River Cruise Destination
Breisach & Neuf-Brisach
River cruise tourism has grown significantly in Breisach am Rhein over the past decade.
In 2025, approximately 1,700 ships docked at the four piers on the German bank of the Rhine. Two additional piers have since opened on the French Rhine island. This has transformed the Breisach/Neuf-Brisach region into a Franco-German cruise destination.
Plans are in place to further strengthen joint marketing efforts to increase awareness and economic impact from cruise tourism in the region. Funding for this purpose has been granted from the Eurhena ACT (Art Culture Tourism) small projects fund, administered by the Eurodistrict Eurhena Region Freiburg - Centre et Sud Alsace, and co-financed by the Interreg Upper Rhine 2021-2027 program.
RCE Member Meeting
River Cruise Industry Experts Explore the Two Breisach Region – First Milestone of a New Cross-Border Project
From June 8 to 10, 2026, Breisach and Neuf-Brisach were the focus of the European river cruise industry. River Cruise Europe, of which Breisach am Rhein has been a member since 2029, selected this region as the venue for the second edition of its international conference. The conference was first held in Marseille in 2025.
More than 70 professionals from the river cruise industry participated in this annual meeting: representatives from shipping companies, tour operators, incoming agencies, service providers, and more. The three-day program included joint working sessions, site visits, technical excursions, and evening events.
New Project
The conference marked the first milestone in a new cross-border project between the city of Breisach am Rhein, the Alsace Rhin Brisach inter-municipal association, and their respective tourism offices. The project aims to develop the Breisach/Neuf-Brisach region as a joint river cruise destination.
To this end, funding was applied for from the EURHENA ACT small projects fund, administered by the Eurodistrict Eurhena Region Freiburg – Centre et Sud Alsace.
At a reception hosted by the city of Breisach on June 8, representatives from Eurhena delivered the confirmation that the project had been accepted into the funding program.
The successful conference will now be used as a foundation for implementing further measures by the end of 2026. The goal is to increase the destination's international profile and involve as many local businesses and stakeholders as possible as service providers or suppliers, ultimately strengthening the region's economic output.
