Discover the land of storybook castles and picturesque villages of Alsace-Lorraine aboard the luxury hotel barge Panache on a wonderful 7-day trip to the eastern part of France. Tour the vineyards of Route des Vins d’Alsace for a private wine tasting and learn more about the region's art of winemaking. Explore the historic city of Strasbourg. You will be amazed by its century-old Gothic cathedrals. Enjoy a gentle cruise in the pretty village of Lutzelbourg, surrounded by hills and overlooked by the ruins of the medieval castle.
Highlights
Tour the beautiful city of Strasbourg and visit its Gothic cathedral
Explore the Route des Vins d’Alsace and enjoy a private wine tasting
Visit the Meteor Brewery, founded in 1640
Tour Sarrebourg including a visit to the Chagall chapel
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Guests are met in Strasbourg and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Panache for a Champagne welcome and the first opportunity to meet your crew. Perhaps there is time for a walk or cycle ride before dinner on board.
Your day starts with a morning cruise, across the Gran Ried wetlands and home to an abundance of birdlife, to arrive at the historic city of Strasbourg. Later, you'll enjoy a tour of the beautiful ‘capital city of Europe’ including, of course, a visit to the 12th-century Gothic pink sandstone cathedral, home to an astronomical Renaissance clock and soaring spire. You will visit Place Gutenberg and explore La Petite France, a pedestrian area brimming with half-timbered houses, boutique shops, and cafés.
After breakfast, your cruise takes you past the impressive European Parliament building on the outskirts of Strasbourg and on through the Brumath Forest to the picturesque mooring at Waltenheim-sur-Zorn. This afternoon you will enjoy a scenic drive into the rolling Vosges hills on the Route des Grands Vins, where the finest wines of Alsace are produced, and a private tasting of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir and Riesling wines at a long-established winemaker, such as Domaine Pfister. Dinner ashore this evening at a traditional Alsatian restaurant.
This morning you will take a guided tour, with an optional beer tasting, at the Meteor Brewery, founded in 1640 and the last privately-owned brewery in Alsace. Returning to Panache, you will cruise further along the canal, with good walking and cycling opportunities, to the enchanting town of Saverne where history traces back over 2,000 years to the Gallo-Roman Times, mooring at the foot of the Château de Rohan, also known as the ‘Versailles of Alsace’.
This morning, perhaps after a visit to Saverne’s market, you will enjoy a cruise to the mooring in the pretty village of Lutzelbourg, surrounded by hills and overlooked by the ruins of the medieval castle. In the afternoon, you can visit the mountaintop village of La Petite Pierre, then tour the outstanding René Lalique collection and see over 500 exceptional examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco glassware. Nearby Wingen-sur-Moder is also the World War Two battleground where American infantry fought with distinction. Before dinner on board, time for aperitifs and perhaps some traditional Alsatian ‘Flammekueche’ prepared by your chef.
For early risers, there is an optional visit to a local bakery to watch skilled patissiers preparing their delicious creations, before you cruise through the beautiful Alsatian countryside, visiting the Lehrer Crystal glassworks en-route. You will then ascend the unique Arzviller boat elevator that carries Panache 450 feet up the mountainside in minutes and enjoy a candlelit cruise through the two Arzviller tunnels to your final mooring at Niderviller. After lunch on board, you will set off on a tour of Sarrebourg, including visits to the 13th-century chapel containing Marc Chagall’s remarkable stained-glass window and the impressive museum of Roman and Medieval artifacts. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.
Day 7: Niderviller | Disembark
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, guests are transferred by private chauffeured minibus to their choice of location in Strasbourg.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$6,9502-3 travelers
Rates are subject to change without notice. Book early to get the best rate.
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Junior Suite
150 sq ft including en suite facilities including TV/DVD, Double sink in bathroom and air conditioning/ heating, WiFi (subject to location)
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by Credit card, check, and bank transfer. All final payments by credit card subject to a surcharge of 2.5% and maximum of $20,000 charge
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
TrustScore 4.8 | 182 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 182 reviews on
3 hours ago
Easiest trip to plan ever. We received quick answers and Mary was very knowledgeable about different areas of the world that we had questions about.
We have book 2 trips, FABULOUS trip to Antartica which we have already taken and just booked for a future trip to Africa.
Michelle
8 hours ago
Planning service is personal. people actually listening to you and using that information constructively to help you plan a great trip. They have extensive travel knowledge and experience in the area they cover. The planning is detailed and comprehensive in meeting your needs. It makes a difference!
Allison Wynn
18 hours ago
The pre-planning and execution of the plan was excellent. They were even able to help get glasses returned when a member or our party left them in a hotel.
Roger
1 day ago
What made our Costa Rica experience great was the wonderful places we stayed and transportation to get to our different areas to visit was excellent! The white water rafting and the snorkeling & dolphin watching were really fun!
Michell Murphy
2 days ago
I received a quick and friendly response from my contact, Christina Mayo, both in email and phone calls. My request for information was provided in less than a day. She took a few minutes to chat about family and events. Dealing with her has always been a pleasure!