Christmas markets river cruises 2022 infos and tips

[notamermaid]

It is time to get ready, the gingerbread has been in the shops for weeks, it gets dark much earlier with the clocks back on normal time and the temperatures are very slowly going down.

 

While I have no specific plans for this season I know many of you have booked a river cruise. I thought perhaps we could throw info and tips into this thread. Excitement guaranteed and fun shared is doubled!

 

Where are you going? First time during winter? Have you been in the past, any favourite places? Tips for those who are thinking of a last minute (or for 2023) booking?

 

I live in "Christmas market country" so here is some trivia surrounding our traditions: the first mention of a proper Christmas tree in historical data comes not from within the modern borders of Germany but from Alsace: https://www.christmas.alsace/symbols-and-traditions/the-christmas-tree-reigns-in-alsace/

 

Over to you.

 

notamermaid

 

[sharonann24]

I was so excited to see this link!  We leave for Basel exactly three weeks from today.  We are on the Viking Alruna from Basel to Amsterdam. We have cruised many times but this is our first ever river cruise and the fact that it is to the Christmas markets makes it all the more special.  This is a retirement cruise and a trip I could never have made working full time.  The link was very informative and I will look for additional tips and suggestions.  And, yes, this is our first winter trip so any suggestions for packing, cold weather gear and clothing would be appreciated.  We are from Connecticut so cold winter weather is the norm.

[rslinky]

We are excited for our first river cruise in December.  Basel to Amsterdam. Will have two days in Basel before we start cruising,  plan to explore Basel and Colmar, France.  Have waterproof shoes/boots, multiple layers to mix and match depending on the day.  Only real prep left is reading a bit more about each stop so we know options.  Have been in holiday prep mode too as everything must be done before we leave for the  11 days.  All Christmas shopping is done, cards addressed and presents wrapped,   So hoping to find wonderful gifts in the Markets and have most of next years shopping done too!   With Christmas markets basically everyday, I have to hope I can be patient with our shopping so that I don’t run out of  funds or space in luggage in the first few days of the trip.  Of course, there is always shipping home.  Have no tips as this is our first River cruise,  but ready to hear from experienced Christmas market cruisers.

[notamermaid]

Hello newcomers to river cruising - and both Basel to Amsterdam! Well, it is probably the most frequent route in Europe and very popular for a first river cruise. Weather and clothes, very important.

1 hour ago, sharonann24 said:

We are from Connecticut so cold winter weather is the norm.

Not much different from home then I would say. The Rhine has a mild climate so really cold days below freezing do not happen all the time, but it can be icy and wet.

13 minutes ago, rslinky said:

Have waterproof shoes/boots, multiple layers to mix and match depending on the day.

Yes, that should work really well. Scarf for the windy sundeck and gloves for early morning excursions are good to have.

 

Overall, the temperature range is usually minus 5 Celsius in the hills, especially Switzerland, on cold days to plus 12 Celsius on a day when during a warm spell the sun brings the temperature up in the afternoon. Nights can sometimes be colder and days occasionally a little warmer in sheltered areas and towns close to the river.

 

This year November has started with mild temperatures and it is currently 12 to 13 Celsius in the valley.

 

One thing you may want to note, those that are leaving early in the season: Sunday of the Dead (this year on 20 November) is traditionally a "quiet day" and by law Christmas markets are restricted in their opening hours. If a Christmas market starts before that day it may be closed or open late on the Sunday.

 

notamermaid

 

[frenchhorn]

We have enjoyed four Christmas market cruises with different companies on the Rhine, Main, Danube, and Elbe rivers (a much less common Christmas market cruise).  We have also visited markets in non-cruise cities, like Lubeck and Leipzig.  They were all different, and we loved all of them.  Our favorite market item is the wooden German pyramid, and we have brought home several as gifts for our adult children.  We bought our first one at the Munich Christmas market on a family trip in 1989, and they've become a much loved tradition.  This year we are going on a short Avalon market cruise from Frankfurt to Basel.  There are pyramids made in other countries like China, so it's important to establish the origin, if you want a good quality German one.  I think many are made in the Erzebirge area of Germany.   We have found the pyramids only in the German markets and didn't see them in other countries.  They may have made their way across borders by now, however.  I order new candles from a company in PA.  

[worldtraveller99]

We are on the Rhine in just over 3 weeks - going south from Dusseldorf. I am taking waterproof walking boots and hope to buy some new gloves on a Christmas Market stall. So excited!

[loriva]

DH and I have been to the Christmas market in Munich on land trips before, but it will be our first time doing a Christmas market cruise.  We'll be on the Viking Astrild starting on 16 December with two days on our own in Hamburg before and then three in Berlin.  We're excited to visit the city where The Beatles honed their performance skills and it will be the first time visiting Berlin since reunification for me and first time ever for DH.

