FESTIVE CRUISES BEST FOR SWEET TREATS


Do you love lebkuchen? It’s a German biscuit similar to gingerbread and there’ll be plenty to try on an included tour to the Black Forest on Travelmarvel’s eight-night Rhine and Moselle Christmas Markets cruise from Basel to Amsterdam, departing December 8, 2026. There’s also a day to explore Strasbourg’s festive markets, a trip to the quirky Siegfried’s Mechanical Museum in Rüdesheim to see more than 400 self-playing musical instruments and an afternoon of castle-spotting through the Rhine Gorge. Then the cruise diverts along the Moselle River to Cochem, a pretty town famous for its castle, half-timbered houses and, of course, its Christmas market. There are more festive stalls to explore in Cologne and an included canal cruise in


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drinks, tips and Wi-Fi. uniworld.com


40 October 2025 travelweekly.co.uk/cruise


Amsterdam on the penultimate day, before heading home. Book it: From £2,295 including flights, transfers, drinks with


lunch and dinner, tips and Wi-Fi. travelmarvel.com


7 BEST FOR GOING UNDERGROUND


The Netherlands is famous for cheese, clogs and tulips, but a Christmas market in a cave? That’s probably a new one for most people. It’s at Valkenburg, a stone’s throw from the historic city of Maastricht, and visited on Uniworld River Cruises’ 2026 eight-day Belgian Holiday Markets sailings, which start and end on the Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal. Festive market lovers will be spoilt for choice on calls into Ghent, Antwerp and Hasselt, and they can join the cruise manager for a stroll after dinner to admire the Christmas lights in Maastricht and Brussels. Given this cruise sails mostly in Belgium, Uniworld throws in a few


chocolate and beer tours as well. Book it: From £3,374 including flights, transfers, tours,


PICTURES: Shutterstock/IgorLukin, The Art of Pics


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