CRUISE CHRISTMAS DESTINATIONS I


t’s Christmas Day in Melk, a small town on the Danube


in Austria, where the main attraction is a huge baroque abbey that stands on a rocky outcrop, guarding the streets below. I’ve been warned that nothing will be open, but I decide to walk through the town anyway. It is as quiet as the proverbial night before Christmas except for one place, a cafe, doing a roaring trade in coffee, cake and gluhwein. That’s one of the things I


love about taking a cruise over Christmas. You never know what you might end up doing while those back home are – oh so predictably – slaving over turkey or watching the Queen’s speech. On this


voyage with AmaWaterways, we spent Christmas morning walking up


to a castle in Durnstein where Richard the Lionheart was held captive as he was on his way home from the Third Crusade in 1192. It’s a steep climb and the castle is a ruin now, but boards along the way tell the story of the crusades and why he was arrested; at the top you are rewarded with fabulous views across the river.


w FESTIVE FEEL The cruise started in Budapest two days before Christmas, when


the festive markets were in full swing. They are a big attraction on river cruises – and to a lesser extent on ocean cruises – in the lead-up to Christmas, but many close on December 23. If clients specifically want to visit the markets, advise them to take a voyage earlier in December. The markets stand out more for the food and drink – what’s more


Budapest 19 October 2017 travelweekly.co.uk 47


PICTURE: SHUTTERSTOCK


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