Reservations 877·97·CRAFT  (877·972·7238)

Christmas Craft Markets

What to expect on a Christmas Craft Markets cruise

Experience the magic of Christmas in Europe with other knitters. Imagine the Christmas season with friends in a place where so many seasonal traditions began. Christmas markets provide a cheerful place to shop and socialize with locals while enjoying the festive camaraderie of the holiday season. You will enjoy a winter wonderland of live holiday music, arts and crafts including beautiful hand-knits, hand-carved and painted nutcrackers, wood ornaments, children's toys and other items. You can also nibble on treats like lebkuchen (gingerbread), powdered sugar-coated stollen (fruitcake), roasted chestnuts, grilled sausages, schnitzel, crepes, and you can fortify yourself against the winter nights with traditional warm Christmas spiced wine known as Gluhwein or a stein of delicious local beer.

River Cruising

River cruising offer a combination of what travelers enjoy most about land-based travel and cruising. Unpack once, have a fixed budget for lodging, dining, entertainment and touring while cruising right into the very heart of some of the most popular and scenic inland regions. River cruising allows travelers to experience fabulous cities as well as off-the-beaten-path places in comfort and style with a heavy emphasis on culture, enrichment and safety.

Christmas Traditions

Usher in the holiday season with a timeless trip down the Danube River and discover the beauty of the region. Christmas is the best time to visit because of the festivities, decorations and performing arts. You will cruise down the Danube through the gorgeous Bavarian countryside to enchanting villages all while experiencing the magic of the season with locals and new friends. Few tourists visit this region in the winter giving you a less crowded opportunity to experience it.

Danube River

There are Christmas craft markets all over Europe but this itinerary allows knitters to shop for yarn in Munich, visit the Wollmeise factory outlet in Pfaffenhofen, and to enjoy the festivities of Munich's Christmas markets, which are the oldest in Germany dating back to the 14th century. In addition to Germany travelers will also visit some of the most enchanting cities, towns and hamlets along the storied Danube River.

Tour Guides

In addition to having professional English-speaking river cruise guides you will enjoy having a Craft Cruises trip leader to help facilitate shopping excursions to the local Christmas markets as well as yarn crawls where time permits. Not only will the craft markets and yarn shops be emphasized in each port but your river cruise guide will take you to architectural treasures and famous historic sites as well making this a very memorable trip for all.