Snow Scene: Eight top-notch resorts line little-known Powder Highway in Kootenays
Viking River Cruises offers sailings that invite travellers to celebrate in several European centres
I know we’ve barely just crossed into 2015, but I want you to think about Christmas again for a second. Specifically, about river cruising down the Danube in December.
Sailing the Danube at Christmas has become something of a tradition for me; for the last four years, I’ve made sure I am in Europe during the first or second week of December, and this year was no exception. I boarded Viking River Cruises (vikingrivercruises.com) Viking Longship Baldur for a weeklong cruise up the Danube from Budapest, Hungary to Passau, Germany.
From Budapest, my itinerary called on Bratislava, Slovakia; Vienna; the small Austrian towns of Durnstein and Melk; Linz and Salzburg, and finally, Passau, Germany. Even the smallest town is the quintessential fairy tale version of Europe, with frost on the cobblestones and smoke wafting from centuries-old chimneys. And nearly every city, town and village has a Christmas Market.
The Christmas Markets have plenty of souvenirs to buy, but the real reason you should go is for the fabulous spiced mulled drinks and for the food, which varies from Goulash soup in Hungary to, naturally, Bratwurst in Germany. Viking makes exploration ashore effortless, offering inclusive excursions to suit every activity level.
Some noteworthy things have changed since my last holiday cruise with Viking.
The line now offers tours from Linz, Austria to nearby Salzburg — a twohour drive away — at no additional cost. It’s a huge perk; the Christmas Markets of Salzburg are some of the best outside of Vienna, and the charm of the Austrian city made internationally famous by The Sound of Music only adds to their appeal.
Another new feature took place on board the Viking Baldur herself: an Austrian-themed dinner, complete with local entertainment brought aboard in the tiny town of Melk.
Different Austrian specialties were set up in the Viking Lounge, the main restaurant, and even the ship’s galley.
The first year I sailed the Danube at Christmas, I met a couple that had stopped buying each other gifts. Instead, their present to each other is sailing the Danube to enjoy the old-world charm of the Christmas Markets.
Visit fromthedeckchair.com for our full Live Voyage Report from Viking Baldur on the Danube.