Category Archives: Germany

Festive Christmas Markets in Cologne

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The Christmas Markets in Cologne are one of the 2 most visited markets in Germany, following behind Dortmund, with over 4 million visitors each year. Cologne is a stop offered on Christmas Market themed Rhine River Cruises. In Cologne, you have a choice of seven Christmas Markets.  Each Christmas Market features a different theme.

The entire city of Cologne comes to life during the holiday season like a Christmas Celebration Theme Park. There are seven markets, each with a unique and fun twist, to entice visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Regional specialties like baked apples, cinnamon cookies, chocolate and mulled wine will enthrall the senses – as will a host of delicious, sugary desserts.

The largest and arguably most spectacular of the markets is the grand Cathedral Market. Centrally located in the Cathedral Square of the city center, next to the Cologne central train station, wooden pavilions offer: wood carvings, children’s toys, and other holiday specialties, as well a a great variety of holiday food and cider. A must stop is the delicious chocolate workshop.   The market stalls surround one of the largest Christmas Trees in the region.  Next to the tree is a large stage where a variety of live music performances are held.

Another popular Christmas Market is Neumarkt.  this is the oldest Christmas Market in Cologne ‘Market of Angels’ Angels dressed in white and glittering powder spread cheer as they walk past rows of charming booths featuring Holiday décor.

Next to the Chocolate Museum, the Harbour Christmas Market celebrates Cologne’s maritime history with a three-mast wooden boat 50 feet wide and docked in the harbor serving mulled wine specialties out of its hull. Pagoda tents with pointed, billowed roofs continue the maritime theme reminding you of the planks and sails of a ship. “Rhine Pirates” wander through the park, delighting guests with sailor’s yarns and pirate juggling.

At the Old Market or Alter Markt, Gnomes lurk in every nook and cranny here, celebrating the legend of a curious wife attempt to get a glimpse of the fabled creatures causing them to flee. There are alleyways of specialty foods, fashion accessories and artisanal gifts also, a roundabout puppet theater and a special Santa Claus Quarter.  Visitors will be thrilled to find a spectacular skating rink.

Christmas Avenue is another new Christmas market holiday celebrating the season in LGBT and old German style. The annual festival is located in the heart of the gay district. You will find Pink, purple and sometimes glittering chalets, pink nutcrackers and purple pottery.  Along with more traditional gifts.

The idyllic market on the Stadtgarten, full of unusual holiday handicrafts, and the charming Rudolfplatz are other fun spots. A small green train, the Christmas-Market-Express, drives through streets of the old city and links visitors to four of the major markets.

Typically the Christmas Markets open around the 3rd – 4th weekend in November and stay open till Christmas Eve.

Anytime of the year is a good time to book a Christmas Market River Cruise, whether a short 5 night or a longer 14 night.  When cruising on a Christmas Market themed cruise, you have the opportunity to visit Christmas Markets in several towns and countries.  Check out our Christmas Market Cruise itineraries and our Cologne Christmas Market video.

Europeanbarging.com   888-869-7907

Danube Serenade, New Itinerary for AmaWaterways

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Starting in 2018, AmaWaterways is offering a new Danube River itinerary – Danube Serenade.  Enjoy old-world Europe as you sail along the melodious Danube.  The cruise itinerary is between the Franconian city of Nuremberg and imperial city of Vienna.   Travel through Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk and more as you cruise between these 2 great cities.   In Vienna, you’ll have more time to immerse yourself in its bygone grandeur that will take your breath away.

With multi-choice included excursions, you can choose active excursions such as:  binging tours of Walhalla, Passau, Linz, Melk Durnstein and Vienna.  A hiking tour is also offered in Passau.  There are several wine and food specialty tours as well as walking and coach excursions.  Something for everyone.

On your AmaWaterways river cruise, in addition to the exceptional food, experience regional wines of the area with lunch and dinner and enjoy the daily happy hour before dinner.

You can also choose to extend your 7-night cruise vacation with 3 nights in Prague and two more nights in Vienna, the city you just can’t get enough of.

Check out our AmaWaterways Specials Page for special pricing on the 2018 Danube Serenade.

