Stein am Rhein

One of my favourite of my favourite things to do during the summer in New Brunswick is spending the day in St. Andrews. My dad always says its the place you drive two hours eat and then turn around to come home. (I think he secretly loves it)

This little town of Stein am Rhein reminded me of this, if you replace the ocean with the Rhine river, and the little shops with beautifully preserved medieval buildings.  

The town had the same feel as my day trips to St. Andrews as there isn't a whole lot to do. The nice part though is that it was less than a half hour drive on a beautiful back road through little towns and colourful trees. When we arrived, we parked the car and started walking. We made it to the downtown area, which is lined with shops built into all these beautifully painted buildings.

What I love about visiting these towns, is their main streets are usually pedestrian only. It's so nice to be able to browse around the streets, look at the sights, and not have to worry about the business of streets. The town is pretty small with not a whole lot to do and most of the shops are aimed at tourists, but the architecture is so well preserved and such a beautiful place to stop. After the shops, we took a walk along the Rhine river and saw some swans. 

Of course to finish off, like any day trip, we had to stop for a treat. We had already packed a lunch, so we stopped into a gelato shop where I had banana gelato  (YUM!) and Cam had a coffee. He is realizing that they don't take their coffee lightly here, and that it might turn him into a coffee snob!

After Stein am Rhein, we traveled to the Rhine falls, which I will post about next!

+Kahli