Cruise Description

7 Night Cruise sailing from Passau roundtrip aboard Maxima.

At Christmas time, a very special mood hovers over the metropolises and nature along the Danube. At no other time of the year one experiences this pleasant feeling to glide along with the river ship completely gently and quietly and to be able to observe thereby the banks in a special light of cold winter days. Festive songs sound and culinary highlights dignify the festive framework of this special Danube journey.

Highlights of this cruise:

Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflussestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north.

Tourism in Passau focuses mainly on the three rivers, the St. Stephen's Cathedral and the "Old City". With 17,774 pipes and 233 registers, the organ is the second largest in the world. Organ concerts are held daily between May and September.

Passau is also known for its gothic and baroque architecture. The town is dominated by the Veste Oberhaus and the former fortress of the Bishop, on the mountain crest between the Danube and the Ilz rivers. Right beside the town hall is the Scharfrichterhaus, an important jazz and cabaret stage on which political cabaret is performed.

Vienna, Austria
Vienna is a unique blend of the historic and the modern with a wealth of architecture and artistic and musical heritage. Many of the world’s most important composers, including Beethoven and Mozart, have lived and performed behind Vienna’s Baroque facades. In addition to this Baroque splendor, there are excellent examples of Art Nouveau architecture .

Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. Cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, its extensive World Heritage Sites includes the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes' Square and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the world. Other highlights include a total of 80 geothermal springs, the world's largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building.

Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bratislava has a very pleasant medieval inner city with narrow, winding streets, a hill-top castle next to the river Danube, and many historic churches and buildings to visit. The old town is centered on two squares, Hlavne namestie (main square) and Hviezdoslavovo namestie (Hviezdoslav square, named after a famous Slovak poet).

Attractions in Bratislava include the castle which currently hosts temporary historical exhibitions and from whose ramparts you can see nearby Hungary, Austria and the Danube valley. Also visit one of the city's excellent galleries, for instance the Bratislava City Gallery at the Pallfy Palace, to experience Matej Kren's unique "Passage" installation.

Krems
Krems is a riverside town in the Danube’s Wachau Valley in the tourist region of Lower Austria. It is the fifth-largest city of Lower Austria and is approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) west of Vienna. Krems is known for its world class wine production and its proximity to the Danube.

The historical center of Krems is one of the most beautiful in Europe. Over the centuries, builders and architects have created a unique cityscape that has been lovingly cared for and preserved. In 1975 Krems was singled out as a "Model City for Historical Preservation" and in 2000 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.