Rhine River Cruise: Breisach to Obernai
In this second post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores the first part of her Romantic Rhine cruise on Avalon as she travels from Breisach, Germany to Obernai, France.
My very first river cruise was the wonderful Romantic Rhine cruise on Avalon Waterways. I had been considering a river cruise for a while but wasn’t sure if it was something I would like or not. From doing a bit of research online, the average passengers on a river cruise seemed to be married retirees. On this cruise I would just be turning 45 and I would be traveling solo. But the idea of getting to see so many wonderful places in one relatively short time span was appealing, as was the notion of only having to unpack once. So, I made the plunge and booked the trip. Long story short, it was the start of an ever-growing love affair with river cruises in general and Avalon in particular!
Please join me in this and related posts as I relive this wonderful experience on the Avalon Tranquility II in June 2017. This second post in the series highlights the first two full days on the ship, with stops in Germany (Breisach and the Black Forest) and France (Colmar, Strasbourg, Alsace, and Obernai).
Romantic Rhine Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the cruise. This post includes details about Day 2 and Day 3 of the cruise.
- Pre-Cruise – June 22: Zurich, Switzerland
- Pre-Cruise – June 23: Zurich, Switzerland
- Cruise Day 1 – June 24: Lucerne and Basel, Switzerland (embarkation)
- Cruise Day 2 – June 25: Breisach/Black Forest, Germany & Colmar, France
- Cruise Day 3 – June 26: Strasbourg, Alsace, & Obernai, France
- Cruise Day 4 – June 27: Mannheim, Heidelberg, & Mainz, Germany
- Cruise Day 5 – June 28: Rudesheim, sailing the Rhine Gorge, & Koblenz, Germany
- Cruise Day 6 – June 29: Cologne, Germany & sailing to Amsterdam
- Cruise Day 7 – June 30: Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cruise Day 8 – July 1: Amsterdam, Netherlands (disembarkation)
Breisach, Germany and the Black Forest
Day 2 of my Romantic Rhine cruise, the first full day on the ship, started in Breisach, Germany. I woke well-rested after my first night in my comfortable Panoramic suite and saw that we were docked in the quiet town of Breisach. This is one of the beauties of river cruises…you are typically docked right in town!
Driving through the Countryside
I enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast on the ship and then set out for my morning excursion. Our day started with a panoramic drive through the German countryside from Breisach to the Black Forest. We made a quick stop along the way to stretch our legs and enjoy some of the gorgeous scenery on this picture-perfect day.
Cuckoo Clock Workshop
Our scenic drive ended at a workshop of a local woodcarver. They produce cuckoo clocks and other wood products here. We were welcomed off the bus with a sample of Kirschwasser (cherry wine), and then had some free time to wander around the workshop. Inside, I was able to do some shopping. I also enjoyed a slice of delicious Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake) and some coffee, because you can’t come to the Black Forest and not sample the cake! Another highlight was watching the massive cuckoo clock outside the shop come to life at the top of the hour.
Storks!
One of the fascinating things about the drive between Breisach and the Black Forest was seeing all of the storks. There are large stork nests everywhere! Our tour guide questioned whether anyone on the excursion had a special announcement to make…ha ha!
After a fun and informative morning in the Black Forest, I returned to the ship for lunch before heading out for an optional excursion in the afternoon.
Colmar, France
The optional excursion this afternoon was to the captivating town of Colmar, France. This quaint small town, full of cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and gorgeous flowers, was a short bus ride from the ship’s docking location in Breisach, Germany. We first did a walking tour through the fairy tale village.
Little Venice
There is a section of Colmar that is crossed by several canals…so many that it is known as “Little Venice!”
Unterlinden Museum
Our final stop in Colmar was a visit to the Unterlinden Museum. This museum is home to the beautiful Isenheim Altarpiece, created by the German Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald around 1512 to 1516. The building which houses the museum was a Dominican sisters’ convent in the 13th century and was later a public baths building in the early 1900s.
My First Lock
Once my thoroughly charming afternoon in Colmar was finished, we returned to the ship. We set sail from Breisach at 5:45pm. After setting sail I got to experience my first lock on the journey…we would eventually sail through a total of 13 locks on the route! It is quite an interesting experience to see how these ships navigate through the tight quarters in these locks. I also saw a gorgeous sunset this evening.
Strasbourg, France
I awoke on Day 3 of my Romantic Rhine cruise in Strasbourg, France. We arrived around 1:00am this morning after sailing from Breisach, Germany.
Boat Tour
Today’s adventures started with a glass-topped boat tour on the canals through Strasbourg. We had amazing views of the buildings of the city. We had to go through two locks along the way. At the first lock there was a large group of school children standing above the lock, watching and waving to us as the boat was raised in the lock!
In and Around the Main Square
After the canal cruise we walked into the city center, with its quaint cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses. Situated on the border, it is a blend of French and German influence here. This area has actually changed from a German to a French territory several times over the past few centuries.
Gothic Cathedral
The focal point of the main square is the impressive Gothic Cathedral. We had the chance to explore its beauty inside and out. There is also a large and stunning astronomical clock inside the cathedral.
A Festive Lunch
We returned back to the ship after the splendid morning in Strasbourg. On this beautifully sunny day I enjoyed lunch up on the Sun Deck. During lunch there was a local accordion player strolling around the ship, playing classic French tunes. It was a wonderfully festive lunch.
Alsace Wine Country
This afternoon was another fun optional excursion to the Alsace wine country. It was a beautifully scenic drive through the vineyards and countryside. Our first stop was the Blanck Family Winery, where one of the owner’s daughters took us through a tour of the cellars. Their cellars are full of old wooden barrels, including one that is over 300 years old (and it’s still used today!). We then had a tasting of four wines. As the locals say, “skilt” (cheers)!
Obernai, France
On the way back to the ship we stopped in the delightful town of Obernai, France. Here we did a quick walking tour of the small town. Afterwards we had some free time to explore, shop, and get some refreshments.
Conclusion
My first two full days on the cruise were fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all of the small, charming towns along the Germany/France border. Each one was just lovely. I particularly enjoyed both Colmar and Strasbourg and highly recommend each of these places to anyone who is travelling in this area. I actually returned to Colmar and Strasbourg in 2021 on a Christmas Markets Cruise…as delightful as they are in the summertime, they are even more magical at Christmastime!
Stay tuned for the next post in this series, where I visit several fantastic spots in Germany.
Links
Click the button below to read the first post in this series:
Click the button below to read more about my Christmas Markets Cruise, when I returned to both Colmar and Strasbourg in the festive Christmas season:
Click the button below for more information about Avalon Waterways:
