The Christmas Markets of the Danube
As I write this, I am sitting in Munich International Airport after having just finished a weeklong journey aboard Viking River Cruises’ Viking Baldur. Dubbed the Danube Waltz, my journey took me from Budapest, Hungary along the famous ‘Blue Danube’ to the quaint medieval town of Passau, Germany, where I disembarked earlier this morning.
The Danube Waltz is a great itinerary at any time of year, but personally I feel the Danube is at its best during the month of December, when Europe’s storybook-like Christmas Markets are stet up in towns and cities across countries throughout Europe. The tradition of the Christmas Market originated in Germany hundreds of years ago, but today you can find Christmas Markets throughout Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, France, and more – each with their own unique foods, beverages (mmm…mulled wine!) and gifts, from mass-produced wares to handcrafted souvenirs.
While we assemble our reports from the past week, here’s a look at our journey – in pictures:
