Themed winter markets feature across Cologne during the holiday season, inviting visitors to browse colorful market stalls for handmade gifts, beautiful artwork and colorful crafts. The towering Gothic Cologne Cathedral provides a stunning backdrop to the city’s festivities and array of offerings from its red wooden stalls. Beneath the pointed roofs of Cologne harbor’s tented market, unique crafted goods are displayed amid the twinkling lights of boats bobbing in the marina.
Shore Excursions
Shore excursions vary by each itinerary and are subject to change.
Christmas in Cologne
Celebrate the festive season in Germany at Cologne’s Christmas Market and savor traditional Spekulatius.
Cologne’s Beer Culture & Dinner
Immerse yourself in Cologne’s lively brauhaus culture and sample the pride of the city.
Videos
Immerse yourself in the magic of the holiday season in Amsterdam and Cologne
Join our Ambassador-at-Large Jean Newman Glock, as she visits two festive ports on our 8-day Christmas on the Rhine journey. First, in Amsterdam, Jean takes a glass-topped boat for a leisurely ride along the city’s charming canals and savors some traditional Dutch cuisine at De Blauwe Hollander, a beloved restaurant located on the lively Southern Canal Ring. Next, Jean boards the Viking Eir to sail on to Düsseldorf, where she will toast to the yuletide season with a hot cup of mulled wine known as glühwein. Lastly, watch Jean make her way to Cologne, where the city’s iconic Gothic cathedral provides a stunning backdrop for one of the largest Christmas markets in Europe. Jean also browses the colorful market stalls for handmade gifts and special keepsakes.
Discovering Cologne
Arriving in the German city of Cologne, today Alastair meets with local guide Angela to embark on an enlightening tour. Follow along as they view the Gothic Cologne Cathedral, shop for German mustard, visit the famed Hohenzollern Bridge and spend reflective moments at the Gestapo’s former headquarters. Alastair also learns the story behind “stumbling stones,” a series of small bronze plaques embedded in the streets to commemorate people who were persecuted by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. In the evening, join Alastair as he visits one of Cologne’s oldest brewhouses, where he enjoys a glass of local Kölsch beer.