France Archives - Caffeinated Excursions

One Day In Strasbourg, France: My Favorite Rhine River Cruise Stop

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 17:00:00 +0000

One Day In
Strasbourg,
France:
My Favorite Rhine River Cruise Stop

One Day In Strasbourg, France: My Favorite Rhine River Cruise Stop

Published July 29, 2022

This blog post was proudly created without the use of generative AI. It was 100% written and edited by a human, for humans. Enjoy, and thanks for your support!

A Rhine River cruise between Switzerland and the Netherlands is one of the most enchanting ways to explore a large section of Western Europe. The cities and towns along the Rhine are all so quaint, with rich histories shaped by the river. You can tell that many of these cities were centers of cultural exchange, influenced by military struggles to control the strategic waterway.

All of these things are especially true of Strasbourg, a French city with a German-sounding name. Strasbourg sits almost on the border of the two countries in the region of Alsace. Today, it is one of the Europe’s most important cities. That’s because many European governmental institutions are based in Strasbourg.

I recently went on a Viking Rhine River Cruise, and we docked in many beautiful places in France and Germany. However, Strasbourg was probably my favorite stop. If you’re planning on spending a day in this fascinating city, this post will explain what you’ll have time to see and do! Below is a list of the different attractions I found noteworthy.

Petite France
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg
Neustadt
Krutenau
Food in Strasbourg

Petite France

This beautiful district is the perfect place to start exploring Strasbourg in the morning. It’s quieter than the area surrounding the Notre Dame Cathedral, but it’s just as quaint. Petite France is known for its idyllic canals and half-timbered buildings. That’s the name for the distinctive German architectural style that has wooden support beams on the exterior of buildings, as shown in the photos below.

We were briefly introduced to Petite France during our walking tour of Strasbourg led by Viking Cruises. However, I’m glad I came back later in the day to spend a bit more time here. The waterways and the colorful homes make Petite France such a picturesque area!

On the west end of Petite France, you’ll encounter the Ponts Couverts de Strasbourg, a series of old brick towers and bridges that cross the canals. This happened to be where our guided tour of the city began.

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg

Strasbourg’s Notre-Dame Cathedral is the city’s most famous landmark. Like the majority of things featured in this post, this massive church is located on Grande Île, an island that comprises the historic center of town. As you can see on the map below, various bridges connect Grande Île to the rest of the city.

The massive Notre-Dame Cathedral dominates the city’s skyline. That’s because at 466 feet tall (142 meters), it is one of the tallest churches in the world. That height may not sound extremely impressive compared to today’s modern skyscrapers, but the following facts from the church’s Wikipedia page give a better sense of just how exceptional it is.

This was the tallest building in the world from 1647 to 1874 (over 200 years).
It is the sixth-tallest church in the world at the time of writing.
The Strasbourg Cathedral took over 400 years to be built, and was completed in 1439.
It is the tallest still-standing structure built entirely during the Middle Ages.

Pictures of the cathedral don’t do it justice, either. In person, its intricate brown sandstone exterior and somewhat asymmetric design (with only one spire that’s not centered) make it one of the most memorable churches I’ve ever visited.

If you’re visiting Strasbourg on a guided tour organized by a cruise, they will probably bring you inside the church. The interior is absolutely worth seeing, especially the astronomical clock that can be found towards the front of the sanctuary.

Finally, I highly recommend climbing the spiral staircase to see the surrounding cityscape from the top of the church. This was not included on our Viking River Cruise excursion, but I’m glad I did it on my own.

A long winding staircase can be a little disorienting and tiring, but there are little platforms to step to the side and catch your breath if you need to. At the very least, this cathedral had one-way foot traffic on two separate staircases (one for going up, one for coming down). That isn’t always the case!

On a nice sunny day, the view from up above really is spectacular. Strasbourg is a beautiful city, including its rooftops!

