Christmas markets question

[Hoyaheel]

We are on this cruise this year. Can you tell me if you actually dock in any of the cities, walking distance to markets etc, or do you have to be bussed to everything? Also, is there much free time in markets, or are you pretty much contained in the tour groups?

 

We did NUE-BSL on Avalon last year. This is my review which notes which ports allowed us to walk directly into town vs buses. Note it can change at the last minute, no matter what is planned.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=268791

 

And some photos linked in this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2144711&highlight=avalon

 

We didn't have any snow except the day we docked in Frankfurt and were bussed to Rudesheim (but the snow was only on the Frankfurt side of the divide - Rudesheim was just a little misty)

 

Our favorite market of the trip was Basel - the Munsterplatz market (Cathedral) - it has many artisans & craftspeople in a children's village where you can create with them.

[Poconolady]

We did NUE-BSL on Avalon last year. This is my review which notes which ports allowed us to walk directly into town vs buses. Note it can change at the last minute, no matter what is planned.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=268791

 

 

 

And some photos linked in this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2144711&highlight=avalon

 

 

 

We didn't have any snow except the day we docked in Frankfurt and were bussed to Rudesheim (but the snow was only on the Frankfurt side of the divide - Rudesheim was just a little misty)

 

 

 

Our favorite market of the trip was Basel - the Munsterplatz market (Cathedral) - it has many artisans & craftspeople in a children's village where you can create with them.

 

 

Thanks Hoyaheel,

We love river cruising, except the parts about tours. We have often customized our days by leaving tours, etc also in order to maximize our time. I guess what bugs me is that you can't get detailed info about timing of shore excursions, sailing times, boat docking points etc too far in advance. I would love to spend my evenings planning out our days activities now, but don't want to waste time doing it if I don't even know where our starting points, and times are. Yes, I know, I know, they don't know yet. Just my pet peeve, I'm a planner not a follower.

[caviargal]

Just my pet peeve, I'm a planner not a follower.

 

Me, too! And we often DIY though we will sometimes hop a ride.

 

On our AMA Christmas market cruise last year, we walked into town in Cologne, Amsterdam, Koblenz, Rudesheim and Heidelberg. Strasbourg was a 15 minute bus ride; Colmar about 20.

[Hoyaheel]

I'm a planner not a follower.

 

And that's pretty much the tag line of why I won't pay to river cruise again in the near future. I can do it on my own and I prefer to do it on my own:p

 

But as I noted in my review - things can change so quickly. An accident on the river (I think that's why our port for Heidelberg changed but can't remember for sure) and things go poof!

[JVilleGal]

Also a planner but have decided with this river cruise to just go with the flo and let it happen... Boy is it hard to let go!

[B & C]

Last year we departed Basel on the 28th. The snow was falling from the minute we landed and it is actually a rarity in Basel. We had about 10 inches of gorgeous, fluffy white snow from the time we landed until that evening. We sat out on our balcony and took it all in - breathtaking!

 

We have a friend who lives in Basel and said that snowfall in the city is quite rare and that much at one time is unheard of. We were very fortunate. And living in Florida it was really magical for us!

 

We had lots of snow in Colmar the following day which turned a gorgeous town into a postcard. The markets were open and busy and we stood there and decided that the entire trip was worth that moment. The snow was falling, we were drinking mulled wine while bundled up in down and boots and it was one of our most memorable travel experiences, ever.

 

The snow stayed with us in Strasbourg, which is also lovely.

 

You will have the advantage of the markets being at their peak when you go (we have been in Europe at the time several times over the years) and it should be spectacular!

 

You can see some photos on my husband's website of the markets over the course of several trips: http://davidgphotoart.com/?load=flash#/1044392/European-River-Cruises

 

Have a fabulous trip! For us, there is just nothing like Europe at Christmas.:)

Thanks so much for all your info and loved seeing your pictures. We can't wait. Think I can deal with the cold weather as long as I'm dressed for it. If you wouldn't mind sharing your email with us I might like to ask more questions as time gets closer. Promise I won't bother you but it's always nice to hear what people say who have actually been there. Thanks so much for all our info! (our email: alwaysplnty2@verizon.net)

[B & C]

B & C ~ we did "your" trip - also with 2 pre-cruise days in Basel - early December 1912 and the only falling snow we encountered was landing at home at JFK! We saw snow on the ground in the Black Forest but that was it!!

