There is something undeniably magical about Europe at Christmastime. Medieval squares glow beneath strings of lights, wooden stalls are filled with handmade ornaments and tempting treats, and the scent of mulled wine seems to follow you from one cobblestone street to the next. For couples, a Christmas market cruise along the Rhine is wonderfully romantic. For girlfriends traveling together, it may be even more fun.
My friend Gail and I discovered that a Viking Christmas Market Cruise offered exactly the kind of holiday escape we were looking for: festive, indulgent and delightfully easy. Instead of packing and unpacking as we moved from one city to another, we settled aboard the Viking Eistla and allowed the Rhine to carry us from Switzerland through France and Germany before continuing into the Netherlands.
And, of course, we arrived with wish lists.
Shopping was very much part of our plan. We wanted unusual gifts for family and friends, hostess presents, ornaments and a few treasures for our own homes. Yet we also wanted time to absorb the atmosphere to linger over a cup of Glühwein, wander beneath illuminated cathedral spires and experience the traditions that make European Christmas markets so enchanting.
Viking made that remarkably effortless. Each day, our knowledgeable Program Director, Emma, offered opportunities to visit Christmas markets alongside cultural excursions, concerts, cathedral tours and culinary experiences. Gail and I joined many of the market outings, although we were equally happy venturing off on our own once we knew where to meet the group again.
Our floating home for the journey was Viking Eistla, which was already dressed for Christmas when we boarded. Holiday decorations immediately set the mood, while our comfortable twin-bedded stateroom offered plenty of storage for two women traveling together. We did require a few more hangers, an important consideration when Christmas-market shopping is involved, and our affable cabin steward, Sinisa, quickly appeared with them.
Evenings aboard had their own convivial rhythm. Happy hour brought passengers together over music and conversation, followed by dinner and the inevitable comparison of what everyone had discovered that day. One particularly memorable evening was Viking’s “Taste of Germany” dinner, when the ship took on the atmosphere of a cheerful beer garden. Blue-and-white checked table linens, pretzels suspended from decorative stands and Hotel Director Gabriel dressed in lederhosen made it impossible not to embrace the spirit of the occasion. Local beers and wines accompanied hearty German specialties, while other evenings found us relaxing over lighter fare on the Aquavit Terrace.
Our journey began in Basel, Switzerland, where Germany, Switzerland and France converge. It is an intriguing place to start, balancing contemporary city life with historic streets, handsome guild houses and a remarkable concentration of museums and cultural attractions.
Yet it was Strasbourg, France, that delivered one of those scenes that seems designed expressly for Christmas.
During Viking’s food tour, we stopped at Le Gruber, an Alsatian brasserie in Strasbourg’s historic center near the magnificent Cathédrale Notre-Dame. The restaurant celebrates regional cooking, from traditional baeckeoffe and choucroute to local wines, but during the holiday season its façade becomes part of the spectacle. Teddy bears, garlands, ornaments, lights and whimsical decorations spill across the exterior, transforming it into one of the city’s most photographed festive landmarks.
Strasbourg has long embraced its identity as a Christmas capital, and once you are there, you understand why.
From Speyer, Germany, we chose an optional excursion to Heidelberg. After a quick visit to the imposing Heidelberg Castle, we turned our attention to what we had truly been anticipating: the Christmas markets.
The weather was sunny but wonderfully cold, exactly what one hopes for when standing outside with a steaming cup of Glühwein. We paired ours with a Frikadelle im Brötchen, seasoned German meat patty tucked inside a crusty roll, from a friendly market stall before setting off along Hauptstrasse.
Then the serious shopping began.
Heidelberg’s markets spread across several squares, including Marktplatz, Universitätsplatz and Karlsplatz, making it easy to wander from traditional stalls into boutiques and back again. Gail and I zigzagged our way through the city, buying Christmas gifts and inevitably discovering a few fashion finds for ourselves.
Anyone who adores traditional Christmas decorations should make time for Käthe Wohlfahrt. The store feels less like a shop and more like entering a Christmas fantasy, filled with handcrafted nutcrackers, ornaments and stocking stuffers. One warning: allow plenty of time. The store can become extremely busy, and carefully wrapping delicate purchases is not a speedy affair.
One of my favorite mornings came as Eistla sailed toward Koblenz. We spent hours with our cameras at the ready as castles appeared along the banks of the Rhine. There is something wonderfully cinematic about watching centuries-old fortresses rise above vineyards and villages while you remain comfortably aboard your ship.
Once in Koblenz, we stepped into what felt like a winter wonderland.
