Christmas Along the Elbe

Day 1: Berlin, Germany

Arrive and check in to your hotel. After a decades-long postwar rift, Germany’s capital has been reunified and undergone a remarkable rebirth as a center of art, culture and great architecture. It is still riding the wave of its newfound energy, and exploring its streets feels akin to browsing a newly opened museum. Risen from the ashes of war, many of its buildings that once stood for division now embrace unity. Among them, the Reichstag parliament building embodies a new transparency with its glass dome, and the city’s Museum Island celebrates self-expression and creativity.

Day 2: Potsdam, Germany

Berlin is one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan and forward-thinking capitals. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, a sweeping transformation took hold and is powerfully symbolized in the Reichstag, Germany’s parliament building. Monuments of wartime are everywhere here, from remnants of the wall to Checkpoint Charlie. Prewar treasures include the baroque Charlottenburg Palace and 13th-century St. Nicholas Church. Straddling the Spree River and peppered with grand theaters and more than 170 museums—many of them on Museum Island—today’s Berlin is a major cultural center.

Day 3: Wittenberg, Germany

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and begin your journey to your embarkation city. Potsdam straddles one of the Elbe’s main tributaries, the Havel River. It boasts a rich history that spans more than 1,000 years. From its humble beginning, Potsdam burgeoned into a royal city, hosting the residences of Prussian and German rulers until the early 1900s. A series of tumultuous events followed, but through it all, Potsdam maintained its prominent stature. And in 1990, with Germany’s reunification, Potsdam was named Brandenburg’s state capital. Today, the city’s regal past lives on in its 16 well-preserved palaces and three elegantly landscaped parks.

Day 4: Vienna, Austria

In a city so central to the Protestant Reformation, it is well worth taking a closer look at Wittenberg’s churches. The most famous is the Lutheran All Saints’ Church, built around 1340. It later became the official church of the University of Wittenberg and provided a pulpit for Martin Luther and his colleague Philipp Melanchthon to preach Protestantism. Luther and Melanchthon are both entombed within the church. The Town Church of St. Mary is renowned as the first to have celebrated mass in German rather than in Latin. Here, also, bread and wine were offered to worshippers for the first time, earning it a place as the “Mother Church of the Reformation.”

Day 5: Meissen, Germany

Surrounded by idyllic wine villages and set at a rocky spur on the Elbe, Meissen dates back more than a thousand years. The city is dominated by its 13th- and 14th-century Gothic cathedrals and Albrechtsburg Castle, perched on a low hill, considered one of the great achievements of German architecture. The introduction of porcelain here by Johann Friedrich Böttger in the early 18th century made Meissen world famous. Meissenware has been produced here ever since. Across the city, the chimes of the Gothic Church of Our Lady’s bells can be heard; they were the first church bells made of porcelain.

Day 6: Dresden, Germany

Dresden is awash in artistic treasures and baroque splendor. The city is blessed with water meadows and green parks near the center, giving it a wide-open feeling and making it easy to focus on the beautiful sandstone buildings that line the river. It took Dresden more than 50 years to rebuild after it was devastated during Allied bombing. Most agree it was certainly worth the wait. The city has been lovingly restored to its original glory, from the ornate Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) and grand Semper Opera House to the shining Zwinger Palace.

Day 7: Scenic Sailing: Saxon Switzerland

Sail through the magnificent, soaring rock formations of Saxon Switzerland. This spectacular region earned its name from two Swiss painters who were reminded of their home while visiting. You will witness some of the wildest cliff formations imaginable, with nicknames such as Catapult, Locomotive and Wolf’s Ravine. As you pass through, marvel at the Bastei, a 1,000-foot spectacle of tooth-like rocks connected by a footbridge. Sailing past these iconic monoliths is sure to be a highlight of your journey.

Day 8: Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is known as the “City of a Hundred Spires” and it is easy to see why. The towering twin steeples of Týn Church and the beautiful baroque Church of St. Nicholas are among some of the city’s most notable. Best explored on foot, Prague’s Old Town is a maze of ancient cobblestone lanes with the Old Town Square at its core. Here, the medieval Astronomical Clock still chimes today and provides for its viewers a little theater with the “Walk of the Apostles” on the hour, every hour.

Day 9: Prague, Czech Republic

Few cities embody the past as authentically as Prague, the Czech Republic’s atmospheric capital on the Vltava River that clings to its history with unwavering passion. Prague’s medieval architecture is its most prominent, but the city is also a rich repository of Romanesque, baroque and art nouveau buildings that stir the imagination. The city’s graceful, pedestrian-only Charles Bridge served as the coronation route of the kings of Bohemia across the river to Hradčany Castle and its rich complex of royal buildings.

Day 10: Prague, Czech Republic

Bid farewell to your fellow guests and journey home. Or spend more time exploring, perhaps joining one of our extensions.

One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call.

Enjoy additional days to explore your embarkation or disembarkation city, or see a new destination altogether with a choice of exciting cities.

2 nights in Berlin from $699 per person

Begin your European journey in Berlin, giving you time to see the many landmarks of this historic capital, including Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Cathedral, Brandenburg Gate, the remains of the Berlin Wall and Charlottenburg Palace.

Includes: 2 hotel nights in Berlin, 2 meals (breakfast), all transfers and host.

5 nights in Kraków & Warsaw from $1,599 per person

Celebrate the festive season as you revel in the spirit of Christmas in Kraków & Warsaw. Uncover Poland’s rich culture, visit historic and important landmarks, and explore the winding streets of Old Town districts, lined with medieval houses and decorated window displays.

Includes: 3 hotels nights in Kraków, 2 hotel nights in Warsaw, 6 meals (5 breakfast & 1 dinner), 5 guided tours, all transfers, host.

2 nights in Prague from $699 per person

Give yourself more time in the Czech Republic’s vibrant capital, the “City of a Hundred Spires.” Explore Prague’s many landmarks, including Hradčany Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge and more.

Includes: 2 hotels nights in Prague, 2 meals (breakfast), all transfers and host.