Compare Holiday Traditions: Christmas Markets of Austria & Germany by Road Scholar

Day 1
In Transit
In Flight

Day 2
Arrive, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Vienna D Austria Trend Hotel Ananas
Activity note: Hotel check in is at 3:00 p.m.

Lunch: Explore local fare on your own in the hotel's neighborhood. It’s just a five-minute walk to the Naschmarkt and the tempting delights of its 170 stands.

Afternoon: The program starts with a Welcome Orientation at 4:00 p.m. in the hotel lecture room for an introduction to the program. Your Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date Daily Schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. Indicated times are approximate. Program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: Welcome dinner in the hotel dining room. Water is included in the program cost at all meals. Dinners on this program will typically be three course plated meals.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 3
Vienna, Austria, Embarkation
Vienna B,L,D MS Amadeus Queen
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room. On this program, breakfasts will offer a typical European style breakfast buffet with breads, cheeses, cold-cuts, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juice, milk, coffee, tea, and water.

Morning: Start the morning with a lecture on "Cultural Vienna." After the lecture luggage will be loaded on our bus and we drive to the Museum which celebrated a special anniversary in 2016: 125 years ago, on October 17, 1891, the magnificent new building on Vienna’s Ringstrasse was formally opened to the public by Emperor Franz Joseph I. In addition to its Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek and Roman collections the Picture Gallery boasts with masterpieces by Jan van Eyck, Brueghel, Dürer, Rubens, Raphael, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velázquez, Caravaggio and Tintoretto. After the guided visit you will have some free time to admire more paintings and the lavishly decorated interior of the museum, then we walk together to our restaurant for lunch.

Lunch: At Café Hofburg, right in the Imperial Palace.

Afternoon: After lunch we board our bus and drive to our ship. Check-in will be followed by a welcome reception and introduction to the crew.

Dinner: On board.

Evening: Enjoy Vienna by night with a visit to the Christmas Market.

Day 4
Schönbrunn Palace, Christmas Market, Vienna, Austria
Vienna B,L,D MS Amadeus Queen
Breakfast: On board.

Morning: Enjoy the Baroque elegance of Vienna during an expert-led bus excursion driving along the famous Ringstrasse and passing by the impressive palaces of the Museum Quarter, the Parliament and the City Hall, beautiful Art Nouveau buildings, like the Secession Building or the underground station at Karlsplatz. We finish the bus ride at the magnificent Opera House. From here we start our walking excursion through the Hofburg, pass by the stables of the Lipizzaner horses, walk along the elegant Graben and finish the program at St. Stephan’s Dom and the Christmas Market.

Lunch: On board.

Afternoon: This afternoon we discover the Schönbrunn Palace and its Christmas Market. The 1,441-room Baroque palace in its present form was built and remodeled in the mid-18th century during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa who received the estate as a wedding gift. The palace was used as the summer residence of the Habsburg emperors. Following the downfall of the monarchy at the end of WWI, the palace became the property of newly founded Austrian Republic and was preserved as a museum. It is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in the country. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs.

Dinner: On board.

Evening: Enjoy Vienna by night with a visit to the Christmas Market.

Day 5
Wachau Valley, Abbey of Melk, Emmersdorf and Melk, Austria
Melk B,L,D MS Amadeus Queen
Breakfast: On board.

Morning: En route to Passau we disembark in Emmersdorf and enjoy a scenic drive through the Wachau Valley to the beautiful Baroque Abbey of Melk for a guided visit of one of the most famous monastic sites of the world. The tour takes you through this huge complex of the Benedictine Abbey dominating the countryside and it will end in the impressive library with countless medieval manuscripts. After the tour you can visit the Abbey church on your own. We drive back to Emmersdorf and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere of a heart- (and body-) warming Gluehwein Party.

Lunch: Late lunch on board.

Afternoon: Continue sailing towards Passau.

Dinner: On board.

Evening: Enjoy the on board musician in the lounge.

Day 6
The City of Three Rivers, St. Stephan’s Cathedral
Passau B,L,D MS Amadeus Queen
Breakfast: On board.

Morning: Upon arrival in Passau, we explore this magnificent Baroque city beautifully located at the confluence of three rivers (Danube, Inn, and Ilz). Highlights include the Bishop’s Residence and St. Stephan’s Cathedral which boasts the second largest church pipe organ in the world after the organ at the First Congregational Church, Los Angeles.

Lunch: On board.

Afternoon: Spend some time exploring the Christmas Market in Passau.

Dinner: On board.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 7
The Architectural Gem of the Danube
Regensburg B,L,D MS Amadeus Queen
Breakfast: On board.

Morning: Expert-led walking excursion through the well-preserved medieval city of Regensburg, a journey through history from Ancient Roman times to the amazing Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture of this gem on the Danube. The excursion will end at the Christmas Market. You may stay there to stroll around or you may want to sample the sausages in the 12th century sausage kitchen near the old stone bridge which, you may be assured, are not as old as the kitchen.

Lunch: On board.

Afternoon: Visit the Christmas Market with the Cruise Director or take this opportunity for personal exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time opportunities which can be found in the first Information Packet or on the Road Scholar website. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Dinner: On board.

Evening: Optional excursion to the fabulous Thurn & Taxis Castle, the home of Princess Gloria, where her courtyard is set as a magical stage for the annual Christmas Market (to be booked with and paid to the Cruise Director on board)

Day 8
Nuremberg Germany, Continental Divide
Nuremberg B,L,D MS Amadeus Queen
Breakfast: On board.

Morning: Lecture on the building of the 171 km (106 mi) long Main-Danube Canal. The first ambitious plan to connect the Danube and Rhine basins by canal (the Fossa Carolina) was ordered by Emperor Charlemagne already in the 8th century but the works had to be abandoned soon due to the lack of technological expertise. It was not until the mid-19th century that the Ludwig Canal named after King Ludwig I of Bavaria was actually built but its operation turned out to be uneconomic and, eventually, abandoned given the rapidly advancing construction of the railway network in the southern German countryside. The present Canal between Bamberg and Kelheim (via Nuremberg) connects the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea, providing a navigable artery between the Rhine delta (at Rotterdam in the Netherlands), and the Danube Delta in south-eastern Romania. The project was completed in 1992 and resulted in a skyrocketing number of river cruises.

Lunch: On board.

Afternoon: We leave the ship in Roth and drive to Nuremberg for a guided visit of the highlights of the city. Nuremberg held great significance during the Nazi Germany era. The Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions – the Nuremberg rallies. Following the defeat of Hitler’s Germany the Allies chose Nuremberg for conducting the trials of war criminals. Nuremberg is also the hometown of Albrecht Dürer, the famous Renaissance artist. The medieval castle and fortification Kaisersburg towering above the city offers a breathtaking panorama. The guided excursion will end on the market place where you can treat yourself to the famous Nürnberger Bratwurst (grilled sausage), or to another specialty, the Nürnberger Lebkuchen, a delicious ginger bread and, of course, stroll around on the Christmas Market.

Dinner: On board.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 9
Disembarkation, Transfer to Munich
Munich B,L,D Tryp by Wyndham Munich North
Breakfast: On board.

Morning: After breakfast, load luggage onto the bus and transfer by bus to Munich.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Enjoy a bus excursion and guided walk through the old town of Munich ending at the Christmas markets around Marienplatz. Then enjoy some free time to see and do what interests you most.

Dinner: Farewell dinner a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 10
Departure
In Flight B
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room. This concludes our program.

Morning: Transfer to the airport for departures. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures.