3 Great River Cruise Excursions in Alsace, France

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Alsace France is a small region of French that is well worth a visit. Most river cruise companies that sail the Rhine River visit at least one of these 3 towns.

This contested area of the world between Germany, who thought the boundary should be the Vosges Mountains, while the French thought the boundary should be the Rhine River, has led to a blended culture that is unique in Europe. This area has changed hands several times since the 1800’s during various armed conflicts.

Food and wine are the stars here, so be sure to try some during your port excursion visit.

So, let’s visit Colmar, Riquewihr and Strasbourg and learn about an area that was governed by France and Germany for more than 100 years and has developed a unique blending of these 2 cultures.

Colmar, France

Colorful half-timbered buildings are everywhere—it almost overwhelms the senses. The colorful medieval architecture, combined with mixed culture and cuisine of France and Germany makes it a fascinating place to visit.

A great cobblestone lane with unique buldings

The charming shops, cafes and restaurants just seem to constantly invite you to browse and slow down to capture the beauty of the old town area.

On the way into Colmar, a replica of the Statue of Liberty, created by the famous sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, appears in a traffic roundabout. Bartholdi lived in Colmar. There is a museum that includes an excellent collection of his works.

The Vosges Mountain still had some snow during our visit in April of 2024

The Unterlinden Museum has a very good collection of art from the Middle Ages to the present time. Might be a little hard to visit on a port excursion.

The best thing to do here is to wander and explore. Perhaps the most famous part of the old city is Petite Venice on part of the Lauch River.

There are two churches here in the old town area. The Dominican Church was built in the 1300s and has been renovated due to fire damage in 1458 and later in 1720. The second church is Saint Martin Church. This Gothic church has many intricate details with a soaring spire and can easily be seen from many locations in the old town.

Shopping and food are fun here—Anne bought a stunning blue hat here and we both love it.

Anne bought a pretzel here at the window at the right

Anne proudly wears her new hat in Baden Baden the next day after we bought it in Colmar

Riquewihr, France

This little village is a constant splash of colors, half-timbered buildings and wine shops jumbled together that just is so charming you will not know where to look next. It is a medieval walled city, with a tiny population of 1000, and it still has most of its walls. There is a watch tower that today houses a museum about the defensive structures of the city, the people who manned the defensive structures and the weapons they used.

A view of the village from the watch tower

Don’t forget to shop, enjoy the food or a snack and sample the white wines this region is so famous for and brought wealth to this village. I recently wrote a blog about Riquewihr—here is the link: Read More About Riquewihr

Here are some of my suggestion to try during your time here.

Walk the Old Town— this tiny village was the inspiration for Belle’s village in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast. It is a walled city. Ringed on one side by the Vosges Mountains and in the middle of vineyards, this village has been called by some as the most beautiful in France. The vast majority of the homes are half-timbered and stone and it seems every lane of this village has a new wonderful surprise—fountains, small courtyards, and unique architecture. .

The main lane of the village is never ending timber buildings

The Dolder Tower—the defensive gate tower that was constructed in the 13th century. In 30 minutes, you can learn about how the city was fortified, how the tower and defenses of the villages were manned and what weapons they used.

Taste some wine—this is a great place to experience the wines of Alsace.

Great painting of the wines that have made this region so famous

Strasbourg, France

Strasbourg’s old town is a wonderful stop but especially so for Christmas. After several visits to Strasbourg, it still beckons us back. Our first visit was on Bastille Day (14 July) and the floodlights on the Cathedral were breathtaking.

There are several main attractions. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame is massive, and the Cathedral square always has lots of life.

Wander down to Petite France—the home of tanners, fishermen and other artisans—the half-timbered areas are just stunning.

Try some food here—the blend of German and French food results in dishes you won’t soon forget.

Christmas markets cruise—kasespatzle—tasty pasta tossed with onions and Emmentaler cheese

Flammkuchen—a traditional dish in Alsace

Here are some of my ideas during your visit.

Notre-Dame Cathedral— this amazing gothic cathedral, completed in 1439, has a 142 meter spire. It has the typical lace-fine façade and gargoyles warding off evil spirits that is the gothic style. The lively square in front of the cathedral is full of street performers and restaurants and shops line the outside of the open area.

Palais Rohan —this once opulent residence, that was called by some a miniature Versailles, is now a museum. It has 3 floors of exhibits. They include an archeological exhibit that cover from the Paleolithic period up to 800 AD (first floor), an exhibit of silverware and ceramic dinner ware from the 18th century that helps you understand the lavish lifestyle of the nobility of that period (second floor) and the third floor exhibit of fine art from the 14-19th century (artists include El Greco, Botticelli and Flemish artist.

Petite France— in a half-timbered building zone of narrow lanes, this is the area where artisans worked during the Middle Ages.

One of the many buildings in this section of town

Museum of the Cathedral—contains artifacts of the priests and church ware.

Alsatian Museum—housed in an old home, you can learn about the daily life of Alsatians. The exhibit includes how half-timbered buildings were constructed, tools used by people of times past and an exhibit about winemakers’ life and work.

Take a ride on the Ill River—this is a loop cruise around Strasbourg. It is a good way to see the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights buildings.

Our Final Thoughts.

Stunning buildings splashed with color, excellent white wine and food that is a blending of 2 cultures are good reasons to explore this region on a port excursion. There is so much to see and do, you will probably want to come back later and spend a couple of days and drive the route of vins. We hope so.

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Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you with high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@visitdd.com . We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 53 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

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