Hikes

Europe 2026 – Day 9, Baden-Baden, Germany

A UNESCO town renowned for its cultural splendor and its thermal baths. During the 19^th century, the town was labeled “the Summer Capital of Europe”. The town is the quintessential European spa town, famous for its Belle Epoque Architecture and high-end culture. Three interesting thermal baths are viewed:

Roman Bath Ruins – these 2000-year-old excavations show exactly how the ancient Romans enjoyed the springs.
Friedrichsbad – A historic Roman-Irish bathhouse built in 1877. It features a unique 17-step bathing ritual under a frescoed dome. This is a textile-free (nude) facility.
Caracalla Spa – a modern wellness complex with over 4,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor pools, rock grottos, and saunas. (Swimsuits required).

Casino Baden-Baden: often called the most beautiful casino in the world, its interiors were inspired by the Palace of Versailles. Too bad it was closed when we got there. The casion owed by the town and funds it’s infrstruture.

Trinkhalle (Pump Room): A 19th-century corridor lined with frescos depicting local legends. We also sampled the very salty thermal water from its fountain.

For some exercise, we walked part of the 2.3 km Lichtentaler Alle along the Oos River, a park and arboretum.

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Europe 2026 – Day 8b, Alsace, France

The Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, sometimes also Haut-Kœnigsbourg, is a medieval castle located in the commune of Orschwiller in the Bas-Rhin département of Alsace, France. This medieval castle is a symbol of Alsatian heritage it sits high atop a rocky promontory overlooking the region. From 1174, it guarded the Upper Rhine plain until its destruction during the 30 years’ war and for centuries it lay in ruins before extensive restoration in the 20^th century. It was a long winding drive up the mountain to arrive at the base of the castle then ascending a gravel path to enter thru High Gate. The tour started in the lower courtyard before climbing a narrow spiral staircase to the lord’s furnished residence with the trappings of medieval life including weapons, furnishings and frescos.

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Europe 2026 – Day 8a, Strasbourg France

An early morning bus ride to Strasbourg, France started with a boat ride through picturesque Petite France district (the town is surrounded by the Ill River and crisscrossed by several canals). We passed by the former tanner’s district which is home to the Old Customs house and bridges with their defensive towers. After disembarking we walk to Cathedral Square to see the restored Strasbourg Cathedral, one of Europe’s finest Gothic cathedrals. The Cathedrals Astronomical clock was impressive, but we were there on the quarter hour for one ring and one movement missing the parade of figures that happens at 12:30. Strasbourg is also home to the European Union and the Council of Europe both of which are housed in very modern buildings. BTW in yesterday’s post I incorrectly stated that Colmar was in Germany – not really it is in France.

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Europe 2026 – Day 7b, Colmar, Germany

This afternoons excursion was to stroll the medeviel lanes and squares of Colmar and to explore its “Little Venice”. The original Old Town was laid out in the 9th century and its Gothic churches were from the 13th Century. The city overflows with intact Alsatian homes and a mix of French and German Renaissance archeticture.

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Europe 2026 – Day 7a, Freiburg, Germany

This morning we took a trip to the southwestern corner of Germany visiting Freiburg and the Kaiserstuhl region. Along the way we passed terraced vineyards set on steep hillsides. In Freiburg we walked through the city’s old town with its cobble stone streets and half-timber houses. Highlights of the town included the Freiburg Cathedral, the Munsterplatz, a farmer and craft market, and it’s two remaining medieval gates, the Swabian and Martin’s gates. Also, the Historisches Kaufhaus (merchant hall) a bright red building with ornate bay windows.

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Europe 2026 – Day 5, Lucerne & Basel, Switzerland