Neustadt

Located directly northeast of Grande Île, this neighborhood has a German name that means “New Town.” As that name suggests, the architecture here does generally look newer than in the historic center, but it’s still impressive. The Jardin de la Place de la République is a nice area to walk around, and the Église réformée Saint-Paul is another beautiful church to see on the Ill River.

Krutenau

Krutenau is the lively area southeast of Grande Île. I only had a brief walk through, but the riverfront walk is quaint. It offers views of the Palais Rohan and the Église réformée Saint-Paul in Neustadt.

Food in Strasbourg

The most famous dish in Strasbourg is sauerkraut, so some family members and I definitely wanted to try it. After some browsing, we ended up at Aux Armes de Strasbourg, a local restaurant on Gutenberg Square. We got two appetizers: escargot, plus a plate that had shredded veggies, a small salad, and a breaded cold meat item that I don’t know the name of. I liked the escargot, and the fresh veggies were fine, but that bread and meat thing was a little odd to me.

For my main dish, I got “choucroute des Armes 6 garnitures, pommes nature” which was translated into English as “sauerkraut with 6 trimmings, steamed potatoes.” I don’t know exactly what I was expecting, but I think the word ‘garnitures’ made me think of ‘garnishes.’ I was probably expecting the dish to come with sauerkraut and six small sides, maybe some veggies, maybe some small meat portions. Instead, it came with a mountain of meat! There was so much that it completely covered the sauerkraut, and it just ended up being a ton of food. However, all those sausages, potatoes, and other bits didn’t have a ton of flavor.

If I’m being honest, this wasn’t my favorite meal during our time in France and Germany. I’m glad we tried to find local food and didn’t just settle for a burger or pizza in Strasbourg, but the sauerkraut plate wasn’t amazing. You might want to research food options a little more in depth before arriving. Or if you’re coming in on a cruise, ask the program director for lunch recommendations in town!

Make the Most of a Day in Strasbourg!

Other than our underwhelming lunch, Strasbourg really impressed me. I wish I had more time to explore, but short visits are what you get when you’re traveling by cruise!

If you’re about to embark on a day trip to Strasbourg, I hope this blog post has been helpful for planning purposes! Are you headed that way soon? Will you be visiting as part of a Rhine River cruise? Leave a comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading, and enjoy your time in this historic city!

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This post was published on July 29, 2022

This blog post was proudly created without the use of generative AI. It was 100% written and edited by a human, for humans. Enjoy, and thanks for your support!

Hi, I’m Kevin! I’m a coffee addict from Seattle, and my life revolves around traveling! Caffeinated Excursions is a record of my trips over the past seven years. Since I started blogging, I’ve lived in Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, and the US. I just moved to Australia and plan to be here a full year. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post One Day In Strasbourg, France: My Favorite Rhine River Cruise Stop appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

A Viking Rhine River Cruise Review: Basel To Amsterdam

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 17:00:00 +0000

A Viking Rhine River Cruise Review: Basel To Amsterdam

Published July 23, 2022

This blog post was proudly created without the use of generative AI. It was 100% written and edited by a human, for humans. Enjoy, and thanks for your support!

After two long years of pandemic restrictions, Europe is fully open again! I’m lucky to have an extended family of fellow travel enthusiasts, and we’ve all been looking forward to a reunion vacation in Western Europe for a while now! A Viking River cruise seemed like the perfect offering for a group of eight people spanning three generations. This post is a review of my time on the Viking Hermod as it sailed down the Rhine.

Viking offers various Rhine River cruise itineraries, and the one we booked was called the “Rhine Getaway.” As of summer 2022, this cruise is eight days long and spans four countries: Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. We traveled from Basel to Amsterdam, but it can be booked in the opposite direction as well.

This post is a review of this particular Rhine River cruise. But on a side note, this was also my first time cruising! If you’re interested in learning about what it was like to experience Viking River Cruises as a first-time cruise passenger, check out my separate post [coming soon]!

