It all began with an insatiable fascination with clocks.

The German collector Siegfried Wendel tirelessly amassed over a hundred vintage full-of-memories grandfather and domineering wall clocks. This intense interest shifted during a honeymoon trip to Los Angeles, California, in the 1960s when he sighted an imposing house which seemed like a saloon of the old, Old West on the outside. But it showcased a slew of pianos and other instruments.

"Der Groschen war gefallen (The penny had dropped)" he said, in his very own words. And thus, Siegfried's Mechanical Museum was born.

Twice relocated, the showroom is now nestled in Brömserhof — a former fort of a 15th-century knight, whose noble crest is still visible — at the Drosselgasse in Rüdesheim am Rhein in Germany.

Today, this melodic gallery contains over 350 automatic instruments, which attracts over 130,000 visitors per year. Best of all, they offer guided tours, with nine languages available!

And thus, on our memorable river cruise through the Moselle and Rhine made possible by AmaWaterways, we boarded a — believe this — Toy Train Car and set us into mood and motion of our arrival in town. Our trip was stress and worry-free, as this particular cruise only had an upfront fee — and each and every tour on land is part of the all-encompassing package.

So on our amble through Siegfried's musikkabinett, we sighted engineering achievements from the past decades — make that centuries — all while hearing a plethora of pleasant sounds all over. We witnessed self-playing grand pianos, gramophones, various percussion instruments and even a chair that played music when sat upon!

Although Siegfried passed on in 2016 — may he rest in peace — his family has committed to continue his legacy through the maintenance and restoration of old pieces.

Here are five spots you should see on your trip to the showroom: