Ludwigshafen am Rhein Germany Rhineland-Palatinate

1093 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

AmaWaterways (746 Cruises)

Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaCerto ship

AmaCerto

162 Passengers
3500 tons
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Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaLucia ship

AmaLucia

156 Passengers
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Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaPrima ship

AmaPrima

162 Passengers
3500 tons
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Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaSerena ship

AmaSerena

162 Passengers
3500 tons
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Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaSiena ship

AmaSiena

156 Passengers
3500 tons
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Cruise Ama AmaWaterways Amastella ship

AmaStella

156 Passengers
3500 tons
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Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaVenita ship

AmaVenita

162 Passengers
3500 tons
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Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaViola ship

AmaViola

156 Passengers
3500 tons
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Avalon Waterways (347 Cruises)

Avalon Envision

213 Passengers
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Cruise AVA Avalon Waterways Panorama ship

Avalon PanoramaSM

166 Passengers
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Cruise AVA Avalon Waterways Poetry II ship

Avalon Poetry II®

128 Passengers
5000 tons
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Avalon View

213 Passengers
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3 August 15 days One-way from Basel to Paris City
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3 August 8 days One-way from Basel to Amsterdam
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3 August 14 days One-way from Basel to Paris City
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3 August 22 days One-way from Basel to Arles
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3 August 7 days One-way from Basel to Amsterdam
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3 August 21 days One-way from Basel to Arles
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8 August 16 days One-way from Paris City to Amsterdam
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8 August 17 days One-way from Paris City to Amsterdam
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10 August 15 days One-way from Amsterdam to Arles
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10 August 14 days One-way from Amsterdam to Arles
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10 August 8 days One-way from Amsterdam to Basel
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17 August 7 days One-way from Basel to Amsterdam
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17 August 21 days One-way from Basel to Arles
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17 August 22 days One-way from Basel to Arles
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17 August 14 days One-way from Basel to Paris City
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17 August 15 days One-way from Basel to Paris City
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17 August 8 days One-way from Basel to Amsterdam
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22 August 17 days One-way from Paris City to Amsterdam
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22 August 16 days One-way from Paris City to Amsterdam
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24 August 8 days One-way from Amsterdam to Basel
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24 August 14 days One-way from Amsterdam to Arles
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24 August 15 days One-way from Amsterdam to Arles
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31 August 7 days One-way from Basel to Amsterdam
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31 August 21 days One-way from Basel to Arles
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31 August 15 days One-way from Basel to Paris City
450-628-6241 Call us
31 August 8 days One-way from Basel to Amsterdam
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31 August 14 days One-way from Basel to Paris City
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31 August 22 days One-way from Basel to Arles
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Cruise AVA Avalon Waterways Vista ship

Avalon VistaSM

166 Passengers
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Port of Ludwigshafen | Cruise Port Guide

Ludwigshafen doesn't play the old-town card, and that may be what makes it interesting. On the left bank of the Rhine, facing Mannheim, the city embraces its industrious face: cranes, smokestacks and laboratories of the chemical giant BASF, whose site ranks among the largest complexes of its kind in the world. River boats moor along the river, often near the Rhein-Galerie, a modern shopping centre whose esplanade opens directly onto the water. The port call frequently serves as a gateway to Heidelberg or Speyer, but the city itself offers a few well-spent hours to those who take the time to explore it.

Miró on a Wall, Art Right in the Centre

The first surprise comes from the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, its main art museum. Its façade bears an immense ceramic mosaic designed by Joan Miró, an explosion of colour that stands out against the surrounding urban fabric and alone is worth the detour. Inside, the collections combine 20th-century art, from abstraction to the avant-garde, with older pieces, including Roman-era objects found in the region. The museum can be reached on foot from the quays, through a centre rebuilt after the war.

Parks to Breathe In

Ludwigshafen takes care of its green spaces, and two of them are worth a stroll. The Ebertpark, laid out for a horticultural exhibition in the 1920s, lines up rose gardens, tall trees and pavilions in a setting that attracts families and joggers. Closer to the river, the Stadtpark occupies an island between two branches of water, with shaded paths and views of river traffic. There you can watch the constant ballet of barge convoys, a reminder that the Rhine remains one of the busiest waterways in Europe.

Mannheim, Right Across the River

The bridges spanning the Rhine link Ludwigshafen to Mannheim in a few minutes by tram. On the other side await the Baroque palace, the grid-pattern streets and the Art Nouveau water tower that serves as the emblem of the opposite bank. Many passengers take advantage of the port call to cross over for an afternoon. The contrast between the two banks, one turned toward industry, the other toward commerce and study, tells in its own way the economic history of the Rhine valley.

Heidelberg and Speyer Within Coach Range

Ludwigshafen's location explains its popularity with river cruise lines: Heidelberg, with its romantic ruined castle and old university quarters, is about thirty kilometres away, while Speyer and its Romanesque cathedral, one of the most imposing in the Romanesque world, can be reached in half an hour's drive to the south. Organized excursions from the quay generally cover one or the other of these destinations in half a day, leaving time to stroll around town on your return.

Port Call Pointers

  • Mooring on the Rhine quays, close to the centre; the Rhein-Galerie esplanade runs along the river.
  • Wilhelm-Hack-Museum: modern art and Miró façade, within walking distance of the quays.
  • Ebertpark and Stadtpark: two parks for a car-free stroll.
  • Mannheim: a quick tram ride across the Rhine bridges.
  • Heidelberg and Speyer: half-day excursions from the quay.

Before Heading Back on Board

In the evening, from the upper deck, the BASF facilities light up like a city within a city, a network of towers and pipes glittering for kilometres. Ludwigshafen is nothing like a conventional port call, and it doesn't try to hide it. It shows a working Rhine, one of laboratories and barges, as real as the Rhine of castles. You leave feeling you've seen behind the Rhine scenery, with the thought that this river tells far more stories than you might imagine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Along the Rhine quays, usually near the Rhein-Galerie, a shopping centre whose esplanade opens straight onto the water. The city centre is a few minutes walk from the gangway.
Everything is walkable. The museum, the shopping streets and the parks are minutes from the quays on flat ground. A shuttle or taxi is only needed for excursions to Heidelberg or Speyer.
The Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, a walk in the Ebertpark or the Stadtpark, then a tram ride across the Rhine to Mannheim. The city is quickly covered, and the opposite bank rounds out the day.
No, not in the usual sense. Ludwigshafen was rebuilt after the war and lives in the shadow of the BASF chemical complex. You come for modern art, parks and access to Heidelberg, not for an old-world setting. It is an honest port of call that makes no pretence.
By tram, a few minutes across the Rhine bridges. The two cities face each other, and many passengers cross for the baroque palace, the grid streets and the Art Nouveau water tower.
Yes, and it is the most popular excursion. Heidelberg is about thirty kilometres away, and lines offer a half day at the castle and in the old university quarters. Speyer and its Romanesque cathedral are about thirty minutes south by road.
The city main art museum, recognisable by the huge ceramic mosaic designed by Joan Miró covering its façade. Inside are twentieth-century art and Roman-era objects found in the region. It is walkable from the quays.
The euro. Cards work in the city-centre shops and the Rhein-Galerie, but Germany remains attached to cash: keep some euro notes for small cafés and kiosks.
German is the everyday language. At the museum, the shopping centre and hotels, English generally works well. Elsewhere, a few words of German are appreciated.
May through September, when the parks are in leaf and the riverside terraces are open. Rhine cruises run from April to October; early and late in the season the days are cool and short.