Christmas and New Year on Spirit of the Danube 2023
The Danube
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Enjoy the celebrations aboard Spirit of the Danube
Celebrate Christmas and the New Year in the beautiful wintery riverscapes of Hungary, Austria and Germany. Enjoy the festive atmosphere, mulled wine and traditional Christmas dinner on board Spirit of the Danube, ringing in the New Year with on-board celebrations.
Visit the key cities of the Danube when the streets will be decorated with lights and fir trees and the historic squares will play host to traditional Christmas markets. See UNESCO-listed Buda Castle during an included tour of Budapest, explore Bratislava’s Christmas Market and see the sights of Vienna including the Imperial Hofburg complex on an included excursion.
You’ll also enjoy an included excursion into the Bavarian Forest and time at leisure in Linz.
Itinerary
Spirit of the Danube

Fly to Budapest and embark Spirit of the Danube.

Depart 2000.
Budapest is a city made up of two parts: Buda and Pest, built on opposite banks of the Danube. The cities have been officially united since 1873, but they are still very different in character.
Buda is the older and more graceful, with its cobbled streets, medieval architecture and UNESCO-listed Buda Castle, while Pest is the administrative and commercial centre, with wide avenues and 19th-century public buildings and at this time of year will be hosting the two biggest Christmas markets: Vorosmarty Square and St Stephen’s Basilica.
An included excursion will reveal the capital's highlights.

Arrive 0800. Depart 1300.
The small town of Esztergom enjoys a scenic setting on the Danube Bend and is home to Hungary's largest basilica, the dome of which can be seen for miles. The first Hungarian king, St Stephen, was born and crowned in Esztergom.

Arrive 0800. Depart 1900.
The old town of Slovakia’s capital is easily explored on foot and will be adorned with twinkling lights and Christmas trees at this time of year. The ancient cobbled streets lead to Bratislava Castle, which offers a bird’s-eye view of the city. The Gothic-style Cathedral is where eleven Kings of Hungary were crowned while Turks occupied their own capital.
Enjoy exploring Slovakia's capital on an included excursion. The city’s Christmas market, usually held at the Main Square and Hviezdoslav Square, has numerous stalls laden with tempting goodies.
Treat yourself to a mug of mead or steaming mulled wine while enjoying the festive atmosphere.

Arrive 0800.
Vienna is the capital of Austria: home to the waltz, coffee houses, the Prater and one of the world's finest opera houses. It is the city where Marie Antoinette grew up and where Mozart died, and for 600 years was the centre of the Hapsburg Empire.
An included excursion will reveal the highlights of the city, including the Ringstrasse and Opera House. During the holiday season Vienna will be illuminated with festive lights. Shops tend to close earlier than usual on Christmas Eve.

Depart Vienna, 0600.
Arrive Tulln, 1100. Depart, 1400.
Arrive Melk, 2100.
Enjoy a relaxing Christmas morning cruising the Danube to Tulln. The town has numerous parks, gardens and riverside promenades. One of the city’s main cultural attractions, the Nibelung Fountain and the bronze sculptures by Michail Nogin, are dedicated to a scene from medieval German epic poem – the meeting of the Queen of Burgundy and King of the Huns in Tulln.
Look forward to Christmas dinner with all the trimmings served on board your ship.

Depart Melk, 1300.
Arrive Grein, 1900.
The historic town of Melk features architectural styles from across the centuries. Its jewel is the abbey which sits on a bluff above the town.
This masterpiece of baroque architecture, the spiritual and cultural centre of Austria for more than 1,000 years, can be visited on an optional excursion.
Depart 1200.
The medieval town of Grein sits at the start of the narrow valley of Strudengau, once a treacherous rock-strewn stretch of the Danube. The town is home to the oldest functioning theatre in Austria, converted from the Town Hall’s granary in 1791.
The castle – Schloss Greinburg – that overlooks the town features a Sala Terrena or ‘stone theatre’, a room entirely covered with mosaic designs made from pebbles from the Danube riverbed.

Arrive 0800. Depart 1300.
The attractive old town of this petite Bavarian town is perched on a promontory between the Danube and Vils rivers.
Highlights include the Benedictine Abbey and church of St John. Look forward to an included excursion discovering the best of Bavaria.

Arrive 0800.
The city of Regensburg has been a religious centre since the 7th century and has numerous medieval churches. Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries the city enjoyed great wealth thanks to its trade links in Europe and there are many examples of fine Romanesque and Gothic architecture still to be seen in the UNESCO-listed old part.
The Stone Bridge, completed in 1146, influenced bridge-building elsewhere, including the Charles Bridge in Prague.

Depart Regensburg, 0900.
Arrive Kelheim, 1300. Depart 1700.
The small town of Kelheim is located at the point where the rivers Altmühl and Danube meet. It’s famed for its historic Benedictine monastery and brewery, which has been in operation since 1050.

Arrive 1300.
Passau is located at the confluence of the Danube, the Ilz and the Inn. The surrounding wooded hills create a photogenic backdrop to the city's towers, spires and red-roofed houses. The wealthy past of this cultured city is reflected in its many fine buildings, including the baroque St Stephen's Cathedral, and the old and new Bishop's Palaces.
Enjoy the New Year celebrations on board your ship this evening.
Depart Passau, 1000.
Arrive Linz, 1900.
Spend a relaxing day on board Spirit of the Danube.

Linz is a diverse city where the modern architecture and creative arts scene blends with the quaint Old Town of baroque-style buildings. The city is known for its Linzer torte, said to be the world’s oldest cake recipe.
Take time to explore Linz independently or join an optional excursion in Linz or to Salzburg.
Disembark Spirit of the Danube and begin your return journey.
Including...
All inclusive†
Cruise Director
Plus...
- Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner
- Entertainment and activities on board
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
- All gratuities on board
- Return flights and transfers
Included excursions
- Budapest city tour
- Bratislava city tour
- Vienna city tour
- Bavarian Forest and visit to a glassworks and schnapps distillery
- Passau city walking tour
Interactive maps and audio headsets for independent exploration available in selected ports.
†The included drinks are available on board from 9am to midnight and include non-branded alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Excludes branded spirits.