Germany: Bernkastel, Boppard, Speyer | France: Riquewihr, Strasbourg | Switzerland: Basel
Ship
Privately Owned, 140-passenger Ship
Includes airfare
During your trip, you will have the opportunity to join optional tours to further your discoveries—all of which are noted below. Most of these tours can only be reserved onsite with your Program Director, however due to limited space and other special requirements, some optional tours must be reserved before your departure from the U.S. If this trip has optional tours that need to be purchased in advance, they will be noted with a disclaimer below.
Day 6 | $99 per person
Day 6 | $99 per person
Spend the afternoon in the famous Black Forest region. First, you’ll take a guided tour of The Black Forest Open Air Museum to see how people lived and worked here 600 years ago. Next, witness the preparation of this region’s most popular sweet, the Black Forest cake. Comprised of rich chocolate and cherries, this cake is beloved all over the world—and you’ll discover why when you enjoy a taste for yourself, accompanied by a hot beverage. Finally, you’ll visit a traditional cuckoo clock shop, where you can admire the painstaking craftmanship of these iconic time pieces. Perhaps you’ll take home a hand-carved clock of your own.
Day 4 | $99 per person
Day 4 | $99 per person
On this excursion, you'll travel to one of the most beautiful structures standing along the Rhine River, Marksburg Castle. Unaltered by war or reconstruction, the 13th-century fortress offers an unrivaled glimpse into medieval daily life. Walking among the three towers and the connecting rooms, you will fully feel what it was like to live in a castle. You'll climb a stone staircase leading to the romantic bed chamber (the only room heated with a stove), see the Great Hall with its enormous fireplace (large enough to grill a steer whole), and take in a commanding vista of the east bank of the Rhine as you stand atop the towers. Then make a discovery of a different nature as you sample regional beer. Return to town for an included walking tour of Boppard before reuniting with your fellow travelers for lunch onboard.
Please note: The optional Marksburg Castle tour features a considerable amount of walking uphill and on uneven surfaces; steep inclines; rocky terraces; narrow passages, no handrails; and dim lighting at times.