'Madeleine' ~ Christmas Markets in Alsace

Day 1: STRASBOURG

Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 5:00 p.m. Dinner will be served on board. The evening is free to do as you please.
 

Day 2: STRASBOURG - Sélestat - The Wine Route - OBERNAI

We'll cruise all the way to the European institutions. We'll sail past the beautiful Parc de l'Orangerie which was created by André Le Nôtre, the landscape architect who designed the park of the Palace of Versailles. We'll depart by coach with our hostess towards Sélestat. We'll stop at the Maison du Pain d'Alsace (House of Bread) and discover the many culinary traditions of the region, including a tasting of the famous "bredeles”, small typical biscuits that are baked during Christmas time. We'll continue our trip towards Eguisheim, listed as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages of France” and which the French designated as their favorite village in 2013. Eguisheim has remained true to the authenticity of Christmas traditions. You'll be delighted by its Christmas Market located at the heart of the medieval village and which exhibits the works of many local craftsmen. We'll enjoy lunch along the Wine Route. This afternoon, we'll head to Obernai, a city which has kept all of the charms from its Rhineland Renaissance era. The town is particularly lively at this time of year. We'll return on board and remain in port overnight, a few hundred meters from the European Parliament.
 

Day 3: STRASBOURG

We'll cruise to the historic center of the city. We'll set out on foot for the Hospices de Strasbourg which house secret wine cellars. Wines gifted by patients to account for their medical care used to be kept there. Today, about twenty winemakers keep their most prestigious wines to age in the reputed cellars of the Hospices. The latter also house the oldest wine barrel dating from 1472. Your visit of the cellars will be followed by a tasting of some of the wines. We'll return on board after our tour and enjoy lunch as we sail along an arm of the Ill River towards the Ponts Couverts. Our ship will be moored just a stone's throw away from the famous Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Strasbourg, providing quick and easy access on foot to the picturesque areas of the city. We'll set out on foot for a guided tour of the Alsatian capital that will take you through the beautifully preserved district of the Petite France and past the cathedral (exterior only.) Enjoy time at leisure in a magical atmosphere on the numerous Christmas Markets located in several squares across the city. Tonight's our gala evening and dinner.
 

Day 4: STRASBOURG

Enjoy one last buffet breakfast as we cruise before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. at our river mooring (rue du Havre).