After a beautiful morning in Colmar, the AmaSiena was docked on the German bank of the Rhine, just a short walk from Breisach. At 13:30 we stepped off the ship with the rest of the group and followed our local guide – a different guide from the morning but still excellent who stayed with us the entire afternoon – straight into town.
The Walk from Ship to Town
We walked along the riverbank, past the big lock where barges were slowly rising and falling, then under the road bridge and up the hill on cobblestone lanes lined with vineyards and half-timbered houses. The climb was steady and the November air sharp, but the views across to France made it worth every step.
Our guide kept us entertained and informed the whole way. Among the many things she told us:
- Breisach’s hill used to be virtually an island; before the Rhine was straightened in the 19th century, the river wrapped around it like a natural moat.
- Almost every roof and church tower has enormous stork nests. They are strictly protected – homeowners cannot disturb them, even for repairs.
- Many houses have four or five underground cellars carved deep into the rock, some stretching so far that one local wine cooperative runs a little tourist train through theirs that ends in the next village.
- From the cathedral terrace we looked out over France one way, the Black Forest the other, and the soft volcanic hills of the Kaiserstuhl glowing in the late-afternoon sun.
- St. Stephansmünster was 85 % destroyed in 1945 and carefully rebuilt; the faint 15th-century Last Judgment fresco by Martin Schongauer is still visible inside.
- In the main square stands the modern sculpture of Europa riding the bull – half the figure is missing, the arm reaching toward a star, symbolising an unfinished Europe that keeps growing.
- On the cathedral tower she quietly pointed out a small, half-ground-away iron plate that once bore a swastika and “Deutsches Reich” – left as a reminder.
The Black Forest Cake
Back down in the marketplace the cruise director suddenly announced, “Five more minutes for those who want Black Forest cake – then we walk back together!” A number of passengers made a dash for the orange Konditorei. Our guide just smiled and said the cakes in the windows were the tourist version. She explained that real Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte must have dark chocolate, unsweetened whipped cream, sour morello cherries, and a good splash of Kirschwasser.
Heading Back – Christmas Lights and Golden Hour
By quarter to four we were walking down the hill and along the river again. The sun was low, turning everything pink and gold. As we reached the ship the crew began switching on the Christmas lights for the first time this season – string after string until the whole AmaSiena glowed against the darkening Rhine.
I recorded the whole afternoon in 360° so you can follow our exact route from the gangway to the cathedral terrace and back:
Breisach Germany Playlist or you can see the whole River cruise adventure at the Rhine River Cruise Adventure
The combination of a knowledgeable, funny guide, gorgeous late-autumn light, and that first magical switch-on of the ship’s Christmas lights made a simple port stop one of the most enjoyable afternoons of the entire cruise. Unfortunately the next day we’d have to return to reality.
And here’s the funny part: this is actually the last port day I’m sharing… even though it’s one of the first blog post you’re reading (Colmar and Breisach). Why?
Blame 360° video files the size of small planets. My storage drives filled up faster than the Rhine in springtime, so I had to edit and clear space backwards – starting with Breisach just to free up room for the rest of the cruise.
So yes, we’ve reached the end of the journey today… but the adventure in these posts is only just beginning. Next time we’ll rewind all the way to the start. Stay tuned – the best is still ahead!
Until next time!
Auf Wiedersehen! (until we see each other again)
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