Christmas markets river cruises 2023 infos and tips

[notamermaid]

The leaves are changing colour, the gingerbread is in the shops and the weather is finally turning to autumn temperatures. Not long to go now till suitcases are packed for the first Christmas market cruises.

 

So here it is - this year's thread for everything related to the markets and the cruises over Christmas.

 

To start I am posting last year's thread. We really had some fun. I hope anticipation is rising with you and the season will be as jolly as it possibly can.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2891545-christmas-markets-river-cruises-2022-infos-and-tips/

 

Over to you.

 

notamermaid

 

[Pushka]

Thankyou. Departing Viking. Kara on Dec 10. Amsterdam to Basel and three nights in Lucerne. Coming from Australia when it will be HOT. Link now bookmarked for research. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by Pushka

[Canal archive]

 

Micky is always on my tree this one returned from the States with me but I have a huge selection of German and Swiss tree ornaments and English Spode ones I’m a really sad collector. If I did a Christmas market cruise I’d have to ship my purchases home or sink the aforementioned ship. ⛄️

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by Canal archive

[CDNPolar]

Curious question for Viking River cruise itineraries and Christmas Markets.

 

We are booked on the Grand European Tour but not until November 24th of 2024.  

 

I am looking at the same cruise for Viking in November and December of this year - 2023 - but there is no Christmas Market information???

 

Do I assume that we just wander into the Christmas Markets on our own?  Are they all walking distance from the where the ship docks?  Shuttles?

 

I was expecting to see excursions that focused on Christmas Markets, but perhaps that is not how this works?

 

 

 

 

[notamermaid]

10 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

I am looking at the same cruise for Viking in November and December of this year - 2023 - but there is no Christmas Market information???

That is a bit odd. Do you have a link please of where you looked up the cruises?

 

notamermaid

 

[CDNPolar]

4 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

That is a bit odd. Do you have a link please of where you looked up the cruises?

 

notamermaid

 

This should take you to where I go to investigate excursions in advance...

 

This Grand European Tour runs all year, but now as we get closer to the Christmas Market season, I was expecting to see Christmas Market information - but no.

 

We are travelling as a group of 8 and for most, the draw of this cruise for the dates we are going are the Christmas Markets.

 

If you scroll day by day on the screen, you will see the excursions offered. 

 

https://www.vikingrivercruisescanada.com/cruise-destinations/europe/grand-european-tour/2023-amsterdam-budapest/index.html#itineraryday/1

 

[PaulS]

Notamermaid:

We embark on our Viking Christmas Markets cruise in Budapest in 7 weeks. Based upon your experience, do you think the water levels will improve by then?

[rcaruso]

8 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

This should take you to where I go to investigate excursions in advance...

 

This Grand European Tour runs all year, but now as we get closer to the Christmas Market season, I was expecting to see Christmas Market information - but no.

 

We are travelling as a group of 8 and for most, the draw of this cruise for the dates we are going are the Christmas Markets.

 

If you scroll day by day on the screen, you will see the excursions offered. 

 

https://www.vikingrivercruisescanada.com/cruise-destinations/europe/grand-european-tour/2023-amsterdam-budapest/index.html#itineraryday/1

 

Last year late November we were on the GE, and there were shuttles in Vienna for the Christmas Market by the Rat Haus that just opened.  Where the ship docks in Wurzburg the Market is within walking distance in the main square.  In Bamburg you will walk past some. Cologne will be all over, one in the square by the Dom.  You won't miss them.  If you take the optional to Schonbrunn Palace there is one right in front of the palace.  Depending on the dates you travel, just google the markets and you will get the opening dates.  No worries.

[notamermaid]

6 hours ago, PaulS said:

Notamermaid:

We embark on our Viking Christmas Markets cruise in Budapest in 7 weeks. Based upon your experience, do you think the water levels will improve by then?

Should do. Middle to end November sees more rain and lower temperatures.

 

notamermaid

 

[twototravel]

We are taking two Gate 1's B2B Xmas market river cruises. We embark on the first one on 5 Dec in Vienna stopping in Passau/Salzburg and Regensburg. Second one starts in Regensburg, with stops at markets in Nuremburg, Bamberg, Wurzburg, Wertheim, and then ending in Frankfurt. Both are on the Monarch Empress, a wonderful ship and crew.

