Rhine & Main Explorer

Tour this fascinating city where three nations converge: Switzerland, France and Germany. Basel’s Old Town is an inviting cluster of medieval buildings spread on a hilly riverbank. You will begin your walking tour there, visiting the Marktplatz, or Market Square, surrounded by guild halls of late Gothic, Renaissance and baroque styles. Admire the ornate spires of the Rathaus, or Town Hall, and the thin towers of the 13th-century Romanesque Münster, or Cathedral. Its unusually red sandstone was quarried from the nearby Vosges Mountains in neighboring France. Behind the cathedral, an open terrace affords views of the Rhine River and the traditional cable ferries that use the river’s current carry passengers back and forth. The city’s open air market runs daily here, except Sundays, and is stocked with all kinds of vegetables, fruits and flowers from the surrounding Swiss countryside. You might find a favored local treat, Basler Läckerli cookies.

Immerse yourself for a day among the splendid vistas and rich culture of alpine Switzerland. Meet your guide and take a scenic drive to the charming village of Brienz. Here, you will stop to view a wood carver at work and learn how this traditional craft lives on. After time to visit with an artisan, continue to Grindelwald to board a cogwheel train to Kleine Scheidegg, a breathtaking mountain pass with stunning mountain views. You will have lunch in this magnificent setting and have time to explore before descending back to Grindelwald. Continue to Interlaken, beautifully set between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and surrounded by soaring peaks. Once hailed as a spa town to cure the ailments of 19th-century Europeans, today it is an inviting and relaxed pocket of Switzerland luring mountaineers and hikers eager to conquer the nearby summits.

Explore Basel and learn about the age-old techniques of paper, writing and printing at a local museum. Join your guide and cross the Rhine River on a traditional ferry, taking in the striking view of the Basel Cathedral and riverbank. Upon arrival at the opposite bank, stroll to the Basel Paper Mill, a museum housed in a medieval mill. Here, explore the history of paper, typesetting and bookbinding through interactive exhibits. Join a workshop to gain insights into artisanal techniques or enjoy free time to explore the museum. After, view St. Alban Tor, one of three surviving medieval gates, before boarding a tram for the old town to discover Switzerland’s oldest Läckerli manufacturer and learn about a sweet Swiss specialty. Taste variations made from recipes spanning three centuries to see how it has evolved over time. Pack your own Läckerli then return to your ship.