Rhine & Moselle Splendors

The second largest city in Switzerland, Basel is spread out on both sides of the Rhine river. The left bank is called the Grossbasel, and the part of the city located on the flatter right bank is Kleinbasel.

Due to its location on an important strategic river and bordering both Germany and France, Basel developed at an early date into an important trading centre. This development is still evident in the many international trade fairs and congresses held here. Basel is not only a city of trade, but it is also known for its production. Indeed, some of the world’s largest chemical and pharmaceutical companies are located here. It is quite natural that Basel plays an important financial and political role. Delegates from major industrial countries come to Basel to discuss the world’s monetary and geo-political situation. Meetings regularly occur in the elegant tower of the Bank for International Settlements (BIZ); yet Basel, also
has reason to be proud of its intellectual and cultural importance. The first university in Switzerland was founded here and Basel famously became the centre of humanism inspired by the visionary Erasmus von Rotterdam. Throughout modern history, great scholars have taught here including the physician Paracelsus and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. A city of enormous appreciation for the arts, Basel boasts 267 museums, a grand new theatre as well as folkloristic gatherings and numerous civic festivals. The biggest event of the year is the Basel Fasnacht when the whole city takes part in the three days of high-spirited celebrations.

Explore this magical town of half-timbered houses.

A quaint medieval town along the Moselle River.

Woods, Lakes and meadows make up a majority of Koblenz, and its famous sites draw visitors from all over to view the stunning beauty.

Without doubt one of the prettiest towns in Switzerland, Lucerne lies in the heart of the country on the northern end of the famous lake of Lucerne, the Vierwaldstätter See. Dotted throughout with many Renaissance and Baroque fountains, colourful paintings on the gables and commanded by the exquisite wooden bridge, the Kapellbrücke and Wasserturm, the 13th century octagonal water tower, Lucerne’s character is pure charm.

Spectacular views and sights abound from almost every vantage point in and around Lucerne. The heritage of this historic locale and of Switzerland itself is palpable in every landmark. The Old Town Hall – Altes Rathaus – is a fine example of a Renaissance building whilst the Meseggmauer, City Wall, built between 1350 and 1405 stands proud above
the city. A stroll along the quay takes the visitor past the modern health resort and onto the largest and most important Transport Museum in Europe and the only Planetarium in Switzerland. The famous Lion Monument – Löwendenkmal and the Glacier Garden, a geological phenomenon left over from the Ice Age make for remarkable viewing as do the Pilatus, Dietschiberg or Gütsch mountains peaks surrounding the city.

A short drive from town takes visitors to some of the most breathtaking landscapes on earth. A paddle steamer ride around the Viewaldstätter Lake takes in the majesty and scenery of this beautiful area. A short drive will take you to the nearby winter resorts and many more lakes, This is the alpine range in central Switzerland where you will find glaciers, lush forests, verdant valleys and so much more.

You can find it all in Lucerne from theatre and the arts to star-gazing and folkloric festivals. Lucerne is especially lively during Carnival with lakeside celebrations, Rotsee-boat races, and the international horse races. With such variety, a good time is virtually guaranteed in Lucerne.

Luxembourg is a country in western Europe. With Belgium and the Netherlands, Luxembourg forms the Low, or Benelux, Countries. Luxembourg has a moderate climate with a mean annual temperature of 10° C (50° F) and a yearly rainfall of about 815 mm (about 32 in).

A tributary of the Rhine, the Moselle River flows through France, Luxembourg and Germany. The Moselle also lends its name to a region of France, a valley which it bisects, and a wine produced along its banks. Many popular attractions can be found on the Moselle River, included terraced vineyards, medieval castles and ruins, traditional markets and art nouveau architecture.

As the French capital, Paris is the commercial, financial, and industrial focus of France, a major transportation hub, and a cultural and intellectual center of international renown. A beautiful city in which tourism is the main industry, Paris is cut by the Seine River. On its stately, formal right (northern) bank are many of the most fashionable streets and shops, and such landmarks as the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Louvre, and Sacré Coeur.

The left bank houses governmental offices and is the site of much of the city’s intellectual life. It is known for its old Latin Quarter and for such landmarks as the Sorbonne, the Luxembourg Palace, the Panthéon, and the modern Pompidou Center (see Beaubourg). The historic core of Paris is the Île de la Cité, a small island occupied in part by the Palais de Justice and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. Above the city rises the Eiffel Tower. Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (boroughs) and governed by a mayor.

