Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps (Christmas)

Amsterdam: A good time! That’s what you’ll have in this beautiful capital of the Netherlands, which feels at once like a 17-century city and a bustling modern metropolis. Famous for its canals and extraordinary museums, Amsterdam is also an intimate city with strangely alluring streets and squares.

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.

Located on both sides of the Rhine river, Cologne (German: Köln) is the fourth most populous city in Germany. Cologne’s great Gothic Cathedral is a magnificent reminder of man’s ability to create exquisite art from stone. Its lacy twin spires and wonderful stained glass never fail to impress. Miraculously, the Cathedral escaped wartime destruction, unlike most of the city. The Old Town attracts visitors with excellent restaurants, lively taverns, bars and boutiques. The pedestrian-only Hohe-Strasse is a shopper’s paradise, and Eau de Cologne toilet water, trademarked 4711 (the former address), is world famous.

The Rhine Valley is the general name for the valley, or any section of it, of the Rhine river in Europe.

Here you’ll find dramatic landscapes with fertile vineyards clinging to steep hills, numerous imposing castles and dreamy wine villages. Every little village, it seems, 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.

The Rhine Gorge, a section of the Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen, is also known as the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Home to more than 40 castles and fortresses, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and arguably the river’s most visited section.

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.