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This 8-day Cruise Takes You to Some of Europe's Most Festive Christmas Markets—and You Can Buy Tickets Now
For eight festive days, passengers sail along the scenic Rhine River, stopping in storybook towns aglow with twinkling lights and the holiday spirit. From charming market stalls to historic squares decked with seasonal splendor, this itinerary offers a convenient way to experience Europe's most beloved Christmas traditions.
Beginning in Strasbourg, France, known as the "Capital of Christmas," guests can wander through one of Europe's oldest and most popular Christmas markets, set against a backdrop of timber-framed houses. A highlight of Strasbourg is a visit to the Cave des Hospices, the city's oldest wine cellar, where guests can sample local vintages and learn about the region's winemaking heritage.
From Strasbourg, the cruise makes its way to Freiburg in Germany's legendary Black Forest. Here, market stalls brim with handcrafted ornaments, traditional nutcrackers, and the irresistible aromas of bratwurst, roasted chestnuts, and steaming cups of spiced glühwein (mulled wine). The route also winds through several quaint villages in the Alsace wine region.
In Heidelberg, Germany, guests are transported to a fairytale holiday setting, nestled beneath the romantic ruins of the town's historic castle. Notable activities include an exclusive cocktail reception and a gourmet chef's table dinner, with plenty of time to visit the festive holiday markets that line the city's cobbled streets.
In Rüdesheim, travelers can explore the famed Drosselgasse, a picturesque street lined with charming shops, and take a guided walking tour of the medieval town of Koblenz. In the evening, the Captain's Gala dinner provides a celebratory event on board with fine cuisine and Rhine River views.
Next, the itinerary leads to Bonn, the former capital of West Germany and the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven. A visit to the Beethoven-Haus Museum offers a glimpse into the life and legacy of the legendary composer.
The cruise concludes in Cologne, home to one of Germany's most awe-inspiring cathedrals and some of its most beloved Christmas markets. After exploring the Cologne Cathedral, guests can meander through festive stalls and try lebkuchen —the spiced gingerbread holiday favorite.
This exciting eight-day trip, starting from $7,995 per person, runs from Dec. 1 to Dec. 8 and includes a one-night hotel stay before and after the cruise. Guests will sail aboard the luxurious and modern Amadeus Star , enjoying hotel-style comforts, gourmet cuisine, and private small-group excursions led by an experienced resident tour director.
For more information, visit abercrombiekent.com.
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Forbes
4 days ago
- Forbes
Napa Is The Best Wine Country Trip You Can Take Without A Car
Napa Valley is the best-known wine country destination for good reason Napa is not the place to test your tolerance. Or your relationship. Or your ability to reverse park a rental SUV after two glasses of Zin. Yet, year after year, people arrive with an inevitably doomed plan: that is, forcing someone to drive. They alternate pours. They sip and spit. Or worse, they abstain entirely. This guide is for the non-martyrs; the ones who understand that wine tastings aren't meant to be rationed, that driving post-Cabernet is lunacy, and that modern Napa has finally evolved into the car-free, carefree destination it always should have been. Think wine trains, walkable towns, and a new wave of tasting rooms that make you want to linger, rather than tick boxes. Start with the Wine Train The Napa Valley Wine Train has been around since the '80s and, yes, it can feel a little like a moving photo opp, but it's also hands-down the most enjoyable, efficient way to drink your way through the valley without regret. If you're doing the flagship Legacy Tour (and you should), it runs from 10:30am to around 4:30pm and includes breakfast, on-board tastings, two winery visits, lunch, and a steady stream of wine that starts early and doesn't ask you to spit. By the time you reach Charles Krug—your first stop—I can almost guarantee you'll be proud of the decision. The wineries are the best of the best, too. Charles Krug is the oldest in Napa (est. 1861), and the barrel rooms smell like something your faovurite sommelier dreams about. Their 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is as good as it gets, and it's also the farthest winery on the train's circular