The river Rhine may be synonymous with Germany, but the Rhine river in fact flows through several other countries in Europe, including Austria and France. This page guides you through
several landmarks that you would get the chance to visit if you were to book a Rhine river cruise along the river from its starting point in Switzerland into the heart of Germany. Enjoy Avalon Cruises Rhine Cruises that will take along the whole length of the beautiful Rhine.
The Rhine begins its long and winding journey through Europe in the Swiss mountains, close to the pretty city of Chur. At this beginning point of the river, the river Rhine is little more than a stream. Chur lies among the most easterly parts of Switzerland, where the river meets the tiny river of Plessur.
Also known as the Bodensee, Lake Constance sits on the borderline between Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The Rhine travels through the Bodensee, which is also known as Lake Constance, to begin with as a substantial stream which then leaves the Bodensee as a ‘fully grown’ river. The Bodensee area is filled with fascinating places to visit, including the beautiful town of Wasserberg, Bregenz on the border of Austria, and of course the famous Lindau am Bodensee.
The Rhine is packed with areas of spectacular natural beauty, not least the Rheinfall, which is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Switzerland, pouring over a 20m drop. Those that want to explore the waterfall in detail can hire a small boat to the very bottom or alternatively you can clamber down the rocks below the Schloss Laufen for breathtaking views. The nearby city of Schaffhausen is also very visually arresting, where you can see the wonderful Munot Castle towering over an old fashioned, colourful town centre.
Out of Switzerland, the river flows North to form part of the borderline dividing the neighbouring countries of France and Germany, between the wine growing region of Alsace in France and the Black Forest Mountains in Germany. Shortly after this comes the city of Speyer, which played an important part in the time of the Holy Roman Empire. Speyer is home to a wonderfully old fashioned town centre, and a famous historic cathedral.
A Rhine river cruise is not just small, smoke spiralling villages, fairytale castles and striking forests. Thirty miles north of Speyer where the river Rhine joins with the Neckar, and the surroundings are transformed, with industrial cities like Mannheim and their modern structures. Due to the heavy bombings that the industrial cities in this area were subject to, almost all of the buildings that you will pass on this stretch of your Rhine river cruise will have been built post war.
