Anyone back from 2016 Danube Christmas Markets cruise

If you are just back from a 2016 Danube River Christmas Markets cruise, how was the river levels? What was your favorite Christmas Market? Is there anything you did or ate that should not be missed?

Thanks for sharing.

No problem with the water levels. Favorite markets were Regensberg for how cute it was, and Passau and Salzburg for shopping and Salzburg was also beautiful. Best eats? Everything! Gluhwein, this amazing cheesy bread thing in Regensberg and surprisingly, sausages on buns.

I want to do my first river cruise on the Danube next October or November. One of my friends is worried about the weather. What can I expect?

Thank you for your comments about your trip. Did you have the sausages by the bridge in Regensburg? Where did you dock in Vienna? Want to take public transportation to Schonbrunn.

Thank you for your comments about your trip. Did you have the sausages by the bridge in Regensburg? Where did you dock in Vienna? Want to take public transportation to Schonbrunn.

We loved the sausage sandwich at the old place by the bridge. The mulled wine was good there too!

Here is a photo of a pin of where we docked in Vienna. Not far from the subway, which we took a couple of times.

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If you are just back from a 2016 Danube River Christmas Markets cruise, how was the river levels? What was your favorite Christmas Market? Is there anything you did or ate that should not be missed?

Thanks for sharing.

I've been thinking about this. We just got back yesterday. In fact, I'm up at 4:00am instead of sleeping. :) We had a great trip.

Some tips from our trip:

1. Bring a good underlayer (silk or some sort of thermal). It is VERY COLD sometimes. Don't forget gloves, scarves, and hats. Or buys cute ones there, like we did.

2. Don't miss extra time in Budapest. There is no way the regular itinerary does it justice. Try to get to the top of the hill or the castle at dark so you can see the beautiful lighted city and parliament. In fact, try to see as much as you can after sunset (4:00 pm) in all your stops. The markets are beautiful lit up and it has a different feel.

3. If you are in Budapest, check out the market at by St. Stephen's Basilica. It was one of the few we encountered that played music and has a great light show.

4. Not all mulled wines and gluhwein are created equal. I found them to be like sangria...some you like and some you may not. Most are red but sometimes they offer white.

5. You may want to collect mugs from the different markets. The hot wines are served in mugs that they charge you for. You can return them to get your deposit back (approx 2 euro) or you can keep them. They are all different so they may make a nice collection of memories from the markets.

6. I'm not sure that we had a favorite market. Budapest was our favorite city, but the entire trip was great. Loved Passau and Regenserg. Vienna was very interesting. The Nuremburg market was so crowded it was hard to enjoy it as much, but they did have a program going with different choirs which was very nice. We also visited the Frankfurt market (not on our itinerary) and it was beautiful as it was set next to a square of half-timber buildings. Lovely but also very crowded.

6. Don't neglect the beautiful cathedrals, churches, and abbeys. They are all very cold inside, but, oh so lovely.

7. The ship kept us so well fed that we missed many of the local goodies. We did have the sausage in Regensburg as well as the gingerbread in several places. Nuremberg had some fried potato pancake-like things that you choose dips for (we did applesauce and garlic sauce). There were very good.

8. Bring some bubble wrap if you want to buy some wine or palinka to take home.

9. Enjoy!!

Thank you, lattelady, for all your tips. I am sure they will be much appreciated by the CC folks. It can feel very cold; on the Danube often more than on the Rhine (excepting Budapest, I think). The area around there tends to be a little cooler (2 to 3 degrees in winter) than where I am. And more prone to snow, which is probably better when visiting the markets.

The potato cakes you mention go by the name of Reibekuchen or Reibeküchle or similar. They are deep fried and with apple sauce, one of my favourite delights in Christmas market season. Fatty, lovely and very filling. Yummy!

notamermaid

Our first Christmas Markets river cruise was on the Danube with Tauck which hooked us on the markets and this time of year to do the river. We have also enjoyed our Rhine River Christmas Market trips and the middle part of Germany trips with Viking. When it snows, it only enhances the experience. I remember traveling by train from Fussen to Berlin in the snow. Very magical. Yes, the mugs are great souvenirs to bring home and the wooden products from the eastern part of Germany. We have always dressed in layers and definite take some type of long underwear with outer coat that is moisture proof. While we have gone with gloves and hats which you need, they are some wonderful hats to buy at the markets that we do not see in the states.

The sausages, potato pancakes and chimney cakes are favorites of ours at the markets. It is less busy during the day but at night the lights are the attraction. Not to be missed.

Bellemere,

I did indeed eat the sausages at The Sausage Kitchen, by the bridge in Regensberg and I think those were our favorites, as was the comment by many others on our tour. I'm not a huge sausage fan, but have to say it was a common and favorite snack at many locations. The Sausage Kitchen was on my to do list, and then it turned out our excursion included it as a stop, though a quick one. Slammed a quick sausage roll and a beer and went back to seeing the city. We docked near Handelskai station as well, which made transport a breeze getting to the ship. We were so rushed upon on our return and the many things we had planned that we just used the Crystal shuttle into town. We were the only ship at that location last week and the week before though, so there must be other docks. You might get lucky and be closer to the city center.

I would return to Regensburg again just for another visit to the Sausage Kitchen! Even two quasi-vegetarians in my group had their sausages and sauerkraut, and said they were very delicious.