Day Trip Itinerary
Cruise Review
Final Thoughts

Day Trip Itinerary

The first half of this post is a review of the Rhine Getaway ports of call. I liked all of the cities we stopped in, but some were more impressive than others. To learn more, read on! To skip down to the second half of this post (a review of the ship and its amenities), click here.

Day 1: Boarding in Basel

This cruise began in Basel, a quaint little town in Switzerland right on the border of both Germany and France. If you can spend a day or two in Basel before your cruise, I highly recommend it. We booked a walking tour with a local guide (independent of Viking), and I’m really glad we did.

Viking allowed us to board the Hermod in the early afternoon, which gave us plenty of time to get acquainted with the layout of the ship. Our first dinner was served, and finally we were off in the early evening. We passed through our first of many river locks on this night, which is one of the most noteworthy aspects of a Rhine River cruise.

If you’re wondering how we made it to Basel, we flew from Chicago into Zürich and then booked a private car transfer. Zürich Airport is the nearest major international airport to Basel, and the drive is about an hour. There are also frequent trains that run between Switzerland’s largest city and its gateway to the Rhine.

Day 2: Breisach

The Hermod pulled into its first port of call very early in the morning, which meant we had a full day to explore Breisach, a small village in Germany. I actually decided to skip the included tour (a bus trip to the Black Forest) in the morning and walk across the French border to the village of Neuf-Brisach. I did this completely on my own; it wasn’t a part of the Viking itinerary at all.

Neuf-Brisach is a sleepy little French town that is surrounded on all sides by a visually stunning series of fortified walls. These walls were designed by French architect Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban to help protect border outposts from invasion. You can’t make out the geometry of the walled city from the ground level, but you can explore the city streets and get some sense of their architecture.

In the afternoon, I went back to Breisach and explored its most famous landmark: the Breisacher Münster St. Stephan, a beautiful brown church that towers over the rest of the town.

The interior of the Breisacher Münster is interesting, but my favorite part of this cathedral is its view from the top of the hill overlooking the village.

Apart from the church, Breisach feels pretty touristy. If you have extra time and want to walk around the town, feel free to. But if you don’t have time or want to rest on the ship instead, you probably won’t miss out on too much.

Day 3: Strasbourg

Strasbourg is a fascinating city that’s much larger than Breisach. Due to its location on the Rhine, Strasbourg has a unique mix of French and German cultural elements. It’s also home to a number of European Union institutions, although the Viking itinerary doesn’t include any tours to these government offices. They are clustered in an outlying district of the city.

Instead, we explored Strasbourg’s historic center, based mostly on Grande Île. Here you’ll find the famous Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, a staggering gothic cathedral that was actually the tallest building in the world from 1647 to 1874!

The other area I really liked in Strasbourg was Petite-France. This tiny neighborhood is split up by canals that are lined with gorgeous half-timbered homes (the iconic style of German architecture with wood beams on the exterior). We walked through here on our guided tour, and I came back afterwards to enjoy the views for a bit longer.

Strasbourg was probably my favorite day trip on our cruise, so I’ve written a separate blog post about the city. Check it out using the image link below!

Day 4: Speyer and Rüdesheim am Rhein

This was my least favorite day of the cruise, mainly because we only had a few hours in both Speyer and Rüdesheim. I feel like we did get to see slightly more of the former than the latter, but both stops were rushed.

Speyer

Speyer is a small city on the western bank of the Rhine. Some notable landmarks include the Dom zu Speyer (Speyer Cathedral) and the Altpörtel (Old Gate) directly west of there. The two are connected by the short Maximilianstraße, which serves as the main street in the historic district.

Viking offered a short included tour, then we had about an hour or so to explore on our own. There are some other interesting churches a little further inland, or you could check out the many side alleys that branch off of the Maximilianstraße.

Speyer seemed like an interesting town. I would’ve enjoyed spending more time there. However, as I mentioned above, this is only a half-day stop. Before lunch, we met in the Domplatz and boarded buses that brought us back to the ship. We sailed for a couple hours before making our second stop of the day in…

Rüdesheim am Rhein

At this point in the cruise, the Rhine starts to become much more scenic. Beautiful villages and vineyards can be seen in all directions. Rüdesheim is a touristy town known for its wineries and historic center, called the Drosselgasse. Viking doesn’t offer an included tour here, so I explored on my own. However, since we docked in the late afternoon, time felt even more limited here than in Speyer.

