An Evening Stroll Through Breisach, Germany

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Situated on the Rhine River, the town of Breisach am Rhein is often called the gateway to the Black Forest. It’s a popular place for cruise ships to dock; from there their passengers can visit the Black Forest, local wine towns, and France’s Alsace region.

After spending the morning touring the Black Forest, many of our shipmates enjoyed the afternoon wandering around Breisach, visiting its cathedral and exploring its streets. We didn’t, though. We signed up to take the optional afternoon trip to Colmar.

While it was everything we had expected and more, our dinner companions told us that they’d really enjoyed touring picturesque Breisach. They urged us to not miss the chance to see it.

So we told our tired feet to stop complaining, grabbed our cameras, and headed into town. After all, we might never have another chance to visit!

ⓘ TIP: This article is one of our collection of stories about what happens on a Viking Rhine River Cruise.

Breisach’s medieval heart

Medieval tower in Breisach am Rhein, Germany

We love the atmosphere that medieval towns exude, and Breisach has it “in spades.” It was a significant stronghold of the Holy Roman Empire in the 16th century and it’s still very well preserved.

Passing through the city’s ancient gates, we slowly meandered along the narrow, cobbled streets. The sun was setting and street lights lit the cobblestones, bathing everything in a golden hue.

Our cruisemates were right: Breisach is a charming town. Many of the town’s old homes sported window boxes overflowing with flowers.

Shopping street in Breisach Germany

St. Stephan’s cathedral

It’s impossible to miss Stephansmünster, the best-known sight in Breisach. Like most cathedrals, it sits on the highest point, presiding over the heart of the old city.

Breisach's St. Stephans munster cathedral illuminated at night

St. Stephan’s Cathedral dates from the 13th early century, not long after Breisach became a free imperial town. It took nearly three centuries to build, and as a result the building contains both Gothic and Romanesque elements.

The doors to the church were closed at this late hour, so we walked around its exterior instead. The empty courtyard, peaceful and quiet, was dimly lit from the lamps reflecting off the cathedral’s walls.

We sat there for a while, listening to the leaves rustling in the warm summer breeze, and enjoyed the view from the courtyard’s waist-high wall. It offers a lovely panorama of the surrounding countryside, and in the evening you can see lights in the lowlands across the Rhine.

Nighttime view of the courtyard of Breisach's cathedral with trees in the foreground.

As charming as the village was, we didn’t linger to explore its shops. We preferred to remain in the past just a little while longer, savoring the lingering feeling of medieval Breisach’s past.

Our stroll back to the ship was just as peaceful. Except for the occasional car passing by, the ancient stone walls and gateways made it feel like the town had been frozen in time.

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Written by Linda

Linda is multilingual and has been to over 50 countries. Her insatiable love of travel, cuisine, and foreign languages inspired her to create As We Saw It, where she documents her trips, shares practical itineraries, and offers insider tips. She’s passionate about helping fellow travelers save time, money, and hassle, and loves to discover new places to explore.

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2 thoughts on “An Evening Stroll Through Breisach, Germany”

  1. Haven’t been to the Black Forest yet so found this post a nice little teaser. I do love a nice, old German town at night, though. There’s something special about these cities.

    • Adam, It was beautiful, and so worth it. Did you read about our trip into the forest itself, too? The glass blowing and clock-making were very interesting… But for me it is all about the Black Forest CAKE! Yummo.

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