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Viking Christmas Season Cruises

Article posted: August 10th, 2010 by Cruisepilot | No Comments »

Experience the magic of Christmas in Europe, where so many seasonal traditions began. Public squares glisten in the evening, lit by thousands of glittering lights. Shopkeepers welcome you among displays of carved wooden toys and handcrafted sweets, and the crisp air rings with laughter and sleigh-bells. Townspeople sing traditional melodies and celebrate Christmas in centuries-old churches. 

For 2010 Viking River Cruises has two enchanting Christmas River Cruises on offer, Winter Holiday and European Winter Sojourn.

Winter Holiday
Nuremberg to Vienna / 10 days / 8 guided tours: Spend 10 days celebrating a variety of Central European countries during this refreshing river cruise along the storied Danube. Visit the historic German city of Nuremberg. When the Christmas Markets season arrives, Nuremberg takes on a whole new energy.  Home to the largest Christmas Markets in Europe, the Christkindl Markt offers visitors a traditional European perspective to the holiday season. From drinking the seasonal “Glüh” wine (a hot mulled wine to keep you warm!) to the many varieties of sausages, potato pancakes, chocolates, pastries and cookies available at the Markets, there is something for everyone.  And for the shopper?   Endless displays of handmade ornaments, traditional wooden toys, and crafts made by local artists.

 Other quaint cities on the river cruise include Regensburg, Dürnstein and Passau.  Passau has wonderful food shops and wine.  If you find some local wine you enjoy, there is no problem bringing it back on board (minimal corkage fees apply in the dining room). The joy of Viking’s river cruise program is that if you wish to take the included tour, everything is there for you.  If you wish to stroll in a village or city on your own, you are right in the middle of the town, walk off the ship and have a day to yourself.  You will also stop to enjoy the charming town of Linz, the baroque abbey at Melk and Bratislava, the Old-World capital of Slovakia. Your river cruise concludes in Vienna, the enchanting imperial capital of the Habsburgs. Visit Christmas markets and celebrate the holidays with the locals.

 European Winter Sojourn
Budapest to Passau / 10 days / 8 guided tours: Journey through four of Europe’s most enchanting countries—Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia—at the most magical time of the year. Explore the cities of Budapest, Bratislava, Dürnstein, Melk, Linz and Vienna, stopping at warm, festive Christmas markets along the way. Vienna is a city of celebration in all seasons.  Visiting Vienna in December is a highlight as the opera season begins and the social gatherings bring out the city’s best. On all the Viking river cruise itineraries there is plenty of time to try a pastry and coffee at a local patisserie or book an optional trip to Schönbrunn Palace or a Mozart concert. 

An all-day excursion to Salzburg, the storybook Austrian town, is also included in your itinerary. During the Christmas Markets season, there is nothing like Mozart Balls, Salzburg’s popular metre dog (a special sausage treat of the Markets), and the especially beautiful Christkindl Markt of this region. On Christmas Eve we arrive in Passau, Germany where you can attend midnight mass at the spectacular St. Stephan’s Cathedral, featuring the world’s largest pipe organ.  Christmas day is spent exploring Passau including demonstrations by artisans making Christmas wreaths and gingerbread.  The beautiful, medieval Regensburg is next on your itinerary before your cruise returns to Passau. An unforgettable Danube holiday!

For more information on these enchanting Christmas river cruises call Cruisepilot on 1300 552 528. Click here to watch the Viking River Christmas Cruise clip and get into the Christmas spirit!