Christmas on the Rhine

Basel is a city on the Rhine River in northwest Switzerland, close to the country’s borders with France and Germany. Its medieval old town centers around Marktplatz, dominated by the 16th-century, red-sandstone Town Hall. Its 12th-century Gothic cathedral has city views, and contains the tomb of the 16th-century Dutch scholar, Erasmus. The city’s university houses some of Erasmus’ works.

Breisach is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about halfway between Freiburg and Colmar — 20 kilometres away from each — and about 60 kilometres north of Basel near the Kaiserstuhl

Strasbourg is the capital city of the Grand Est region, formerly Alsace, in northeastern France. It’s also the formal seat of the European Parliament and sits near the German border, with culture and architecture blending German and French influences. Its Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame features daily shows from its astronomical clock and sweeping views of the Rhine River from partway up its 142m spire.

Mannheim marks the point where the Neckar River joins the Rhine, and the city’s famous grid layout, one of the most rational urban plans in Germany, makes the baroque Mannheim Palace the undisputed focal point.
The palace, one of the largest baroque buildings in Germany, houses the University of Mannheim and the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums. The Christmas market in the baroque Marktplatz square, with the Mannheim Palace providing a backdrop, is one of the most architecturally impressive settings for a market on the entire Rhine.

Koblenz sits where the Moselle meets the Rhine, and from the Deutsches Eck promontory the two rivers visibly merge in different shades of blue and green.
The city’s Christmas market at the Electoral Palace sits directly on the Rhine waterfront and is one of the most scenically set markets on the entire route. The hilltop Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, one of the largest preserved fortresses in Europe, is illuminated in winter and dominates the view across the river. The Rhine Gorge stretches south from here, its castle-studded cliffs already passed during the night sailing from Rudesheim.

Cologne Cathedral is one of the great achievements of human architecture, and at Christmas its twin spires are framed by one of Germany’s most spectacular festive markets.
The Cologne Christmas market, one of the largest in Germany, fills the cathedral square and surrounding streets with thousands of stalls, ice rinks and the warm glow of fairy lights reflected off the Rhine. Arriving here on 22 December, three days before Christmas, is to experience the market at its most joyful and its most crowded. Your guided tour covers the Cathedral, the beautifully restored old town and the Roman ruins that surface throughout the city. Save time for the Cologne Altstadt in the evening, with its riverside bars and the market in full swing after dark.

Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland, founded in 1220, and in December its historic harbour becomes the setting for one of the Netherlands’ most atmospheric Christmas markets.
The Dordrecht Winter Wonderland market fills the medieval waterfront with floating lights, stalls selling Dutch stroopwafels and hot chocolate, and the tall gabled facades of the old merchant houses providing a backdrop that feels specifically designed for the occasion. It is a quieter, more intimate market than Cologne or Strasbourg, and after the intensity of the past few days that contrast is exactly right. Amsterdam is just a short sail away, and Christmas Eve is tomorrow.

Viking Mani arrives in Amsterdam on Christmas Eve, and there is no better city in the world to spend it.
The canal houses are strung with lights, the bridges glow in the winter mist and the city has a warmth and intimacy on 24 December that is unlike any other day of the year. The canal ring is at its most beautiful in the low winter light, and the Rijksmuseum, the Albert Cuyp market and the Jordaan neighbourhood are all within easy reach of the dock. Whether you are flying home tomorrow or extending your stay, Amsterdam on Christmas Eve is the finest possible close to a voyage that has been extraordinary from the moment it left Basel.