Christmas Market in Frankfurt, Germany – Photo by S Borisov/Shutterstock
My favorite time of the year will always be the holidays, especially Christmas! Christmas markets in Europe are a holiday wonderland. If you love all things representing the festive holiday spirit, I guarantee that you will love this walk through on river cruises featuring Europe’s storied Christmas markets.
Europe in December is Magical
Centuries-old church squares are an integral part of European river cruises. Each year, these meeting places come alive with the bustle of winter Christmas markets. The best way to experience this spectacle of holiday spirit is on a Christmas-market river cruise with companies such as AmaWaterways. Each market has booths offering local products, food, and crafts that provide a real sense of place. A Christmas Market cruise makes it impossible not to get into the festivities.
The Danube and Rhine rivers take on a special glow during the holiday season. A festive atmosphere envelops the Danube as ships weave past some of the continent’s grandest cities, including Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. The Rhine captivates cruisers with snow-dusted storybook towns and castles lining the riverbanks of historic cities such as Basel, Strasbourg, and Cologne. The scenery and holiday decorations make up for the cooler weather during the winter season.
The Cathedral Market’s illuminated scene in Cologne by Christian Kerber
Holiday Shopping has never been so fun!
Christmas markets are full of outstanding and unusual handicrafts and gifts to please everyone on your list! And you can experience the sweet scent of mulled wine, spiced gingerbread cakes, and roasted chestnuts.
Get ready for a hot cup of mulled wine – or two – at these amazing Christmas markets – Getty Images
Don’t worry; it will still feel like Christmas
Nostalgic holiday traditions (tree-trimming parties, hanging stockings by the fireplace) can sometimes get shunted aside in the holiday frenzy at home. On a Christmas-themed cruise, those moments are a celebration. On AmaWaterways sailings, guests can hang tinsel and garland to their heart’s content during onboard celebrations, take part in ornament scavenger hunts, and leave their shoes outside their staterooms for Saint Nicholas to fill. (Our favorite: the freshly baked Christmas cookies delivered to your stateroom.)
Danube River views of the Hungarian Parliament Building captivate travelers’ imagination – especially during the holidays by Getty Images
Why river cruising?
River cruises stop at new ports almost daily, offering passengers an itinerary full of unique destinations to discover.
Scenic sailing awaits the passengers. There is no shortage of time to take in the beautiful scenery when passing through scenic stretches.
It is all-inclusive! Most food, beverages, and often excursions are included in the overall price, allowing travelers to enjoy a decadent vacation without the stress of planning every detail and worrying about the budget.
River cruising offers a cruise for travelers who love to experience new cultures, visit historical sites, and relax in cruise luxury. It provides a fantastic return on experience and investment by allowing the chance to see multiple destinations under one price tag.
Get whisked away and drenched in local cultures with unique excursions and culinary experiences available only on river cruises, including authentic experiences and tasting culinary masterpieces made with locally sourced ingredients.
River cruises offer an exclusive, luxurious option for travelers. A smaller vessel means a more intimate vacation setting with staff focused on each guest. It allows travelers to visit more remote corners of the world and experience lands previously thought hard to get to by cruise, such as Europe’s Christmas markets!
Some of the best European Christmas Markets
The festive wonderlands are located in popular port stops on Virtuoso Voyages cruises along the Danube and Rhine rivers. The Christmas markets typically open from late November through late December. Each market is full of holiday decor and stalls selling regional treats and handmade gifts. Some even feature concerts and carnival rides. Dozens of these beloved hubs of holiday cheer make their homes in some of the continent’s most charming and historic cities, which makes for a fun, post-shopping exploration beyond the markets’ confines. Here, four markets to add to your nice list.
Marché de Noël de Strasbourg, France
The self-proclaimed “Capital of Christmas,” Strasbourg is home to France’s oldest, largest, and most famous Christmas market. With its origins dating to 1570, Marché de Noël celebrates the Alsace region’s German and French heritage. The holiday delights here are music, traditional food (think gingerbread-like bredele cake), drink (glühwein or mulled wine), and handmade gifts, ornaments, and toys. Visitors can eat, drink, and shop their way through the market’s 300 stalls. They can also stroll along streets lined with houses and churches covered in thousands of twinkling lights. Don’t forget to take in a Christmas concert and marvel at the Great Christmas Tree in the Place Kléber. The most exciting souvenir is the gift-bearing stork, a cherished city symbol.
On the Rhine River, pause for warm treats at Strasbourg’s Marché de Noel.
Viennese Dream Christmas Market, Austria
Austria’s capital city hosts a handful of Christmas markets each year. None are more iconic than the Viennese Dream Christmas Market, which takes place on the square outside Vienna’s nineteenth-century, Gothic-style City Hall. As the sounds of carols and choir music and the aromas of glühwein, waffles, and sizzling sausages swirl through the air there are so many choices! Visitors can shop for gifts at the market’s 150 stalls snack on roasted chestnuts, and take a spin around its ice rink. Inside City Hall, kids can learn to make everything from candles to Christmas cookies.
The Viennese Dream Christmas Market will return to Vienna in mid-November – Getty Images
Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, Germany
Each year in Nuremberg’s old town, a cosplay Nuremberg Christkind (Christ child) appears on the balcony of the Church of Our Lady on a Friday before Advent begins. Once the Christkind appears the holiday season officially kicks off along with the city’s 400-year-old Christkindlesmarkt. With roughly 2 million visitors annually market is one of the largest and most popular in Europe. Featuring concerts, handcrafted gifts (popular zwetschgenmännle, figurines made from prunes, a carousel, and a steam train for kids there is something for everyone here. Must-try treats include Nuremberg sausages tucked inside chewy rolls and lebkuchen or gingerbread. Climb the stairs to the church’s top for a postcard-worthy view of the festivities.
Nuremberg Christkind is the symbol of Christmas at the Christkindl Market
Budapest Basilica Christmas Market, Hungary
One of Hungary’s largest churches, St. Stephen’s Basilica, is also the backdrop for one of the country’s most famous Christmas markets. This market was founded in 2011 by the Association of Hungarian Folk Artists and features gifts handmade by its members. Market highlights include daily laser-light projections on the basilica’s facade, an ice-skating rink, and folk dancing. You will find the most delicious food, including warm chestnuts, savory sausages, and kurtos kalacs (a hollow funnel cake that looks like a chimney).
Are you interested in learning the Christmas traditions and festivities of other countries? Do you love going to markets and eating the delicious specialties of each town? Let us help you create that unique and distinct experience. Reach out to us here.