 

There is not much out there on the Christmas markets on the Elbe sailings, so would love to hear any tips from @frenchhorn(an instrument both DH and I played in school orchestras!)

 

And, as always, thanks to @notamermaidfor starting this thread and all the great information!

[Ritabob]

It's hard to believe the Christmas markets are getting ready to open soon when the weather forecast for today is 22°C  here in Ontario,  Canada. 

My suggestion for the shopper is to leave space in your suitcase for your treasures,  and fill that space with as much bubble wrap as you can. Let the suitcase bulge! Pack a roll of tape. After you get back on board from your first Christmas  market show-and-tell about your purchases,  share some of that bubble wrap.   You will have new best friends 😄

Bring mittens,  not gloves if your hands are always cold.  Earmuffs.   If your coat is waterproof,  that's a bonus, then you don't need an umbrella which can be a nuisance to carry in a  crowd.  Wear a mask. It will keep your chin and nose warm...and help protect you, too.

Have a great time!

RB 

[CPT Trips]

@loriva If you haven’t been back to Berlin since the wall came down, you are in for a big surprise. I was stationed there in the early ‘70s and then visited several years ago albeit not at Christmas time. I understand from a niece that lived in Berlin recently that there are a number of Christmas Markets to visit. Dresden also has a large market. 

Some things remained the same such as the Hollow Tooth, Lipstick and Powder Box as well as the Pregnant Oyster; others were masterfully reconstructed and modernized like the Reichstag. Don’t miss touring the Reichstag, try for a timed entry that will let you enjoy sunset or sunrise; do this online in advance. 

 

We really enjoyed visiting Museum Island to see the interior of buildings not accessible to us when we lived there. Walking through the Brandenburg Gate, looking straight up at The Pope’s Revenge, and visiting the museum at the former Outpost Theater and our former apartment in the “US housing area” also brought back memories and emotions. 

 

[steamboats]

Wow, reading what you all plan to wear for visiting the Christmas markets here in Germany makes me rethink my outfits 😉. Currently we do have 10°C and a bit of rain here in Munich. It´s supposed to get warmer by next week again. October was pretty hot - up to 24°C (more summer than fall).

 

The Christmas tree for the main market here in Munich has just arrived last week. The main Christmas Market does open Nov 21st (more here).

 

But almost every part of the city has it´s own market. There´s a list here (click on "mehr laden" for more markets). Some open already Nov 17th (and are closed on Nov 20th all day - as notamermaid mentioned). My favorites are Schwabinger Weihnachtsmarkt, Weihnachtsdorf in der Residenz or Mittelalter Weihnachtsmarkt (at Wittelsbacher Platz). One market won´t open in 2022 and it´s one of my favorites too, Weihnachtsmarkt am Chinesischen Turm. The Chinesischer Turm (Chinese tower) is under renovation this winter and they also redo water pipes and more. Therefore there is no space for the market.

 

"The" market is the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt which opens Nov 25th (more here). I´ve been to Nuremberg a week ago and saw the first lights already mounted.

 

Regensburg and Passau have great markets too.

 

So for all those of you who are on a Danube river cruise for the markets.

 

steamboats

[Second seating]

3 hours ago, loriva said:

DH and I have been to the Christmas market in Munich on land trips before, but it will be our first time doing a Christmas market cruise.  We'll be on the Viking Astrild starting on 16 December with two days on our own in Hamburg before and then three in Berlin.  We're excited to visit the city where The Beatles honed their performance skills and it will be the first time visiting Berlin since reunification for me and first time ever for DH.

 

There is not much out there on the Christmas markets on the Elbe sailings, so would love to hear any tips from @frenchhorn(an instrument both DH and I played in school orchestras!)

 

And, as always, thanks to @notamermaidfor starting this thread and all the great information!

The Dresden Christmas Market is one of my favorites!  This was a land trip for us not a river cruise. The markets in Berlin are wonderful, Have a great time!

 

Second seating

[frenchhorn]

2 hours ago, loriva said:

(an instrument both DH and I played in school orchestras!)

I played the horn in high school and college bands and orchestras.  It's a wonderful instrument to hear and to play. 

Our Elbe Christmas cruise was in 2014 on Grand Circle from Dresden to Berlin, and we spent extra time on our own in Berlin, Leipzig, and Lubeck.  Depending upon the timing and your interests, you might be able to find special music in some of the churches.  We heard a brass concert in Berlin and  Bach's Christmas Oratorio in the Meissen Cathedral and also in St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.  Prague will have a lot of music with signs outside churches and other venues.  

Foodwise, Dresden is known for stollen, and Berlin is known for currywurst.  We tried currywurst - I thought it was awful, but my husband liked it.  There is a curry-flavored sauce on the wurst. 