I took a short walk through the Drosselgasse, but I was much more intrigued by all the hilly vineyards overlooking the town. There’s even a chairlift that goes up, hinting that the views up there would be good! I walked up the Oberstraße, which turns into the Germaniastraße. Finally, I turned left onto this paved trail. The panoramic views were indeed incredible!

Day 5: Cruise through the Rhine Gorge; Stop in Koblenz

As you leave Rüdesheim, the Rhine River goes from picturesque to spectacular. This day of voyaging through the Rhine Valley is the centerpiece of the entire trip. The surrounding landscape becomes more dramatic. I loved seeing the patchwork of vineyards on the steep mountainsides, but the coolest part of the day is seeing all the castles.

There are so many of them! You truly pass one castle every few minutes once you enter the Rhine Gorge. Our cruise Program Director also provided a running commentary on all of the things we were seeing as we sailed by. There’s something incredible about seeing these archaic stone structures from various angles as you move along the water.

Since we spent the first half of Day 5 cruising, the city of Koblenz was another half-day stop. However, our time here didn’t feel as rushed as the whirlwind tours on Day 4. Koblenz is a tourist hub that’s noticeably bigger than Speyer and Rüdesheim. I walked all over the Altstadt (Old Town), which is right next to the Viking River Cruises Dock.

The other main activity in Koblenz is taking the cable car to the other side of the river. Here you’ll find Festung Ehrenbreitstein, a sprawling nineteenth century fortress that overlooks the town. Visiting the fortress was interesting, but there didn’t seem to be much signage in English, so I don’t feel like I learned a lot about its history while I was there.

One other noteworthy attraction on the southern edge of the Altstadt is Kurfürstliches Schloss Koblenz. This ornate white palace is surrounded by impeccably maintained gardens that seem to serve as a public square for the city.

Day 6: Cologne (Köln)

Cologne is the largest city this cruise stops in, so there wasn’t enough time to explore all that I wanted to. With that said, we at least had a full day docked here. The included Viking tour served as a brief introduction to the riverfront and Kölner Dom, the city’s massive iconic cathedral. After that, we had the rest of the day to explore on our own.

I thought the main sanctuary of the cathedral was stunning, but I actually didn’t really like climbing the church tower. The views from the top were fine but not as stunning as some of the other panoramic views I saw on this cruise (e.g. in Breisach or Strasbourg). More importantly, the climb is essentially one long spiral staircase – with visitors going both directions on it! It felt kind of dangerous. Frankly, being on a spiral staircase for that long with only the occasional narrow gothic window was disorienting and dizzying. If you want to climb a church tower, I suggest going up to the top of the Notre-Dame in Strasbourg instead.

After visiting the cathedral, I walked across the Hohenzollernbrücke, which is one of the most notable “love lock” bridges in Europe. Yes, I know this is a trend that’s swept almost the entire world, but the number of locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge is still a sight to behold.

The last thing I did in Cologne was visit the Museum Ludwig. It was hosting a fascinating temporary exhibit featuring the works of Isamu Noguchi. I’m not the biggest museum enthusiast, but the Ludwig ended up being very captivating.

Day 7: Cruise through the Dutch Countryside; Stop in Kinderdijk

In all honesty, the Rhine (which turns into the Waal) is less scenic in the Netherlands than it is in Germany. You’re no longer surrounded by hills, vineyards, and castles. Instead, the riverbanks are flat and sandy here.

Our final shore excursion ended up being a really fascinating one: a guided tour of Kinderdijk, a ‎UNESCO World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Rotterdam famous for its windmills. Our tour guide did an excellent job of introducing us to the history and purpose of mills in the Netherlands.

