Twinkling lights illuminating medieval streets … mulling spices perfuming the air of bustling cafes … proud artisans beaming smiles as they show their handiwork in centuries-old markets. There is a magic about the Christmas season in Europe that you simply have to experience to truly understand. And our travelers tell us that the spell doesn’t fade when your trip ends—you carry some of the glow with you.
Barbara & Bill Crowson—20-time travelers from Killen, Alabama—wrote to tell us about their experiences during our Christmas Markets along the Rhine River Cruise last year. They said they not only “could write a book about all the interesting cities and Christmas markets,” they also brought back a set of German gluhwein drinking cups that they put to good use at home for the rest of the holiday season.
The chance to enjoy Old World holiday traditions (and perhaps continue them back in the states) is just one reason our Holiday River Cruises along the Rhine, Seine, and Danube rivers are so beloved by our travelers. Each itinerary not only includes visits to some of our favorite towns and villages, but also special seasonal features that introduce you to regional holiday customs you can’t enjoy any other time of year.
Here are some of the festive features our travelers have told us that they most enjoyed—features we think you’ll remember fondly, too!
Christmas Markets along the Rhine
Cologne loves Christmas—as evidenced by its seven Christmas Markets. You’ll enjoy a special visit to the riverside Medieval Christmas Market, which features period craftsmen, jesters, and medieval music. But you’ll also enjoy ample free time during the day and evening to explore on your own. Perhaps you’ll visit the market in front of Cologne Cathedral, where 160 stalls spread out beneath the largest Christmas tree in Rhineland. Or visit the Alter Markt, with its timeless half-timbered stalls.
In Speyer, you’ll revel in the yuletide spirit when you join a local family for a Home-Hosted Visit. As you enjoy coffee, German cake, and good conversation, it’ll be a terrific opportunity to ask about the local holiday traditions and to share your own. Many travelers have told us that this a true highlight.
Christmas Markets Along the Danube
The most famous of all holiday markets is Nuremberg’s Christkindlmarkt. With 180 wooded-and-cloth stalls, its offerings span the goods the city is best known for—toys, metalwork, glass ornaments, sausage—as well as its cultural offerings, from a living nativity to live music performances. Presided over by a local girl chosen as its “Christmas Angel,” the market beckons two million visitors a year.
For a truly transporting idyll, you can’t top an Organ Concert at Melk Abbey. The Abbey itself—with 365 windows and shimmering frescoes—leaves a lasting impression, but it truly comes to life in a 20-minute recital with the strains of its pipe organ floating through the 900-year-old hall. (This feature may not be available on all departures.)
Christmastime on the Seine
The “City of Light” glows even more brightly at Christmastime, with white lights outlining structures from the Champs Elysees to the ponts spanning the Seine. You’ll experience this beauty in a wonderful Night Cruise along the Seine aboard the M/S Bizet. The illuminated Eiffel Tower, Musee D’Orsay, Notre Dame, and more will glide into view as you follow the river during this enchanting evening.
The Notre Dame Cathedral in Rouen may be best known for how it looks—captured beautifully in 30 paintings by Monet—but at this time of year, we love how it sounds. For six centuries, the Choir Masters here have been training musicians, and you’ll enjoy the fruits of this tradition when the resident choir performs a Rouen Cathedral Christmas Carol Concert especially for Grand Circle travelers.
Experience these holiday features—and more—on our Christmas Markets along the Rhine, Christmas Markets along the Danube, and Christmastime on the Seine River Cruises.