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, twototravel said:

We are taking two Gate 1's B2B Xmas market river cruises.

Starting in Vienna is unusual but a great idea I find. Ending in Frankfurt is very convenient for the airport. I enjoyed the Christmas market in Frankfurt many years ago. I hope you have time to visit at the end of your cruise: https://www.frankfurt-tourismus.de/en/Discover-Experience/Festivals-Events/frankfurt-christmas-market

 

notamermaid

 

[Second seating]

In Regensburg try to see the Romantic Christmas Market at Schloss Thurn and Taxis.  This is one of my favorites!

 

Second seating

[PaulS]

1 hour ago, Second seating said:

In Regensburg try to see the Romantic Christmas Market at Schloss Thurn and Taxis.  This is one of my favorites!

 

Second seating

Is the Romantic Market easy to get to from where the riverboats dock in Regensburg?

[Second seating]

It will depend on where you dock but I think it should not be a problem.  The fee to enter was part of our tour, a very special Christmas Market. When we were there a bus took us because a lock was broken. We have docked near downtown on a summer stop.

Second seating

[notamermaid]

Nuremberg Christmas market is probably one of the most iconic ones with its old theme and special opening ceremony every year. Nuremberg is also home to one of the largest gingerbread bakers in Germany, the company Lebkuchen Schmidt. Perhaps you know that Nuremberg's river is not navigable and that ships dock out of town (but still within the city boundaries) on the Main Danube Canal. Lebkuchen Schmidt is also out of town and not too far from the dock. Here is a screenshot for walking the distance:

When you walk you cross the old Ludwig-Donau-Main-Kanal which sounds interesting. In the cold of course or for speeding things up one may prefer a taxi. There is also public transport nearby. The German website says you can book a visit for a group of minimum 15 people and there is a factory shop, something we call "Werksverkauf": https://www.lebkuchen-schmidt.com/de/kontakt/lebkuchenwelt/

 

Would love to see that. I wonder if you can smell the gingerbread being baked when you are in the area.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[gnome12]

1 minute ago, notamermaid said:

I wonder if you can smell the gingerbread being baked when you are in the area.

I’m sure you can. I used to work maybe 2 km from a cookie bakery. If the wind was in the right direction, we could smell the cookies baking from outside our building. 

[PaulS]

Thanks for the tip about the gingerbread bakery in Nuremberg notamermaid. We are spending two days in Nuremberg after our river cruise and that looks like a great place to go.

[Canal archive]

If anyone’s interested I have two recipes from a cooking session in Nuremberg Scenic Jewel 2017 Elise’s Lebkuchen recipes 1& 2. There were eight of us in a superb professional kitchen great fun, completely the wrong time of year for anything Christmasy but well worth it.

[Second seating]

Canal archive,

 

I would love to have the recipe for Elisenlebkuchen, if it is one of the recipes.  This is the flourless cookie that I make during the holidays.  I am gluten free so I bake on Silpat instead of edible paper.

Thank you,

Deana

[pmcer]

We’re booked on a Uniworld Christmas markets cruise on the Danube. We embark in Passau on 9 Dec and have stops in Linz, Melk, Krems, Vienna, Bratislava, and finally disembark in Budapest. This is our first river cruise, being veteran cruisers on Silversea, and are really looking forward to the change of venue.  

[Canal archive]

My copier decided to play up so photographed them so a bit wibbly wobbly.

Enjoy.

 

 

[Second seating]

Thank You!!!

[Canal archive]

My pleasure I should have realised about the gluten free as I have several friends who have had to work really hard first to get a diagnosis and then to work with it and not let it take over their lives.

[Second seating]

Uniworld and Windstar are wonderful with gluten free. Because I loved to cook and bake before GF I have managed to make it easy to eat GF. In a cooking class in France this year I used chestnut flour for the first time!  I bake cookies I cannot eat for friends during the holiday but I love Lebkuchen!!!

 

Deana

[notamermaid]

Here is an article by travel weekly uk on Christmas river cruises for those who decide to be away from home at that time of year: https://travelweekly.co.uk/destinations/6-of-the-best-christmas-river-cruises

 

Nice photo of a Viking ship. Cannot tell where this was taken. Anybody recognize the location?

 

notamermaid