Rajah Travel Corporation

Beautiful at any time, Nuremberg’s Old Town is especially magical when dressed in all of its holiday splendor. Stroll through the castle gardens and enjoy breathtaking views of the city, then walk through a maze of cobblestone lanes down to the central Market Square. There, spread out before the Church of Our Lady, is the largest Christmas market in Germany. Two hundred stalls filled with holiday wares—ornaments, nutcrackers, seasonal treats and hand-carved toys—await you, and the irresistible aromas of roasting nuts, cinnamon and grilled sausages waft through the air.

Adding to the fun is an area set aside especially for children, complete with a two-tiered carousel featuring carved reindeer and Santa’s sleigh. As you wander through the market, you will certainly want to indulge in some of the city’s famous gingerbread; after all, Nuremberg is known as the “Gingerbread Capital of the World.”

NOTE: The permanent exhibition at the Documentation Center will be closed until the fall of 2023. In its place, a special temporary exhibition may be available.

Hitler considered Nuremberg the perfect expression of German culture and chose it as the location for his massive rallies and most grandiose building schemes. Visit the Party Rally Grounds and the Documentation Center's exhibit on the rise and fall of the Nazis, and see the Nuremberg Memoriam, which gives you a view of Courtroom 600, where 21 Nazi war criminals were tried in 1945-it remains an active courtroom and cannot be viewed during court proceedings, though the displays, including pieces of the original dock, can be seen. Note: The permanent exhibition at the Documentation Center will be closed until the fall of 2023. In its place, a special temporary exhibition may be available.

*Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be added to a booking up to 5 days prior to the cruise/tour start date if space allows. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 48 hours prior to the cruise/tour start date; if inside of 48 hours they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change.

The entire heart of historic Bamberg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it is yours to explore today. In the splendid late-Romanesque Imperial Cathedral you will find the only papal tomb in Germany, that of Pope Clement II (who was the bishop of Bamberg before he became pope), as well as the tomb of Emperor Henry II (who established the bishopric). Near it are two magnificent palaces: The Old Palace, the late-Gothic imperial residence (if you saw the 2011 3-D version of The Three Musketeers, you’ll recognize it immediately), sits across from the New Residence, where the 17th-century prince-bishops lived. Cross the footbridge to the old Town Hall; legend has it that the bishop refused to give the town land for their town hall, so they built an artificial island for it smack in the middle of the Regnitz River. You’ll also see parts of Bamberg’s famous Nativity Walk, which links 35 churches, museums and public spaces that display Nativity scenes; some made hundreds of years ago.

When the tour concludes, you’ll have time to explore Bamberg’s Christmas Market, which is actually four markets: the traditional one on the Market Square, one featuring medieval cultural programs and two markets that focus on local arts and crafts. Shuttles will be provided throughout the afternoon to take you between the ship and town.

Rothenburg really does look like a fairytale version of the Middle Ages. Great stone walls surrounding the medieval core stand tall, linking towers, bastions and parapets, and timber-framed houses decked out for the holidays line the narrow cobblestone streets and tiny squares. Walk with a local expert to the magnificent Town Hall, whose Gothic, Renaissance and baroque features reveal its long history. The Gothic Franciscan Church is revered for its famous Tilman Riemenschneider altarpiece depicting St. Francis receiving the stigmata.

Your local expert can suggest the best places to enjoy a lunch on your own before you wander among the stalls of one of Germany’s oldest and most celebrated Christmas markets. You’ll find charming handcrafted wares and souvenirs, as well as pastries and mulled wine to keep you warm. Don’t miss a favorite seasonal treat, the schneeball, or snowball, made from strips of sweet dough shaped into a ball that is fried and covered in powdered sugar or chocolate. Be sure to check out the original Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Store opposite the market. A huge Christmas tree revolves in the center of the store, and some 35,000 Christmas-themed items line the shelves.

This 300-room UNESCO World Heritage–designated residence was constructed over a period of 60 years in the 18th century. An extraordinarily lavish palace, it was created under the auspices of two Schönborn prince-bishops, Lothar Franz and Friedrich Carl, who brought enormous knowledge and passion to the project, as well as a budget for the best of the best. The magnificent grand staircase boasts the world’s largest ceiling fresco, painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Portions of the building were damaged by Allied bombing in 1945, but fortunately most of the historic furnishings had been stored off-site and key rooms were unharmed, so you can see the original—and matchless—artwork, gilding and statuary. Check out the spectacular Hall of Mirrors and the imposing Imperial Hall, which boasts a large oval dome and 20 half-columns.

