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The magic of the Christmas Markets sparkle both day and night on this lovely pre-Christmas Danube river cruise.

To give you more of a feeling about this experience, and the sights you'll see, here's a photo journal taken from my 2007 cruise.

 
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Danube River Christmas Markets Cruise

Part 2 :  Cruising along the Danube in Germany - Nuremberg and Regensburg

A Photo Journal of the 2007 Travel Insider Cruise

Click the map to have a larger and more detailed version open in a new window
(Note - the route wanted to use roads, not canals!  So I've tried to get the route on the roads closest to the waterways we traveled on.)

We joined the ship in Nuremberg, then after sightseeing there cruised on to Regensburg, then continued on to Passau and in to Austria.

Part 2 of a four part Photo Journal of the 2007 Travel Insider Christmas Markets Tour.  Click the links for other pages in this series.

Part 1 :  Munich, Bavaria and the Amadagio
Part 2 :  Along the Danube in Germany
Part 3 :  Beautiful Austria
Part 4 :  Hungary, Slovakia and The Czech Republic

Partially for my own pleasure and memories, and of course, partially to help you understand what to expect on a Christmas Markets cruise, here's a 'photo journal' of memories from my 2007 cruise along the Danube from Nuremberg to Budapest, with pre-cruise touring in Bavaria and post-cruise touring in the Czech Republic.

I've tried to make this different to a typical travelogue by concentrating on sights and impressions that are either quirky or of particular interest to Christmas Market cruises.

I hope it may encourage you to come join me on one of these cruises.  After reading through these remembrances and perusing the images, I hope you'll better understand why it is that these cruises are my absolute favorite of all the many different cruises I do.

Chances are you'll enjoy one of these enchanting cruises too.

Click here for details of the amazing bargain prices now available for this year's Christmas cruise.

Photojournal Part 2 - Nuremberg and Regensburg, Germany

Note - the small images below can all be clicked on and this will open a larger image, sometimes showing more of the picture, too, in a new window.  Simply close the window after enjoying the image to return back to this page.
 

Nuremberg


Okay, so I'm about as politically incorrect as they come.  It struck me as being a funny (naughty) picture to give a Hitler type salute in front of the main reviewing rostrum at Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg, where the largest Nazi Party rallies were given.  But before I had a chance to click my heels and raise my right arm, a local got very cross with me and this was the closest I was able to get - more like a wave than a salute.  Perhaps just as well.
 
Nuremberg is an uncomfortable amalgam of new and old alongside each other.
 
The ornate structure is actually the top of a fountain at the entrance to the main Town Square and the markets that fill the square every Christmas season.

Like much of Germany, it takes a bit of an effort to filter out the new buildings in Nuremberg and to appreciate what remains of its historic past.  Much of most German cities was destroyed during Allied bombing missions in World War Two.

Nuremberg has a strong association with the Nazi Germany period.  As one of the most influential parts of Germany, and one of the most historic parts, Hitler wanted to put his mark on Nuremberg to affirm his role as Germany's new leader.

We got to see several of the stadiums built during the 1930s for the famous annual party rallies.  What astonished me was how poorly they were built.  Quite the opposite to what we might have thought, much of the construction was done in haste and poorly - definitely not designed to last for the full thousand years that Hitler projected the Third Reich would last!

Trying to talk to 'normal' Germans about the Hitler period and how it is viewed these days is extremely difficult.  We as foreigners can probably only dimly guess as to how Germans feel about this period, although of course, increasingly, it is relegated to the history books as fewer and fewer Germans have any personal knowledge of the period between the early 1930s and 1945.

Nuremberg has a nice castle and a huge Christmas market.

 

Regensburg


Sitting enjoying yet another mug of Gluhwein (of course) at the wonderful Thurn und Taxis Palace markets.  Although this wasn't an official part of the Amawaterways tour, their cruise director very kindly escorted those of us who wished to go visit them up to the markets (so we wouldn't get lost) and then paid for the admission into the Palace grounds too.  All the other markets we visited have no admission charge, fortunately.
 
This Travel Journal is telling you more about me than the places visited, I fear.  Yes - it's true.  If I'm not drinking Gluhwein, I'm probably to be found enjoying some of the lovely items for sale at the market food stalls instead - in this case, gorgeous rotisserie smoked meats.
 
It was a fairly cold day, but neither snowing nor raining.  Around the palace grounds were open fires which people would gather around to warm up, and adding to the wintry festive atmosphere.

Regensburg is one of my favorite stops along the Danube.

The town was fortunate to suffer virtually no damage in World War II and so is perhaps Germany's best-preserved medieval city.  A pleasant walking tour took us around the heart of the town - a town enjoying a resurgence of fame as being Pope Benedict's chosen hometown.  He was a professor at the university, and his brother, who still lives there, was the Music Director at Regensburg Cathedral.

There are several different markets in the town, but for me, the best market - perhaps of the entire cruise - is the one five minutes further walk, set in the grounds of the impressive Thurn und Taxis Palace.  The craft market there features traditional handicrafts from the region, some of which are made in front of you, and wonderful meats (including wild boar) are spit-roasted in the food stalls.

After Regensburg, we cruised on to Passau (see the next part of the Photo Journal).

 

Part 2 of a four part Photo Journal of the 2007 Travel Insider Christmas Markets Tour.  Click the links for other pages in this series.

Part 1 :  Munich, Bavaria and the Amadagio
Part 2 :  Along the Danube in Germany
Part 3 :  Beautiful Austria
Part 4 :  Hungary, Slovakia and The Czech Republic

 

Why not come and join us for this year's Christmas Markets Cruise along the Danube.

Please click the link for details of this year's itinerary and the special deal currently on offer.

Click here for the full details of this cruise and the booking form to confirm your interest.

 

Originally published 26 Sep 2008, last update 03 Jun 2021

 
 
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