If you’ve ever dreamed of spending Christmas in Europe surrounded by twinkling lights, mulled wine, and Baroque palaces dusted with snow, this blog is just for you. Early last December we set sail with Riverside Luxury Cruises aboard their elegant flagship, the Riverside Mozart, on a seven-night Christmas Markets river cruise roundtrip from Vienna. From the imperial grandeur of Schönbrunn Palace to the storybook streets of Salzburg, Passau, and Melk, this festive journey down the Danube River combined the best of Europe’s Christmas traditions with all the indulgence of a five-star luxury cruise.

Few places do Christmas like Vienna, with markets sitting among grand architecture, all wrapped up in twinkling lights and the scent of mulled wine and festive foods drifting through air. With our Christmas Markets river cruise with Riverside Luxury Cruises starting in Vienna, we decided to make the most of the season and arrive a day early because we considered it would be rude not to give Vienna’s famous markets our full attention.

Vienna: The City of (Christmas) Dreams

A short walk from our hotel, Le Meridien, led us straight into the festive chaos at St. Stephen’s Cathedral Market, where rows of food stalls tested our resolve within seconds. Inevitably, it didn’t hold - a freshly baked chimney cake became our pre-tour fuel of choice. From there, we wandered through the Weihnachtsmarkt and the Altwiener Christkindlmarkt, managing (barely) to resist the call of molten raclette, before finally arriving at the grandest of them all, the Wiener Christkindlmarkt at the Rathaus. Honestly, could there be a more magical setting for a Christmas market? The neo-Gothic spires glowed against the night sky as we browsed over 150 stalls of ornaments, crafts, and eventually succumbing to an inevitable Bratwurst.

With darkness now set in there was still more to discover. The charming Spittelberg markets in the lanes of the Old City (where we devoured a divine potato cake with garlic butter) was probably our favourite of all the markets we visited, with a pit stop at the Maria-Theresien-Platz on our way back to the hotel , where we wrapped up our self-guided food tour with a Nutella pretzel. And then, mercifully, after 20,000 steps and more seasonable food than is reasonable, we fell into bed.

Imperial Grandeur & Embarkation

After breakfast the next morning, we explored beautiful Vienna, marvelling at it’s imperial opulence and architecture. The baroque Hofburg palaces, the Museum Quarter, the Opera House, the Lipizzaner Stables, and of course, the Hotel Sacher (home of that cake, naturally featuring in one of our YouTube videos below) kept us busy until it was time to head to the Danube Canal, where our elegant home for the week awaited. A glass of champagne in hand, we were welcomed aboard the Riverside Mozart, checked into our suite, unpacked, and enjoyed a quick lunch before our first excursion - a visit to Schönbrunn Palace and, naturally, another Christmas market.

Despite the crowds, the Schönbrunn market was worth it - perfectly framed by the golden palace façade and filled with seasonable activities, tempting hot drinks and festive food. Back at the ship, our day wasn’t over yet, with another excursion later that evening. An unexpected highlight awaited - an exclusive classical concert at Belvedere Palace, following a private tour of its art collection, including works by Klimt, Monet, and Van Gogh. The concert, held in the Marble Hall, was the kind of “pinch-yourself” moment that only happens on a luxury cruise. We ended the night on the ship with a late snack in the Palm Court cafe, the Danube twinkling outside.

Scenic Sailing & Krems

After a blissfully comfortable night’s sleep, the day began with sunrise views from the Waterfront Restaurant, followed by a bracing walk on the promenade deck and some top-deck lounging under blankets as we glided through the Wachau Valley. By lunchtime we’d arrived in Krems, one of Austria’s oldest towns. Our afternoon excursion took us to Winzer vineyard, where we enjoyed a fascinating tour through historic cellars and modern facilities, accompanied by five delicious tastings. Back in town, we explored the small Christmas market and the storybook streets of Old Krems - cobblestoned, pastel, and perfectly photogenic.

Salzburg: Music, Markets & Magic

The next morning brought rain and Salzburg, but nothing could dampen the city’s charm. From Mozartplatz to Mirabell Palace, this was classic Salzburg: ornate, musical, and picture-perfect. The Christmas markets here were spectacular — overflowing with handmade crafts, delicious local delicacies and steaming cups of glühwein. It’s easy to see why Salzburg is consistently ranked among Europe’s best festive cities. After a long day at the Christmas markets, our evening saw us venturing over the road from the ship’s new berth in LInz to the LENTOS art museum for another Riverside exclusive, private after-hours event exploring the museum, guided by experts and incredibly special.

Passau: The City of Three Rivers

Next came Passau, where the Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers meet. We started our visit at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, home to the largest cathedral organ in the world (over 17,000 pipes strong!) before a wonderful wander around the bustling market that fills the cathedral square. The next day saw us taking an excursion to Regensburg, where a guided walking tour brought centuries of Bavarian history to life. Between sips of glühwein, bratwurst from a centuries-old vendor, and traditional gingerbread, it was impossible not to fall for this UNESCO-listed city’s charm. A seven-course celebration Thanksgiving dinner that night on board capped off a perfect day.

Melk Abbey & Monastic Marvels

The following morning began with a behind-the-scenes galley tour with the head chef (champagne and cookies included), before our afternoon visit to Melk Abbey. This Baroque masterpiece towers over the Danube and is every bit as breathtaking inside as out. Its gilded halls, frescoed ceilings, and centuries-old library (said to have inspired Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose) are pure artistry. Concluding our tour of Melk Abbey we wandered down the cobblestone streets to the centre of Melk’s charming town and its cozy Christmas market before rejoining the ship.

A Finale in Festive Style

With just one day left, we decided to stay aboard and soak in every last drop of Riverside Mozart’s luxury — the spa, the cuisine, the quiet hum of the Danube. As we sailed back toward Vienna, we reflected on a week filled with culture, history, indulgence, and more Christmas markets than we could possibly count. Vienna greeted us one last time, glowing in gold and white, as we bid farewell to this magnificent ship, her incredible crew, and a voyage that had managed to bottle the very essence of a European Christmas.

🎄 A Riverside Christmas Markets Cruise

Route: Vienna → Krems → Linz → Salzburg → Passau → Regensburg → Melk → Bratislava → Vienna

Ship: Riverside Mozart

Highlights: Exclusive palace concerts, vineyard tastings, fairy-tale markets, and luxury on the Danube

Thank you to Riverside Luxury Cruises who hosted us on this seven night Christmas Markets Danube river cruise covering the cost of the cruise and all excursions featured. All other costs including flights and the pre-cruise stay in Vienna were covered by ourselves. Riverside Cruises had no editorial control over any of our content, either before, during our after our cruise and have not paid us to promote them or this post.

If you enjoyed this blog why not take a look at some of our other blogs, especially our other river cruise content such as our Rhine River cruise with Glacier Express extension.

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