Cruise Day 5

Strasbourg, situated on the Upper Rhine Plain where the Ill River meets the Rhine and France borders Germany, Strasbourg lies squarely at the crossroads of major waterways and routes.  In fact, even its name means "a town at the crossing roads."  Founded by Romans in 12 B.C. for its strategic location, Strasbourg quickly became a center for trade, and with the abundant exchange of goods came the open flow of ideas.  The city became a free imperial town in 1262 and attracts reformists, artists and intellectuals seeking refuge.  Its freedom and independence ended in 1681 when Louis  XIV made it part of France.  When the German's invaded in 1870, Strasbourg became one of the wealthiest and most glamorous locales in the German empire.