Christmas markets river cruises 2022 infos and tips

[notamermaid]

travel weekly is also on the rivers again, the Rhine on a Christmas market cruise:

https://www.travelweekly.com/Blogs/Dispatch/holiday-spirit-Christmas-market-river-cruise?ct=river

 

notamermaid

 

[loriva]

The “City” Christmas market on the Ku’damm in Berlin by the Kaiser Wilhelm Church (aka “the lipstick”).  Plus a shot of the tree by the Brandenburg Gate.  Walked through the gate for the first time—could not do that during my only other visit to Berlin in 1980.

 

We had a photo stop at the church on the “Berlin by Night” tour after dinner at “Nolle.”  The food was average (some curry wurst to share for an appetizer, then schnitzel, and apple strudel for dessert) but the building is interesting—nested in a viaduct for the S-Hahn with an art deco theme.

 

We visited the main Christmas market in Berlin today, this year held in Bebelsplatz as the Gendarmenmarkt is undergoing renovations.  Viking only gave us 20 minutes to explore, which was not nearly enough time.  It is the last stop on the panoramic tour, however,

and the Statsoper stop for the 100, 200, and 300 city buses is right there and then a 10-minute ride and five-minute walk back to Viking’s hotel, the Grand Hyatt.  (Too bad they are not using the Hilton for the Christmas market tours as it is just south of the market.)

 

A quick tip for those on Viking:  double check the shorex descriptions just before you leave.  Viking changed our optional “by Night” tour significantly after we signed up for it.
 

[CPT Trips]

2 hours ago, loriva said:

A quick tip for those on Viking:  double check the shorex descriptions just before you leave.  Viking changed our optional “by Night” tour significantly after we signed up for it.

Curious/nosy, what was changed? Was it an improvement?

 

 

[loriva]

20 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

Curious/nosy, what was changed? Was it an improvement?

 

 

Neutral, I guess, would be the best description.    They dropped most of the tour of “illuminated” Berlin.  This might be due to the energy crisis after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  They added a quick trip up the TV tower.  Initially it was a little disappointing for us as we had visited the tower earlier in the day, but it was a different experience at night and having a live guide to point out places of interest and give some history added to the information boards all around the tower.  We did have a photo stop at the Brandenburg gate and a quick swing by the Victory Tower.

[loriva]

Today’s stop was the Christmas market along Brandenburg street in Potsdam.  Some local crafts people with boiled wool mittens and things and some Ukrainian and Polish specialties.  A wide variety of gluhwein, including a ginger one.  Viking also included a stop at the “bridge of spies,” San Souci palace, and a panorama tour of Potsdam.  

Not related to the Viking tour, but thanks to postings on CC.com, we booked dinner last night at the Kaefer restaurant on the top of the Reichstag building.  Food and service wonderful as was the view—we lucked out with a very clear night!  Show up for your reservation at least 30 minutes early to clear security—although note that security does not open until 1800 hours for the evening seatings.  I’d suggest a reservation no earlier than 1900 hours and then pick up one of the free audio guides and walk up the ramp to the top of the dome.  (The restaurant is on the lower level of the dome across from the exit from the elevator—you can’t see it from the elevator due to the center part of the dome structure.). A lovely and unique experience!

 

 

[Coral]

On 12/15/2022 at 8:17 AM, loriva said:

The “City” Christmas market on the Ku’damm in Berlin by the Kaiser Wilhelm Church (aka “the lipstick”).  Plus a shot of the tree by the Brandenburg Gate.  Walked through the gate for the first time—could not do that during my only other visit to Berlin in 1980.

it.
 

 

I am loving your reports!!! Thanks!

Edited December 16, 2022 by Coral

[steamboats]

2 hours ago, loriva said:

This might be due to the energy crisis after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  

 

I doubt that this was the reason. All cities changed to LED lights and may have reduced the times for turning on the lights (like they start after darkness and end by 10 pm and don´t have it on 24/7). But I haven´t heard that Berlin has reduced the Christmas lights due to the energy crisis.

 

steamboats

[Canal archive]

More to do with trying to be as green as possible without being over the top intense about it. Okay some may not agree but a balance is better than none at all. Merry Christmas all.

