Miltenberg: Thursday August 18
ORIGINAL PLAN
The morning is spent sailing along the beautiful Main River as it winds its way through the Spessart region, home of the actual Snow White. During our sail, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to learn about the region’s glassblowing traditions during a live demonstration. After lunch, we stop in Miltenberg, known for its half-timbered houses and Germany’s oldest inn. Join our walking tour that concludes with free time for you to explore. We sail through the night. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
3:15 – 4:45 pm: Walking Tour (Viking Included) Jim & Barbara reserved
Take in the fairy-tale charms of Miltenberg by foot, the most intimate way to get to know one of Germany’s most delightful riverside towns. Begin your tour in the Old Town, following its cobblestone streets past medieval houses fronted with flower-bedecked balconies. The town square, lined with half-timbered facades, is one of the most picturesque in all of Germany, laid out on a narrow strip of land between the hills and manicured banks of the Main. Nearby, the handsome and richly hued hotel Zum Riesen (“Inn of the Giant”), Germany’s oldest inn, is a Renaissance treasure; it first opened its doors as a hotel in 1411 and has been open ever since. You will also see the Mainz and Würzburg town gates and catch a glimpse of Miltenberg Castle, built in the 13th and 14th centuries, high over the roofs of Miltenberg.
* Easy - Walking portions are generally over easy surfaces with few steps or inclines. Total time walking or standing is normally not longer than 1.5 hours.
All excursions begin at 2:45 pm and end at 5:15pm
OUR EXPERIENCE
An overview for the day with special insights was in the Viking Daily.
Our Viking Ship proceeded down a twisty part of the Rhine trying to reach Wurzburg on Friday. We passed Meltenberg in the morning as other cruise ships were anchored there. I took a quick shots of another cruise ship and a new wooden beer garden building that would only be used for this October then disassembled for use elsewhere. I also had time to check out our sliding class cabin door to click a picture of a duck keeping up with us alongside. Then there was another quaint village on the Rhine, not one of our stops. Most of the Viking Cruise passengers were elated to be cruising down the river enjoying the scenery and meals along the way.
No one seemed to mind when we had our mandatory life jacket drill. Best of all, it was a sign that we could now enjoy the Viking Cruise experience at least a few days in a row:
Around 3:30 we boarded busses back to Miltenberg for our tour. As soon as we hopped off the bus, we noticed the tidy backyard, garden, and loaded pear trees of one of the residents; also, the Miltenberg Castle up the hill:
Then we saw a sign describing a church nearby:
Towards the town square, a recent sculpture was drawing most of the attention. Town leaders who approved the sculpture are afraid it will draw more attention than anything else in town. Fellow Viking passengers were enthralled.
Our guide continued our tour to the town square and fountain, an underground beer cellar (connects to the castle), quaint shops, buildings, and another church (Kloster-kirche, a Franciscan Monastery). Barbara and I returned to the fountain to enjoy some local ice cream before the bus trip back to our ship.
