Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and one of the best ways to enjoy it is on a winter vacation river cruise.
Every city you visit will be bustling with activity as the locals prepare for Christmas.
Town squares are decked out with beautiful lights, and stores are adorned with stunning Christmas decorations. And then you have all the Christmas markets that make a river cruise a real treat.
For decades, Christmas markets have been considered the standout feature of European river cruises. And rightly so.
A Brief Look at the Christmas Markets
Nothing can prepare you for the magnitude of Europe’s Christmas markets.
Every year, Christmas markets transform the main squares of cities across Europe into a winter wonderland.
In some cities like Cologne (Germany) and Strasbourg (France), you can easily spend the whole day enjoying the festivities.
Most Christmas markets have their own unique traditions. In Nuremberg, for example, the joyful sound of bells at midnight on the eve of the first Friday in Advent heralds the opening of the Nuremberg Market.
Throughout Europe, there are Christmas markets with hundreds of stalls selling glittering decorations, handmade figurines, souvenirs and regional products.
The mouth-watering aromas of traditional Christmas dishes like bratwurst with sauerkraut and sausages in bread rolls fills the air.
Enjoy some of the local delicacies while warming up with a cup of hot chocolate or spiced mulled wine.
In short, there are endless things to discover at the Christmas markets.
But are the Christmas markets the only thing to discover and enjoy on your European river cruise?
Is there anything else? Are there other alternatives that can keep up? The answer is a resounding yes.
Here are five other experiences to put on your to-do list when planning your Christmas river cruise.
Top 5 River Cruise Experiences To Explore
1. Enjoy Live concerts by renowned musicians
This one is for lovers of classical music. Many people go on a cruise to have fun and enjoy themselves, and live music is one of the most popular leisure activities.
A European river cruise is the best place to enjoy famous melodies in historic cities like Budapest (Hungary), Bratislava (Slovakia), Vienna (Austria) and Salzburg (Austria), the birthplace of Mozart.
Cruise lines such as Amawaterways and Avalon often offer carefully selected music programs both on board and ashore.
Private concerts at St. Thomas Church in Strasbourg, the Dominicus Church in Amsterdam, and Beethoven’s House in Bonn are just a few of the musical highlights you can enjoy on a river cruise.
Performances at the famous opera houses in Vienna and Budapest are also special and should not be missed.
While you are at it, try to experience a free Christmas concert on one of the open-air stages at the Christmas markets.
Often these spectacular concerts will end with a fireworks display.
Avalon Waterways makes a stop in Austria’s magical capital city of Vienna, home of the Vienna Boys Choir.
Here you can celebrate the Christmas season with a choir of crystal clear young voices rising to sing!
These talented and rigorously trained boys, ages 9-13, come from more than a dozen countries and carry on a six-century-old Viennese choral tradition.
They sing a joyful program of Austrian folk songs, classical masterpieces and Christmas carols from around the world, including favorites such as “Hark!
The Herald Angels Sing” and “Joy to the World.”
2. Discover fairytale castles and hilltop fortresses
We have all read about great stone castles and legendary knights from centuries past.
There is no better way to experience these fairytale castles than on a river cruise, passing through the enthralling countryside and medieval towns and villages.
This is one of the outstanding features of a Rhine river cruise.
In the central part of the Rhine Valley – often referred to simply as the Rhine Gorge – there are more than 40 castles and fortresses from the Middle Ages.
To everyone’s delight, many of these magnificent castles are still standing strong.
Some have even been restored and equipped with restaurants, taverns and luxury spas.
From the top deck of your river cruise ship, you’ll scan the horizon for castles perched high on cliffs while others lie right on the riverbank.
It’s as if you have been transported to the fairyland of your childhood.
Each castle and fortress has its own story to tell – some are better known than others, but they all form a fascinating part of history.
3. Explore the Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture
Architecture is one of the main attractions of Europe, from the famous cathedrals to the museums to arched bridges.
The influence of architectural styles such as Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque on the construction of great churches, statues and paintings throughout Europe cannot be overlooked.
Even today, these structures still impress with their breathtaking artistry and attention to detail.
Gothic architecture predates both the Baroque and Romantic periods. Many of the most remarkable castles and cathedrals in Europe were designed in this style of the middle to late Middle Ages.
Characteristic features include pointed arches, ribbed roofs, large windows, and ornate facades.
