Twinkling lights, Christmas carols, and the smell of roasting chestnuts and spiced wine are hallmark features of Europe’s festive Christmas markets. Called Christkindlesmarkts in Germany, these holiday markets are a centuries-old European tradition. I took a Viking River Cruise (VikingRiverCruises.com) from Budapest, Hungary, to Passau, Germany, to experience the season's magic.
Christkindlesmarkt History
The original Christkindlesmarkt dates to the mid-1500s in Nuremberg, Germany. Initially a way for the townspeople to stock up on food and supplies for the long, cold winters, the markets soon became part of the Christmas gift-giving tradition.
While initially celebrated only during Advent, today's Christmas markets typically start at the end of November and run until Christmas Eve. While each market is a bit different, they all feature traditional lebkuchen (like gingerbread), marzipan, bratwurst, pretzels, baked apples, pastries, and roasted chestnuts. You might also want to purchase a glühwein, or hot spiced wine, at each market, often served in a unique collector's mug.
Christmas Cheer
The Christmas market cruises last eight to twelve days, allowing you to explore multiple markets along your route through various European countries. Viking offers eight different cruises throughout Europe. Each cruise includes one or more complimentary and several optional (for a fee) excursions in each port. You can also find plenty of holiday cheer on your boat.
Our days were filled with lovely guided tours while we spent evenings with our newfound friends. The river cruises are on smaller boats, so you'll get to know your fellow passengers. I cruised on the Viking Vilhjalm, one of the Viking Longships with a maximum of 190 guests and 53 crew members.
We started the week's festivities with a tree-trimming party and sing-along. Evening guests in the lounge included the Bratislava Advent Choir and the Salzburg Sound of Music Singers.
In the mornings, we chatted about Vienna's coffee culture, learned from the chef how to make traditional Christollen while sipping a hot drink, and even decorated our own gingerbread men under the chef's watchful eye.
The Christmas Markets
Of course, the highlights were the Christmas markets that lined the banks of the Danube from Budapest through Slovakia and Austria into Germany. On this journey, we visited markets in Budapest, then stopped at markets in Bratislava, Slovakia; Vienna, Krems, and Linz, Austria; and Passau, Germany. An optional excursion to Český Krumlov took passengers north of the Danube to experience Christmas in this fairytale town in the Czech Republic.
In Budapest, there were options to visit Christmas markets, take a guided city tour, and walk from the boat to the Great Hall indoor market for more holiday shopping.
Bratislava's town square features small booths and an assortment of foods. The Christmas market was within walking distance of where our boat docked, so we explored during the day and returned in the evening. Our included excursion in Bratislava took us to St. Martin's Cathedral, where we enjoyed an organ concert. The church has a rich history, where eleven Hungarian kings and eight queens have been crowned.
Our next stop was Vienna, home to some of the largest Christmas markets in Europe. The city has seven major Christmas markets, including the Christkindlmarkts at the Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz, and Maria Theresien Platz. While these are the most famous—and busiest—we enjoyed wandering the Old Town, where we discovered several smaller markets with fewer people and more traditional offerings. Watch what you purchase in the bigger markets since some booths now import Christmas ornaments and goods. Look for traditional and locally made items. Viking runs a complimentary bus between the market and the ship, and the subway system is easy to navigate.
I enjoyed the Linz, Austria market and appreciated walking through it with our program director. However, my favorite market was in Passau, Germany. We docked in the Old Town, making it easy to stroll along the river to the market. We listened to the sounds of the organ from St. Stephen's Cathedral as we wandered through the booths, nibbling bratwurst and pretzels and sipping glühwein.
All too soon, it was time to depart, but I had a sense of the Christmas spirit that is often lost amid the hustle and bustle of city shopping at home.
Celebrate an Old World Christmas on one of Europe’s great rivers. Glittering cities light up with traditional Christmas markets.