Celebrate the Holiday Season With a River Cruise to Europe’s Traditional Christmas Markets

The hardest part of a river cruise is choosing which river! These are the main choices, offering stops in towns and cities where you can explore traditional markets filled with handmade goods, festive foods and cultural celebrations.

Danube

The classic Christmas river cruise is on the Danube, visiting cities like Vienna, Salzburg and Nuremberg, each offering their own unique Christmas market experience. Vienna’s markets are known for their grand architecture and classical concerts, while Nuremberg's Christmas market is one of the oldest in the world. Be sure to try the classic Spekulatius spiced cookies!

Rhine

A Rhine cruise can offer a lot of countries in a single trip: sail from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, visit Cologne and Koblenz in Germany, take in Strasbourg, France and disembark in Basel, Switzerland. And remember, you unpack and pack just once!

Strasbourg calls itself “The Capital of Christmas” and you’ll see why at dusk: the whole city is illuminated with shimmering lights stretching from building to building, and lighting up the huge Christmas tree on Place Kléber and the magnificent Cathedral Notre Dame. A stunning backdrop to its Christmas market, Christkindelsmärik, the oldest and most famous in France.

Seine

Paris, the City of Lights, gets even more magical as Christmas approaches. At the Marché de Noël Notre Dame, you can browse a range of hand-made gifts and artwork, and perhaps even take part in the celebrations for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral itself (scheduled to run from December 2024 to June 2025).

A cruise on the Seine can also include the enchanting city of Rouen, where you can lose yourself among half-timbered houses, narrow streets and charming squares. Optional excursions on a Seine river cruise can include Benedictine monasteries, Calvados tasting and a thought-provoking trip to the Normandy Beaches.

Moselle

This smaller river offers access to picturesque towns like Cochem and Trier, where you can enjoy smaller, quaint Christmas markets. Trier is a true hidden gem: Germany’s oldest city, with many impressive Roman ruins and nine UNESCO World Heritage sites. Typically, a Moselle cruise would also include sailing on the Main or Rhine, so you can also take in cities like Würzburg, Strasbourg or Amsterdam.

Rhône

For an unusual take on Christmas river cruises, consider sailing on the Rhône River in Provence, southern France. You'll still find the typical and much-loved Northern European log cabin market stalls, but also more uniquely Provençal festive traditions of lights and illumination.

Time your cruise so that you are in Lyon for the spectacular Fête des Lumières, which takes place around December 8 every year. The facades of the city’s most beautiful buildings are transformed with creative light projections, and the people of Lyon take part by placing candles in their windows and on balconies. You won't see much snow, but you'll make memories that will last a lifetime.

When visiting European Christmas markets, you can try a variety of foods and drinks, including:

• Käsespätzle: A German dish of pasta covered in melted cheese and fried onions, similar to European mac and cheese

• Reibekuchen: Potato pancakes

• Gebrannte Nüsse: Roasted and candied nuts

• Maroni: Roasted chestnuts

• Handbrot: Hand-held bread

• Champignons: Sauteed mushrooms

• Lebkuchen: Gingerbread

• Glühwein: A warm mulled wine that's popular at holiday markets in Switzerland

• Feuerzangenbowle: A flaming drink

• Eierpunsch: Egg punch