Danube Christmas Markets Cruise 2013-2

Gingerbread at Thurn and Taxis Market

Regensburg is one of my favorite little cities, easily navigated on foot, and Ben and I couldn’t wait to return to the Regensburg Sausage Kitchen, the oldest sausage restaurant in the world. 

We chose an optional walking tour that included a quick sausage sandwich at the Kitchen and then beer tasting at a local brewery.  This is a great little city for shopping, too, which is what we did after visiting the Thurn and Taxis “Royal” Christmas Markets.  From Regensburg, some opted for a tour of the local Audi factory and gave it high marks. 

 

Our cruise ended in Nuremburg, steeped in history and home to one of the largest Christmas Markets in the world.  The Ama afternoon walking  tour takes guests to the Imperial Castle and other city sights, ending at the Beautiful Fountain, the centerpiece of Market Square now filled with vendor after vendor selling goods, food and beverage.  The best!  And if you don’t find the perfect nutcracker in the square, there’s always Kathe Wohlfahrt’s famous store at the edge of the square.   

After disembarking the final morning, our final tour led us to the Zeppelin Field where Hitler held his infamous Nazi

German Nutcrackers

Party rallies, and the Justice Palace where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946.  On our previous Danube cruise we were able to go inside and see the courtroom since we visited on the weekend; alas, the courtroom was in use on this weekday. 

Now it was on to Prague.  When you consider all of the great cities in Europe, perhaps your list beings with Paris, Rome, and London.  In that same breath, you must include Prague.  Already steeped in history from its earliest Paleolithic tribes through the Medieval Bohemian days and glorious Renaissance transformations, Prague entered the 20^th century as part of the short-lived Austro-Hungarian Empire.  World Wars I and II brought oppression and destruction, not to mention lack of upkeep on some the city’s buildings.  

Old Town Prague Market with
Tyn Church

Now, however, Prague has become part of all that it has met, to paraphrase Lord Tennyson, and offers visitors more history, architecture, and culture than can be absorbed in only a short visit.  Built on nine hills along the Vltava River, the landscape is dominated by the 9^th century Prague Castle,  State Opera, St. Vitus Cathedral, the Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock, and the Church of Our Lady that is home to the venerated statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague.  We spent a half day on a walking tour past many of these sites and ending at—of course—the Old Town Christmas market.  The photo says it all.  Most of our group took advantage of the lively Czech folk concert and dinner offered one evening, enjoying a traditional meal and the local Czech beer and wine.  

 

Concert Ensemble
Klementium Mirror Chapel



Mirror Chapel Detail From A Biased
Former High School Timpanist!

Concerts abound in this city.  In Old Town Prague where we stayed you can hardly walk a few yards without seeing another concert poster or being handed a flyer about one.  Most are small, but some draw larger crowds and always feature wonderful musicians...and the price is usually very reasonable at under $50 per person.  After going to three different concerts during our 2007 summer cruise on this same itinerary, I wanted to spend my last night in Prague at another.  Upon perusing all the options, I chose not just a concert, but one in a beautiful venue, as well—the Mirror Chapel of the Klementinum.  Performing a program of Christmas selections from Silent Night and favorite Czech songs to Bach and Mozart was an immensely talented ensemble of vocalists and musicians.  Bravo.  

Since Ben and I were the only ones in our group interested in the concert, we took advantage of this final evening for just the two of us.  After the concert we walked back toward the market square, and a street hawker talked us into dinner at the restaurant she was promoting upstairs overlooking all the market activity.  We took the bait and it was a good decision.  We shared a bread bowl of hearty goulash soup and downed it 
with a glass of the local beer, soaking in for the last time beauty of Old Town Prague lit up for the holidays.   

I really must write a bit about our ship, the AmaPrima, that just made her debut last spring.  She is a new design for AmaWaterways, sister to the AmaCerto and two others slated for completion in the coming months.  These ships not only offer staterooms with a French balcony, but also those with an actual balcony for sitting, similar to ocean-going vessels.  It was too cold for us to make much use of it on this trip, but I can only imagine the serenity of watching the world go by as you sail Europe’s rivers in the privacy of your own little space. 

AmaPrima Sailing through Lock

Staff, as always, were helpful and attentive, and our cruise director, Canadian-born Kriss Stallabrass, never failed to have an answer or find the answer to the barrage of questions guests threw out at her.  She was an excellent presenter, too, with both her informal talks on the coming day’s activity to more formal slide shows of key places of interest along the Danube and the many locks en route.   

The next big travel dates on Ben’s and my calendar are to Italy in April, followed by a Mediterranean cruise visiting two ports long on my list—Istanbul and Ephesus.  Watch for more blogs then!