The cities and markets on the Elbe cruise are mostly less crowded. Dresden's market was jammed, but we were there on opening day in November with its many special events.  The Berlin market at Gendarmenmarkt was especially pretty with white tents.  Other markets in Berlin seem to specialize in specific types of goods.  We stopped at another very small market in a small town, but I don't remember what town it was.    

The weather was a bit colder on the Elbe than in the other parts of Germany that we'd visited other years, but it's variable.  My husband bought a much needed wool watch cap at one of the stalls on the Elbe. We went without coats in Munich once just before Christmas, and we needed scarves and several layers at other times.  We like silk long underwear for extra warmth.  We never had heavy rain, and we never saw snow, but we were ready with rain gear with hoods.  The coldest we ever were was in Budpest at the end of December - windy and bitter at the Fisherman's Bastion.      

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, steamboats said:

The Christmas tree for the main market here in Munich has just arrived last week

A big occasion in some places. Does your Christmas tree have a special place of origin, like a twin town in Scandinavia or is it from the regional forest? Tons of fir trees not far from you of course.

 

Ours are either plain regional - and not that big - or from Denmark perhaps.

 

It was a bit too warm here along the Rhine but today it is a bit cooler and the wind has increased. We had a downpour last night.

 

21 hours ago, worldtraveller99 said:

We are on the Rhine in just over 3 weeks - going south from Dusseldorf. I am taking waterproof walking boots and hope to buy some new gloves on a Christmas Market stall. So excited!

Düsseldorf is a good place for some luxurious shopping. Never been there in winter I wonder what the "Kö" (the famous street) looks like all decorated? Here is some info on Düsseldorf: https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/experience/events/christmas-market

Do you fly in from London or take the Eurostar?

 

On 11/4/2022 at 4:00 PM, frenchhorn said:

I think many are made in the Erzebirge area of Germany.   We have found the pyramids only in the German markets and didn't see them in other countries. 

Erzgebirge is the region where they come from, that is correct. They may be manufactured elsewhere now in similar styles. Chinese ones are available, do check, they should be labelled or ask the vendor. The original handicraft from the Ore Mountains is really expensive. The pyramids are an investment and can become an heirloom. Here is some info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_pyramid

 

The odd large shop in a touristy place may even ship overseas. There certainly are a few online shops, here is one: https://www.seiffener-weihnachtsland.de/weihnachtsdeko/weihnachtspyramiden.html

I think this one is not international. International big shops are the Käthe Wohlfahrt ones. Here is the list of their stalls at Christmas markets: https://www.kaethe-wohlfahrt.com/en/openinghours/marketlist/

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Second seating]

This is one of my favorite places that ships to the US:

http://erzgebirgepalace.com

Leipzig has excellent Christmas Market and we loved our trip to Seiffen to see nutcrackers being made!

 

Second seating

[worldtraveller99]

Thank you very much for the information on Dusseldorf notamermaid - this is very helpful. We will be flying in early in the morning, so should have all day before we need to board the cruise ship.

[notamermaid]

Just now, worldtraveller99 said:

Thank you very much for the information on Dusseldorf notamermaid - this is very helpful. We will be flying in early in the morning, so should have all day before we need to board the cruise ship.

My pleasure. Plenty of time to look around then. Düsseldorf is quite different from Cologne. No Roman remains and a bit more "sophistication" in my opinion.

 

notamermaid

 

[worldtraveller99]

I will put up a report on our return.

[Seminole1975]

I am going to read every word of this thread soon, but in the meantime... We are from the Southern US and do not have much use for snow boots. What recommendations would you have for brands of men's boots be they water repellent, or resistant? My DH needs some for this cruise. 

 

We are leaving in a month on Viking from Amsterdam to Basal. We are then going to spend a few days in Zurich before heading back. Thanks.

[loriva]

6 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

 Don’t miss touring the Reichstag, try for a timed entry that will let you enjoy sunset or sunrise; do this online in advance.

 

Thanks to advice from someone on these boards, I booked dinner at the restaurant on top of the Reichstag last month!  Looking forward to it.  Thanks for the many great tips.  Trying to figure out our touring so we don't overlap too much with the included Viking tour (which is likely mostly panoramic).  So far planning a walking tour to visit some of the WWII and Cold War sites, a good spell on Museum Island, and, of course, some breweries and Berliner currywurst.

[CPT Trips]

8 minutes ago, loriva said:

and, of course, some breweries

Then you really want to read this . . . http://www.ottosrambles.co.uk/berlin.php . . . Really. 

[steamboats]

@notamermaid Munich usually gets a tree which has to be cut anyway. So this year it was a tree from a nearby county which had to be cut because it was grown too high and became a risk.