Europeanbarging.com  888-869-7907

Cruising the Danube on AmaWaterways

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We invite you to take one of our Danube river cruises and see the world in luxury and comfort. River cruises in Europe are an excellent way to explore a destination. Discover local tourist  sights on included tours, and then arrive back on your luxurious river cruise ship and sail to the next city or village.  Included in the price of our river cruises are shore excursions in every port, all dining on board, fine wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner are included as well as a daily happy hour; Wi-fi and internet access are included and there are bicycles that you can use to explore the countryside  or you may decide to join one of the guided bike tours.

In Europe, one of our most popular itineraries is a Danube river cruise.  A typical itinerary for a Danube river  cruise would include destinations such as: Vienna, Austria;  Regensburg, Germany;  Belgrade, Serbia and  Budapest, Hungary.

Cruise the Danube, one of Europe’s most beautiful  rivers, as you travel from Nuremberg through the Main-Danube Canal and across the Continental Divide. Visit centuries-old towns and marvel at the beautiful scenery slowly gliding past. In  Austria you will  cruise through the lush Wachau wine region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  At either end of the Wachau Valley are two grand capitals, Vienna and Budapest.

On our cruises, you will enjoy an extensive lineup of included tours. In most ports, you will have a choice of excursions, such as standard tours, bike tours, hikes and special interest tours. We always include a large variety of activities so that you can choose how you want to explore. No matter your preference, your days will be full of discovery and wonder.

Europeanbarging.com   888-869-7907

Visit the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz While on a Rhine River Cruise

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A visit to the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz is often included on any Rhine River cruise that stops in Mainz or Frankfurt. When visiting this museum, tourists are able to find greater meaning in books and the way they are formed. The purpose that these materials have made in life, from the bible and other world-renowned literature is superior to many. The records that have been stored without damage and are very visible to the eye can be credited to Gutenberg. Located in a quiet area near the river, there are many places for tourists to shop comfortably.

At the museum, there are reconstructions of print shops and Gutenberg’s hand press, an exhibition of incunabula, and the first two Gutenberg bibles are on display in a strong room. They also have a section devoted to the Far East with colored woodcarvings and prints from Japan, China, and Korea. There is even an exhibition on the electronic future of books. Most displays have an English translation. You can purchase a guide in several different languages with your admission.

A group of people founded the museum in 1900, 500 years after Johannes Gutenberg’s birth, to honor the inventor and present his technical and artistic achievements to the public at large. They also aimed to exhibit the writing and printing of as many different cultures as possible.

Publishers, manufacturers of printing machines, and printing houses donated books, apparatus, and machines, which formed the basis of the collection. In its first few years, the museum was part of the city library, meaning that the most beautiful and characteristic volumes from the library’s extensive collection could be requisitioned for the museum. Visitors were thus presented with a survey of almost 500 years of the printed book. In time the museum expanded to include sections on printing techniques, book art, job printing and ex-libris, graphics and posters, paper, the history of the writing of all cultures of the world, and modern artists’ books.

The Gutenberg Museum was originally laid out in two rooms at the Kurfürstliches Schloß (Electoral Palace Mainz), which also accommodated the city library. The museum moved into the new library building on the Rheinallee in 1912. The same year, 1925, saw the installation of a reconstruction of Gutenberg’s workshop which soon became one of the museum’s main attractions. Typefounding, typesetting, and printing could now be demonstrated visually. The replica of Gutenberg’s printing press, rebuilt according to the 15th- and 16th-century woodcuts, proved an object of great interest to visitors and was henceforth shown at a large number of exhibitions all over the world.

In 1927 the museum was able to move into the building Zum Römischen Kaiser (1664) in Mainz. This is now where the museum’s administration, the restoration workshop, the library, the Gutenberg Society, and the domicile of the Mainzer Stadtschreiber are housed. The Late Renaissance building was heavily bombed in 1945; the museum’s contents had been stored in a safe place and thus remained intact. In 1962, the restoration of the Römischer Kaiser was complete. A new, modern exhibition building was also opened in the place where once the guest house König von England stood.

Acquisitions

The museum made several important acquisitions in the following years, among them a second Gutenberg Bible, the Shuckburgh Bible in two volumes (1978), and two block books printed using wooden formes and today extremely rare. Another major change was the introduction of the museum’s educational unit in 1989. In 2000, the old museum building was restored and extended.