At the conclusion of your tour, you’ll head back to Würzburg’s glorious Christmas Market, which is held in the square in front of the old City Hall. Beautifully decorated wooden booths are illuminated by the soft glow of Christmas lighting, and the air is filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and the sound of Christmas carols. As you rove among the booths, you can watch glassblowers and wood carvers at work and buy their handiwork directly from them.

Travel through Franconia’s rolling hills and farms to the picture-perfect village of Aschfeld, which features a historic church with a defensive wall that protected residents throughout the Middle Ages, After your visit to the Heimatmuseum at the Fortified Church, sample some homemade Christmas goodies such as cookies, stollen and gingerbread, along with coffee and tea. The locals' English-speaking abilities vary, so this is a great opportunity for you to try out your German, just as they are trying out their English. Here’s one phrase you might want to know: “Fröhliche Weihnachten,” which means “Merry Christmas!”

While you're still onboard, enjoy a cup of mulled wine and join a stollen (traditional German fruitcake) baking demonstration by a master baker. Then venture into town where you’ll see the dramatic ruins of Wertheim Castle standing high above the village as you ramble through the narrow streets, passing small bakeries and butcher shops. The counts of Wertheim began building this huge fortress in the 12th century, and the town grew up in its shelter. Wertheim had defenses of its own too: The Pointed Tower, a former watchtower also used as a jail for drunkards and shrews in the 13th-century, still stands, leaning slightly toward its neighbors, not from age but because flood waters have undermined it. It’s not the only architectural wonder you’ll pass: Blue House’s spectacular half-timbering is painted with an unusual cobalt glass-based paint, and Zobel House is just 10 feet (3 meters) wide at its base. In the Market Square, you’ll see St. Mary’s Chapel, which was erected in 1447; the step-gabled house built for 16th-century wine merchant Lorenz Baunach; and the 1574 Angels’ Well, which derives its name from the two little angels that hold Wertheim’s coat of arms. After the tour you can stay in town to shop for keepsakes or visit the Glass Museum before making your way back to the ship.

The Sternschnuppenmarkt (or “Twinkling Star”) Christmas Market in Wiesbaden is a delight for visitors young and young at heart, festively decorated and well-organized, with a colorful stage and a good mix of friendly vendors. There’s also a one-of-a-kind backdrop, the city’s grand Town Hall, State Capitol and the Market Square Church, the latter of which is beautifully illuminated.

The Sternschnuppenmarkt (or “Twinkling Star”) Christmas Market in Wiesbaden is a delight for visitors young and young at heart, festively decorated and well-organized, with a colorful stage and a good mix of friendly vendors. There’s also a one-of-a-kind backdrop, the city’s grand Town Hall, State Capitol and the Market Square Church, the latter of which is beautifully illuminated.

While you're still onboard, enjoy a cup of mulled wine and join a stollen (traditional German fruitcake) baking demonstration by a master baker. Then venture into town where you’ll see the dramatic ruins of Wertheim Castle standing high above the village as you ramble through the narrow streets, passing small bakeries and butcher shops. The counts of Wertheim began building this huge fortress in the 12th century, and the town grew up in its shelter. Wertheim had defenses of its own too: The Pointed Tower, a former watchtower also used as a jail for drunkards and shrews in the 13th-century, still stands, leaning slightly toward its neighbors, not from age but because flood waters have undermined it. It’s not the only architectural wonder you’ll pass: Blue House’s spectacular half-timbering is painted with an unusual cobalt glass-based paint, and Zobel House is just 10 feet (3 meters) wide at its base. In the Market Square, you’ll see St. Mary’s Chapel, which was erected in 1447; the step-gabled house built for 16th-century wine merchant Lorenz Baunach; and the 1574 Angels’ Well, which derives its name from the two little angels that hold Wertheim’s coat of arms. After the tour you can stay in town to shop for keepsakes or visit the Glass Museum before making your way back to the ship.

This 300-room UNESCO World Heritage–designated residence was constructed over a period of 60 years in the 18th century. An extraordinarily lavish palace, it was created under the auspices of two Schönborn prince-bishops, Lothar Franz and Friedrich Carl, who brought enormous knowledge and passion to the project, as well as a budget for the best of the best. The magnificent grand staircase boasts the world’s largest ceiling fresco, painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Portions of the building were damaged by Allied bombing in 1945, but fortunately most of the historic furnishings had been stored off-site and key rooms were unharmed, so you can see the original—and matchless—artwork, gilding and statuary. Check out the spectacular Hall of Mirrors and the imposing Imperial Hall, which boasts a large oval dome and 20 half-columns.

