Rows of twinkling lights and the sweet aroma of mulled wine — ’tis the season that Christmas markets come alive.
But when visiting one Christmas market is not enough, a recent cruise explores 20 markets in a single trip.
Luxury river cruising company European Waterways‘ recent “Christmas Markets Cruise” departs from Strasbourg, France and sails through Alsace-Lorraine, a French region near the border of Germany.
Passengers visit markets aboard Panache, a 12-passenger hotel barge, that has six junior suites — each with an attached bathroom — plus a communal dining area, cocktail bar and heated spa pool.
European Waterways’ “Christmas Markets Cruise” will set sail on three dates in 2024, starting in late November.
Source: European Waterways
The cruise costs $7,990 per person — based on double occupancy. Alternatively, guests can charter your entire barge for $87,000, Derek Banks, managing director of European Waterways told CNBC Travel.
Every day guided tours, wine and meals — prepared by an onboard chef — are also included on the cruise.
The Christmas markets
The seven-day itinerary includes guided tours to 13 Christmas markets in Strasbourg, six in Colmar and one in Haguenau.
Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace and the self-proclaimed “capital of Christmas,” is home to France’s oldest Christmas market, Christkindelsmärik.
Here, guests can explore 13 Christmas markets spread across town’s Old Town, and wander through Place Gutenberg and la Petite France — historic parts of Strasbourg.
The Strasbourg Christmas market, the oldest Christmas market in France, attracts hundreds of holiday makers annually.
Frederick Florin | Afp | Getty Images
Colmar, a town and commune in Alsace, is thought for its colourful half-timbered houses and medieval architecture. Here, guests can explore Old Colmar’s six Christmas markets — including a gourmet market, local produce markets and a kid’s Christmas market.
Half-timbered houses in Colmar adorned with Christmas lights throughout the holiday season.
Source: European Waterways
Guests may even visit Haguenau, home to the one Christmas market in north Alsace that’s open each day from late November to December. The small town is known for its traditional Alsatian Christmas market experience, and old nativity scene manufactured from wood and clay, in line with Alsace’s tourism authority website.
On top of Christmas markets, the cruise includes “additional, holiday-related guided excursions,” Banks said. These include visits to the Meisenthal Glass Bauble factory in Lorraine — home to traditional mouth-blown glass baubles — and Musée du Chocolat, Strasbourg’s Chocolate Museum.
Guests watch as chocolate is poured on the Musée du Chocolat in Strasbourg, France.
Source: European Waterways
This yr, European Waterways’ last Christmas cruise departed on Dec. 10, but reservations for 2024 and 2025 at the moment are open, an organization representative told CNBC Travel.
Other Christmas-themed cruises
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises organizes similar holiday-themed cruises on board a bigger ship. The corporate’s Christmas cruises are hosted on a triple deck 128-passenger cruise ship that has 64 cabins.
The luxurious cruise line has seven holiday season itineraries available from November to December.
Uniworld’s Christmas-themed cruises start at $2,299 per person.
Source: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise
“Our most sought-after Christmas market itinerary, the eight days ‘Classic Christmas Markets,’ stands out as a favourite amongst our guests,” an organization representative told CNBC Travel.
The itinerary includes visits to nine Christmas markets and sails from Germany’s Nuremburg to Frankfurt, making stops at Bamberg, Rothenberg, Würzburg, Wertheim and Wiesbaden.
The “Classic Christmas Markets” cruise is priced between $2,299 and $6,899 per person — depending on the room type, in line with the company’s website.
“We provide Christmas market cruises in several European destinations to showcase different regional traditions to our guests. Inside each region, the markets chosen represent … famous, and a few hidden gem, markets,” the representative said.
Uniworld also organizes holiday-themed cruises that stop in multiple countries. This features a 13-day “Grand Christmas & Latest 12 months’s” cruise that visits Austria, Germany and Hungary, and an 11-day “Enchanting Christmas & Latest 12 months’s” cruise that sails through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.