A fishing village when it was conquered (52 B.C.) by Caesar, it became an important Roman town. It was a Merovingian capital in the 5th cent. and became the national capital with the accession (987) of Hugh Capet, count of Paris. It flowered as the center of medieval commerce and scholasticism but suffered severely during the Hundred Years War. Paris consistently displayed a rebellious and independent spirit, as in its resistance to Henry IV (1589-93); the first Fronde (1648-49); the revolutions of 1789, 1830, and 1848; and the Commune of Paris (1871). During World War II it was occupied (1940-44) by the Germans but was relatively undamaged.

The Rhine Valley’s most evocative scenery lies between Mainz and Koblenz. Here you’ll find dramatic landscapes with fertile vineyards clinging to steep hills, numerous imposing castles and dreamy wine villages. Every little village has at least one wine festival per year, with the most famous being the Rhine in Flames series of festivals, when water, lighting and fireworks are combined to spectacular effect. Try to visit the Rhine Valley in early spring or late autumn when the crowds have gone. The best way to see the valley is by boat.

Rüdesheim is a small, very quaint “Bavarian” village in Germany on the Rhine River. Points of interest include the Asbach Brandy Distillery, Cable-car to Niederwald Monument, Medieval Museum of Torture, a Falconry and many wine festivals throughout the year.

The ancient capital of Alsace it is located in the northeast corner of France near the border with Germany. The city has exchanged hands between France and Germany during the World Wars. It is considered to be at the “crossroads” of Europe and is the home of the European Parliment. Visit the Palais Rohan, home of many famous paintings; La Petite France with its ancient structures; the famous Church of St. Thomas; and the Cathedral of Notre Dame, built in 1439 and the largest building of its type in the World.

Trier – Germany’s Oldest City

Germany’s oldest city and a monument to history: Trier. Founded in 16 B.C as “Augusta Treverorum”, it dramatically blossomed into “Roma Secunda”, a second Rome. Nowhere else in Germany is the Roman past as impressively visible as in this former imperial residence. The Porta Nigra, the Amphitheater, the Imperial Baths, and the Constantine Basilica – all of them UNESCO cultural heritage sites – impressively demonstrate the Roman way of life.

The city on the Mosel River also features stone witnesses to past eras including the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods. The Cathedral, the medieval marketplace, and the palace of the Prince Electors are other historic elements of a dynamic community that lives its past in the present.

Our recommendations:
Trier is an excellent place to travel back in time – for instance with the tour “2000 Steps – 2000 Years” and the “Roman Meal” based on an original recipe from Apicius. Even back then, the Romans washed it down with a tasty wine grown on the banks of the Mosel.

Switzerland’s largest city is surprisingly compact, with a wealth of churches, museums, and cobbled streets. More than half of Zurich’s 41 museums are free, from the wide-ranging Swiss National Museum, with treaures from prehistory to the present, to the tightly focused Beyer Museum of Time and the Museum Strauhof, strong on James Joyce artifacts and memorabilia. A free list of museums can be picked up at the tourist office.

Zurich’s premier magnet is the Old Town, a maze of medieval streets on both sides of the Limmat River. Among the most ancient and charming byways in this part of town are Neumarkt, Rindermarkt, and Predigergasse–narrow streets with building, some of them more than 700 years old, housing galleries and small shops brimming with stylish jewelry, clothing, crafts, works of art, and books. Augustinergasse, lines with 17th- and 18th- century houses, curves up to St. Peter’s, the city’s oldest parish church, also notable for having the largest clock face in Europe. If you don’t insist on top-name brands, it’s possible to do well buying classy-looking Swiss watches (under $100) and chocolate at department stores such as ABM, EPA, and Migros. For gift boxes of beautifully packaged chocolate truffles ($9-$25), try Schurter, on Niederdorfstrasse, also a fine spot for relaxing over a cup of hot chocolate or coffee ($2.50) and slice of cake ($2-$4). Swiss Army knives (starting at $12.50–and generally about half the price of those sold in the States), jewelry, wooden toys, and cheese boards can be purchased at Heimatwerk, with shops throughout Switzerland, but value-conscious
shoppers flock to the Zurich store, where an entire room is devoted to sales merchandise.

Countryside is close at hand in Zurich. Every 30 minutes, a train departs from Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof (train station) for the summit of Uetliberg Mountain, some 1,500 feet above the city. Plan your departure from Zurich so that you can have an early lunch in the train station, at Les Arcades (a plate of bratwurst is $12). Instead of boarding the train for the return trip after you’ve admired the view from Uetliberg, take the easy under-two-hour walk along the mountain ridge to Felsenegg, where you can then hop on a cable car for the quick trip back to Zurich.