At the conclusion of your tour, you’ll head back to Würzburg’s glorious Christmas Market, which is held in the square in front of the old City Hall. Beautifully decorated wooden booths are illuminated by the soft glow of Christmas lighting, and the air is filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and the sound of Christmas carols. As you rove among the booths, you can watch glassblowers and wood carvers at work and buy their handiwork directly from them.

Rothenburg really does look like a fairytale version of the Middle Ages. Great stone walls surrounding the medieval core stand tall, linking towers, bastions and parapets, and timber-framed houses decked out for the holidays line the narrow cobblestone streets and tiny squares. Walk with a local expert to the magnificent Town Hall, whose Gothic, Renaissance and baroque features reveal its long history. The Gothic Franciscan Church is revered for its famous Tilman Riemenschneider altarpiece depicting St. Francis receiving the stigmata.

Your local expert can suggest the best places to enjoy a lunch on your own before you wander among the stalls of one of Germany’s oldest and most celebrated Christmas markets. You’ll find charming handcrafted wares and souvenirs, as well as pastries and mulled wine to keep you warm. Don’t miss a favorite seasonal treat, the schneeball, or snowball, made from strips of sweet dough shaped into a ball that is fried and covered in powdered sugar or chocolate. Be sure to check out the original Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Store opposite the market. A huge Christmas tree revolves in the center of the store, and some 35,000 Christmas-themed items line the shelves.

The entire heart of historic Bamberg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it is yours to explore today. In the splendid late-Romanesque Imperial Cathedral you will find the only papal tomb in Germany, that of Pope Clement II (who was the bishop of Bamberg before he became pope), as well as the tomb of Emperor Henry II (who established the bishopric). Near it are two magnificent palaces: The Old Palace, the late-Gothic imperial residence (if you saw the 2011 3-D version of The Three Musketeers, you’ll recognize it immediately), sits across from the New Residence, where the 17th-century prince-bishops lived. Cross the footbridge to the old Town Hall; legend has it that the bishop refused to give the town land for their town hall, so they built an artificial island for it smack in the middle of the Regnitz River. You’ll also see parts of Bamberg’s famous Nativity Walk, which links 35 churches, museums and public spaces that display Nativity scenes; some made hundreds of years ago.

When the tour concludes, you’ll have time to explore Bamberg’s Christmas Market, which is actually four markets: the traditional one on the Market Square, one featuring medieval cultural programs and two markets that focus on local arts and crafts. Shuttles will be provided throughout the afternoon to take you between the ship and town.

Beautiful at any time, Nuremberg’s Old Town is especially magical when dressed in all of its holiday splendor. Stroll through the castle gardens and enjoy breathtaking views of the city, then walk through a maze of cobblestone lanes down to the central Market Square. There, spread out before the Church of Our Lady, is the largest Christmas market in Germany. Two hundred stalls filled with holiday wares—ornaments, nutcrackers, seasonal treats and hand-carved toys—await you, and the irresistible aromas of roasting nuts, cinnamon and grilled sausages waft through the air.

Adding to the fun is an area set aside especially for children, complete with a two-tiered carousel featuring carved reindeer and Santa’s sleigh. As you wander through the market, you will certainly want to indulge in some of the city’s famous gingerbread; after all, Nuremberg is known as the “Gingerbread Capital of the World.”

NOTE: The permanent exhibition at the Documentation Center will be closed until the fall of 2023. In its place, a special temporary exhibition may be available.

Hitler considered Nuremberg the perfect expression of German culture and chose it as the location for his massive rallies and most grandiose building schemes. Visit the Party Rally Grounds and the Documentation Center's exhibit on the rise and fall of the Nazis, and see the Nuremberg Memoriam, which gives you a view of Courtroom 600, where 21 Nazi war criminals were tried in 1945-it remains an active courtroom and cannot be viewed during court proceedings, though the displays, including pieces of the original dock, can be seen. Note: The permanent exhibition at the Documentation Center will be closed until the fall of 2023. In its place, a special temporary exhibition may be available.

*Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be added to a booking up to 5 days prior to the cruise/tour start date if space allows. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 48 hours prior to the cruise/tour start date; if inside of 48 hours they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change.