Enchanting Christmas & New Year's Cruise

The skyline of Passau is dominated by two buildings that owe their existence to the prince-bishops who ruled the city until 1803: the great fortress looming on a hill above the three rivers, home to the bishops until the 17th century, and the green onion domes of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. As you walk through the cobblestone streets toward those green onion domes, you’ll realize that Passau retains the layout of the medieval town.

However, many of the wooden medieval buildings burned to the ground in the 17th century, and the prince-bishops imported Italian artists to build a new cathedral and a magnificent new residence for the bishops themselves. As a result, these splendid structures flaunt Italian baroque and rococo style and ornamentation, complete with opulent gilding and wonderful frescoes. Your guide will introduce you to some of the architectural highlights—the rococo stairways of the New Residence, the cathedral, and the Town Hall, which boasts a magnificent atrium adorned with large paintings by Ferdinand Wagner.

Spend Christmas Day in an Austrian town famous for music. Salzburg is not only the birthplace of Mozart, Austria’s most famous composer, it is also where favorite scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed. Walk with your guide through the Mirabell Garden, the beautiful formal gardens where Maria sang “Do-Re-Mi” with her young charges, and through the heart of the UNESCO-designated Old Town, with its magnificent 17th-century cathedral. The archbishop’s splendid palace faces the square now named for Mozart, which has a statue of the great composer in the center; the house where Mozart was born is nearby. Later, enjoy lunch at the charming and historic Stiftskeller St. Peter.

Ramble through charming Grein, which has long been associated with river shipping: The handsome 16th-,17th-, and 18th-century houses you’ll pass belonged to the prosperous river pilots who guided boats through the hazardous Danube waters here. Step inside the oldest theater in Austria to retain its original form—and function—since troupes of actors still perform in it. Local artisans transformed part of the city granary into a theater in 1791; you enter through the old City Hall (now a museum) and immediately enter the past. It’s not every theater that boasts both a box for Napoleon and sight lines for prisoners, but that’s exactly what Grein’s State Theater has; prisoners in the city jail, which was attached to the City Hall, could watch plays on stage from their cells. Nor are those the only unusual features—the first three rows have seats found nowhere else: They can be folded up and locked, so the subscribers could make sure no one else used them.

Inhabited by the Counts of Clam for over half a millennium, the Burg Clam is as much a beloved family home as it is a local landmark and attractive castle. The friendly Count will personally welcome you in for a chance to tour the building’s historic halls.

The Babenbergs, a great medieval ducal family that controlled a wide swath of Austria before yielding to the Habsburgs, were the first to erect a castle on the hill above Melk, which they subsequently gave to Benedictine monks. These monks, some 900 years ago, turned it into a fortified abbey and the greatest center of learning in Central Europe. Their library was celebrated far and wide (and still is—Umberto Eco paid tribute to it in his best-selling novel The Name of the Rose). Monks there created more than 1,200 manuscripts, sometimes spending an entire lifetime hand-lettering a single volume. Today the library contains some 100,000 volumes, among them more than 80,000 works printed before 1800. This beautiful complex, completely redone in the early 18th century, is a wonderful example of baroque art and architecture, and the views from its terrace are spectacular. As you walk through the abbey’s Marble Hall with your guide, look up at the ceiling fresco painted by Paul Troger: Those classical gods and goddesses represent Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, allegorically bringing his people from darkness to light and demonstrating the link he claimed to the original Roman Empire.

Considering its diminutive size, the village of Dürnstein offers much to explore. The famous blue baroque tower of the abbey church is doubtless its best-known landmark, but the ruined castle above the town provides its most romantic tale. There Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned until he was found by his faithful bard, Blondel, and ransom could be raised—or so the legend goes. Walk with the Cruise Manager through the Kremser Gate, which dates to the 15th-century, and past 16th-, 17th-, and 18th-century houses; it’s an up-close look at over 300 years of regional architecture. The inhabitants of this region have grown apricots and grapes for many centuries, and they have happily turned both into delectable beverages through the years. Taste a local spin on mulled wine—spiced with Wachau Valley saffron—after your walk, then sit back and enjoy an organ concert inside a rococo Augustine monastery.

The Vienna Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches Museum) is home to an astonishing collection of artistic treasures. Its doors open early especially for you as you join an art historian for a tour of some of the masterpieces gathered here: View a unique group of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Vermeer’s Allegory of Painting, Raphael’s Madonna in the Meadow, and portraits by Rembrandt, Velazquez, Rubens, Titian, Tintoretto, and Van Eyck, among others, in the Picture Gallery before moving on to the Kunstkammer galleries, where you can see Benvenuto Cellini’s legendary salt cellar (the only gold sculpture he created that has survived to the present day) and hear its remarkable story. Your exclusive tour ends with a reception in the magnificent Cupola Hall, perhaps the architectural highlight of the splendid building.

Step back in time at the last surviving music hall where all four Strauss composers—Johann Strauss I, Johann Strauss II, and the latter’s two brothers, Josef and Eduard—once performed. Composer of “The Blue Danube” and one of Europe’s most celebrated musicians, Johann Strauss II captivated audiences at this venue several times during his lifetime. In his day, the building was a hub for Vienna’s socialites. Begin with a brief tour of the exhibits, followed by an immersive audio-visual experience of Strauss compositions.

Please note: On the rare occasions that the House of Strauss is unavailable, an alternative concert venue will be arranged.

Imagine strolling through the royal chambers of Schönbrunn Palace without the crowds. That's the agenda this evening, as you visit this baroque masterwork after the doors close to the public. Schönbrunn was Empress Maria Theresa's favorite palace, so the state rooms reflect the luxury and splendor of the baroque and Rococo eras, but you'll also see the suites occupied by the last significant Habsburg emperor, Franz Joseph, and his empress, Elisabeth (known as Sissi, she was enormously popular in her day). Franz Joseph's private rooms reflect his rather severe nature, making for an illuminating contrast with the opulent public rooms. Follow your tour of the palace with a tranquil stroll through the famous baroque gardens, with their parterres, gloriettes and fountains, before driving past the beautifully illuminated monuments of Vienna on your way to the ship.

Intermediate

Follow your Cruise Manager into town to see Bratislava’s charming Christmas Market, where twinkling lights brighten the scene and hot mugs of mulled wine beckon from cozy wooden huts. Though typically markets begin to close this late in the month, a few stalls will remain open for a quieter bit of winter charm.

On your way into the Jewish Quarter, take a panoramic drive along the UNESCO-designated Andrassy Avenue and get off the coach near the Dohány Synagogue. The Great Synagogue of Budapest (also known as the Central Synagogue) on Dohány Street is a good starting point to learn about Jewish Budapest. It is one of the largest synagogues in the world and is also home to the Hungarian Jewish Museum. From there, we’ll take a walk through the Jewish Quarter and stop at a café in the area for a slice of flodni, a traditional sweet of layered pastry filled with various nuts and jams.

Intermediate

Head to the charming little town of Szentendre with its well-preserved 17th-century houses and active community of artists and craftspeople. A guide will introduce you to the village’s main street, which is also its primary shopping boulevard. Here you’ll find all the traditional Hungarian arts and crafts you can imagine, including ceramics, hand-embroidered blouses and tablecloths, and wool sweaters, as well as fine Herend porcelain and Tokaji wines. You can then visit either the Margit Kovács Ceramics Museum or the unique Szabo Marzipan Museum, which features a display of the Hungarian Parliament made entirely out of marzipan.