Maxima, Christmas at the Danube ex Passau Return

7 Night Cruise sailing from Passau roundtrip aboard Maxima.

At Christmas time, a very special mood hovers over the metropolises and nature along the Danube. At no other time of the year one experiences this pleasant feeling to glide along with the river ship completely gently and quietly and to be able to observe thereby the banks in a special light of cold winter days. Festive songs sound and culinary highlights dignify the festive framework of this special Danube journey.

Highlights of this cruise:

Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflussestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north.

Tourism in Passau focuses mainly on the three rivers, the St. Stephen's Cathedral and the "Old City". With 17,774 pipes and 233 registers, the organ is the second largest in the world. Organ concerts are held daily between May and September.

Passau is also known for its gothic and baroque architecture. The town is dominated by the Veste Oberhaus and the former fortress of the Bishop, on the mountain crest between the Danube and the Ilz rivers. Right beside the town hall is the Scharfrichterhaus, an important jazz and cabaret stage on which political cabaret is performed.

Vienna, Austria
Vienna is a unique blend of the historic and the modern with a wealth of architecture and artistic and musical heritage. Many of the world’s most important composers, including Beethoven and Mozart, have lived and performed behind Vienna’s Baroque facades. In addition to this Baroque splendor, there are excellent examples of Art Nouveau architecture .

Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. Cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, its extensive World Heritage Sites includes the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes' Square and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the world. Other highlights include a total of 80 geothermal springs, the world's largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building.

Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bratislava has a very pleasant medieval inner city with narrow, winding streets, a hill-top castle next to the river Danube, and many historic churches and buildings to visit. The old town is centered on two squares, Hlavne namestie (main square) and Hviezdoslavovo namestie (Hviezdoslav square, named after a famous Slovak poet).

Attractions in Bratislava include the castle which currently hosts temporary historical exhibitions and from whose ramparts you can see nearby Hungary, Austria and the Danube valley. Also visit one of the city's excellent galleries, for instance the Bratislava City Gallery at the Pallfy Palace, to experience Matej Kren's unique "Passage" installation.

Krems
Krems is a riverside town in the Danube’s Wachau Valley in the tourist region of Lower Austria. It is the fifth-largest city of Lower Austria and is approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) west of Vienna. Krems is known for its world class wine production and its proximity to the Danube.

The historical center of Krems is one of the most beautiful in Europe. Over the centuries, builders and architects have created a unique cityscape that has been lovingly cared for and preserved. In 1975 Krems was singled out as a "Model City for Historical Preservation" and in 2000 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Our MS MAXIMA is a classic comfortable ship. The spacious outer cabins are equipped in style and comfort. On the middle and upper deck, all cabins have a French balcony, on the main deck, large portholes. This gives a fantastic view of the landscape passing by. A whirlpool invites you to soothing relaxation in the wellness area. And there is one thing on the menu: enjoyment!

At meal times, all guest will find a place in the generously arranged panorama restaurant. Let yourself be pampered by the friendly staff. International specialities can be found in the menu, as well as dishes from kitchens of the countries along the travelling route.

Theme evenings, quiz events, bingo (depending on the programme) as well as live music ensure that there is no time for boredom. Books, board and card games are also available.

nicko cruises Schiffsreisen GmbH is one of the most dynamic cruise providers in Germany. In recent years, the company has evolved from a leading river cruise provider with more than 30 years of experience into a well-known provider of small ships with destination-oriented ocean routes. With its fleet, which is as modern as it is comfortable, nicko cruises travels the world’s oceans as well as all domestic waterways and coastal sections that are in demand for tourists. In 2023, the programme includes not only 22 river ships, but also the classic ocean-going vessel VASCO DA GAMA.

With its "time to discover" philosophy, nicko cruises focuses on cruise schedules that are rich in discovery and on intensive travel experiences in the product fields river and ocean. The product features of so-called “slow cruising”, such as small ships and long anchorage times, are combined with emotional moments at nicko cruises. During the cruises, guests always have plenty of time for exploring. Thanks to the large variety of products, everyone will find just the right trip at nicko cruises, individually tailored to their needs. The ships in the fleet are all in the 4 to 5-star category according to German land hotel trade standards. Attractive inland excursions and the varied culinary offers on board round off the travel experience. nicko cruises Schiffsreisen GmbH has its company headquarters in Stuttgart, where it employs roughly 110 highly motivated members of staff.