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Emerald Star Cruise Photos

From: Emerald Waterways cruise review: Nuremberg-Trier

Day 4: Wertheim & Miltenberg

Day 4 began with Emerald Star arriving in Wertheim am Main, Germany, near the A3 Autobahn. (Click here and maximize your browser window for a larger panoramic image.)

MS Bellejour, the German ship that had been shadowing us since Nuremberg, was moored on the river's opposite bank.

A barge cruised past as our captain piloted Emerald Star into its berth.

Wertheim was a pretty little town with a population of about 22,000. For us, it was mainly a jumping-off point for an excursion to Miltenberg, a few kilometers down the river, where we'd meet Emerald Star in early afternoon.

Wertheim's waterfront park had been turned into a summer "Beach Club" with refreshment stands and beach chairs for sunbathing.

The riverfront setting was bucolic, with swans gliding across the smooth water of the River Main.

Around 9 a.m., we headed for the buses that would take us to Miltenberg, which was a 20- to 30-minute drive from Wertheim.

Some passengers had opted to hike up to Burg Wertheim, a castle overlooking the town, with a transfer to Miltenberg afterwards. (We chose to head directly for Miltenberg so we'd have more time in that historic village.)

Captain Mariceanu watched the crew unlash Emerald Star from its moorings.

A few minutes later, we grabbed this photo from our bus as Emerald Star cruised toward Miltenberg.

The Altstadt of Miltenberg, an historic town of 9,000 in Bavaria's Lower Franconia region, is built on a narrow strip of land between the River Main and steep hillside forests.

Miltenberg has a long history (the land has been settled since Roman times) and looks like a picture-postcard German village with its medieval Marktplatz (shown above) and other clusters of half-timbered buildings.

The fountain in the Marktplatz is a popular meeting place for tourists.

During our walking tour, we stopped to admire the Hotel zum Riesen, which was founded in 1158 or 1411 (depending on your choice of historian) and is one of Germany's oldest inns.

The hotel's trompe l'oleil façade was impeccably maintained, like most other buildings in Miltenberg's historic old town.

Nearby was the Rathaus, or Town Hall, with flower boxes, a fountain, and flags.

Another Miltenberg landmark was Guntram's Malerarche, a gallery and shop founded by a local artist with a taste for whimsy.

The main shopping street was attractive--and tempting. (Cheryl saw a linen dress in a shop window at an irresistible price.)

The Brauhaus Faust, an award-winning craft brewery, caught our attention with its street banner, tanker trucks, and brewery shop.

The brewery was founded in 1654, following the Thirty Years' War, when it was called the Löwenbrauerei. It acquired its current name in 1875 and is still owned by descendants of Johann Adalbert Faust.

Not far from the brewery, markers on a building showed levels of floods that had plagued Miltenberg until recently.

Back in the town center, we had time to get acquainted with Joy, a Polish Lowland Sheepdog who lived in Miltenberg. (Joy's owner told us that the dog's name was inspired by the song lyric "We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.")

After our walking tour, we decided to visit the Burg (fortress) on the hill overlooking town. It seemed easy enough: Just follow the signs.

Somehow we missed a sign and became lost in the forest--like Hansel and Gretel, minus the evil stepmother and hungry witch.

When we encountered logs by the side of the path, we knew we'd taken a wrong turn. With our ship due to arrive from Wertheim and sail for Koblenz in about an hour, we figured the best thing to do was to turn back and retrace our steps.

When we found a mossy staircase that led downhill, we headed for lower elevations.

It was a relief to see the half-timbered houses of Miltenberg's Altstadt lying ahead of us, at the bottom of the stone steps.

As we walked toward the waterfront to meet our ship, we passed a statue of three boys urinating.

In the past, when the River Main flooded the town, local boys would make water in the water. Now, after 17 years of planning and construction, Miltenberg is protected by a flood barrier, and anyone who wants to widdle can use the WC in the background.

As it happened, the town was staging a festival to celebrate the new flood barrier's inauguration as we walked to Emerald Star.

The Brauhaus Faust was on hand to supply the requisite beer.

Lebkuchen hearts with cute sayings were available for festivalgoers who preferred nibbling to guzzling.

As we walked along Miltenberg's riverfront promenade, we saw an Emerald Star passenger playing the flute on a park bench.

While locals and tourists were enjoying the riverfront festival, Emerald Star cruised under the Mainbrücke or Main Bridge.

The ship headed for a grassy stretch of riverfront beyond the festival tents and waterfront park.

After the ship was moored, Captain Vasile Mariceanu personally welcomed Emerald Star passengers back on board.

The ship sailed around 2 p.m., and the Reflections Restaurant offered a "Bavarian Lunch" in honor of the Land or state that we were leaving behind.

During the afternoon, passengers were treated to a glass-blowing demonstration in the Horizon Lounge.

Later, the ship's executive chef, Teodor Petre, offered a galley tour.

At dinner, we enjoyed the scenery along the river while dining on such specialties as Trilogy of Salt Marsh Lamb, Grilled Fillet of Sea Bass, and Eggplant Escalope.