[loriva]

22 hours ago, steamboats said:

 

I doubt that this was the reason. All cities changed to LED lights and may have reduced the times for turning on the lights (like they start after darkness and end by 10 pm and don´t have it on 24/7). But I haven´t heard that Berlin has reduced the Christmas lights due to the energy crisis.

 

steamboats

That was the reason given by the Viking guide for the change.

[loriva]

Today’s stop in the morning was Wittenberg.  We visited the Lutherhaus, a small stroll along the shopping street in the Old Town, St. Mary’s church, and ended at the Castle church (where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses after about an hour of free time for the Christmas market.  We also visited a very nice Christmas shop on the shopping street the guide pointed out. (If you get Christian for your guide, he is very funny as well as knowledgeable.)

 

After returning to the ship for lunch, we cast off and are now sailing the Elbe.  We should reach Torgau in the evening for a short stroll to  see the memorial to the site where the U.S. forces met the Soviet ones near the end of WWII.

[loriva]

By the way, the Astrild is festively decorated,

including a tree on the bow of the ship,

lights all around, and multiple gingerbread villages.  The staff sang Christmas carols last night and then gave us ornaments to personalize and hang on the tree (I’ll take and post a photo later).  They served guhlwein and have had a series of cookies on offer—including the yummy star ones with the marzipan.

[steamboats]

1 hour ago, loriva said:

That was the reason given by the Viking guide for the change.

 

Sorry to say, but that's definitely not the real reason. Despite what they say.

 

steamboats

[steamboats]

Made it to Nuremberg today. But it was definitely pretty crowded today on a Saturday afternoon.

 

steamboats 

[loriva]

After dinner last night, the Program Director led an optional walk around Torgau to visit the monument where U.S. and Soviet troops met near the end of WWII and other sites in the city of about 15,000 people.  And a visit to the Christmas market in the town square.  It was nicely decorated with vignettes from Grimm’s fairytales around the base of the tree—here’s a photo of Little Red Riding Hood with “Grandma” in her bed.  They also had a band playing—at 27 degrees F (-3 C), they were real troopers.  I would have loved to hear “I want to hold your hand” in German (which The Beatles did record!) but the band did it in English.  And, yes, I’m obsessed with the giant pyramids when I find them in the markets!

 

Today we visit Meissen in the afternoon.

 

[Canal archive]

It’s on that tube thingy you know what I mean they recorded ‘I want to hold your hand’ and ‘She loves you’ in German. You could set up a link and listen whenever you wanted to. I saw the Beatles live at Portsmouth Guildhall they were a support act to the Everly Brothers and a few months later as a support act to my all time favourite the Stones, that was a dancing in the isles evening much to the horror of the guildhall staff.

[ural guy]

Nothing wrong about liking the 'Pyramids'.  My parents had the little ones when I was growing up, and later we bought two when stationed in Germany.  Stuff like that off limits now; between the puppy/cats/myself, something is going to catch on fire.

 

The Viking ship looks nice and festive.  Glad you have good water levels and are enjoying yourself, you'll be back in sun soon enough.  Keep the pics rolling!

[loriva]

Meissen had a lovely little main market in the town hall square.  They turn the windows of the Rathaus into a giant advent calendar—opening a new set of the blue shutters each day to reveal a picture.  They also had the best gluhwein mugs so far (well, Berlin’s was really nice)—but they are from 2020.  Good for sustainability, not so much for a souvenir!  And Santa was there!!

 

Meissen is, of course, famous for its porcelain.    Even the bells visible in the church tower over the Christmas tree are made from it.  They ring every 15 minutes and have a lovely tone.  We toured the factory and had an optional walk up the hill (reportedly 100 steps) to see the exteriors of the 16th-century palace—which was the original factory of the “white gold” in 1710–and the church.

 

Tomorrow—Dresden!!

