Ottawa Citizen

Experience river cruises with a festive touch, European atmosphere

Christmas Market sailings great way to take in this popular tradition

- AARON SAUNDERS Ports + Bows

Brace yourself: I’m going to talk about Christmas. Not the kind of Christmas where you’re in an allout duel for the last parking spot at the mall and you’ve spilled your coffee double-double on your lap. No. The kind of Christmas where you river-cruise through a snowy European landscape while sipping on hot mulled wine and eating traditiona­l gingerbrea­d.

Every year from about Nov. 25 until Dec. 24, Europe’s traditiona­l Christmas markets are in full swing. This is particular­ly true of countries like Germany and Austria, which have elaborate markets set up in nearly every city and town. The Christmas markets are a social thing, where locals go out to sip glühwein (hot mulled wine) and eat traditiona­l lebkuchen, or gingerbrea­d. There are also handmade crafts that run the gamut from fragile ornaments to the Zwetschgen­männle — literally small figures of people made out of prunes — that are typically found in markets in Nuremberg.

A river cruise is, without a doubt, the best way to see these markets in all their glory. You unpack once, and in a week you can see five to seven different ports of call, all without the need for long motorcoach rides or early wake-up calls. While Christmas Market river cruises are more popular now, they still showcase the off-season in Europe. Flights tend to be cheaper, as are hotels. Key attraction­s don’t suffer from the same kinds of crowds that July brings, and the temperatur­es are chilly but not unbearable. In fact, it’s more likely to rain than snow on most December departures, though some well-timed snow isn’t uncommon.

So why are we talking about all of this in July? The fact of the matter is that, even with river cruises experienci­ng softer demand this year, these Christmas Market sailings (offered between late November and late December) fill up fast. The best time to book one is right now.

Viking River Cruises (vikingrive­rcruisesca­nada.com) is one of my favourite go-to lines for Christmas Market voyages. Its programs — both on-board and off — are superb, and the line rejigs panoramic city tours and walking excursions to visit markets in every port of call. Want to do your own thing? Not a problem: Viking will arm you with a map and a plan, or — in the case of cities like Vienna — the line even offers a guided excursion that teaches you how to get around on the city’s undergroun­d U-Bahn subway system.

If you’ve never done a Christmas Market river cruise before, I’d recommend Viking’s 10-day Bavaria-to-Budapest cruise that runs between Budapest and Nuremberg, or the reverse of that. An elongated version of Viking’s weeklong Romantic Danube itinerary, the Viking cruise includes two full days in both Nuremberg and Vienna, and one full day and two nights in Budapest. The days in Vienna are particular­ly important: not only is this one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, but it also plays host to nearly two dozen different markets, ranging from the most famous one held in front of the Rathaus (city hall) to small, artisanal markets that pop up in local neighbourh­oods.

Other ports of call on this itinerary include Regensburg, Germany (with the beautiful Romantic Christmas Market at Schloss Thurn und Taxis); Passau, Germany; Krems, Austria; and the little-visited Esztergom, Hungary.

Another great Christmas Market itinerary is Viking’s eight-day Rhine Getaway. Sailing from Basel, Switzerlan­d to Amsterdam, this voyage offers a completely different look at Europe and its Christmas market traditions. It offers calls on Breisach, Germany; Strasbourg, France; Heidelberg, Germany; Koblenz, Germany; Cologne, Germany, and Kinderdijk, Netherland­s — a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its collection of historic windmills.

What makes this voyage particular­ly noteworthy are the small towns along the way — the ones that you’ve likely never heard of. Breisach, Germany, for instance, features a local market consisting of about seven stalls and still makes the best glühwein I’ve ever tasted. Then, there are bigger cities such as Strasbourg, with its intriguing mix of French and German cuisine and traditions, like Alsatian-inspire Spätzle.

There’s only one problem with these Christmas Market sailings: it’s a holiday tradition you’re going to want to repeat again and again.

Visit portsandbo­ws.com, sponsored by Expedia CruiseShip­Centers, 1-800-707-7327, www.cruiseship­centers.com, for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behind-the-scenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise informatio­n. Aaron Saunders may be contacted directly at portsandbo­wsaaron@gmail.com

You unpack once, and in a week you can see five to seven different ports of call, all without the need for long motorcoach rides or early wake-up calls.

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Festive river cruises highlight Europe’s traditiona­l Christmas Markets during the off-season.
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