The landscape here is so pretty, and one of the highlights of this visit was being able to see the inside of a mill. All in all, a short visit to Kinderdijk was a great way to wrap up our final full day on the Viking Hermod.

Day 8: Disembark in Amsterdam

The Netherlands is a small country, and Kinderdijk is only about 95 kilometers (59 miles) away from Amsterdam. As such, the Hermod was already passing through Utrecht by bedtime. We docked at Amsterdam very early in the morning on our final day.

There were no day tours of Amsterdam organized by Viking on Day 8, but we were allowed to stay on the boat until the late afternoon (with lunch included). However, we did have to vacate our staterooms by 8:00 a.m. so that the cleaning crew could start preparing for the next cruise.

After checking out, guests are free to go on their way. I assume that most people flew out of Amsterdam within a day or two of ending the cruise. However, we stayed for five extra days in Amsterdam and met up with a few more family members there! I had mixed feelings about this bustling Dutch metropolis, which I’ve written about in a separate blog post.

Cruise Review

Now that you’ve seen the itinerary for the Rhine Getaway, the second half of this post will include some information about the actual cruising experience on Viking.

Impressions of the Rhine River

If you’re considering booking this cruise for yourself, you might be wondering: what is the Rhine River actually like between Basel and Amsterdam? Well, in my opinion it seemed to have three distinct sections. From Basel until Speyer (Day 1 to Day 4), the Rhine feels very industrial. It’s lined by factories, and to be honest, the river is not amazing here (although the cities along it are). Luckily, the boat sailed at night through the Upper Rhine, so it’s not like we really missed out on much.

From Speyer to Cologne (Day 4 to Day 6), the Rhine River is incredibly scenic. Viking did a great job of scheduling so that passengers could enjoy the view from the boat during the day on this portion of the trip. The vineyards, villages, and castles of the Middle Rhine are undoubtedly the river’s most unique offerings.

In the Netherlands, the Rhine (or Waal) has a rural vibe to it. We passed cows cooling off in the shallow riverbanks, a few small Dutch villages, and not much else until we approached Amsterdam. The Lower Rhine is not as industrial as the Upper Rhine, and it’s not as picturesque as the Middle Rhine.

The Viking Cruise Ship

The most noteworthy thing about this cruise ship is its capacity: only about 200 passengers. There are four levels, and each room has a window. The ship has one single dining room that can accommodate all passengers at one time, an indoor lounge, a terrace, plus an open-air deck on top that runs the length of the ship.

Food and Drink

The meals on our Viking Cruise were consistently amazing! I really looked forward to coming back on board after each excursion or tour to enjoy whatever was being served that day.

What’s more, Viking offered specialties from each region we were passing through. I loved the fact that I got to try Swiss, German, French, and Dutch food all onboard! They also have a permanent menu that includes classics like Caesar salad, steak, and burgers, but I ordered most of my meals from their rotating menu.

The Viking breakfast buffet is also excellent! The omelette station is absolutely worth waiting in line for, plus it moves along fairly quickly.

Of course, you could always eat at local restaurants while you’re exploring the cities along the Rhine. We did that once or twice, but the food on the ship was so delicious that I rarely wanted to pass it up.

Should you get the drink package?

You’ll have to make this decision for yourself, but beer and wine are included with each meal even if you don’t purchase the unlimited drink package. I did the math, and you’d basically have to drink two additional cocktails each day (outside of lunch and dinner) to make the package worthwhile. I enjoy drinking to be sure, but I would typically have wine with my meals and limit myself to one cocktail per day. My total bar tab came out to be about 90 euro for the entire trip.

Like the food, all of the alcoholic drinks on this cruise were expertly crafted. Everything tasted great, and they were never watered down or too strong. They even made a great White Russian, which is one of my favorite cocktails!

Shore Excursions

At every port of call, Viking offered one included (free) tour. These tended to be walking tours that lasted about two hours and introduced guests to the various cities. In general, I’d say these tours were pretty good. However, if you’d rather explore one of the stops on your own (or even stay on the ship), you are more than welcome to skip any of the tours.

