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You’ll spend more than just the 12 days of Christmas experiencing Europe during the holiday season! This 17-day journey cruises on the Danube through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary, introducing you to the heart-warming holiday traditions of each culture. Begin in Passau, where exciting activities await—Christmas markets, beer, or even an outing to magical Salzburg. Then, pass through the wonders of the Wachau Valley: regal castles, imposing monasteries, and lush, terraced vineyards for scenery befitting a postcard! In Bratislava, discover the Slovak capital’s playful side, while the grace of Budapest and the grandeur of Vienna will leave you speechless. At the enchanting Christmas Markets, just follow your nose to find scrumptious specialties like gingerbread, roasted chestnuts, grilled sausage, and more! Christmas Eve and Day are back in Passau for a joyous holiday to remember!
Situated along the Route of Emperors and Kings where the Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers meet, Passau was settled as early as the Neolithic Age. During the Renaissance, this City of Three Rivers was a major manufacturing center of swords, crafting bladed weapons stamped with the Passau wolf, which legend claimed would grant invulnerability. Today, the most famous sights lining the narrow cobblestone streets of the Old Town are the artistic Town Hall and the Baroque St. Stephen's Cathedral with its green-domed towers and one of the largest organs in the world.
Austria’s third largest city, Linz is a European Capital of Culture worth exploring. Highlights include the Feichtinger House with its Glockenspiel, Castle Museum, Lentos Art Museum, and the Neo-Gothic Mariendom with its impressive stained-glass windows and 20,000-person seating capacity. A hike up Pöstlingberg Hill delivers outstanding views over the Danube and is best followed by a coffee and piece of scrumptious Linzer Torte, invented here as the world's first cake!
No visit to the Wachau Valley is complete without visiting Austria’s prettiest abbey. Built on a rocky promontory overlooking the Danube, Melk Abbey's origins date back to 1089. Today, it is one of Europe's finest examples of Baroque architecture, where Benedictine monks still farm the land and operate what is now the oldest school in Austria. Highlights include the library of ancient manuscripts, frescoed ceiling, stunning spiral staircases, and the ornate abbey church.
Vienna is a city that defies simple description. Over the centuries, it has been an imperial city, seat of the Holy Roman Empire, capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and capital of sovereign Austria. Today, Vienna retains the grand Baroque architecture, historic style, and Lebenskunst (art of living) that attracted famous composers like Mozart and Strauss. It's a wonderland of lavish palaces and cathedrals, world-class museums and music venues, atmospheric coffee houses, and romantic fiakers (horse-drawn carriages) clip-clopping past it all.
Bratislava is perfect for those who want to be transported to another time. Even from a distance, its 9th-century clifftop castle strikes an impressive pose. Down below, the bustling pedestrian-only Old Town is a charming collection of Old World architecture, like Michael's Gate, St. Martin's Cathedral, the Old Opera House, and the Neoclassical Primate's Palace. There's even a surprise or two, with Napoleon's cannonballs lodged in historic walls and an unexpected statue of Cumil the Sewer Worker peering up from below street level!
One of the most beautiful cities in the world, the wonders of Budapest rise up along both banks of the Danube in a truly impressive way. Along with Heroes' Square with its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, awe-inspiring Hungarian Parliament Building, and the lavish Castle District with photogenic Fishermen's Bastion, the city is home to a captivating Jewish district and the second-largest synagogue in the world, an intricate underground cave system, and some of Europe's most famous thermal baths.
First mentioned in 995 AD, Krems became prosperous as a trade center for salt and wine. Its cobblestoned Old Town is home to well preserved buildings, like the 15th-century Steiner Tor (city gate), symbol of the city. Also worth seeing: the Krems Art Mile with Austria's only caricature museum and the State Gallery of Lower Austria; 11th-century Göttweig Abbey; and wine! Surrounded by vineyards, Krems produces some of the country's best wines!
After the Third Reich's annexation of Austria in 1938, the tiny market town of Mauthausen became home to a Nazi concentration camp. Today, the former camp serves as a memorial to the 200,000 men, women, and children who were imprisoned and perished there—and a site committed to political and historical education.
As early as 1293, the market town of Engelhartszell was known as a lovely place of recreation. Rich in history, its cultural highlights include the ancient Cistercian Abbey—a Trappist monastery known for centuries for its outstanding liqueurs, beers, and cheeses. The abbey church is among the country's finest example of Rococo architecture, while the town's Parish Church is decidedly Baroque. Other highlights include the imperial toll gate, 400-year-old blacksmithy, pretty Old Town center, and newly opened Schütz Art Museum.