Ride, Wine & Dine

Bicycle Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland & Alsace, France

Essentials of Ride, Wine & Dine: Explore the warmth of the Mosel and Rhine River valleys, as well as the Alsace region of France - from the seat of a bicycle - and delight in the colorful villages, craggy outcroppings, verdant valleys, vivacious villages and impressive castles.

Luxembourg – Straddling a green river valley, Luxembourg City is a hilly sort of place that was once a fortress and is now a city of bridges and contrasts resulting from its turbulent and vibrant history. The only Grand Duchy in the world, Luxembourg lies at the heart of Western Europe and features steel, finance, and high tech as the industries du jour making it among the top three richest countries in the world.

Germany – A country filled with bountiful natural beauty, Germany offers sights, sites, splendor, savory cuisine, and fun for all. Cycle among charming villages and towering castles and let history and culture be revealed to you.

Switzerland – Enchanting edelweiss, picturesque peaks, and verdant valleys keep time with timeless towns and world-renowned cities – Switzerland is a country of complex and cozy co-existing cultures, cuisine, and diverse languages, not to mention a cyclist's paradise.

Alsace, France – In the Alsace region we cycle along the famous Wine Road through villages landscaped with brilliant flowers. Gabled and half-timbered houses line the narrow winding streets to create scenes from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales and with a bit of luck you may even see a family of storks nesting on a rooftop.

Cuisine: Alsace is the home of some of France's most exquisite cuisine with more Michelin starred restaurants than any other part of the world. It is greatly influenced by its German, Flemish and Burgundy neighbors. There is also a wealth of simple "regional" dishes. Sampling the many splendid wines will delight your palate and whet your appetite for the excellent local repast, including the local Muenster cheese.

Highlights: Trier (Roman city founded in 16 BC), Porta Nigra (gateway considered the finest Roman relic in Germany), Bernkastel (famous wine village), Boppard (once bustling city of the Holy Roman Empire), Strasbourg, Obernai, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg - the birthplace of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Colmar, Freiburg (capital of the Black Forest), Konstanz, Lake Constance (the Bodensee - Europe's third largest lake), Stein am Rhein, the island of Mainau (a tribute to the art of horticulture).