route—therefore impossible to reach efficiently without a car—which makes the train not only a fun excuse, but functional one. Next up: V. Sattui, a more low-key affair with a market-style buzz. While most people come for the picnic vibes (because, silly sausages, they're driving), the sleeper hit is their Madeira—shockingly good, even if dessert wine usually gives you flashbacks to your nan's dusty Christmas bottle. It normally does for me and I nearly asked for a second tasting. Back on board, there's a three-course lunch served with startling finesse for a train kitchen. It's social without being sloppy; less 'party bus,' more 'cool table at a wedding,' and a guarantee you'll be in no condition to operation machinery by the time you roll back into downtown Napa. Just as you planned. Napa Valley Wine Train Don't stay in Downtown Napa With that said, I wouldn't recommend staying in downtown Napa if you're keen to keep things car-free. It's fine, if fine is what you're after, but is much more to discover outside of its many tourist traps. If you want to experience Napa at its most walkable, photogenic, and idyllic, stay in Yountville. And if you're not already using Blacklane, this is your sign. Their pre-booked chauffeurs are the antidote to flaky ride shares (particularly helpful after a day getting sozzled on said train), and and are reliably professional, early, and blissfully unfazed by six half-drunk bottles of Pinot rolling around in the trunk. You can book them by the hour, too, making town-hopping (or continued winery-hopping) a realistic dream. I should warn you, of course, that your eventual departure from Yountville won't be an easy one. Without erring too close to Stepford WIves territory, it's the kind of idyllic place where linen-clad locals take their lunch to the picnic bench for fun. There's money here, obviously, but also a kind of small-town charm. Somehow, it all works. And I'm not sure I've ever been quite so sad to leave a place where I didn't know another person. Jessup Cellars in Yountville, Napa Where to go in Yountville, Napa After your morning coffee and a few litres of water, Jessup Cellars has to be your first stop. It's the platonic ideal of a tasting room: friendly, chic, and serious about its wines without ever feeling pretentious. The walls are hung with rotating art, the pours are generous, the playlists tasteful, and if you ask for Laurel, you'll get a host who's warm, sharp, and blessed with that rare gift of knowing exactly how much wine talk you want before your eyes glaze over. I walked out with the strong urge to empty my suitcase and fill it with bottles and bottles of the silky, tannic, tobacco-rich Juel. In fact, as I write this, I still regret not doing so. Nonetheless, everything in Yountville is a short stroll, or stumble, from Jessup. Walk five minutes and you're at Bistro Jeanty, still the best place to submit to buttery French classics. Yes, the tomato soup in puff pastry is iconic, and yes, it really is worth it. Across the way, Kollar Chocolates will ruin all other chocolate shops for you (the dark salted caramels are lethal) and, for something fresher, North Block is a newer star: seasonal small plates, gorgeous courtyards, and a confident 'Valley to Coast' tasting menu at a fraction of the cost of The French Laundry's (which, if you have the spare hundos to pay for it and the foresight to book months in advance, is also conveniently just down the road). Tacos Garcia, the unassuming taco truck parked near the top of Washington Street, is one of the best you'll find in the region, too. The French Laundry in Yountville, Napa As much as I hate to share hidden gems like this for fear I'll soon be priced out, you have book a room at Lavender—a B&B that nails the elusive 'romantic' sweet spot without feeling cringe. There's a fire pit, proper breakfasts, fantastically friendly service, and high-end rooms that don't look or feel like they were designed by Pinterest boards. The nightly wine and cheese hours are pretty useful in helping you keep the tasting party going, too. If you've somehow still got room (in your liver or your luggage), there are a few more tasting rooms worth weaving into your Yountville stroll, as well: Handwritten Wines for elevated small-lot storytelling, Hope & Grace for a quieter, boutique feel with knockout Pinots, and Hill Family Estate, where the pours are generous and the vibe's wonderfully welcoming. All walkable, all worth it, and—like everything I've recommended above—all best enjoyed without having to sip, spit, or sacrifice a designated driver.
