COVER STORY A Very
Christmas Cruise
Ilene Grifen charts an enchanting journey by riverboat to
Europe’s top festive markets
markets positively pulsate with life and traditions that date back hundreds of years. Welcome to a European Christmas river cruise! If you are looking for something different this
T
winter, you now have a wide choice of “Christ- mas market” river cruises in Central Europe – a great option for multi-generation holidays, with no hassles, just gliding from one lovely place to another. From voyages including the Main, Danube and Rhine, travellers have an amazing selection of itineraries and ships.
Among the companies now offering these cruises are Avalon, AmaWaterways, Scenic Tours, Tauck, Uniworld and Viking. Their ships meander from small villages to larger towns of Austria and Germany, typi- cally from November through December, so you can visit and shop at the
here are sparkling lights wherever you look, reflecting on the water and adding to the festive atmosphere all around you. The towns and cities are aglow, and their
world-famous Christmas markets. Some itineraries also include Alsace, France, and Switzerland. These special cruises not only let you sightsee in some of Europe’s most historic cities, but experience ancient holiday traditions as the locals do. The mar- kets offer everything from hand-blown Christmas ornaments and hand-carved nutcrackers to world- famous fruitcakes and gingerbread, including the traditional gingerbread hearts found in Germany, and mouth-watering brandy-filled chocolates. And there is always lots of glühwein, the tradi- tional mulled wine of the region, to warm you up! The markets are usually held in the town square and give you a true sense of the region and people that live there. Each Christmas market offers local foods, wine
and crafts that make wonderful souvenirs and gifts. While each offers something unique, they all fea- ture gingerbread, pastries and bratwurst grills. Budapest’s market on Vörösmarty Square is filled with folk artists and crafts made from natural materials. Here you can taste traditional Hungarian foods like kenyérlángos, (a flat bread-like dough), rétes (strudel) and their version of hot and spicy glühwein. There are also multiple musical events connected with the market. Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt, named for the Christ Child, is one of Central Europe’s oldest and biggest, boasting some 200 candy-striped stalls, filled with toys, crafts and hand-painted ornaments. A special feature here is the “Nuremberg Plum
Autumn 2011 I WORLD OF CRUISING 33
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