W
hile picture-
postcard sights,
architectural
delights and diving
into new cultures are what make
travelling the world exciting, it's the
promise of all the glorious edible
discoveries that piques my interest
the most. e local dishes you
discover abroad; the ingredients you
can pick up to evoke that holiday
feeling back home. When that trip
runs 1,280km along the Rhine
from Basel to Amsterdam, through
four countries, six cities and five
towns, rich in wine and weissbier,
For travel writer Gabrielle Sander, exploring the
region – and its food – on an epic 41km cycle ride,
was the highlight of her journey on the Rhine
cheese and charcuterie, schnapps,
schnitzel and stroopwafels, the
anticipation dials up a notch.
My first Viking river cruise was a
veritable spring feast for all senses:
crisp April days offering blue skies
and sunshine, technicolour tulips
galore and sweet interactions with
wildlife – the family of ducks that
passed beneath our veranda balcony
one morning in a neat little row,
and the swans we met at almost
every bank along the way.
Viking Eir, our comfortable
home for the eight-day trip,
delivered my partner and I
seamlessly from one Rhine-side
destination to the next; the low-
level Longship designed perfectly to
dock near the heart of the action.
Each day brought a new adventure,
through a rich itinerary of inclusive
excursions, opportunities to explore
alone, aided by the handy maps
conveniently handed out at guest
services, and well-priced, optional
activities that took us even deeper
into the location.
e first stop after embarkation,
60km north of Basel, was the
German town of Breisach. Here
we hopped off the boat and onto
Black Forest
FAIRYTALE
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