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-header-vineyard-willamite-valley-oregon-WILLAMETTEOR0725-e662451d2f0e471ea742a2f4bf944cc6.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
6 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
This May Be the Most Underrated Wine Region on the West Coast—and It's Not in California
Take part in the valley's most popular pastime, wine tasting, in strikingly beautiful tasting rooms. Have a bed-and-breakfast stay in the middle of a vineyard next to a working winery at Sosta House. Feast on seasonal fare at farm-to-table restaurants like Hayward. Hang out in quaint wine country towns like McMinnville and Newberg to get a taste of the local lifestyle. Plan your visit for the summer or fall; summer serves up foodie festivals and long daylight hours, while fall lets you see the wine harvest in action. Travelers often come to Oregon for one of two things: to taste Portland's (now) legendary culinary scene and experience this Pacific Northwestern state's rugged beauty. But just a short drive from Portland, you'll find that cuisine and countryside blend seamlessly together in the Willamette Valley: Oregon's de facto larder and wine cellar. Bookended by the Cascade Mountains and the Coast Range, the Willamette Valley is vast, stretching roughly 150 miles long from Portland to Eugene, Oregon, and 60 miles wide. Nourished by lengthy summer days, wet winters, and fertile soils left behind by Ice Age floods, it's an agricultural cornucopia. But it's the miles and miles of patchwork vineyards that draw the eye; interpersed by evergreen woodlands and presided over by Mount Hood, it's a picture-perfect wine country tableau. 'It's a beautiful place,' says Tony Soter, founder of Soter Vineyards. This is pinot noir country: nearly three-quarters of the valley's vineyard acreage is devoted to its marquee varietal. But across the over 700 wineries in the Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area, oenophiles can also find chardonnay, riesling, syrah, and pinot gris. The wine world is sometimes thought of as stuffy, but not the Willamette. Refined experiences like sophisticated tasting menus abound—including resorts beloved by Travel+Leisure readers—but are balanced out with a grounded, down-to-earth atmosphere. 'Anyone has the opportunity to feel like a local here,' says Kari Shaughnessy, head chef and owner of Hayward. The Willamette Valley invites you to come for the wine. But once you're on the ground, you'll find much more to pique your interest besides vino, from an on-the-rise food scene to trails for post-tasting jaunts. And, in case you're unsure of the pronunciation, just remember: it's Willamette, d*mn it. Here's what you need to know about Oregon's Willamette Valley before you visit. Exterior of Inn the Ground. If Hobbiton had a hotel, it would be Inn the Ground, where stays come with farm-to-table breakfasts and idyllic nature trails. Built into the side of a hill, this bed and breakfast bolthole takes in sweeping landscape views from its modern rooms with private patios. Set just steps from McMinnville's bustling Third Street, Atticus Hotel welcomes design lovers with its Wes Anderson-worthy interiors. Room styles range from cozy micro-studios to charming bunk rooms for group getaways, with something for all travelers. Take advantage of the property's fleet of Dutch bikes to explore around town. Part of the Relais & Chateaux portfolio, the all-suite Tributary Hotel occupies a revitalized 100-year-old building along McMinnville's main drag. Along with its spacious, well-appointed rooms, one of the best perks of staying here is having one of the valley's finest tasting menus, ōkta farm and kitchen, right downstairs. Some of the valley's oldest vines are your sleeping companions at Sosta House, a dreamy bed and breakfast located in the middle of a historic vineyard. Sip wines made right on-site, sweat out nights of excess in the barrel sauna and cold plunge, and savor in-room breakfasts and alfresco wine dinners. From a 15,000-square-foot spa to vineyard-view rooms, it's easy to see why The Allison Inn & Spa was voted one of the top resorts in the Western U.S. by T+L readers in the World's Best Awards 2025. Perched on 35 lush acres outside Newberg, this luxury retreat invites guests to unwind with indulgent treatments, elevated dining at Jory, and exceptional service. Waterfall in Silver Falls State back to the valley's roots at pioneering wineries like The Eyrie Vineyards, Adelsheim Vineyard, and Ponzi Vineyards, or try experimental bottlings at newer outfits like Cho Wines. Fancy some bubbly? Head to Corollary, Argyle, and Domaine Willamette to dive into the Willamette's sparkling wine scene. Love a design-driven tasting room? Check out Ambar Estate and Sequitur. Need a break from wine? Go to Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery, TopWire Hop Project, or Xicha Brewing for craft beer, and Raw Cider Company and La Familia Cider for cider. No matter when you visit, the Willamette Valley nearly always has a festival on the calendar. Go on fungi-finding forays with truffle-sniffing dogs at the Oregon Truffle Festival, or attend epicurean bashes like Alt Wine Fest, Queer Wine Fest, AAPI Food & Wine Festival, and the International Pinot Noir