Why a cruise is the best way to see Europe’s Christmas markets

For a healthy dose of glühwein, gingerbread and twinkling lights, a trip to a Christmas market in Europe should be on your holiday wish list. While distinctly German in their tastes and smells, Christmas markets actually have roots dating back to 13th-century Austria. Today, these festive rites-of-passage are celebrated throughout Europe in countries as varied as Portugal and Finland, France and the Netherlands.

With each event boasting its own unique charm, Christmas market cruises have become a popular winter holiday for visitors from all over the world. Offering the perfect mix of city exploration and relaxing journeys along iconic waterways, we think a cruise is the best way to see as many Christmas markets as you can!

Viking River Cruises takes you on a romantic journey along the meandering “Blue Danube” River through Hungry, Austria and Germany, with the piece de resistance as a stop at the largest Christmas market in Europe, the Christkindlmarkt on the Rauthauplatz in Vienna. With more than 150 stalls of local and regional artisanal treats and crafts, this market has long been one of the best known. It’s got an ice rink that’s open until early January and a carousel, too.

In Regensburg, Germany you’ll get to wander the UNESCO-listed cobblestone streets and enjoy a glass of glühwein in the quaint city square where they set up their market for only one month up.

Through Germany and the Netherlands along the Rhine River, Nicko Cruises offers a lovely little three-night roundtrip Christmas market tour with a market in every port. In Cologne, there’s a whopping one dozen markets to choose from. In Amsterdam you’ll get a magical evening along the canals and for two weeks only you can visit the market at the Museumplein which puts on its best festive village vibes with an ice rink, live music, dozens of stalls, local fare and mulled wine to keep you warm.

Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands, boasts 2,000 years of history back to the Middle Ages, so its Grote Markt in the central square in the glow of a giant Christmas tree and church bell tower is the perfect place to enjoy a stroopwafel.

If you’re looking to splurge this holiday, hop aboard European Waterways’ 12-passenger hotel barge. You’ll be rewarded with a hot tub, a personal chef and a leisurely lilt through the peaceful canals of Alsace and Lorraine. It might not technically be a river, but it’s got all the makings of a Christmas market river cruise with stops in Colmar (a short drive from the boat), where six adorable markets await you.

The Haguenau Christmas market is famous for its 16-metre-long nativity scene, with wood and clay life-size holy characters, but don’t forget to nibble on a dampfknüdel (a sweet steamed bun local to the region) while in town.

Spend your holidays on the Lower Rhine and hop off Viva Cruise’s new Viva One vessel to visit Düsseldorf’s six themed markets which all work to make up a fully transformed town centre that’s lined with hundreds of Christmas trees and thousands of lights. While there, make sure to try the local “old beer” (don’t be wary of the colour—it’s supposed to be copper!). If beer isn’t your thing, sip the spicy liqueur called “Killepitsch.”

Viva is the only Düsseldorf-based cruise line which gives it an added advantage when highlighting one of the less touristy German cities. The three-night, five-city roundtrip also ports in Koblenz, Bonn and Cologne.

Brand new this year, Uniworld has added an eight-night Belgian Holiday Markets cruise. Sailing along the Rhine on a floating boutique hotel, you’ll enjoy some of the best Christmas markets in Europe, including Aachen and Bruges, often listed in the top ten. Wander the lanes and town squares of Aachen Cathedral at the Aachen Christmas Market and enjoy a true taste of Belgian holiday-going with a bite of their Aachener Printen—a Belgian version of gingerbread.

Bruges' Christmas markets are not to be missed. Both perfectly sized, one in the Markt and one in Simon Stevinplein bask in the glow of twinkling lights while exploring this medieval city. The Light Trail is a fairly new addition and provides a great way to see famous spots around town.