The Christmas markets were among the prettiest we encountered, particularly the area near Schängel Fountain. Here, beneath the spreading canopy of a London plane tree, a glowing golden-hued market bar created an irresistible scene. We found beautiful linens, stocking stuffers and cocktail accessories, but our favorite discovery came entirely by accident: FRL Diehl’s caramel shop. Its handmade caramels, beautifully packaged in assorted flavors, became some of our favorite gifts of the entire trip.
Cologne, our penultimate cruise stop, delivered Christmas on a much grander scale.
The city’s extraordinary cathedral dominates the skyline long before the ship docks. The UNESCO-listed Cologne Cathedral, with its soaring Gothic twin spires, provides a dramatic backdrop for one of the largest Christmas markets in the city.
Cologne offers several distinct festive experiences. The Cathedral Market fills Roncalliplatz with more than a hundred stalls, while Heinzel’s Winter Fairytale spreads through the Old Town. The Market of Angels creates a more elegant atmosphere beneath a canopy of stars, and the Harbour Christmas Market near the Chocolate Museum introduces a playful nautical theme.
You could easily spend an entire day moving between them.
Our final day aboard brought us to Dordrecht in the Netherlands, followed by an excursion to Kinderdijk. Christmas markets temporarily gave way to another Dutch icon: windmills.
Kinderdijk is home to 19 preserved historic windmills, and we were fortunate enough to visit on a properly windy day. Several were in motion, their sails sweeping dramatically through the cold air. We climbed narrow wooden stairs inside one of the mills, exploring rooms recreated to show how millers and their families once lived. After days of shopping and festive indulgence, it was a wonderful change of pace.
Leaving Eistla was bittersweet. We said goodbye to the cabin stewards and waitstaff who had cared for us throughout the journey, but fortunately, the trip was not quite over.
Amsterdam was waiting.
We checked into the five-star Pulitzer Amsterdam, a wonderfully atmospheric hotel created from 25 restored 17th- and 18th-century canal houses in the heart of the city’s UNESCO-listed Canal Belt. After the comfortable rhythm of shipboard life, the Pulitzer felt like exactly the right place for our final two nights.
Our room retained original architectural details and exposed beams while incorporating contemporary Dutch design. Even in the depths of winter, the hotel’s peaceful courtyard garden felt like an oasis. On one particularly bitter day, Gail and I escaped the cold over a beautifully presented cheese fondue, a very civilized way to recover from hours of exploring Amsterdam.
The concierge also provided several recommendations worth keeping.
For breakfast, Koffiehuis De Hoek offers relaxed neighborhood charm along with traditional Dutch pancakes and excellent coffee. Café Restaurant Verlan is a lively canal-side choice for dinner and cocktails, while Jansz, located within the Pulitzer, serves contemporary interpretations of Dutch cuisine in an elegant setting.
Amsterdam may not have offered the Christmas markets we had experienced elsewhere, but it certainly did not disappoint when it came to shopping.
The Nine Streets district became our playground. Fabienne Chapot was a favorite for colorful fashion and accessories, while Hester van Eeghen offered beautifully designed leather handbags. We discovered eclectic home accessories and gifts at local boutiques and admired the modern Dutch bags at SMAAK. Even the Amsterdam Tulip Museum gift shop provided unusual souvenirs, including tulip bulbs prepared for travelers heading back to the United States.
By the time our journey ended, the lightweight duffel I had wisely packed inside my suitcase had become essential.
That may be the most practical advice I can offer anyone planning a Christmas market cruise: bring extra luggage space. Delicate ornaments belong in your carry-on, while clothing and less fragile items can make the journey home in a spare bag.
It is also worth carrying Viking’s daily map and emergency contact information whenever you leave the ship, particularly if you prefer exploring independently. Many of the most charming market stalls sit beyond the obvious main squares, and having a guide mark your meeting point before you wander away makes exploring far more relaxing.
Weekends can be exceptionally busy, so build in occasional escapes from the crowds. A quiet café, gracious hotel lobby or leisurely lunch can restore your enthusiasm before returning to the markets.
More than anything, however, give yourself permission not to rush.
The joy of a Christmas market cruise is not simply how many markets you can visit or how many packages you can fit into your suitcase. It is standing beneath a Gothic cathedral as evening falls, sharing hot Glühwein with a good friend, discovering a tiny caramel shop you never intended to find and watching castles drift past your window as your ship sails along the Rhine.
For Gail and me, it was Christmas shopping elevated into an adventure, and a girlfriend getaway neither of us will soon forget.
