![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.avidcruiser.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/scenic_crystal_2012-1831-640x426.jpg\" "\\"scenic_crystal_2012")
<\/a>Construction began in the 12th century on Strasbourg Cathedral, which\u00a0was completed in 1439. \u00a9 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n
The cathedral is widely considered to be among the finest examples of high, or late, Gothic architecture.\u00a0At 142 meters (466 feet), it was the world’s tallest building from 1647 to 1874, when it was surpassed by St. Nikolai’s Church in Hamburg. Today it is the sixth-tallest church in the world and the highest still-standing structure built entirely in the Middle Ages.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.avidcruiser.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/scenic_crystal_2012-1851-640x426.jpg\" "\\"scenic_crystal_2012")
<\/a>One of the biggest attractions at the Strasbourg Cathedral is its famous astronomical clock. \u00a9 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n
Described by Victor Hugo as a “gigantic and delicate marvel” and by Goethe as a “sublimely towering, wide-spreading tree of God,” the cathedral is visible far across the plains of Alsace and can be seen from as far off as the Vosges Mountains or the Black Forest on the other side of the Rhine. Sandstone from the Vosges used in construction gives the cathedral its characteristic pink hue.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.avidcruiser.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/scenic_crystal_2012-1856-640x426.jpg\" "\\"scenic_crystal_2012")
<\/a>The Cathedral was once the World’s Tallest Building, surpassing the Great Pyramid of Giza. \u00a9 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n
The distance between the river bank where A-ROSA Silva was docked and the celebrated cathedral, the effective center of Strasbourg, was about six miles. That’s about 30 minutes by A-ROSA’s complimentary bus excursion (due to traffic and the fact that busses can’t park at the cathedral) \u2014 but only 25 minutes by bicycle.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>We pedaled across the Rhine \u00a0from Germany to France and into Strasbourg. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n
We pedaled using A-ROSA’s complimentary bicycles, following well-marked bikeways and locking our bikes at the cathedral, where one of Strasbourg’s many Christmas Market was in full swing.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>All done up: Christmas Markets in Strasbourg. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n
By the end of the day, Strasbourg ranked as my favorite city for Christmas Markets. In fact, while there is a sprawling Christmas Market at the cathedral, there are a number of other, smaller markets throughout the city.<\/p>\n
![\"A-ROSA](\"http:\/\/avidcruiser.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/DSC09338-640x425.jpg\")
<\/a>Even the exteriors for the hotels were decorated for Christmas in Strasbourg. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n
We enjoyed walking around the city, breathing in the festive air (the smell of mulled wine and fresh-baked bredle<\/em>, a traditional Alsatian Christmas cookie) and admiring the decorations, done up with French flair, different from what I had seen in Germany on this trip and what I had seen in Austria and Hungary on other Christmas Market cruises. Back on A-ROSA Silva the consensus, in fact, seemed to be that Strasbourg was a favorite among the Christmas Markets.<\/p>\n Christmas with a French flair in Strasbourg. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n Christmas Markets in Strasbourg. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n Christmas shopping in Strasbourg. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n Christmas teddy bears adorn a building in Strasbourg. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n Christmas Markets in Strasbourg. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n As we’re docked in Kehl, I shouldn’t completely ignore the German city.\u00a0Kehl switched hands between France and Germany several times, and even switched religions \u2014 quite frequently it would seem, between Catholic and Lutheran, which must have been quite a jolt to the congregations who were present on the day on the switch.<\/p>\n Until 1519, Kehl was Catholic, part of the diocese of Strasbourg. Then, Kehl became Lutheran. That lasted until the French occupation in the 1690s when it became Roman Catholic again \u2014 only to revert back to Lutheranism later.<\/p>\n In the 1600s, three centuries after the first permanent bridge joined Kehl and Strasbourg, the French seized their neighbor and made it a fortress. By the end of the century, Kehl was returned to Germany.<\/p>\n Kehl and Strasbourg continued their dance, splitting apart and reuniting throughout the years. The fortress was dismantled, however, a port facility was developed, and in 1861, a new railway bridge allowed for the first direct connection between Paris and Vienna.\u00a0Alas, the French took control of the harbor during the First World War, and during the Second World War, Kehl was turned into a suburb of Strasbourg. In 1953, Kehl went back to Germany \u2014 for good, we can hope.<\/p>\n Today, the Passerelle Pedestrian Bridge joins the two cities, and we crossed that bridge on our bikes to get from A-ROSA Silva to Strasbourg \u2014 and back. Strasbourg was beautiful during winter.\u00a0The historic city center, the Grande \u00cele (Grand Island), was classified a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988.<\/p>\n Even in winter Strasbourg is beautiful. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n Someone asked me recently to name my favorites places in the world. Europe, I answered without hesitation, and more specifically, France.\u00a0From Normandy to Nice, from Bordeaux to Alsace, France has all that I need for a lifetime of travel. I particularly love Strasbourg. Maybe it’s the mix of German-French influence, but I suspect it’s something more, something in my blood perhaps.