Today was primarily a travel day out of the Alps and down to the Rhine River in Basel. We left Grindelwald by train at 8:47, arrived in Interlaken at 9:24, boarded the Interlaken – Lucerne express at 10:04, and arrived at Lucerne at 11:55. You know what – we hit those times exactly – not like the Central Railroad of New Jersey! Arriving in Lucerne, we did a walking tour of the city – a lakeside town with views of the Alps and the towering Mount Pilatus. We walked by half-timbered burgher houses and crossed the Chapel Bridge – a famous covered pedestrian walkway built in the 14^th century. Viewed the stately Jesuit Church, consecrated in 1677. Finally, we wandered through the old town admiring the historic buildings. The “Lion Monument,” a ten-by-six-metre work, was created in honour of the Swiss Guards who died in the Storming of the Tuileries in Paris in 1792. But how did this come about? It’s 10th August 1792: on this day, some 1,000 Swiss guardsmen were protecting the life of King Louis XVI of France with unconditional loyalty and bravery. The revolutionaries stormed the King’s residence, which the Swiss were defending, leading to the virtual annihilation of the Swiss Guard. The Lion Monument, a powerful memorial, pays homage to the selfless heroes of these men. Then, a 1.5-hour bus trip to our ship docked in Basel.

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Europe 2026 – Day 4, Jungfrau Region, Switzerland

Restful start today- a 10:20 cog railway train to Klein Schweitzer to view the Eiger, Monch, and the Jungfru mountains at 2061 meters. Followed by another cog rail to Eigergletscher station at 2320 meters. There we switch to a gondola for our return to Grindelwald. The pictures speak for themselves – a wonderful day of high-altitude travel.

BTW, see the end of this blog for a picture I left of Montreux Day 2.

And Yesterdays missing picture:

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Europe 2026 – Day 3, Gstaad, Interlaken, and Grindelwald, Switzerland

We left Montreux at 9:30 in a rail car (Golden Pass Express), which was 80% windows. The first leg of our journey was a scenic climb to Gstaad about 2 hours away. The train needed to zig-zag up the mountain because it was a flat rail rather than a cogwheel train. At Gstaad, we boarded a cable car to reach the summit and Glacier 3000 winter park in the Vaudois Alps. It was clear at the base of the mountain, but as we ascended from 5000 ft to the summit at 9500ft it became cloudier until visibility approached zero. Fortunately, there were breaks which allowed Chris to ride a mountain roller coaster. However, when we headed to walk the peak-to-peak suspension bridge, very little visibility was available- no matter that we hiked across into the clouds. After lunch at a mountain top restaurant, we descended by. gondola and headed to Gstaad to again ride the Golden Pass Express to Interlaken. We were able to walk the town center before we boarded another regular railway to our final destination for the evening – Grindelwald. For tonight and tomorrow, we are staying at Hotel Schweizerhof, a “Romantic Chain Hotel”.

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Europe 2026 – Day 2, Montreux, Switzerland

The tour company provided us with a free morning to get over jet lag – we got about 11 hours of sleep and were up for a 9:00 am breakfast overlooking the lake. We decided to tour old town Montreux, which was an uphill hike for an exhilarating start. We wandered through the winding streets enjoying the buildings, fountains, and views. At the top of our climb, we visited the church of St. Vincent with spectacular views across the lake. Walking downhill, we passed beautiful residences and hotels all with lake views. A stop at the must-see Freddie Mercury Experience at the Casino Barrière Montreux. The museum highlights his shows, music notes, and a recording studio.

In the afternoon, the tour restarted with a bus ride to Vevey to see the Chari Chapman statue and a lake cruise to the Chillon Castle. Chillon Castle is a medieval island castle located on Lake Geneva, south of Veytaux in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It is situated at the eastern end of the lake, on the narrow shore between Montreux and Villeneuve, which gives access to the Alpine valley of the Rhône. The rocky island on which the castle sits was both a form of natural protection and a strategic position to control passage from the north to the south of Europe. The castle took on the oval shape of the genuine island upon which it was built. It is approximately 100m long and 50m wide. It also took its name from the rock; the word ‘Chillon’ meant ‘rocky platform’ in an ancient language.

The history of the castle is marked by three great periods: those of the Savoy family, the Bernese bailiffs and the Canton of Vaud. (see https://www.chillon.ch/en/castle/) For more info.

Our local tour guide provided great background on the life cycle of the Castle, the dungeons, wine cellar, dining rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.

We bused back to our hotel, refreshed, and headed out to dinner at All’ Angolo – a great outdoor dining experience – limoncello spritz, burratina salad and pinse – made of wheat, soy and rice flour (a lite flatbread). Of course, served with a Petit Verdot and a Limoncello aperitif. Then a pleasant walk back to our hotel just in time to miss a full sunset.

Chillon Castle