When it comes to shopping for presents this year, river cruising around europe’s most famous Christmas markets has become increasingly popular and with the major cruise lines such as Avalon River Cruises now offering itineraries to Strasbourg, Speyer and Heidelberg, it’s not hard to see why.
What can I expect on board?
On most of the major river holiday lines you can expect an abundance of festivities and celebrations as you sail through some of europe’s finest cities.
Avalon River Cruises launched four brand new vessels in 2004, which makes them the world’s youngest fleet. Each ship boasts a smooth and sleek design with plenty of luxurious little touches. You will find the finest facilities on board these ships with all the modern amenities that you could possible need during your Christmas cruise.
As well as cruising in complete comfort and luxury, with Avalon River Cruises you can look forward to the finest cuisine. During the Christmas festivities, they will be serving turkey dinners with plenty of tasty roast potatoes, mulled wine and all the trimmings.
Avalon River Cruises ensure that the entertainment matches the itinerary, with lectures given on each destination and musical affairs that light up the evenings with Christmas carols and much, much more.
Popular ports of call…
Cruising along the Danube on your next boat trip, you will get the opportunity to visit the famous markets in Regensburg and Vienna and Nuremberg. Nuremberg is a popular stop over on most river cruise itineraries because it is home to the largest and most famous Christmas market of all, which is visited by nearly two million people each year.
With a history dating back to the 1600′s, this unique market offers a whole wealth of Christmas traditions and an atmosphere like no other. Well over two hundred stalls are located in the market square, and this market really gets you into festive spirits with mulled wine, gingerbread spices and many other unusual gifts.
The perfect Christmas present
These european Christmas markets really are out of this world. You can enjoy the colourful and fascinating displays as the famous Christmas markets create a stress free way of shopping for presents. Packed with over 100 huts and stalls, selling everything from arts and crafts, to wood-carved nativity scenes and hand-made Christmas decorations. Scented candles, knitwear and home-made cookies are also popular, so you can find just about anything at these grand festive affairs.
These Christmas markets are not just about buying presents either, as the celebrations in these European markets are truly huge. The quaint European towns are transformed into all things Christmas with sparkling lights, tinsel and trees, to make it a Christmas cruise you will never forget. It’s the next best thing to a trip to Lapland itself!
River cruising is on the rise
With the river cruise industry as a whole significantly growing in recent years, Avalon River Cruises has also seen a huge rise in sales and in particular, customers booking for a Christmas market river cruise. With numerous lines all offering sailings through Basel, Switzerland, Strasbourg, into the heart of the Rhine and Germany, guests can enjoy a relaxing week exploring traditional Christmas markets and traditional on board Christmas celebrations.