It’s starting to feel like the holidays! Are you going on a holiday cruise this year? Perhaps, a Christmas Market cruise? If not, consider it because they’re absolutely fantastic and something to experience at least once.
Christmas Markets have been an annual tradition throughout Europe for hundreds of years. It’s only been in the last few decades, though, that there have cruises to the most famous markets.
Starting sometime around the late 13th century, the winter markets provided townspeople with ways to stock up on their supplies before the dead of winter hit. Since then, these markets have been a hallmark of the abundance of the holiday season, instead of being a necessity.
Locals and tourists love to stroll the Christmas Markets picking up mulled wine, holiday cookies and cakes, toys, decorations and more. In German, the Christmas Markets are called Christkindlmarkt. Hungary, Austria, France, Switzerland and other countries also join in the merry tradition each year.
Cruising to see the European Christmas markets is a joyous time. Most of the river cruise companies offer Christmas Market cruises, and some British ocean cruise lines provide them. Look for itineraries that say Christmas on the Danube or Rhine Christmas Markets, or the like.
Cruise Lines with Christmas Market Itineraries
If you want to experience the wonder of a Christmas Market cruise, turn to these cruise companies:
- Abercrombie & Kent
- AmaWaterways
- Avalon
- CroisiEurope
- Grand Circle
- Scenic
- Tauck
- Uniworld
- Vantage
- and Viking
Some of the ports you’ll get to experience on a Christmas Market cruise include:
- Budapest – A wondrous experience on a Danube Christmas Cruise
- Copenhagen -Tivoli Gardens illuminates with glass lights from Tiffany’s head designer
- Nuremburg – One of the most famous Christmas Markets
- Prague – Many markets are spread throughout Prague
- Strasbourg – Popular on Rhine Christmas Market cruises
- Vienna – A beautiful market that runs until Christmas Eve
Have you been on one of these Christmas Market cruises? If so, we’d love to hear about your trip in the comments below!
