medieval city dominated by a hilltop castle.

Continue your cruise to Bülstringen and moor overnight.

Day 8 Bülstringen to Magdeburg to Brandenburg

Depart Bülstringen in the early hours and arrive in Magdeburg during breakfast.

Magdeburg is one of the oldest cities in Germany's new federal states and, as an imperial seat, Hanseatic power and fortified city, it has been repeatedly ravaged by war. The city boasts many significant buildings, including the Cathedral of St Mauritius and St Catherine. This famous landmark was Germany's first Gothic cathedral, and it contains a wealth of sculptures and carvings, as well as the tomb of Otto the Great, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 962, who once called Magdeburg home. An included tour also reveals some of its avant-garde architecture such as the 'Green Citadel' – a  quirky complex of shops, bars and apartments which is actually bright pink!

Depart Magdeburg early this afternoon and sail to Brandenburg where you moor for the night.

Day 9 Brandenburg to Potsdam

The state of Brandenburg is an idyllic spot for nature lovers, with around one third of the landscape consisting of UNESCO nature reserves.

Explore the pretty town of Brandenburg this morning, and discover medieval buildings and fine examples of German Gothic redbrick architecture, including St Catherine's Church and the Town Hall.

Your cruise continues through scenic lakeland to Potsdam, arriving late this afternoon for an overnight mooring and an optional walking tour.

Day 10 Potsdam to Berlin

Depart Potsdam early this morning and sail to Berlin, arriving before lunch. Stylish, chic Berlin has one of the most fascinating histories in Europe. Perhaps go in search of the major sights such as the rebuilt Reichstag, Tiergarten Park and the elegant Kurfürstendamm in what was West Berlin, and the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden and the huge TV Tower in the East. Alternatively join an optional city tour this afternoon.

Day 11 Berlin to UK

After breakfast, disembark MS Johannes Brahms and travel to the airport for your return flight to the UK.