Christmas on the Danube

The Christmas season adds another layer of beauty to the already romantic charms of Budapest. Nestled in the heart of Pest lies Vörösmarty Square, home to the city's largest yuletide market. The enticing aroma of national specialties permeates the air as vendors display traditional and contemporary handicrafts. At the cozy St. Stephen's Basilica market, mulled wine keeps revelers warm as nightly light shows illuminate the church's facade. Across the Danube in Buda, Old-World allure mingles with festivities in Fő Square, where seasonal events and an outdoor ice rink entertain.

Take in the natural beauty of the fabled 'Blue Danube' as you pass through the Danube Bend, considered one of the most beautiful sections of the river. Cruising this 40-mile stretch through northern Hungary, you will see peaceful farmland and an ancient castle that once served as hunting grounds for royals and visiting dignitaries. As you sail the passage between the Börzsöny and Pilis Ranges, you will marvel at the steep hills draped with bucolic forests. And delight in the majestic church domes peering at the waterway from inviting villages and historic cities.

A small university town at the eastern end of the Danube's Wachau Valley, Krems is surrounded by terraced vineyards. In its heyday, during the 12th century, Krems held even more importance than Vienna for its iron, grain, salt and wine trade. As to the latter, the city has played a long and celebrated part in the popularity of the Wachau's wine culture; the valley's south slopes in Krems are bathed in sunlight all day and create some of the best Riesling and Veltliner wines in the world.

The city's cobblestone streets, taverns, wine bars and cafés have a timeless appeal. Sail through a serene tapestry of terraced vineyards, forested slopes, charming towns and castle ruins in Austria's Wachau Valley, celebrated as perhaps the most scenic stretch of the Danube. Journey 18 miles through this vast UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the river courses through picturesque hillsides. Gaze upon the prolific grapevines and quaint wine-producing villages hugging the shores—the legacy of vintners that stretch as far back as Celtic and Roman times and an echo of the more than 30 monasteries that served as vineyards in Renaissance days.

The UNESCO World Heritage city of Regensburg is transformed during the holiday season as its medieval streets are donned with festive cheer. Narrow passageways open to hidden courtyards with stalls laden with handcrafted wares, including dolls, pottery and silk paintings. The scent of home-baked spiced gingerbread, cinnamon and glühwein fills the air. The world-famous boys' choir, the Regensburger Domspatzen, was formed at the city's cathedral in 975 and travels the globe, performing to admiring audiences internationally.

Having escaped major damage during World War II, the picturesque town of Regensburg is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities, the oldest city along the Danube and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Stone Bridge, constructed in the 12th century, is a masterpiece of medieval engineering with its 16 arches. St. Peter's Cathedral is widely considered Bavaria's best Gothic architectural work. The Old Town's Neupfarrplatz square is a cross section of history—it was once a thriving Jewish quarter, a bustling marketplace and the site of Nazi book burnings. After breakfast, disembark your ship and journey home.