Christmas 2009 Vacation Idea
If you are planning a Christmas 2009 vacation you only have a few weeks left. One idea you might like to check out is a cruise along the river Danube or Rhine. A cruise on these great European rivers is special at anytime but none more so than at Christmas.
Snowflake covered medieval castles and gothic churches with their sky piercing spires will cast their spell over even the most hardened of hearts. You will be passing through the realm of the Brothers Grimm, Jacob & Wilhelm those great German story tellers. Remember those childhood fairytales, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and the Frog Prince. A truly magical world we adults tend to forget.
Many of the towns and villages along these great winding rivers hold world famous Christmas markets. Prague, Basel, Nuremberg, Strasbourg are just a few examples. Snow covered Christmas trees with their spectacular twinkling lights, light up the night sky. Pretzels, ginger bread men, hot roasted chest nuts, mulled wine, scents of spices and handmade crafts all feature on the numerous Christmas market stalls. Many local dishes can be sampled with a local beer as you wander through the markets. Of course the Christmas markets obviously feature toys and gifts for all. Keep an eye out for the pretty hummel figurines.
A visit to the Bavarian village of Oberammagau may be worth considering. Take an excursion from your cruise ship on the Danube. Oberammagau has been hosting the world famous Passion Play every ten years since it was first performed in 1634. For those that don’t know the Passion Play it is performed as a result of a commitment made by the inhabitants of the Bavarian village of Oberammagau. They vowed if God spared them from the bubonic plague then ravaging the region that they would perform a passion play every ten years. The plague abated and the play is now performed as vowed. The Passion Play is a spectacular event performed by over two thousand performing artists, musicians, singers, dancers etc. As it happens 2010 is the next anniversary for performances.
Most of the mainline European River Cruise companies, Viking, Tauck, Uniworld, Peter Deilmann, to name but a few all feature special Christmas river cruises. Each features their own special itineraries that would provide a great Christmas 2009 vacation for couples and families. So whether it’s the German Christmas markets, the snow covered Bavarian castles or the mystical, magical fairytales you seek there is a cruise to suit you.
The Christmas 2009 vacations can be booked for as short as 4 days or as long as 14 days.
If you are still trying to decide your Christmas 2009 vacation I suggest you check out the above now.
Tags: Christmas 2009 vacation, christmas markets, german christmas markets