 

@Seminole1975 for Christmas markets snow boots are usually not necessary. We usually don´t have any or much snow for November or December unless you are in the mountains (higher than 1,000 m / 3,000 ft). Water resistant is a good idea as it can rain or we have some slushy, muddy rests of snow on the streets.

 

steamboats

[ural guy]

Here's what I can find for some starting dates, for those of us sailing on Danube the next few weeks.  Best info I could find, please verify on your own, and sorry if it's wrong   🙂:

 

• Regensburg Christmas Market: Nov 21 – Dec 23, 2022
• Romantic Christmas Market at Schloss Thurn und Taxis: Nov 18 – Dec 23, 2022
• Lucrezia Markt: Nov 25 – Dec 23, 2022

 

Passau: The Christmas Market takes place from Nov. 31 - Dec. 23, 2022.

https://tourism.passau.de/leisure-sports/events/event-highlights/christmas-market-at-the-cathedral/#:~:text=The Christmas Market takes place,23%2C 2022.

 

Linz:  There are several, all starting 19 November.

https://www.linztourismus.at/en/leisure/discover-linz/events/christmas/markets/

 

Vienna:

• November 11th: Stephansplatz; Altes AKH; Spittelberg; Am Hof; Genussmarkt bei der Oper
• November 16th: Weihnachtsdorf on Maria-Theresien-Platz
• November 18th: Belvedere; Karlsplatz, Freyung
• November 19th: Christkindlmarkt am Rathausplatz (the big one); Wintermarkt am Riesenradplatz; Schönbrunn Christmas market

All locations normally stay open until at least December 23rd.

Expect several markets to continue through the Christmas public holiday period. One or two may stay open until late December or early January, possibly in the form of a New Year market.

 

https://www.visitingvienna.com/sights/christmasmarkets/when-open/

 

Bratislava:  Bratislava Christmas Market dates: 22nd November to 22nd December 2022.
Location: Hlavné Námestie (Main Square), Hviezdoslav Square and Františkánske Square.

 

Budapest:  I'm not posting anything here, as it isn't an easy cut and paste answer.  If someone knows more than this, please chime in.

 

The main market, Vorosmarty Square, wasn't able to sign a contract with a vendor in enough time to get it set up as in years past.  Another market's vendor, maybe St Stephen's, is going to fill that space (typically there are several markets throughout city).  The gist of what I got from a Hungary paper translator is that there will be markets, maybe just not as big as in past.

 

I've been able to visit Europe a couple of times in early November, and I can vouch for the effort it takes to put up all the little shops and lights.  It seemed like wherever we would go, half the square is closed and the cranes/flatbeds/mobile fencing/temporary ice rinks are all going up.  I'm in Construction, so I love to watch the activity.  Always a bit of sadness, as you know you'll be missing it.  

 

Like our Prague precruise, after 3 nights we board the bus to Regensburg on Saturday 20 November.  The day the Prague markets open.  Oh well, we'll see many more.

 

Happy sailing to all.

 

[notamermaid]

4 hours ago, steamboats said:

for Christmas markets snow boots are usually not necessary. We usually don´t have any or much snow for November or December

It is the same along the Rhine really - and it tends to be that one or two degrees warmer on a lot of days. Snow in December is not a big deal. We may get an inch that stays on the ground for 24 hours. The Black Forest excursion may give you more snow if you are lucky. January tends to be colder with more snow than December.

 

I do not even own snow boots. Waterproof with a thick sole, something you can get from outdoor activities shops or a quality local retailer, should do it on muddy paths and wet cobblestones. Nothing too heavy, not mountain hiking shoes.

 

Perhaps someone from the US can share a brand or online retailer.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by notamermaid

[loriva]

If you have a pair of walking shoes that can get wet (or you don't mind getting wet), a pair of waterproof sock could also be an option.  (And a lot cheaper than a new pair of waterproof shoes if they are not something you think you'll use a lot.)

 

We have used these:  https://www.amazon.com/DexShell-Waterproof-Breathable-Seamless-Ultralite/dp/B09BJ1G55S/ref=asc_df_B09BJ1G55S/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=598295320300&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18189613279282952158&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011832&hvtargid=pla-1717279506900&psc=1

 

Sometimes we pair them with a pair of rubber boots (for wet landings when using a Zodiac-type boat for tendering, for example.)  Or with a pair of lightweight, water-resistant (but not -proof) hiking shoes (not boots).  We've had ours since a cruise to Antartica in 2000, so I can attest they work, wash easily, and last.  Just another option for consideration, not a commercial recommendation.

 

Take care,

 

[sharonann24]

I also have been debating the shoe/boot issue.  We have lightweight waterproof hiking boots which I have actually worn in lieu of snow boots when we have had light snow or just very rainy conditions.  You may want to try EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports).  They still have online shopping but many of their brick and mortar stores have closed.