Strasbourg is the capital of France’s Alsace region, right next to the border with Germany, and there is a tangible Germanic influence that sets the city a little apart from the rest of France. Highlights include the beautiful Gothic cathedral, the old town’s fairytale half-timbered houses, and the pictureque canals of the Petite France district.

Hugging the river Rhine to the south of Frankfurt, the pleasant little town of Speyer has a long and distinguished history. This was one of the Holy Roman Empire’s most important cities, as evidenced by the beautiful Romanesque cathedral, and is also home to a delightful Christmas market during the winter months.

The Rhine and Main rivers meet at Mainz, a friendly university town with a charming cobbled old town and an impressive cathedral. The city was also the home of the first ever printing press, a heritage that you can explore at the fascinating Gutenberg Museum.

Cologne is a wonderfully warm and welcoming city, its skyline dominated by one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Europe. You will likely spend most of your time in the attractive Altstadt (Old Town), home to beer halls aplenty and some fascinating museums.

Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, and was the site of a Roman military camp in the 1st century BC. Nowadays it’s a bustling city with a charming medieval centre, home to Holland’s oldest shopping street and the fascinating Freedom Museum, which documents the Dutch experience during the Second World War.

The old Frisian port of Harlingen, on the shores of the Wadden Sea, is centred around an attractive cluster of canals and historic buildings. Ferries depart from here for the islands of Terschelling and Vlieland, while nearby Franeker is home to the world’s oldest working planetarium, dating back to the 18th century.