Rhine Holiday Markets with Uniworld

Arrive at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg. If your cruise package includes a group arrival transfer, or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship. Important Note: Uniworld's airport services and transfers to the ship will take place on the Switzerland side of the Basel-Mulhouse Airport. Be sure to enter Customs on the Switzerland side, as guests cannot return to the Switzerland side after they have exited the airport from the France side.

Basel is a cultural and artistic powerhouse, with all sorts of galleries, theaters, and museums. And at this time of year, the city’s Christmas Market draws visitors from all over Europe, as does its Christmas Street, lined with more than 100 beautifully decorated and illuminated Christmas trees. Do you have a special wish for Christmas? Write it in the Wish Book, which lies open in Basel’s 17th-century Town Hall during Advent, waiting for residents and visitors to express their hopes and dreams for the holiday—or for the world. IA special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening. Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date. Featured Excursion Basel Walking Tour with Christmas Market: Do you have a special wish for Christmas? Write it in the Wish Book, which lies open in Basel’s 17th-century Town Hall during Advent, waiting for residents and visitors to express their hopes and dreams for the holiday—or for the world. Your local expert will take you past the Town Hall, whose red-brick walls feature paintings by Hans Bock, so you’ll know right where to go after your tour and much more.

Strasbourg is invariably described as quaint, a rather overused word that in this case is perfectly apropos. It’s also been known as the “Crossroads of Europe” for its strategic location halfway between Paris and Prague. With a friendly local expert, see this historic town with its cobbled lanes, half-timbered homes, giant stork nests, and impossible-to-resist pastry shops that will win your heart. You won’t want to miss the holiday treats like bûche de Noël, the delicious Christmas cake made to look like a yule log. Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date. Choose between... Strasbourg Walking Tour with Christmas Market: Catch the highlights of multinational Strasbourg from the warmth of a comfortable motorcoach: it’s a city with deep connections to both France and Germany. or “Taste of Christmas” Strasbourg Walking Tour: Alsace is famous for its excellent cuisine, which combines French and German elements in delectable and unique ways. Roam through Petite France with your local expert, where the little shops are all charmingly decked out for Christmas, and explore the Christmas Market set up in Broglie Square.

Your ship left France behind and sailed into Germany during the wee hours of the morning. If you speak no German, here’s one phrase you might want to learn now: “Fröhliche Weihnachten,” or “Merry Christmas!” Today you’ll have two choices: Venture into the storied city of Baden-Baden, whose contemporary flair meshes with hot springs, spas, and unspoiled nature, or visit the Doktorenhof vinegar estate for a special vinegar tasting. The atmospheric cellar is like no other you’ll ever experience, and the candlelit tasting room is decked for the holidays. Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date. Choose between... Baden-Baden Walking Tour with Christmas Market: Join a local guide for a walking tour of enchanting Baden-Baden, which will bring you past two thermal baths and the city’s famous Casino. Gain further appreciation for the Romans and their love of natural spa facilities as you pass by the Fettquelle, a public thermal fountain where it is believed that the water is health-promoting. After learning about the curative powers of Baden-Baden’s water sources, visit the local Christmas Market for a festive end to your tour. or Private Doktorenhof Vinegar Estate Visit and Tasting: For a different spin on the Palatinate wine region, visit the Weinessiggut Doktorenhof estate for a special vinegar tasting. Yes, you read that right—a vinegar tasting. Founded by Georg Wiedemann some 30 years ago, Doktorenhof produces vinegars from premium wines, rather than inexpensive ones. Gewürztraminer, Sylvaner, Riesling, and Pinot Noir are aged with a century-old vinegar “mother,” as the bacteria that makes vinegar is known, and flavored with a variety of herbs and fruits. Most importantly, Wiedemann and his family run their farm and vineyards with the utmost care, tending to them with natural materials only.

