Rows of twinkling lights and the candy aroma of mulled wine — ’tis the season that Christmas markets come alive.
But if visiting one Christmas market is not sufficient, a brand new cruise explores 20 markets in a single journey.
Luxury river cruising firm European Waterways’ new “Christmas Markets Cruise” departs from Strasbourg, France and sails by 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 hooked up lavatory — 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.
Source: European Waterways
The cruise prices $7,990 per particular person — based mostly on double occupancy. Alternatively, company can constitution the whole barge for $87,000, Derek Banks, managing director of European Waterways informed CNBC Travel.
Daily 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.
Here, company can discover 13 Christmas markets unfold throughout the town’s Old Town, and wander by Place Gutenberg and la Petite France — historic components of Strasbourg.
The Strasbourg Christmas market, the oldest Christmas market in France, attracts 1000’s of holiday makers annually.
Frederick Florin | Afp | Getty Images
Colmar, a city and commune in Alsace, is understood for its colourful half-timbered homes and medieval structure. Here, company can discover Old Colmar’s six Christmas markets — together with a connoisseur market, native produce markets and a youngsters’s Christmas market.
Half-timbered homes in Colmar adorned with Christmas lights in the course of the vacation season.
Source: European Waterways
Guests 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 product of wooden and clay, in line with Alsace’s tourism authority web site.
On high of Christmas markets, the cruise contains “additional, holiday-related guided excursions,” Banks mentioned. These embody 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.
Guests watch as chocolate is poured on the Musée du Chocolat in Strasbourg, France.
Source: European Waterways
This yr, European Waterways’ final Christmas cruise departed on Dec. 10, however reservations for 2024 and 2025 are actually open, an organization consultant informed CNBC Travel.
Other Christmas-themed cruises
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises organizes related holiday-themed cruises on board a bigger ship. The firm’s Christmas cruises are hosted on a triple deck 128-passenger cruise ship that has 64 cabins.
The luxurious cruise line has seven vacation season itineraries obtainable from November to December.
Uniworld’s Christmas-themed cruises begin at $2,299 per particular person.
Source: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise
“Our most sought-after Christmas market itinerary, the eight days ‘Classic Christmas Markets,’ stands out as a favorite among our guests,” an organization consultant informed CNBC Travel.
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 “Classic Christmas Markets” cruise is priced between $2,299 and $6,899 per particular person — relying on the room kind, in line with the firm’s web site.
“We offer Christmas market cruises in several European destinations to showcase different regional traditions to our guests. Within each region, the markets selected represent … famous, and some 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 Year’s” cruise that visits Austria, Germany and Hungary, and an 11-day “Enchanting Christmas & New Year’s” cruise that sails by Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.