that they were unable to find
outside of the Christmas period.
e Rothenburg store – now their
global headquarters – has been
converted to a year-round
Christmas village covering more
than 1,400 square metres. It is
home to a remarkable collection of
traditional German decorations,
perfectly fashioned handmade gifts,
pyramids, nutcrackers, and
ornaments of glass, wood and
pewter, all made by creative artists
and expert craftsmen.
Decorating trees and displaying
ornaments has been a tradition
going back thousands of years. Born
from the notion that beautiful
decorations and green branches
were thought to banish the gloomy
feel of winter in the dark season.
Upon entering, you are
immediately spellbound by
Christmas, captivated by the
magical sights and sounds before
you. Nearly five kilometres of tinsel
and Christmas garland, with over
122,000 dazzling lights have been
used to gracefully decorate the
village. e heart of the village is
modelled off a Franconian
settlement with snow-covered
houses, thousands of twinkling
lights and a winding cobblestone
street. A five-metre tall revolving
Christmas tree, adorned with
12,500 twinkling lights and more
than a thousand glass baubles will
entrance and enliven the darkest of
seasons. Before you leave, finish
with a photo with the colourful
Käthe Wohlfahrt Gift Express bus
– parked right outside – and take
home your very own original souvenir.
If you've not had enough of
Christmas, take time to explore the
German Christmas Museum, the
first permanent exhibition in
Germany on the history of German
Christmas traditions. It showcases
unusual and rare Christmas
decorations from the 19th and the
early 20th-centuries. You'll also
discover the differences between St.
Nicholas and Father Christmas and
learn when the first advent calendars
and wreaths appeared.
Experience the joy of
Christmas all year round
with an optional excursion
to Rothenburg ob der Tauber
on our Grand European Tour
river cruise.
GETTING THERE: The 15-day Grand European
Tour itinerary sails from Amsterdam
to Budapest, or vice versa.
From $6,195pp in Standard stateroom
CZECH REPUBLIC
MAIN
HUNGARY
THE NETHERLANDS
GERMANY
AUSTRIA
MAIN–DANUBE
CANAL
DANUBE
DANUBE
RHINE
Wertheim
Prague
The Hague
Budapest
Nuremberg
Vienna
Melk
Passau
Regensburg
Bamberg
Miltenberg
Würzburg
Rothenburg
Krems
Amsterdam
Cologne
Koblenz
Kinderdijk
C r ui s e
O ve r night in Po r t
Clockwise from
top: The life-size
nutcracker outside
the shop; see
intricate models
through the shop
window; hand
crafted wooden
ornament; explore
hundreds of
traditional German
decorations and
perfectly fashioned
handmade gifts
VIEW
VOYAGE
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