You can also pre-book one of many “Optional Excursions,” which are tours that you’ll have to pay extra for. I never did any of the Optional Excursions, so I can’t say if they were better or worse than the included tours.

Amenities Onboard

The Viking Hermod was not a massive vessel. As such, it didn’t have all of the amenities that some other cruise ships might. There was no pool, casino, food court, gym, bowling alley, nightclub, etc. Part of this is because Viking’s clientele seems to skew older: my cousin, my brother, and I (in our twenties or late teens) were the youngest passengers on board. Viking River Cruises does not allow minors, so there are no amenities specifically aimed at kids.

Despite this, the Viking Hermod had a beautifully designed interior. The atrium and dining room were both warm and inviting spaces. The lounge and front terraces were comfortable places to sit, relax, or sip a drink. The ship’s common spaces never felt cramped, even when all the passengers were gathered together (e.g. during dinnertime).

I also found the stateroom to be comfortably sized. There is lots of space to store your luggage, and I found that the bathroom and shower weren’t too small.

Entertainment and Activities

One thing I really loved about this cruise was that there were lots of fun optional activities onboard the ship in the afternoons and evenings. Our family group enjoyed game nights and musical performances, but you could also attend things like a glassblowing demonstration or a Q&A session with the captains of the ship.

Final Thoughts

Longtime readers of my blog will know that I don’t shy away from giving my honest opinion when it comes to travel. If an attraction is overrated, I will tell you that. If a tour is underwhelming, I will tell you that. With that in mind, I’m happy to report that this Viking River Cruise was an outstanding experience! I’ll cherish the memory of going down the Rhine with my extended family for the rest of my life.

Was the cruise perfect? No. I really would’ve preferred a little more time in fewer stops. If I could offer one suggestion to Viking, I’d say either choose Speyer or Rüdesheim am Rhein, and spend the entire day there. However, cruising through the Rhine Gorge the next day made up for it. Sailing past all those castles was the highlight of this cruise.

If you’re looking for an upscale travel experience in Western Europe, consider Viking’s Rhine Getaway. I had never been to Switzerland, Germany, France, or the Netherlands before this trip. Now, I can’t wait to go back and explore all four of those countries in greater depth! It’s safe to say this cruise inspired even more wanderlust in me. By that metric, I’d say it was a resounding success!

Have you ever been on a Viking River Cruise before? Are you about to embark on one? Leave a comment below and let me know! I’m curious if other travelers loved this cruise as much as I do!

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This post was published on July 23, 2022

This blog post was proudly created without the use of generative AI. It was 100% written and edited by a human, for humans. Enjoy, and thanks for your support!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post A Viking Rhine River Cruise Review: Basel To Amsterdam appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

France Archives - Caffeinated Excursions

One Day In Strasbourg, France: My Favorite Rhine River Cruise Stop

Petite France

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg

Neustadt

Krutenau

Food in Strasbourg

Make the Most of a Day in Strasbourg!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

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A Viking Rhine River Cruise Review: Basel To Amsterdam

Day Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Boarding in Basel

Day 2: Breisach

Day 3: Strasbourg

Day 4: Speyer and Rüdesheim am Rhein

Speyer

Rüdesheim am Rhein

Day 5: Cruise through the Rhine Gorge; Stop in Koblenz

Day 6: Cologne (Köln)

Day 7: Cruise through the Dutch Countryside; Stop in Kinderdijk

Day 8: Disembark in Amsterdam

Cruise Review

Impressions of the Rhine River

The Viking Cruise Ship

Food and Drink

Should you get the drink package?

Shore Excursions

Amenities Onboard

Entertainment and Activities

Final Thoughts

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

Recent Posts

Meet Your Caffeinated Blogger: Kevin!

Where I Am Now

Categories

Where I’ve Been

Upcoming Trips

Archives

Click To Follow!

Support the Blog!

Subscribe Via Email

Meta