Magical Christmas Market River Cruise

This past Thanksgiving, I had the pleasure of taking a European Christmas markets river cruise with Ama Waterways. I sailed the Rhine River on the AmaKristina from Basel to Amsterdam. The ship is small with only 156 passengers, so it is easy to connect with fellow passengers and get to know the crew. Once you get onboard and, in your cabin, you just unpack once then you are ready to relax and enjoy the experience for the duration of the cruise.

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The onboard atmosphere was so festive and joyful. Throughout the ship were beautiful seasonal decorations. I experienced the German tradition of leaving your shoes outside the door before going to bed and receiving a gift in them the next morning. There was a visit with St Nick, decorating the Christmas trees, and lots of singing of Christmas carols.

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We visited Christmas markets in Strasbourg, Riquewihr, Heidelberg, and Cologne. Each Christmas market was unique, but all were steeped in the spirit of the holidays. There were wonderfully decorated stalls where you can wander as you savor the aromas of Gluhwein (hot spiced wined served in a mug you can keep), gingerbread, chimney cakes and roasted nuts.
A highlight besides the Christmas market on our stop in Rudesheim was an evening excursion to a café in town for a local treat, Rüdesheimer Kaffee. This is strong black coffee mixed with sugar and Asbach Uralt brandy, then topped with cream and chocolate flakes. It is guaranteed to keep you warm on a cold winter’s night.

I also enjoyed cruising through the Rhine Gorge to see the castles. I loved the way the Cruise Manager provided narration as we were sailing so we would know the history of all the beautiful castles we were looking at. Along the way, to keep us warm, we were served more Rudesheimer Kaffee by our thoughtful crew.

I cannot think of a better way to get into the holiday spirit than by taking a river cruise to Europe’s Christmas markets. It was truly a magical experience.