 

[loriva]

Visited two markets in Dresden today.  We had 30 minutes at the main market following the Viking tour of the city and the Green Vault at the Caste Museum in the morning.  Viking also ran a shuttle to the market at 1530 hours with a return at 1730.  We opted to walk instead for about 15 minutes to the New Market near Our Lady’s church.  The guide said it focused more on crafts than the main market—we did find some nice ceramic ornaments.  At the main market, a unique offering are figures made from prunes—but we had to search to find them.

 

Unfortunately, by that time we also ran into our first bad weather of the trip—freezing rain.  That made for an adventurous trip back to the ship over the cobblestones!  It was bad enough that our concert at the Zwinger was canceled.  We walked by it on our tour in the morning, but I was looking forward to seeing the interior.  Somehow, the Viking Program Director Kalin managed to persuade a trio (violin, flute, and piano) to brave the weather and present 45 minutes of classical music on board.  They were fabulous!

 

Currently we are sailing the Elbe in the Saxon-Switzerland area prior to an afternoon tour to the Bastei overlook.  Not sure if the small town of Bad Schandau will have a Christmas market—we may have to wait until tomorrow in Prague.
 

[notamermaid]

Thank you for taking us along on your trip. Great to see photos from the East of my country. Have been out and about a bit in the snow but too busy to post photos. The weather turned into dangerous icy rain in Germany, it was indeed treacherous, many accidents on the roads. One of my neighbours fell but she fortunately did not hurt herself much.

 

The snow is almost all gone here in the valley so those sailing over Christmas may well have to venture into the high hills to see snowy landscape.

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

Interesting article on the history of Christmas Markets. 
 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-christmas-markets-180981308/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=pocket_hits&utm_campaign=POCKET_HITS-EN-DAILY-RECS-2022_12_20&sponsored=0&position=11&scheduled_corpus_item_id=ec827985-e907-488a-a6a0-278d71e5af40?utm_medium=email&utm_source=pocket_hits&utm_campaign=POCKET_HITS-EN-DAILY-RECS-2022_12_20&sponsored=0

[ural guy]

Loriva-  Biggest pyramid yet!

[loriva]

Disembarked the Astrild on Wednesday morning and bus (a little under two hours to Prague.  After a comfort stop at the Marriott, we reboarded the bus and were dropped below Castle Hill.  We had a walk through parts of Lesser Town, then over the Charles Bridge to Old Town.  After an unnecessarily long stop (probably a timing stop for below) at the Bethlehem Chapel (a nice display of scenes and Czech handicrafts), we walked to the main square for the show of the Astronomical Clock at 1300 hours.  Then set free ti explore the Christmas market there.  It had lots of stands with handicrafts and Czech food.  And nicely decorated—but no pyramid.  
 

For the evening we went to a Christmas pageant at the Municipal House with dinner in their restaurant before (independently).  We couldn’t understand a word, but since it was all singing we could enjoy the music.  Photo of the curtain call at the bottom.
 

[loriva]

 Yesterday’s market is in the Prague Castle

complex.  I failed to take many photos of the market itself so included a Christmas shop in the palace complex as well as the tree in the Lobkowicz Palace.  The castle market had a nice selection of food (including one selling Czech-made chocolates) and handicrafts.  It seemed more upscale than the market in the main square.  We also spoke to some who went to the market on Wenceslas Square.  They said that market had more stalls devoted to handicrafts than the main square; the latter had more food options.

 

Now we are off to the Viking extension to Poland.  Next market will be Krakow.
 

[loriva]

I lied.  We made a stop in Olomouc, Czech Republic, for the driver’s break between Prague and Krakow, Poland.  A very nice market all around the town hall.  Its claim to fame is an astronomical clock that was rebuilt after WWII—substituting figures of the proletariat for the original apostles as the Soviets paid for the renovation.

[ural guy]

That factoid about the Soviet version of the astronomical clock is funny.  I wonder if the Soviet craftsmanship will have the same lifespan as the Prague one.  I'm sure the Orloj has had a lot of maintenance work done over the years, but still, 1410 is a long time ago...

 

Sorry, edited this to say the Olomuoc clock was built roughly the same time period as Prague.  The 'Socialist Realism' style was added in 1955.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olomouc_astronomical_clock

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2022 by ural guy
Added detail