 

So, needless to say, every year is different!! We went ready for snow falls and much colder weather than we had - and we appreciated out boots and warm socks since the weather was damp!

 

We loved the cruise and I would actually take it any time of year!! One note ~ if you see something you like buy it! Everything won't always be the same at every market. Likewise, if you want the big German cookies - be patient, you won't find them until Heidleberg & Cologne!!

 

Any questions I'll be more than ahppy to answer!! Here's my photos - enjoy!!!

 

Rhine River Christmas Markets Slideshow TripAdvisor™

 

Thanks so much for all your info and loved seeing your pictures. We can't wait. Think I can deal with the cold weather as long as I'm dressed for it. If you wouldn't mind sharing your email with us I might like to ask more questions as time gets closer. Promise I won't bother you but it's always nice to hear what people say who have actually been there. Thanks so much for all our info! (our email: alwaysplnty2@verizon.net)

[B & C]

Hi Anyone -

 

Was wondering if anyone is currently on or recently returned from the Rhine (Basel to Amersterdam) and can report on the water levels? See bulletins on Viking website that they have been switching people to different boats due to low levels. Most recent moves seem to be on the Elbe and last change for the Rhine is 11-17 cruises. Just currious if anyone has any info on how the water levels are now.

 

Also hope all the travelers are safe in and around the Paris area. What a horrible tragedy. Just unthinkable and our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone there. Unfathomable acts on innocent lives and for what - unthinkable. Just so very sad.

 

Thanks for any info.

[notamermaid]

Hello B & C,

 

for relatively recent infos have a look at the threads: Danube river water levels, Low waters on the Elbe, Rhine - water levels and similar topics. Widespread rain is here today over Germany. Things will hopefully improve.

 

notamermaid

[notamermaid]

As the lebkuchen (gingerbread), buiscuits and stollen are already in the shops and we are approaching frost in the hills at night I have decided to give this informative thread a bump. There are some interesting links spread throughout the thread. If you see an offer for a Christmas market river cruise and are hesitant I can only say: book it, grab winter boots, gloves, hubby/wife/friend, wallet with a bit of cash and a credit card and come along! :D

 

notamermaid

[belle907]

Thanks for bumping this up notamermaid. We are heading on the 12/2 Danube Waltz Christmas Market cruise and can't wait.

[Imasima752]

As the lebkuchen (gingerbread), buiscuits and stollen are already in the shops and we are approaching frost in the hills at night I have decided to give this informative thread a bump. There are some interesting links spread throughout the thread. If you see an offer for a Christmas market river cruise and are hesitant I can only say: book it, grab winter boots, gloves, hubby/wife/friend, wallet with a bit of cash and a credit card and come along! :D

 

notamermaid

 

Thanks for bumping as I will be reading this thread again from the beginning later this tonight. We’re leaving home 6 weeks from today and expect to gain a lot of weight with all the goodies :)!

[notamermaid]

As you many of you probably know by now - seeing that this thread is over a year old - Christmas markets are not a new invention, although many of them were established only fairly recently. When I was a child Christmas markets were still few and far between, now there are dozens within a 100km radius from where I live. Some are really old and romantic (making them also big business for town centres), some are only at a weekend and quaint, some are even just one day for a charitable cause. They can all be very rewarding to go to, one of my favourites is a one-day market in the hills where I meet up with members of my family every year (the emphasis is on the family aspect of it).

 

On a river cruise you are likely to see only the large ones, which I tend to find a pity really. They are great, but there are many others that one could go to, especially those in a castle setting. A weekend trip will see a relative of mine going to Stuttgart, a big market admittedly (not huge), but on the Neckar, so a bit more frequented by locals and local tourists. Recommended.

 

My favourite away from the Rhine area is probably Metz in France but I enjoyed Frankfurt as well.

 

I have come across the "quarrel" of which town holds the oldest Christmas market in Germany. A lot of prestige comes with that title, so who gets it? Well, an institute in Germany that deals with "records" of any kind has suggested two different titles, Dresden is the oldest one mentioned in an official document, while Bautzen is the oldest one mentioned in history books. Now they both call themselves the oldest!