Danube Christmas Markets Cruise 2013-1

Budapest-Sausage Booth

Is January really almost over?  We returned from our Christmas markets cruise December 13, anticipating the birth of our grandson any day.  He finally entered the world on December 27 after Christmas...and after his uncle and aunt had already flown back to Pennsylvania; but it was a season of joy for all of us!  We hope you had a wonderful holiday season, too. 

After the damp cold in Europe and added snow in Austria, we thought we’d be pretty much done with the worst of our 2013-14 winter experience way down here in San Antonio.  Then came the polar vortex that keeps extending its fingers into South Central Texas, and as I post this today, the city is virtually shut down due to ice on overpasses and bridges. I’m thinking winter won’t go away until I complete my blog on this Christmas markets cruise, not to mention before I forget it all!   

Ben and I had thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas markets cruise we took down the Rhine several years ago and couldn’t wait to try the Danube version.  On this cruise there was clearly a greater variety of markets since we spanned four countries (Hungary, Austria, Germany, and Czech Republic) rather than the two countries visited on the Rhine:  The Netherlands, and Germany—plus Paris where markets are not the big tradition.   We found in general that markets in non-Germany cities focused more on food and local crafts, whereas Germany markets are filled with well crafted wooden ornaments, nutcrackers, nativity scenes, and a host of other traditional Christmas products, plus stall upon stall of gluhwein (hot spiced wine), beer and food.  Each type of market bore its own charm and own version of hot, spiced wine. 
 

Budapest from Buda Castle on the Buda side;
Parliament is across on the Pest side

We began our trip with a two-night stay in Budapest to once again take in the Buda Castle, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and Matthias church, as well as sail past the magnificent Parliament House at night.  One of the Christmas markets was located just a few steps from our hotel, but we found others perched on nearby during squares during evening strolls.  All exuded a warm, cozy ambiance.  One included a stage where a traditional folk group performed.  I felt I was back at the Texas Folklife Festival. 

Statue of Archduke Charles
Heldenplatz, Vienna

There is always so much to do and see in Vienna, our next stop.  An optional tour was offered to Schonbrunn Palace, but Ben and I had visited there previously and stuck to the city tour with visits to the Vienna Opera House, marvelous St. Stephen’sCathedral, the city’s historic center, and visits to a couple of Christmas markets along the way.  Both were lively even during the day, and several craftsmen occupied booths demonstrating their skills and sometimes personalizing their wares for guests. 
 


Say the word Vienna and music comes first your find.  Mozart, Haydn, Gruber, Schubert, Strauss—the list of famous composers who were born or lived in this city goes on and on.  While on our first trip there in 1972, I even got Ben to an operetta and he continues to enjoy sharing  classical music events with me in many of the countries we visit.  On this trip, AmaWaterways had arranged a special concert for us in the lovely Palais Auersberg featuring the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss selections—an excellent ensemble of singers and musicians.   

Melk Abbey

As we sailed overnight toward Melk, the weather worsened, ushering in cold winds...and snow.  After breakfast we bundled up and headed out into elements and up to our waiting motor coaches, trudging against the cold, blowing snow.  A few backed out and retreated to the warmth of the ship, but we knew our delightful Melk  guide from two previous tours and anticipated seeing her again on what was sure to be a picturesque day at the famed Melk Abbey.  We were not disappointed.  Because it was winter (and perhaps partly due to the weather), crowds at this famed 11^th century Benedictine Abbey were sparse, thereby allowing clearer unobstructed views of the magnificent medieval manuscripts, frescos, and religious artifacts that chronicle the history of one of Europe’s largest and most revered Baroque monasteries.  Blanketed with the new-fallen snow, it looked straight out of a fairy tale. 
 

With our wonderful Austria Guide
Lisi Alscher-Bruck, Melk

From Linz, Austria, guests could choose between a walking tour of Passau or an excursion to Salzburg.  I never miss an opportunity to visit that Sound of Music city nestled in the hills against the backdrop of the Alps, so off we rode.  Salzburg is magical, just magical.  Our tour led us to the Mirabell Gardens where Maria and the children sang “Do Re Me”; to Mozart’s birthplace and Salzburg Cathedral where he once served as court organist; through the charming pedestrian streets and alleys to the city’s own Christmas market.  At this point, Ben and I broke from the tour to peruse the market, walk up toward (but not all the way TO!) the impressive Fortress Hohensalzburg standing guard over the city as one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, for a glass of the city’s famed local beer at StieglKeller.  En route, Ben was charmed by a street violinist whose repertoire ranged from classic to popular.  We each relive that free concert each time we play his CD. 



Fortress Hohensalzburg

Those in our group opting to stay onboard and take the Passau tour learned that it is also known as the “City of Three Rivers,” because it lies where the Danube is joined by the Inn and Ilz rivers.  St. Stephan’s Cathedral is home to one of the largest pipe organs in the world with 17,774 pipes and 233 registers.  Pretty impressive. 

Next up:  Regensburg, Germany