Depart USA for Austria
Our Christmas adventure begins with an overnight flight to Vienna, Austria.

Arrive Vienna, Austria – Embark S.S. Beatrice
This morning we will arrive in Vienna, a city steeped in history, music, and elegant architecture. After completing arrival formalities, we will transfer to the S.S. Beatrice, our home, for the next 7 nights.

Vienna, Austria
Let the festivities begin with a full day to savor the Christmas spirit in Vienna with over 140 wooden stalls enticing you with every sort of delicacy. Be sure to try the rum balls and nutmeg-spiced macarons, which are local favorites. Choose between a Vienna walking tour or a panoramic tour to see the city’s major landmarks—Parliament, City Hall, the Vienna State Opera, and numerous glorious palaces and museums. The afternoon is yours to dive deeper into this winter wonderland! A special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for us this evening.

Cruise Wachau Valley, Durnstein, Austria
Villages and castle ruins adorn the shoreline as we cruise through the incredibly beautiful Wachau Valley. We’ll reach the fairytale village of Durnstein, walk along its cobbled streets, browse the shops selling apricot schnapps, and enjoy an included village stroll.  The inhabitants of this region have grown apricots and grapes for many centuries, and they have happily turned both into delectable beverages through the years. See what they do with the local wine in winter, as we warm up with a mulled wine tasting after our walk. Cap off the afternoon with an organ concert inside a rococo Augustine monastery church.

Linz, Austria, Cruising the Danube
There is more to Linz than its famous Linzer torte, although that alone makes it well worth a visit. The city has a thriving contemporary art scene, and its two Christmas Markets are over-the-top enchanting.  In keeping with the Austrian traditions of good food and good music, Linz gave rise to both the Linzer torte and the Linz Symphony. The symphony is one of Mozart’s most celebrated works. Today the choice is yours! After strolling through the Old Town, you can take a ride into the countryside to discover a cider farm (the region’s most popular drink) or spend more time exploring Linz’s tantalizing Christmas Markets.

Passau, Germany Bavaria
Today we will explore the beautifully expansive and heavily wooded Bavarian Forest. Choose between our included Passau Walking Tour with Christmas Market visit, where you will join a local guide for a stroll through picturesque lanes in the heart of Passau and experience the Passau Christmas Market. OR enter the Bavarian Forest for a tasting of schnapps at a local distillery. Then, choose to either move on to a glass workshop and see how the local style of glassware is crafted, or for a more active outing, join us on a visit to a former Silver Mine. Ride up to the mine by cable car, get your helmet and dive deep into the mountain.

Regensburg, Germany Bavaria
Sparkling with holiday lights and decorations, the old town of Regensburg does not disappoint. Enjoy our included Regensburg tour, walking through cobbled lanes of the UNESCO-designated city center, where 2,000-year history is revealed through their brightest cultural sights. At the end of our tour, we’ll find ourselves at what may be the most romantic Christmas market in all of Germany. A glorious baroque palace enfolds the square, where branch-thatched huts sell handcrafted local wares and Bavarian delicacies.

The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish. Christmas markets are set up in the area where artisans and craftspeople sell handmade dolls, marionettes, pottery and other fine-quality wares. Shop for children’s toys or traditional Nativity scenes with hand-carved figures. As you take in the delights of the markets, enjoy regional specialties, such as mulled blueberry wine from the Bavarian Forest, Regensburg sausages on crisp rolls, steamed dampfnudel (dumplings with vanilla sauce) and mulled cider.

Roth, Nuremberg, Germany Bavaria
We visit the “Gingerbread Capital of the World” today; home to the largest and grandest Christmas market in all of Germany on our included tour. We’ll walk down a maze of cobblestone lanes to the central Market Square, where we will find over 200 stalls of Christmas wares. Be sure to check out the special children’s area complete with a 2-story carousel featuring carved reindeer and Santa’s sleigh. As you wander through the market,  don’t forget to sample Nuremberg’s famous gingerbread! A special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for us this evening.

Disembark, Fly home
Say farewell to our new friends on the S.S. Beatrice, disembark the ship, and board our flight home with cherished memories of the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Christmas Markets along the Danube.