Melk Perched high on a rocky bluff overlooking the Danube and the town of Melk, Stift Melk (Melk Abbey) has shone as a beacon of culture and learning since its founding by Benedictine monks nearly a millennium ago. Visit the monastery’s 18th-century Baroque complex, home to a magnificent church adorned with gold statues and frescoes, a co-educational secondary school, a stunning library containing medieval manuscripts, and its own Christmas legend – about a miraculous visit from the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus, and a young novice whose juggling so entertained the infant that he clapped for joy. You’ll also enjoy a live on-board musical performance as you cruise from Melk to Linz.


Salzburg / Linz The angelic voices of choirs singing carols on Cathedral Square... the pealing bells of old Salzburger Dom, overlooking neat rows of lit-up booths fragrant with the aroma of roasted almonds and hot mulled wine... ornate Baroque domes, towers and rooftops tipped with snow in the heart of Old Town... the clatter of horse-drawn carriages over cobblestoned streets... sweet candy apples and marzipan... the warm laughter of families having the time of their lives... and music everywhere, in the city that gave us Mozart. The Christmas Markets of Salzburg... a true feast for the senses that continues with lunch at the historic Stiftskeller St. Peter and a visit to Linz’s Christkindlmarkt... the curving roofs of its stalls symbolizing the waves of the Danube.


Passau Navigating the narrow lanes and archways of this Bavarian “City of Three Rivers” – set at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz – is a pleasure any time of year, but never more so than now. During the holiday season, Passau’s Christmas Market transforms the city’s historic center, which was rebuilt in the Baroque style after a devastating fire in the 1660s, into a wonderland brimming with bratwurst, lebkuchen, glühwein and good cheer. At the center of it all is St. Stephan’s Cathedral, whose massive pipe organ, the largest in Europe, stars in concerts throughout the season. Your day in Passau includes a visit to Café Simon to see how they’ve been making their delicious gingerbread for four generations.


Call your travel agent or Tauck at 800-468-2825


Your Tauck Cruise


Includes: • All private Tauck shore excursions


• Guided visits to Christmas Markets in Vienna, Salzburg, Linz, Passau, Regensburg & Nürnberg


• Locally guided walking tours of market cities and towns


• Visit to Baroque Melk Abbey in Austria


• Exclusive tour of Thurn und Taxis Palace and visit to its private Christmas Market


• Gingerbread demonstration in Passau


• Onboard performance by alumni of famed Regensburger Domspatzen choir


• Special Christmas lunch ashore


• Traditional European Christmas dinner & holiday events aboard the riverboat


• All meals (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 7 dinners); all-day soft drinks; wine & beer with lunch & dinner aboard the riverboat


• Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors & Tauck Cruise Director


• Service charges, taxes, porterage, airport transfers and applicable fuel surcharges


Glühwein – hot, mulled wine – is


served at all Christmas Markets, often in collectible mugs


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