Celebration. Spring's Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival is another highlight, with hot air balloon rides over fields of Technicolor tulips, as is McMinnville's McMenamins UFO Festival, which commemorates the alleged 1950s sighting of a flying saucer. Learn about the area's Indigenous history at the Chachalu Museum & Cultural Center, or step inside the Airplane Home, a one-of-a-kind dwelling fashioned out of a Boeing 727-200. Salem's Enchanted Forest theme park makes for a fun family day trip, and, between May and October, catch a movie at Newberg's historic 99W Drive-in Theatre. You've gotten a taste of the valley's food and wine. Now, it's time to discover the land itself. Embark on hikes along vineyard trails (Johan Vineyards has some lovely routes) or through the serene forests at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey. Visit a glacial erratic (aka a glacially deposited rock) that traveled some 500 miles during the Missoula Floods at Erratic Rock State Natural Site. Or, take a page from Shaughnessy and Soter's book, and go for a float on the Willamette River. A side dish served at Hayward. Come hungry and expecting the unexpected, as the valley's cook-with-the-seasons ethos means most dishes aren't on the menu for long. Along with the farm-to-table and foraging fare, save room for delectable Mexican eats from spots like Tacos El Gordo, and popping over to the Willamette Valley Pie Co. for slices of marionberry goodness. Helmed by chef Shaughnessy, Hayward in Carlton is one of the restaurants that has put the Willamette Valley on the fine dining map. Its New Northwest cuisine has garnered multiple James Beard Award nods, marries the valley's seasonal finest with global influences. Truly putting the 'farm' in farm-to-table, Grounded Table's elevated homestyle classics come direct from its own regenerative farm. Tuck into roasted chicken and fresh-from-the-earth salads, before popping into its sister restaurant for its Oreos-inspired dessert. Many of the valley's best meals aren't found at traditional restaurants, but rather at wineries. Antica Terra is one such example. Sit down to an aptly-named 'Very Nice Lunch' from James Beard-winning chef Timothy Wastell at this cult-favorite Amity winery, which is as renowned for its culinary program as it is for its ethereal libations. Give your palate a breather from wine with craft cocktails or expertly executed classics at this intimate, witchy McMinnville eatery. Check the chalkboard upon walking in for what's on offer that day; oysters, rockfish, and lamb often make appearances. The best time to visit is between May and August, with summertime festivals, 15-hour days, and gorgeous weather. Autumn, with the harvest hustle and changing vineyards, is another stand-out. 'It's hard to find a more beautiful month than September,' says Shaughnessy. Winter—or cellar season—also has its charms, like sipping wine next to roaring fires or getting more one-on-one tasting time with winemakers after the hecticness of harvest. If you fly into Portland International Airport (PDX), it's a roughly one-hour drive to McMinnville, Oregon. Salem also has a small regional airport, the Salem-Willamette Valley Airport (SLE), but it takes about the same amount to get to McMinnville—plus, PDX generally has better flight availability and rates. A tree with a tire swing next to a vineyard in Dayton, Oregon. Home to some of the valley's top restaurants and hotels, and with tens of wineries on its doorstep, McMinnville makes for a fantastic Willamette base camp. Start the day with a cup of from Flag & Wire Coffee Co., stroll along the tree-lined Third Street, view the legendary Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, and try local favorites like La Rambla and Pura Vida Cocina. For shopping, hit up Alchemist's Jam & Bakery and the Mac Market food hall and marketplace. Newberg may be known as the gateway to the Willamette, but don't just pass through. Fuel wine tasting adventures in the nearby Chehalem Mountains with Caravan Coffee, dine inside a grand Victorian home at The Painted Lady, and get a bird's-eye view from Bald Peak, the valley's tallest point at 1,633 feet. What was once a timber town is now one of the Willamette's gastronomic epicenters, home to heavy hitters like Hayward, Big Table Farms, Carlton Winemaker Studios, and Flâneur Wines. Just outside of town, you'll find Soter Vineyards, set on a 250-acre biodynamic farm with expansive panoramas. These neighboring towns go hand-in-hand for a day of wining and dining. Dundee highlights include Day Wines, Furioso, and Artist Block, as well as the multicourse Anthology tasting menu at The Four Graces. Grab lunch at Red Hills Market or Merenda Italian Deli (both make a mean sandwich) before popping into Sokol Blosser or Durant Vineyards, ending in Dayton with dinner at Loam and overnighting in a retro Airstream at The Vintages campground. While some hotels can help arrange transfers, renting a car is the best and most convenient way to reach the spread-out small towns and remote wineries. If you're planning on doing a lot of tastings, book a chauffeur car service like Black Tie Tours or a bespoke winery itinerary through Scissortail Wine Tours, so you can imbibe to your heart's content and keep the roads safe.
