Rows of twinkling lights and the candy aroma of mulled wine — ’tis the season that Christmas markets come alive.
But when visiting one Christmas market is not sufficient, a brand new cruise explores 20 markets in a single journey.
Luxurious river cruising firm European Waterways‘ new “Christmas Markets Cruise” departs from Strasbourg, France and sails by way of Alsace-Lorraine, a French area close to the border of Germany.
Passengers go to markets aboard Panache, a 12-passenger resort barge, that has six junior suites — every with an connected rest room — plus a communal eating space, cocktail bar and heated spa pool.
European Waterways’ “Christmas Markets Cruise” will set sail on three dates in 2024, beginning in late November.
Supply: European Waterways
The cruise prices $7,990 per particular person — primarily based on double occupancy. Alternatively, visitors can constitution all the barge for $87,000, Derek Banks, managing director of European Waterways instructed CNBC Journey.
Every day guided excursions, wine and meals — ready by an onboard chef — are additionally included on the cruise.
The Christmas markets
The seven-day itinerary contains guided excursions 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 house to France’s oldest Christmas market, Christkindelsmärik.
Right here, visitors can discover 13 Christmas markets unfold throughout the town’s Outdated City, and wander by way of Place Gutenberg and la Petite France — historic elements of Strasbourg.
The Strasbourg Christmas market, the oldest Christmas market in France, attracts 1000’s of tourists annually.
Frederick Florin | Afp | Getty Photographs
Colmar, a city and commune in Alsace, is understood for its colourful half-timbered homes and medieval structure. Right here, visitors can discover Outdated Colmar’s six Christmas markets — together with a connoisseur market, native produce markets and a kids’s Christmas market.
Half-timbered homes in Colmar adorned with Christmas lights in the course of the vacation season.
Supply: European Waterways
Friends will even go to Haguenau, house to the one Christmas market in north Alsace that’s open each day from late November to December. The small city is known for its conventional Alsatian Christmas market expertise, and previous nativity scene manufactured from wooden and clay, in response to Alsace’s tourism authority web site.
On prime of Christmas markets, the cruise contains “extra, holiday-related guided excursions,” Banks mentioned. These embrace visits to the Meisenthal Glass Bauble manufacturing unit in Lorraine — house to conventional mouth-blown glass baubles — and Musée du Chocolat, Strasbourg’s Chocolate Museum.
Friends watch as chocolate is poured on the Musée du Chocolat in Strasbourg, France.
Supply: European Waterways
This yr, European Waterways’ final Christmas cruise departed on Dec. 10, however reservations for 2024 and 2025 at the moment are open, an organization consultant instructed CNBC Journey.
Different Christmas-themed cruises
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises organizes related 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 posh cruise line has seven vacation season itineraries out there from November to December.
Uniworld’s Christmas-themed cruises begin at $2,299 per particular person.
Supply: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise
“Our most sought-after Christmas market itinerary, the eight days ‘Traditional Christmas Markets,’ stands out as a favourite amongst our visitors,” an organization consultant instructed CNBC Journey.
The itinerary contains visits to 9 Christmas markets and sails from Germany’s Nuremburg to Frankfurt, making stops at Bamberg, Rothenberg, Würzburg, Wertheim and Wiesbaden.
The “Traditional Christmas Markets” cruise is priced between $2,299 and $6,899 per particular person — relying on the room sort, in response to the firm’s web site.
“We provide Christmas market cruises in a number of European locations to showcase completely different regional traditions to our visitors. Inside every area, the markets chosen signify … well-known, and a few hidden gem, markets,” the consultant mentioned.
Uniworld additionally organizes holiday-themed cruises that cease in a number of international locations. This features a 13-day “Grand Christmas & New 12 months’s” cruise that visits Austria, Germany and Hungary, and an 11-day “Enchanting Christmas & New 12 months’s” cruise that sails by way of Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.