Baroque architecture, which emerged from the late 16th to the 18th centuries, has its origins in the Counter-Reformation.
With it, the Catholic Church tried to retain its followers by building churches with sensory appeal.
This resulted in the exquisite designs we love today, such as cathedrals and monasteries with ornate mosaics and murals.
Notable examples include St. Charles Church in Vienna and Strahov Monastery which is located near the Prague castle.
In the 19th century, Baroque architecture was replaced by “Romantic” or “Neoclassical” architecture (often used synonymously).
This style was characterized by strong walls, sharp lines, and elaborate ornamentation to create strong visual contrasts.
It was often used on government buildings. The Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest is one such building.
These and other styles have made European cities treasure troves for lovers of architecture and history.
4. Visit Small Village Churches
Are you a curious traveler? Would you like to immerse yourself in the local life in the lesser-known parts of Europe?
If so, you should definitely consider this next experience.
One of the best aspects of a river cruise, in my opinion, is the opportunity to visit the countryside towns and villages you would not otherwise know about.
For every Paris, Rome, and London, there are hundreds of small European towns that are unique in their own way and deserve your attention.
River cruise lines even organize excursions to the smaller, quaint towns, providing the perfect opportunity to experience life as it was in medieval Europe.
Here you’ll find squares lined with half-timbered houses and winding cobblestone streets.
Most of these towns are pedestrian-only or closed to vehicles to preserve their charm.
Others were once walled cities, and some of them, like Rothenburg (Germany), have even managed to keep their ramparts intact.
Best of all, many of them are home to small medieval-era churches. While many of these churches are no longer visited for their religious significance, they are still explored for their grandeur and beauty.
Many of these churches feature amazing architecture and exquisite decorations that simply must be seen.
Even if you can not visit every single one of them, it’s definitely worth finding out which ones are near the stops on your river cruise.
5. Indulge in Wine tasting and culinary delights
Europe has a rich wine tradition, and on a river cruise, you can experience new flavors and aromas.
Tasting a glass of exquisite wine while learning about the winemaking process up close: who could say no.
Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or simply want to taste some of the best wines in the world, a river cruise through Europe is easily your best bet.
The Rhine or Douro rivers are great for wine travel because of their proximity to vineyards and wineries. The Danube also passes through some lesser-known wine regions in Austria, Germany and Hungary.
While it may be a bit too chilly for a tour of the vineyards, that shouldn’t stop you from stopping by some of the local wineries.
Activities to consider for your itinerary include private cellar tours and on-site wine tastings.
You never know when you’ll get a chance to enjoy some authentic encounters with local vintners.
Sometimes you don’t even have to leave your riverboat. You can experience the world through your taste buds right onboard.
Many luxury river cruise lines prepare meals with local ingredients that reflect the authentic flavors of the regions through which they sail.
These gourmet dinners are usually accompanied by exceptional wine pairings with local wines. All you’ve to do is sit back and enjoy.
Fantastic Cruise Line Specific Experiences
Shoes for St. Nick
Onboard AmaWaterways, you can experience “Shoes for St. Nick” – a unique experience in which guests are invited to leave their slippers outside the cabin door to be filled with goodies.
The idea may have been adopted by European children on St. Nicholas Day, but it’s still a delightful experience for travelers of all ages.
If you are river cruising on Christmas Eve, you can expect to find Christmas cookies in your stateroom!
World’s Largest Advent Calendar
For about 20 years, the town of Gengenbach in Baden-Wuerttemberg has transformed its entire town hall into the largest Advent calendar house in the world.
Its 24 windows are each decorated with a festive Christmas scene, and a new window is opened every evening until Christmas.
On the AmaWaterways Christmas river cruise, you will get the opportunity to pass by the town of Gengenbach to witness this spectacle.
Plan the Perfect Christmas River Cruise
The major river cruise companies still have some capacity left on the Christmas Market cruises, but they all expect it to be exhausted quickly.
So all you’ve to do is book any river cruise that’s available, right?
Sadly, it’s not that simple. Planning the perfect Christmas vacation on a river cruise is a bit more complex.
First, you need to find a cruise line that best compliments your travel style.
Then you need to plan your itinerary, factor in associated costs (airfare, hotel accommodations in port cities, etc.) the list goes on.
This is why you need a personal travel consultant. Someone who knows Christmas river cruises inside and out and can help you create the perfect Christmas vacation.
Contact me today to plan the river cruise vacation of a lifetime!