For river cruises that dock at Mainz, we have many options – from short-mini cruises of 4 nights, 6-night cruises from Strasbourg, and various  7-night cruise itineraries.

For additional information or to check availability, contact us at www.europeanbarging.com 888-869-7907 or jan@europeanbarging.com

Europeanbarging Offers Cruises on Arosa Cruise Line on the Major Rivers of Europe

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Arosa River Cruises offers cruises on the Rhine, Mosel, Danube, Seine, Rhone, and Douro Rivers of Europe. Offering cruises from 3 – 15 nights.  New for 2023, an A‑ROSA cruise (7 nights+) already includes one excursion, followed by a culinary evening experience on board. This will allow guests to take in their destination with all their senses.

Arosa Stella on the Rhone River

Arosa is a German river cruise line offering German and English language cruises You can select from their featured cruises such as the Rhine River Cruise, Danube River Cruise, Seine, and the Rhone River Cruise.  All of the Arosa ships feature cabins with windows,  French balconies or useable balconies, sauna, whirlpool, and spa facilities and several have a swimming pool.  The Cologne and Passau cruise ports include round-trip transfers between the Cologne or Passau train station and the ship.

While onboard your river cruise you will enjoy a multitude of amenities including all meals a beverage package, free Wi-Fi, and a half-day excursion.  You will receive 30% off spa treatments, and bicycles are available for rental on many of the ships.

Arosa French balcony cabinThe ships feature nice size cabins – many with French Doors (on 2nd and 3rd decks), and some offer connecting cabins.  Some of the ships offer a 3rd bed for children.  When accompanied by one full-paying adult, children between 2 and 15 years of age receive a children’s discount of 30%. When accompanied by two adults, children aged 15 and under travel for free. Triple occupancy cabins are very limited.  The cabins are well laid out, with good storage areas, nice bathrooms,

Arosa Sauna

 

The Spa Arosa includes First-class spa products, a Generous SPA area, Professional trainers, Beauty and cosmetic treatments, a Panorama sauna as well as a fitness room, whirlpool, or swimming pool on the ships.

 

There are no fixed seating or table arrangements on board.  All meals are served as a buffet.  There are chefs at all meals with an open kitchen preparing these dishes as you watch – so everything is fresh.

 

Early Breakfast is from 6 – 7 am and features coffee and croissants

Breakfast is from 7 – 9 am and features cereals, rolls, fruit, yogurt, sliced meats as well as cooked foods – such as eggs, bacon, sausages, and pancakes as well as coffee, tea, and juices.

Arosa salad bar

 

Lunch includes several entrees such as beef dishes, fish dishes, sliced meats, pasta dishes, vegetables, salad, fruit, cheese, bread, and dessert bars.

 

 

Arosa afternoon tea

 

Afternoon tea features coffee, tea and cakes, cookies, and snacks.

 

 

Arosa buffet

Dinner will feature many more meat choices such as pork, beef, salmon, lobster, 2 soups, pasta, vegetables, salad, fruit, cheese, and bread bars as well as a dessert bar including ice cream and a dessert of the night that is prepared at the dessert bar – such as crepe Suzette and apple fritters.

One night a week there is a special wine and culinary special dinner for an additional cost and includes a multi-course sit-down served dinner and regional wines.

Beverage package – Soft Drinks, as well as tea and coffee specialties, Beer, sparkling white wine, as well as open wines and daily recommendations from the wine menu (by the glass), Cocktails, and long drinks throughout the day and evening.

Arosa offers 5 and 7-night cruises round trip Paris cruises on the Seine; 5 and 7-night cruises round trip Lyon on the Rhone River; 5 and 7-night cruises round trip Passau and Vienna on the Danube River.  For the Rhine River, Arosa has many different itineraries.  Many of the cruises are roundtrip Cologne, with a few one-way routes – such as Amsterdam to Basel or reverse, and Cologne to Nuremberg or reverse.

Pricing for summer months starts at $2154 per person for a 7-night cruise and $1489 per person for a 5-night cruise.  Late spring and summer dates start at $1873 per person for a 7-night cruise and $1323 per person for a 5-night cruise.  Early spring and late fall dates start at $1655 per person for a 7-night cruise and $1158 per person for a 5-night cruise.

For additional information or to check availability, contact us at www.europeanbarging.com at 888-869-7907 or jan@europeanbarging.com