Speyer Germany Rhineland-Palatinate

1743 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Avalon Waterways (65 Cruises)

CroisiEurope (38 Cruises)

Riviera Travel (117 Cruises)

MS Emily Bronte.

MS Emily Bronte

220 Passengers
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MS Oscar Wilde.

MS Oscar Wilde

213 Passengers
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MS Riviera Resplendence1

MS Riviera Resplendence

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Uniworld Boutique River Cruise (75 Cruises)

s.s. antoinette.

S.S. Antoinette

211 Passengers
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S.S. Victoria.

S.S. Victoria

151 Passengers
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SS Antoinette

Uniworld SS Antoinette

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Viking River Cruises (1448 Cruises)

Viking Einar.

Viking Einar

243 Passengers
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Viking Hervor.

Viking Hervor

243 Passengers
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Viking Longships Alruna.

Viking Longships Alruna

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Viking Longships Eir.

Viking Longships Eir

243 Passengers
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Viking Longship Herja.

Viking Longships Herja

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Viking Longships Hild.

Viking Longships Hild

243 Passengers
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Viking Longships Hlin.

Viking Longships Hlin

243 Passengers
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Viking Longships Kara.

Viking Longships Kara

238 Passengers
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Viking Longships Mani.

Viking Longships Mani

242 Passengers
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Viking Longships Rolf

Viking Longships Rolf

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Viking Longships Tialfi.

Viking Longships Tialfi

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Viking Sigrun.

Viking Sigrun

190 Passengers
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Viking Tialfi

190 Passengers
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Speyer, Germany | Cruise Port Guide

Four pink sandstone towers and two domes rise above the Rhine plain: Speyer Cathedral announces the destination long before docking. For nearly a thousand years, this building has watched over the river, and Rhine cruise passengers have the privilege of reaching it on foot in just a few minutes. Few river stops pack so much history into such a small area as Speyer, one of the oldest cities in Germany.

The cathedral of the emperors

Begun around 1030, the imperial cathedral remains the largest surviving Romanesque church in the world, inscribed as such on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its immense nave impresses with its sobriety: no gilding or excess, only the rhythm of the arches and the pink stone catching the light. In the crypt, the largest Romanesque crypt in Europe, rest eight emperors and kings of the Holy Roman Empire. Descending among these thousand-year-old tombs is a highlight of any Rhine port call.

On the way out, the park surrounding the chevet leads gently toward the river, offering a fine view of the apses and eastern towers.

Maximilianstrasse, the city's backbone

Facing the cathedral square opens Maximilianstrasse, the main street now turned pedestrian promenade. Its restored Baroque façades house shops, cafés and pastry shops, and the street runs straight to the Altpörtel, the former western gate built in the 13th century. At 54 metres high, this tower ranks among the most imposing medieval gates in Germany. The walk between the Romanesque cathedral and the gate takes about fifteen minutes of leisurely strolling, more if the terraces hold you back.

In the side streets, Holy Trinity Church charms with its Baroque interior of painted wood, while the Judenhof preserves the remains of a medieval synagogue and a 12th-century ritual bath among the best preserved in Europe, a testament to the important Jewish community that made Speyer shine in the Middle Ages.

The Technik Museum, an unexpected giant

About a twenty-minute walk from the centre, the Technik Museum displays a collection that astonishes in a city of this size: a Boeing 747 perched on pylons that you can walk through, a submarine, locomotives, vintage cars and even the Soviet Buran space shuttle. Families easily spend half a day there; passengers in a hurry can make do with the highlights in an hour and a half.

SiteDistance from the centreSuggested time
Cathedral and cryptIn the heart of the city45 to 60 min
Maximilianstrasse and AltpörtelDirectly beyond30 to 45 min
Technik MuseumAbout 1.5 km1 hr 30 or more

Treats and wines of the Palatinate

Speyer lies at the gateway to the wine-growing Palatinate, one of Germany's great white wine regions. Restaurants in the centre serve Rieslings and Pinots with hearty regional dishes, including the famous Saumagen, a meat and potato specialty you try out of curiosity and finish out of sheer enjoyment. The cafés on Maximilianstrasse, for their part, offer cakes and ice cream for a lighter break while watching the passersby.

Leaving by the river

The way back crosses the park to the riverbanks, where the Rhine continues its quiet course northward. Turning one last time toward the pink sandstone towers, many travellers understand why the emperors chose this place: Speyer gives off a calm strength, made of stone and centuries, that stays with you long after the ship has cast off. The stop makes you want to dig deeper into this imperial history, and perhaps to come back one day to read it more slowly.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, a few minutes' walk is enough, and that is one of this call's great advantages. Its four pink sandstone towers and two domes are visible well before you dock, in fact.
It is the largest surviving Romanesque church in the world, begun around 1030 and listed as UNESCO World Heritage on that basis. The nave impresses through restraint: no gilding, no clutter, only the rhythm of the arches and pink stone catching the light.
The largest Romanesque crypt in Europe, where eight emperors and kings of the Holy Roman Empire lie buried. Descending among these thousand-year-old tombs remains the high point of the call for most passengers.
Allow 45 to 60 minutes for the cathedral and its crypt, then 30 to 45 minutes for the Maximilianstrasse as far as the Altpörtel. If time remains, the Technik Museum is worth it, but you then give up the strolling.
The old western gate of the city, built in the 13th century and standing 54 metres tall: one of the most imposing medieval gates in Germany. It closes the vista along the Maximilianstrasse, about fifteen minutes' stroll from the cathedral square.
Yes, and it astonishes in a city this size: a Boeing 747 raised on pylons that you walk through, a submarine, locomotives and the Soviet space shuttle Buran. Allow about twenty minutes on foot from the centre.
Very much so, thanks to the Technik Museum. Families easily spend half a day there; passengers in a hurry cover the highlights in an hour and a half. The rest of the centre is flat and pedestrianized, easy going with a stroller.
The remains of a medieval synagogue and a 12th-century ritual bath among the best preserved in Europe, in the streets just off the Maximilianstrasse. It bears witness to the important Jewish community that gave Speyer its medieval standing.
The wines of the Palatinate, one of Germany's great white wine regions, whose gateway the city occupies. On the food side, Saumagen, a speciality of meat and potatoes, is tasted out of curiosity and often finished out of pleasure.
The euro, and cards work in the centre. The ground is flat and the Maximilianstrasse is pedestrianized: this is an easy call to walk, which is not always the case on the Rhine.