06.07.2021 Mittschiffs

KD heads into the season with new vigour

The boats of Köln-Düsseldorfer Rheinschiffahrt are back from their winter break, spruced up and in top technical condition. Ready to hoist the anchor – the season can begin! The current timetable offers tried-and-tested and popular boat tours, including round trips, panoramic cruises and day trips. Guests can also look forward to new services.

Of course, positive experiences from the previous season were taken into account during the planning. The proven hygiene concept continues to play a central role in ensuring the well-being and safety of passengers on board. “We have prepared the new timetable based on many in-depth discussions with the staff on our boats and the KD administration. At the same time, we have had a regular, trustworthy dialogue with the KD agencies and partners on the ground. And it goes without saying that we have kept the feedback and wishes of our customers in mind,” says Dr Achim Schloemer, Chairman of the Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt Board.

Guests’ wishes taken into account

Contact with guests has been maintained via various social channels, and KD staff were always available by phone or e-mail. Among other things, this revealed that lots of passengers very much enjoy the shorter cruises and round trips. KD is happy to meet this desire. For a little break from day-to-day life, for carefree holidays on your own doorstep, for the wonderful combination of river and culinary treats: the new timetable has a wide array of exciting services on offer. These include the popular panoramic cruises in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Cochem as well as the daily boat tours to the Siebengebirge and the Middle Rhine, including new round trips to Lorelei and Bacharach. The KD boats take you right into the heart of this unique idyllic landscape with its numerous castles and ruins. In Königswinter there are combination tickets available for a ride to the new Drachenfelsplateau on Germany’s oldest rack railway. A visit to the local underwater world at “SEA LIFE” Königswinter is also a great experience. Combination tickets will also be offered for this as soon as the coronavirus measures allow.

A little break from day-to-day life

Cyclists and hikers are in for a treat in the Siebengebirge Nature Reserve. You can take a combined bicycle and boat trip from Cologne or Bonn. If you don’t have your own bike, packages from Cologne can include a rental bike. The pretty little towns of Bad Honnef, Unkel and Linz can be explored on a leisurely stroll. A trip to Bad Honnef would not be complete without a visit to the Catholic parish church of St. Johann Baptist on the market square and the “Tierbrunnen” (animal fountain) in the pedestrian zone. In Unkel, the “Willy Brandt Forum” commemorates the former German Chancellor and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Willy Brandt lived in Unkel from 1979 until his death in 1992. In Linz, the “colourful city on the Rhine”, the “Linzer Klapperjunge” (Linz Rattling Boy) greets you at the Neutor, one of two preserved gates of the former town wall. The bronze sculpture represents the local custom of replacing church bells with rattles over Easter.

Our new TourGuide

sends interesting facts about selected sights directly to your smartphone via onboard Wi-Fi

NEW: Round trips to Lorelei and Bacharach

The new TourGuide is a special service now available to passengers on board the KD. All important information about the route is sent directly to your smartphone via Wi-Fi. For example, everything you need to know about the Middle Rhine UNESCO World Heritage Site. The appeal and charm of the picturesque Middle Rhine inspires guests from near and far. Now there are even more opportunities to relax and enjoy the unique magic of the romantic Rhine in the Lorelei Valley on board a KD boat. New additions to the programme include round trips up to five times a day from Boppard to Lorelei as well as from Rüdesheim to Bacharach or, of course, the other way round. With these new routes, KD is fulfilling its guests’ wishes for shorter round trips and at the same time offering maximum flexibility.

If you have enough time, you should definitely consider spending a little while on land. The well-known wine town of Bacharach, with its historic alleyways and seclued nooks, fascinates visitors with its beautiful half-timbered houses throughout the town and its church buildings, which are historically important works of art. Places of interest include the town wall, part of which is accessible, the towers of the town wall and the ruins of the Gothic Werner Chapel, a landmark of the town of Bacharach. The Werner Chapel is on the way from the town to Stahleck Castle. The castle on the hill was most likely built at the end of the 11th or beginning of the 12th century. The castle changed hands multiple times over the centuries: it was owned by the House of Wittelsbach, then the French, then the Prussians. Since 1925, young people have been calling the shots in the old building.

The Rhineland Association for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and the Protection of Cultural Heritage acquired the castle complex, had it restored and opened it up as a youth hostel. It still has this function today, so the inside of Stahleck Castle is not open to visitors. But it is still worth paying a visit, as the large viewing terrace offers a magnificent view of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

On water, on land and in the air: From Boppard to Koblenz

The combination tickets for a boat trip and an excursion are highly recommended. This is a great way to explore the places of interest on the Middle Rhine. You could start your day trip, for example, at 10.15 am in Boppard. The boat’s first stop is Koblenz. The beauty of the Rhine is revealed in and around Koblenz on the water and at a lofty height. In a cable car, visitors can glide from Deutsches Eck over the Rhine to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. The lively cultural centre and the well-kept parks from the 2011 Federal Garden Show will cast a spell over guests. If you like, you can include a sightseeing tour of Koblenz, the city where the Rhine meets the Moselle. Leave by boat at 6:10 pm.

“Modern meets history on board the Goethe."

On a nostalgic route with the Goethe

Modern meets history on board the Goethe. From Koblenz, the faithfully restored paddle steamer from 1913 takes you on a very special journey through time along the entire Middle Rhine UNESCO World Heritage Site to Rüdesheim and back. On the way you pass romantic Rhine towns including Boppard, St. Goarshausen, St. Goar, Oberwesel, Kaub, Bacharach, Assmannshausen and Bingen. It is worth staying a little longer in the wine town of Rüdesheim, with its world-famous Drosselgasse. The ruins of Ehrenfels Castle rise up halfway to Assmannshausen. The captivating landscape around Rüdesheim is wonderfully accessible thanks to the “Ringticket” around the Niederwald. A leisurely day trip is the perfect way to combine the boat, cable car and chairlift. Thanks to numerous combination options, you can start your excursion either in Rüdesheim, Bingen or Assmannshausen.