Breisach, Germany is a small little town on the banks of the Rhine just a short distance from Basel, Switzerland and across the river from France. Surrounding this little town are rolling vineyards and the Black Forest. Inside the town you will find an old-world charm in the pastel-hued buildings and cobbled streets. You would never know that this town was almost totally destroyed in WWII. Even though it is small, Breisach, Germany will be a delightful stop on your river cruise if you decide to go out and explore or just stick around the town.
Your river cruise will have an included excursion that might take you out of Breisach to explore other fascinating nearby towns. You might have the opportunity to take a bus further into the Black Forest to Hofgut Sternen (a Black Forest resort village) for a chance to taste their famous Black Forest Cake, Ham or enjoy the Cuckoo clocks. Or, if you want to be a little more active you might opt for a bike ride or hike into the Black Forest. But, what if you want to stay and explore the town of Breisach. What is there to do?
In Breisach
Tourist Office
The tourist office is a wealth of information for touring the town. They will be able to provide you with walking tour maps to see the sights. Plus they will have great suggestions of where to eat and shop.
Breisach Cathedral–St. Stephen’s Church
This beautiful church (built in the 1200s) overlooking the town is one of the main attractions. It is a bit of an invigorating walk to get up to the church but the views will be well worth the effort. Along the path, boards are posted that will give you even more information about Breisach’s history, interesting facts, and historical places. Once at the top you will love the Romanesque-Gothic architecture outside and in as well as the impressive art.
Rheintor–Rhine Gate
The Rheintor was built in 1678 and is one of the most beautiful preserved fortress gates in Europe. Inside you will find the home of the Museum of City History. Exhibits start way back in the Stone Age in which Breisach was inhabited by the Romans. During your tour of the museum you will experience Breisach from the 1st century through all of history up until the destruction of the town in 1945. You will love seeing all the actual artifacts from the different time periods and how they have worked to bring the history of their town alive.
Wine Tasting and Celler Tours
Breisach is surrounded by vineyards which produce many delicious wines as well as the further areas of the Rhine Valley. You will fine upwards of 600 different wines in this area. So, time experiencing this part of German culture will be time well spent. While in Breisach, you might want to take a tour of the underground cellars of the Geldermann Private Winery (Geldermann Privatsektkelleri) or the Badonian Winery (Badischen Winzerkeller) and then taste some of their wonderful wines. (Make sure to check the website to verify tours have resumed.) Badischen Winzerkeller is right next to the Tourist office.
I hope that you are inspired by this little town of Breisach, Germany. It will be a fun place to spend a few hours exploring during your river cruise adventure.
If you would like to learn more about a river cruise that visits Breisach, Germany and the Black Forest, please contact me. I would love to help you get on the perfect river cruise!
Happy travels to you…until we meet again!
Other articles you might like to read:
- 10 Reasons Why Ocean Cruisers will Love a River Cruise
- Best Sites to See in Rudesheim, Germany
- Gluhwein: A Taste of Christmas in Germany
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