RIVER CRUISING
Lauren Price takes a crowd-pleasing river-tour of Europe’s traditional festive markets
Danube is now open from late November to the end of December and, if you want to get your fill of lebkuchen and kartoffelpuffer, you need to get on board fast.
R
iver cruises are an ideal option for seeing as many Christmas Markets as possible. This fast-growing phenomenon along the Rhine and
Although cruise lines are adding new
itineraries every year, they are selling out equally fast, and the big attraction is the markets. Centuries old and steeped in tradition, each one has its own characteristics and style, from Christmas decorations to handmade toys; nutcrackers to high-styled leather goods; handmade apparel to locally- designed jewellery; and, of course, regional edibles like kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) and lebkuchen (gingerbread). I booked eight-day trips with two separate companies, one along the Rhine with Uniworld and the other on the Danube with Viking River Cruises. Both include similar itineraries with ports of call in Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland and Hungary.
Ring in the holidays on The Rhine Uniworld’s 156-passenger SS Antoinette is luxurious to the max, with a 10ft high Baccarat chandelier with huge sapphires adorning the two-story lobby. In-cabin amenities include Savoir of England beds draped in high-thread count Egyptian linens, European duvets, a pillow menu and L’Occitane toiletries, while staterooms and suites on La Princesse Deck have full open- air balconies that, at a touch, raise the glass
Christmas cheer Europe’s
wall to create an enclosed conservatory. The Royal Suite measures an expansive 400sq ft, while there is butler service in all suites and a generous free laundry service. In Cologne, our morning started with
a walking tour through the narrow streets of the Old Town, to Cologne Cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and the largest Christmas tree in the Rhineland.
H
ere there are no less than seven markets, including one of the best in front of the Cathedral; the Alter
Markt in front of Town Hall (great for kids with its puppet theatre, Santa Claus grotto and stalls topped with Heinzelmännchen gnomes); Neumarkt near St Apolstein’s Church; and the medieval market in front of the Chocolate Museum. Lucky visitors can sign up for a variety of concerts or ice skate at the Heumarkt. Stopping in Koblenz, our walking tour took us past half-timbered houses, St Castor’s Church, the Church of Our Lady, the famed Schängel Fountain and the historic City Hall, while the huge Old Town market positively overflowed with festively decorated stalls. Daily live concerts added to the festivities.
Autumn 2013 I WORLD OF CRUISING
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