 

Yet the oldest in the world is in Vienna established in 1296!

 

If you have seen several, which is your favourite? Perhaps I can go there myself some time on a land trip. ;)

 

notamermaid

[purduemom1]

The first Christmas Market we visited was Frankfurt. We were not on a tour or cruise but did take advantage of a guided tour of the market offered by the tourism office. It cost about €13 and included a great introduction to what the market had to offer including food sampling. Also included was a visit to the top of St Nicolas church, a ride on a vintage carousel, and a cup of Gluwein. Then at the end of the tour, each of us was gifted with the mug for that year (2013). It was a wonderful way to learn about the market and we felt it was certainly worth the money.

 

On our Danube cruise we went to the Vienna market in front of City Hall which opened earlier than markets in other countries. There was also a small Christmas market in the square next to St Stephens in Vienna. It also opened mid Nov. Since we cruised earlier than the traditional Christmas Market cruises we were happy to find these open in Vienna.

[notamermaid]

That sounds like a nice offer from the tourist office, purduemom1. Those mugs are nice and the ones in Frankfurt I think are grey and blue, from what I saw on youtube, quite distinctive, they are probably made sort of locally in a region where that pottery has been made with that colour scheme for hundreds of years. I have a few mugs from various places and the memories attached come back every time I look at my mug from Bonn which I got when I was working in a company in the town (a private trip to the market, not with my colleagues).

 

Which reminds me: if you are on a land trip you can still book a trip on the Rhine river. Some companies, especially KD, have various day and evening options during Advent. I think some of them have to be booked in advance.

 

notamermaid

[Pyroforyou]

We went on Vikings Rhine cruise and loved it so much we went last year on Vikings Danube cruise. To me this is the best time to travel, you get the best of your locations sites and have the bonus of Christmas markets. Some people complain it gets dark early but thats when you see the Christmas lights. My favorites were Salzburg since it had markets all over right near each other with nice items, Vienna has the best baked goods and food gifts. Strasbourg was large and crowded but nice and Rudesheim reminded me of an older style market (up and down streets) with nice restaurants all over.

[Langoustine]

For a small, local market (at least since the U.S. Army pulled out in 2001), take a look at the Nikolausmarkt in Bad Kreuznach on the Nahe river in Rheinland-Pfalz.

[Second seating]

I have some favorites, Rothenburg ob der Tauber a land trip prior to a Christmas river cruise. The market at the Thurn and Taxis in Regensburg. This year I will be see some I have not seen before, looking forward to Munich!

 

Second seating

[Langoustine]

This year I will be see some I have not seen before, looking forward to Munich!

 

Munich's is very nice. If you have time, go across the street to St. Peter's Church and climb the tower for a great view. It's the oldest church in Munich, and the relic inside of St. Mundita is quite interesting.

[purduemom1]

That sounds like a nice offer from the tourist office, purduemom1. Those mugs are nice and the ones in Frankfurt I think are grey and blue, from what I saw on youtube, quite distinctive, they are probably made sort of locally in a region where that pottery has been made with that colour scheme for hundreds of years. I have a few mugs from various places and the memories attached come back every time I look at my mug from Bonn which I got when I was working in a company in the town (a private trip to the market, not with my colleagues).

 

Which reminds me: if you are on a land trip you can still book a trip on the Rhine river. Some companies, especially KD, have various day and evening options during Advent. I think some of them have to be booked in advance.

 

notamermaid

Thank you, notamermaid, for the origin of the mugs from the Frankfurt Market. I also have one from the Vienna Christmas Market that is heart shaped. I use both of them during the holidays and fondly remember the markets.

 

I'll keep your suggestion in mind for a trip on the Rhine. Thanks for sharing as I doubt I would have known about these trips otherwise:)

[notamermaid]

Hello purduemom1,

 

I checked again about that mug and I think I actually found the mug you were given. There is a collector out there who has put his mugs online: http://www.weihnachtsmarkttassen.de/media/3475782938649037ffff811afffffff0.JPG

 

I think the blue is just painted on rather than in the glazing, so I am slightly wrong, I think. But it comes close to what I meant: http://www.keramik-maurer.de/epages/61334935.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61334935/Products/20008

 

Sorry, a commercial site, but interesting in that the company produces the mugs very locally, in fact just across the Main in the suburb called Sachsenhausen, the old part of this place is famous for its wine taverns where you traditionally drink the local cider called "Äppelwoi". They fill the cider also in "Bembel", a regional word for "Krug", jug. Words I would never use, and I do not drink that cider, either, although only around 150 km away from me, the place is to me almost like a foreign country. :D

 

But the Christmas traditions are more or less the same as ours around here.