Forbes
12-07-2025
- Forbes
Italy's Secret Southern Wine Region Ready To Steal The Spotlight
TNow, the coastal town of Cirò Marina and its hilltop, historic counterpart Cirò Superiore, are moving to shine the spotlight on both the area's prestigious wine culture and its archaeological and natural attractions. Merano WineFestival Calabria Under a canopy of bamboo canes, vintner Paolo Ippolito pours glasses of his Mare Chiaro DOC and Pecorello IGT wines to taste along with local cheese and fennel flavored salami. A fresh breeze arrives from the nearby Ionian Sea. 'From now on, for four months, the weather will remain like this,' he says. This is the secret to the wine of Cirò, a historic area of vineyards in the region of Calabria, Italy's deep south. It is also a draw for the predominantly Italian tourism that arrives here for summer holidays by the sea. Now, the coastal town of Cirò Marina and its hilltop, historic counterpart Cirò Superiore, are moving to shine the spotlight on both the area's prestigious wine culture and its archaeological and natural attractions. The hilltop village of Cirò Superiore. Merano WineFestival Calabria This year, the town hosted the first edition of the Calabria version of Merano WineFestival, an event founded by Helmuth Köcher that has been held in the northern Italian town of Merano since 1992. The Calabrian sister festival hopes to become an annual fixture, highlighting both the push within the wine sector to valorize local products and the territory in general to bring international visitors to the area. With a clear, calm sea and waterside restaurants, Cirò Marina satisfies beachgoers while Cirò Superiore is an old-world, lively town crowned by a castle and encircled by picturesque wineries. Here's how to spend a weekend in Italy's up-and-coming wine tourism destination. Until roughly 20 years ago, Calabrian wine received little recognition from other Italian regions, and even less internationally. But recently, forward-thinking generations of vintners have pushed to put the region's wine on the map by highlighting in particular its idiosyncrasies. When the ancient Greeks arrived at this point of the Italian peninsula, they brought with them grape varieties and christened the area Enotria, meaning land of wine. Still today, Calabria's wine production is based on hyperlocal, ancient varieties, making it completely unique. The characteristics of the land are also hugely influential, from the marine terraces that give wines an intense minerality to the steep hillside buffeted by breezes that ensure freshness and acidity. Winery hopping from the sea to the hills These landscapes also mean a weekend wending your way between wineries is a great pleasure. Start your day with a dip in the clear, cobalt Ionian Sea at Punta Alice. There's a vast pebbled beach and clubs that rent sun loungers. If you want to spend an extended time at the sea, head to Aquarama in Cirò Marina and grab a table for lunch, during which waiters bring platters of crunchy fried calamari rings, delicate squid salad and zingy pickled anchovies. That's followed by a seafood soup with a rich tomato sauce and little strands of spaghetti. Head to the beach clubs at Punta Alice for tasty seafood. Rebecca Ann Hughes From there, head inland along untrafficked roads lined with blooming oleander, passing vineyards, olive groves and gorse-covered hillsides. Head to the Librandi winery, where you can learn about their scientific research into the ancient grape varieties of the region, 200 of which grow in a special spiral-shaped vineyard. You can then take a tour of the winery, followed by a tasting of their wines. Alongside excellent Cirò DOC and Melissa DOC whites, Librandi produces a delightfully fresh Rosaneti Brut Rosé using the Charmant method. Visit the ancient village of Cirò Superiore The opening night of the Calabrian Merano WineFestival was held in the hillside village of Cirò Superiore, the ribbon strung across the narrow arched entrance gate. The pocket-sized piazzas were filled with wine stands and a stage with a DJ. Find history and culture in Cirò Superiore. Rebecca Ann Hughes Visitors can seek out wine history at the idiosyncratic museum in the town. It combines three exhibitions: rooms showcasing traditional home interiors and agriculture and winemaking tools; an exhibit dedicated to the Cirò-born inventor of the Gregorian calendar Aloysius Lilius; and a wine museum. Don't miss a dinner at Borgo Antico restaurant, where you sit on a terrace overlooking the hillside strung with fairy lights. You can sample flavor-packed local dishes like sardelle—sardines with red pepper paste—and oil-drenched sweet green peppers. Sleep in a historic borgo transformed into a scattered hotel To end the day in style, head to Borgo Saverona for the evening. Originally a village, it has been transformed into an events space and scattered hotel where Puglia-esque creamy stone buildings are arranged around a square. The 16 rooms and three suites are elegant and light-filled, with typically terracotta flooring and cream wood furnishings. There is a swimming pool, and the whole property is encircled by 20 hectares of vineyards and ancient olive trees. How to get to Cirò The nearest airports to Cirò are Crotone and Lamezia Terme. International flights from destinations in Europe and further afield fly here. If you are coming to Cirò from another Italian destination, you can also take the train. As Italian booking sites can be difficult to navigate if you don't know the language, try using Omio instead. The multi-modal travel booking platform combines thousands of travel partners and four modes of transportation: trains, buses, ferries, and planes With the Omio app, travellers have all their tickets in one place. Other benefits include 24/7 customer support, Seat Maps and live updates.
