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A brief walk from the Strasbourg Cathedral lies the glorious Palais Rohan, a former Episcopal residence built between 1732 and 1742. Designed by the king’s architect for the Prince-Bishop of Strasbourg, the architectural masterpiece has welcomed everyone from Louis XV and Napoléon to Marie Antoinette, whose fate was later sealed by palace resident Cardinal Rohan.

Today, visitors can tour the Decorative Arts Museum on the ground floor for a peak at the gorgeous cardinal apartments and the jaw-dropping, solid-mahogany library, as well as various furniture, jewelry, and sculptures. Afterward, head up to the first floor, where the Museum of Fine Arts features masterworks by Botticelli, Raphael, Rubens, and Delacroix, or down to the basement to see the Archaeological Museum, one of the largest museums of its kind in France.

Restaurant Chez Yvonne is one of Strasbourg’s oldest and most famous winstubs (wine lounges)—and a less-expensive alternative to the city’s Michelin-starred Au Crocodile. The cozy eatery was a favorite of former French president Jacques Chirac, who often came here to discuss politics over wine and sauerkraut. Offering traditional Alsatian dishes, this is not a place for fussy eaters. Look forward to everything from liver dumplings, veal tongue, and braised pork knuckles to more standard fare like roasted chicken and fillet of beef, all doused in sauce and served with something sautéed.

Nothing in life is perfect, but Strasbourg’s historic district, La Petite France, comes pretty close. Located at the west end of the Grand Île (the first entire city center to be named a UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to its French and German architecture), this picturesque neighborhood is the stuff storybooks are made of, complete with canal bridges and half-timbered homes. Gaze at the sloping rooftops of the 16th-century buildings and imagine the tanners who used to dry their skins in those attics, or picture the fishermen and millers who used to live and work here when it was the poorest area of the city. Buy some salted caramel or raspberry–milk shake macarons at Elisabeth Biscarratat on Rue de la Vignette, then savor them along the ponts couverts that cross the four river channels (these “covered bridges” were built in 1250 to defend the city, but their protective wooden roofs were torn down in 1784).

All roads here lead to Place Kleber, a giant square that can be a tad commercial save for the book market on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, and the world-renowned Christmas market, during which a 100-foot tree from the Vosges Mountains takes over the square from the end of November through December.

I am a die-hard cheese fanatic, so when I heard Strasbourg, France had an entire restaurant dedicated to my favourite dairy product, I had to visit. La Cloche a Fromage, refers to the glass dome the French place over their cheese boards, and this restaurant is home to the world’s largest. There are over 70 varieties of cheese available here and each dish on the menu features at least one. My husband opted for the traditional Raclette, melted oozy cheese over meat and potatoes. I went all out and ordered the 14 cheese sample plate. It was cheesy heaven. You can even buy your favourites to take home with you in the restaurant’s cheese shop.

One of Sydney’s lesser-known cultural attractions is one of its most interesting. The Powerhouse Museum presents exhibits on science and technology as well as fashion and decorative arts. Twelve permanent expositions range from a historic overview of space travel to an original model of the Strasbourg Astronomical Clock, which, at six minutes before the hour, performs a musical story from the Christian bible. Among the ornate dials is a display of the planets relationship to the sun as well as the position of the sun, moon, and stars over Sydney. An even more eclectic mix of visiting shows shuffles through the Powerhouse Museum; recent examples include a retrospective on a Beatles tour of Australia and a London exhibition on the history of underwear.

An incredible French restaurant called Les Bateliers lies over the water just near the Rue Turenne Bridge in Colmar, France, providing a one of a kind view of the colorful historical architecture. If you had to choose one place to eat in Colmar, this would be it. This picture was taken on the bridge overlooking Colmar’s River. The view is known as La Petite Venise, resembling many of Venice‘s streets. I waited for the opportune moment when the eyes of those on the boat met with those at the restaurant, sharing gazes and absorbing the few-seconds of that moment in passing. It was a cloudy day that day, which provided a beautiful soft light over the charming Alsace city. Colmar, France is easily the most picturesque place to visit in Northeastern France, a good day trip out of Strasbourg. If you don’t come for the food, staying for the scenery is just as good.

Strasbourg-based CroisiEurope was founded in 1976 and is one of Europe’s largest river cruise specialists, running trips along the Rhine, the Rhône, the Seine, the Danube, and more. The company is christening a new Douro Valley ship in 2015, decked out with MissoniHome textiles and furnishings and with berths for 132 passengers. The Douro River begins in north-central Spain (where it’s known as the Duero) and flows west through Spain and Portugal before meeting the sea in Porto. The Douro Valley in Portugal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s most charming but lesser-known wine regions, notable primarily for its production of port. The landscape is characterized by terraced vineyards spread over rolling hills, with plenty of woodland, and the region is dotted with picturesque old towns with exquisite architecture. CroisiEurope’s Douro Valley tours all begin and end in historic Porto, and as well as winetasting and other activities there are optional excursions to towns such as Braga, Vila Réal, and even Spain’s Salamanca, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tours last 6–8 days and prices start at $1,145.

In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, the three members of AFAR’s mighty destination team tackle all things winter travel.

Travel through the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland for local flavors, incredible history, and more along this legendary river