<\/p>\n Though I can trace back my family history for nine generations, the chain is broken in the early 1700s. My ninth-generation grandfather stepped ashore in America in 1722, but we don’t know where he came from. Some in the family have said Alsace, the region over which Strasbourg presides. I’ve visited the city several times searching for my roots. See\u00a0Searching For Family Ties In Strasbourg: The Story Of A Serendipitous Encounter<\/a><\/p>\n I’ve yet to discover if\u00a0John Grissell came from Strasbourg or the region around it, but if he did, that would be quite okay with me. Strasbourg for me is more than a significant city on the Rhine. It feels a bit like coming home. Perhaps it is.<\/p>\n Tonight, among the buffet items offered on A-ROSA Silva, market vegetables from Strasbourg. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n Day 3 – French\/German Strasbourg We’re moving upriver on the Rhine. Our river cruise on A-ROSA Silva\u00a0started in Frankfurt (see day one of our voyage), brought us to Heidelberg for a visit to Heidelberg Castle and the Old Town (see day two of our voyage) and landed us today in Kehl, Germany, where the attraction […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":193,"parent":127,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/160"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/160\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A-ROSA](\"http:\/\/avidcruiser.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/DSC09341-425x640.jpg\")
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<\/a>A-ROSA, Christmas Markets Cruise<\/h2>\n\n
\n\n
\n\t <\/td> City\/Port<\/td> <\/td> Arrival<\/td> Departure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 1<\/a><\/td> Frankfurt<\/a><\/td> Frankfurt is known for its \u201cManhattan skyline\u201d with the Messeturm (convention tower) which is the highest building in Europe. The old imperial city is one of the most important trading and economic centres in Germany. Many important banks and the most important stock market are situated in Frankfurt. Frankfurt was the birthplace of J.W. v. Goethe and its many universities, theatre and museums provide a diversified cultural life.<\/td> <\/td> 6 p.m.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 2<\/a><\/td> Speyer<\/a><\/td> Speyer is a historic old imperial city, which is situated on the left bank of the Rhine. From 1294 to 1797 it was a free imperial city, and the Imperial Diet met frequently in Speyer during that period. It suffered severe destruction in 1689 during the war over the Palatinate succession. The symbol of Speyer is the huge cathedral, one of the most important cathedrals built in the High Romanesque period.<\/td> 9 a.m.<\/td> 11 p.m.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 3<\/a><\/td> Kehl\/Strasbourg<\/a><\/td> From the Roman era up until the present day, Strasbourg has played a significant role and had an eventful history. The impressive buildings still bear testament to this today. Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace and a European metropolis with many research-, educational- and cultural institutions; it is also the seat of the European Council of Ministers.<\/td> 1 p.m.<\/td> overnight<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 4<\/a><\/td> Kehl\/Strasbourg<\/a><\/td> <\/td> \u2014<\/td> 7 p.m.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 5<\/a><\/td> Mainz<\/a><\/td> Mainz is a historic old town, a former Electoral residence, seat of an Archbishop and also the city of Gutenberg. The city is a focal point of the western end of the Rhine-Main economic region. Around 1450 Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of printing with movable type, set up his press in Mainz. Points of interest are the St Martin and St Stephen cathedrals, the castle of Mainz and the Gutenberg Museum.<\/td> 9 a.m.<\/td> 11 p.m.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 6<\/a><\/td> Cologne<\/a><\/td> Cologne, the old Cathedral city, is also one of the most important traffic hubs and commercial centres in Germany, with world famous trade fairs and a busy shipping traffic. Cologne developed out of a Roman colony and looks back on a history of more than 2000 years. In the Middle Ages it was one of the leading towns in Germany. The Second World War destroyed most of the inner city; these parts were rebuilt in a modern style. The landmark and emblem of the city is the Cathedral, a masterpiece of High Gothic architecture and one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. Other tourist attractions are the town hall, the Malakoff Tower, the St Martin Church and the old abbey.<\/td> 12 p.m.<\/td> overnight<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 7<\/a><\/td> Koblenz<\/a><\/td> Koblenz is not just where history meets modernity, but also where the Rhine meets the Mosel: at the \u201cDeutsches Eck\u201d (\u201cGerman Corner\u201d) the two rivers join each other in front of the equestrian statue of Emperor William I.<\/td> 2 p.m.<\/td> overnight<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 8<\/a><\/td> Cruising The Rhine<\/a><\/td> Cruising by the Lorelei & along the Mid Rhine after departure<\/td> \u2014<\/td> 6 a.m.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 8<\/a><\/td> R\u00fcdesheim<\/a><\/td> R\u00fcdesheim, an ancient little town, stretches along the Rhine under the hills of the Niederwald. The best vineyards are traditionally said to have been planted with Traminer vines by Charlemagne. The excellent local wines and the charming and varied scenery have enabled R\u00fcdesheim to develop since the end of the 19th century into one of the busiest tourist and holiday centres on the Middle Rhine, with a host of friendly restaurants and wine taverns, particularly along the famous Drosselgasse. R\u00fcdesheim has two castles \u2013 the Oberburg and the Vorderburg \u2013 both were built in the 12th century.<\/td> 2 p.m.<\/td> 9 p.m.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Day 9<\/td> Frankfurt<\/td> <\/td> 7 a.m.<\/td> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"