 

notamermaid

[notamermaid]

Hello, Langoustine,

 

For a small, local market (at least since the U.S. Army pulled out in 2001), take a look at the Nikolausmarkt in Bad Kreuznach on the Nahe river in Rheinland-Pfalz.

 

Thank you for that tip. I have had a look and found the website for the two spa town markets, the towns are next to each other: http://www.bad-kreuznach-tourist.de/en/culture-entertainment-shopping/christmas-markets/

 

Looks really nice. I am quite fond of Bad Kreuznach with its famous bridge houses and lovely spa park, but I have not been to the area in winter.

 

Bad Kreuznach is actually doable on a river cruise. From Rüdesheim you can get the ferry over to Bingen, make your way to the station (quite a walk) and take the train to Bad Kreuznach, the train journey is about 20 minutes. Car or taxi would of course be much faster and easier. That is the sort of variation a river cruise company could organize. Bingen and Bad Kreuznach instead of Rüdesheim, certainly quieter. For repeat cruisers worth a thought, I think.

 

Which reminds me, there is a lovely local market in Traben-Trarbach on the Moselle in the wine cellars. The first year it was on (the first time I went) it was an instant hit. Since then word-of-mouth has made it so popular that it is now packed out on Saturdays and Sundays, and I would only go on a Friday afternoon. It is only on at the weekends.

 

notamermaid

[notamermaid]

As a sort of response to the conversation between Hoyaheel and caviargal posts #35 to #37 I can assure you that there are Christmas markets in London. They might not necessarily be very German, but there are certainly some markets where the stall holders are indeed from Germany, possibly in London, but certainly in England. I just cannot say how authentic each market or stall will be. One experience of the "authentic" type was during my Christmas holiday in 2015. I had the chance to go to a small market in Kent, quite late in the day. They were close to packing up but I had a look round and - lo and behold - in this small place was a stand with authentic German sausages. No, I did not eat one. :D

 

I took the opportunity to have a day trip to London. I dropped off the guys in my party at Leicester Square, where they headed for the cinema to watch the Star Wars film while I had a look round the Christmas village in the square. It was quite nice, but not a real market as such and I then toddled off to the National Gallery to do some real Christmas shopping. Just in case you are wondering, I did not buy any of the paintings :rolleyes:, but had a look at the Turners, could not see the Monets for all the tourists and then spent a long them in the lovely shop there.

 

Trafalgar Square in December is a delight, despite all the traffic and I saw the sky turn from blue to a December red glow while standing on the staircase. If you like crowds, I recommend it.

 

This place I found for this year sounds quite good: http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/40241463-christmas-by-the-river-at-london-bridge-city#bIpHKikshRs4W2g3.97

 

I have heard good reports about the Christmas market in Edinburgh and some other towns are staging some promising ones, too.

 

notamermaid

[G.M.T.]

The biggest German Christmas market outside of Germany/Austria is in Birmingham (twined city with Frankfurt), it is big and authentic, better still it goes on to 29th. December.

 

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50062/christmas_in_birmingham/874/birminghams_frankfurt_christmas_market

 

http://www.germanchristmasmarketbirmingham.com/

 

http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=2855&_ffmpar[_id_inhalt]=29979911

[notamermaid]

Thank you for the tip, G.M.T.,

 

looks like the brummies (Birmingham people) are doing a great job there. :) If anybody heads there I recommend having a look at the museum and art gallery with the 19th century paintings. Aah, brings back memories of visiting a friend quite some years ago... The tea room is lovely for a relaxing cup of coffee or tea :): http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/visit/edwardian-tearooms

 

They say York is also good, but then York is fabulous, anyway, with or without a Christmas market.

 

My first experience of a huge Christmas market was in Brussels about 25 years ago. It was great, loved it.

 

notamermaid