Mainz’s Old Town brims with specialty shops tucked into lovingly restored buildings. You’ll find jewelry, leather goods, books, toys—something special for every special person on your list. Or opt to explore neighboring Wiesbaden’s Christmas Market. However you choose to spend your time in Mainz, you’ll head back to the ship for a short cruise to Rüdesheim, which, like many cities along the Rhine, dates back to Roman times, when the Rhine was the northern border of the empire. Today, Rüdesheim is famous for its beauty and its entertaining alley of shops and wine bars called the Drosselgasse. Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date. Choose between... Mainz Christmas Market Stroll: Take a walk with your Cruise Manager through the charming town of Mainz in all its wintertime charm. You'll head straight towards the local Christmas Market, where you'll find hundreds of stalls laid out in front of the town cathedral. The market features a beautiful handmade Christmas pyramid—a traditional German holiday decoration comprised of a wooden tower and several figurines. This version is enormous compared to its typical household counterparts, with life-sized figurines standing at each level of the pyramid. or Rüdesheim Walk with Local Treats and Christmas Market Follow your guide through the cobbled lanes of Rüdesheim while you hear about the vibrant life of this old and fascinating town. Walk down the famously quaint Drosselgasse alley and taste Rüdesheim’s hallmark treat—coffee splashed with brandy and topped with whipped cream. or Rheinweinwelten Visit - The Best Rhine Rieslings: Enjoy a wine tasting at your leisure with a visit to Rheinweinwelten in Rüdesheim. This local treasure trove of wines is sure to impress, with 14 different wine caves to explore. This experience can be enjoyed at your own pace and is not guided. There is, however, ample literature and information in each room about every one of the 160 distinct wines. You’ll receive 10 tokens at the start, with which you can choose to sample whichever vintages appeal to you most. Prost! Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.

Bike around the silversmithing town of Schoonhoven, best known for its abundant silversmiths, clock makers, and quaint shop-lined avenues. Or venture forth to captivating Kinderdijk to see its 19 well-preserved, UNESCO-designated windmills. Featured Excursion Koblenz Walking Tour with Christmas Market: Watch the waters of the Moselle gush into the Rhine as you stand on the spit of land called German Corner. It’s an appropriate spot for a symbol of German unity: an equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, erected in honor of German unification in 1871. Behind it is Koblenz’s oldest church, St. Castor’s Basilica, originally built in the ninth century and the first of the charming churches and squares you’ll encounter as you wander through Old Town. Like many Rhineland towns, Koblenz suffered at the hands of French forces under Louis XIV—that’s why you’ll see so many baroque features in the buildings you pass, since so many needed to be rebuilt after the French left. That’s also why the Church of Our Lady has twin onion domes. Originally built in the Middle Ages on the highest point in Koblenz, the lovely church that stands in this spot now mostly dates to the early 1700s. Following your tour, delve into the Koblenz Christmas Market, which spills from square to square, with stalls full of unique Rhine Valley handicrafts, baked goods, and wines. Be sure to check out the Advent calendar in the baroque town hall’s windows. Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.

Your local expert will show you favorite haunts around the Old Town and share some of the cathedral’s most intriguing and magical secrets with you. A special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening. Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date. Featured Excursion Cologne Walking Tour with Old Town Visit and Christmas Markets: Follow your guide around some of the most popular sites of Cologne, the largest city on the Rhine. You’ll pass the old fish market, City Hall with its Renaissance façade, and the old Jewish mikvah (a bath used for ritual cleansing). Meander through the narrow, cobbled lanes of Old Town, lined with traditional houses in every color and a plethora of restaurants and pubs. One of the city’s 12 Romanesque churches provides a castle-like backdrop to this quaint, riverside quarter of Cologne. Your local expert will take you all the way to the Domplatte, the square where you’ll find the Cologne Cathedral. Should you wish, you can head inside this Gothic building on your own to see the Shrine of the Magi and the beautiful stained-glass windows. The famous Cologne Christmas Market is held in the square just outside the cathedral. Enjoy the festivities during your free time after the tour.

Disembark the ship. If your cruise package includes a group departure transfer, or if you have purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Cologne Bonn Airport for your flight home.