Discover villages with fairytale houses and a friendly, festive atmosphere. Share traditional holiday goodies with the people who made them. Watch as modern children abandon their usual electronics and discover the enchantment of hand-carved wooden toys, as scents of cinnamon and roasting nuts fill the air.
Sail through Christmas country, trying Frankfurt’s famous apple cider and Nuremberg’s gingerbread. Throughout, cozy up to steaming mugs of glühwein (warm spiced wine) and do as the locals do by collecting different mugs from each stall and town you visit. Embrace the holiday spirit in Germany, the land where many Christmas traditions began, and find the magic of the season in the smiles that you meet along the way.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Experience the winter wonderlands of Europe like never before, with stunning views of Lake Lucerne from the peak of Mt. Pilatus and immersive tours of Munich and Salzburg. An Insight Choice experience in Innsbruck lets you choose between a horse-drawn carriage ride through the Alpine scenery or a visit to the world of Swarovski Crystal. Your Austrian adventure continues with an exclusive Salzburg market tasting experience, where locals serve goblets of Glühwein and freshly baked Lebkuchen, fragrant with ginger and cocoa. Across the border in Germany, Rothenburg, nestled alongside the River Tauber, offers an abundance of 16th-century charm, while in Munich, foaming steins of beer beckon at the city’s famous beer halls.
From exotic Budapest, “Queen of the Danube,” to imperial Vienna, “City of Waltzes,” to the sky-high spires of Cologne’s Gothic cathedral—centuries of intriguing history and culture unfold before your eyes. The Melk Abbey’s great library overlooking the Danube and the Würzburg Residence’s soaring ceiling fresco by Tiepolo will leave you mesmerized. And throughout your journey, tantalize your senses with exclusive wine, apricot brandy and beer tastings, along with regional culinary delicacies. Discover the grand sweep of history and the dynamic present along legendary rivers on a magnificent journey that gives you the best of Europe’s great treasures as well as off-the-beaten-path gems.
