This holiday season we hope you unwrap these great experiences on Uniworld Boutique Cruises European Holiday Markets cruise. Every December the tinsel and lights come out in some of the most picturesque cities in Germany and Austria, transforming these already lovely cities into winter wonderlands. If you want to feel the magic of the holidays, Uniworld Cruises has the itinerary for you.
Nuremberg Christmas Market
The largest of Europe’s Christmas Market, Nuremberg, Germany hosts a marvelous celebration of the Christkind. This winged angel representing the baby Jesus is the symbol of holiday cheer.
The motto of the festival is “welcome young and old, to my community of wood and cloth” which couldn’t be more appropriate. Sampling the delicious pastries, drinking hot chocolate, and shopping for gifts in the wooden market stalls is fun for all ages. This makes it an excellent option for families looking for a fun way to get together for some Christmas cheer.
Enjoy listening to carolers while you take in the sites of Cathedrals bathed in lights, living Nativity scenes, and much more. Nuremberg is the perfect start to this festive itinerary.
Regensburg Christmas Market
This is considered to be Europe’s most romantic Christmas market. That’s largely due to its setting within the garden of a baroque castle. Uniworld provides a tour through the Old Town that takes you for a historical walk through Regensburg’s most iconic sites. You will see the gothic town hall where the Imperial Diet held council for three hundred years. 13th-century patrician houses, the roman gate you will finish your tour at Thurn and Taxis Castle where the Christmas Market is hosted.
Passau, Germany
Another of Europe’s best Christmas Markets, The St. Stephan’s Catherdral looks over the festival. Shop for bavarian crafts like miniature wooden houses, blown-glass ornaments, and spun sugar confections. Home to more than 70 stalls, the Passau Market is sure to have something for everyone. Once you have finished “stuffing your stockings” at the Christmas Market take a moment to enjoy the Massive Cathedral’s baroque architecture.
Uniworld includes a lovely tour through the stone streets of Passau. Your guide will take you to the town hall whose atrium houses some painted works by famous German painter Ferdinand Wagner. You will also be treated to the bishop’s New Residence which was reconstructed after a fire in the late 1600s. The current iteration is another excellent opportunity to see the ornate rococo and baroque design touches of the era.
Linz’s Two Christmas Markets
Austria welcomes Uniworld’s cruisers to Linz with not one but two of Europe’s best holiday markets. Linz is one of Austria’s thriving artistic scenes, making it an excellent cultural stop on this itinerary. Creativity runs deep in the inspirational streets of Linz, it is said that Mozart completed his Symphony No. 36 after less than a week in the city.
A short thoroughfare connects Linz’s two Christmas markets. You owe it to yourself to sample the Linzer Torte while you are in town, but don’t take our advice, when you are there just follow the delightful aromas on the wind to Cafe Jindrak and try your own. The Volksgarden is full of depictions of fairytale holiday scenes while the main square hosts a light show and stalls decorated with local imagery. Both are top European Christmas markets you won’t want to miss.
Vienna, Austria
You will have included tours in Vienna. This historic city was once home to Mozart where he lived during the height of his career and created many of his most beloved works. Vienna’s Christmas Market is home to 140 stalls selling mulled cider, gingerbread men, nutmeg-spiced macarons, rum balls, and beautiful handcrafts of every type. The trees of the local gardens, covered in twinkling lights, make an excellent sanctuary to enjoy a warm beverage.
Bonus- For a small additional fee guests can attend Uniworld’s Masterpiece Collection Experience. Schonbrunn Palace is the lavish palace and estate of Austria’s Empress Maria Theresa in the mid-1700s and was the social and political heart of the Habsburg Empire. The rococo and baroque design features make this one of the most ornate and visually-stunning Palaces in Europe.
Where are Europe’s best Christmas Markets? When do Christmas Markets start in Europe? There’s no better resource than an experienced travel agent to answer these questions. While we believe Uniworld’s European Holiday Markets itinerary to be a great start, there is a myriad of excellent options beyond Austria and Germany, as well as several different brands and itineraries to enjoy them. Call Luxury Cruise Connections and let our agents put the perfect Christmas Market Cruise under your tree this year.
