Christmas Markets with AmaWaterWays 2022

November 26, 2022

The time finally arrived! After almost three years in the planning, GWTA is finally in Europe ready to sail down the Danube on the Ama Lea and visit iconic Christmas Markets in Germany, Austria, and Hungary! We were set to travel in 2020 and 2021 but those two years had some significant challenges for travel to which we can all relate!

I set forth from Houston on November 23^rd and flew KLM directly into Amsterdam and then on to Prague arriving around 6 pm. I had arranged a private driver for airport pickup who was not only prompt, he was also full of tips and history as we made the 25-minute drive to the Cosmopolitan Hotel Prague where the AmaWaterways group was starting their journey. I opted not to do the pre-cruise package with Ama to explore on my own but will be joining the group on Sunday as we head down to Vilshofen, Germany to embark on the Ama Lea.

Two of our clients arrived a few hours prior to me and, since it was Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a late Thanksgiving meal at a local restaurant right around the corner from the hotel. We all enjoyed some local specialties such as goulash with dumplings, peppered beef and potatoes, and schnitzel. It was a great way to end a very long travel day – dinner with clients who are also good friends. We hardly see each other back home but here we are across the Atlantic in a beautiful European city feeling very grateful that we are finally getting to experience this adventure!

After getting a decent night’s sleep in my upgraded room (stayed in the Martini Suite!), I woke up to make some coffee with the in-room Nespresso machine and get a couple hours of work done. Our other client is in Munich enjoying her pre-cruise time exploring that amazing region. We had a bit of a hiccups with her train travel but it worked out in the end and she had an amazing time exploring Salzburg. Once work was done, I set out to do some exploring of my own based on the info my driver gave me on arrival night.

The Cosmopolitan is perfectly situated in Old Town Prague. It is close enough to the majority of all the iconic sights to be able to walk comfortably and see much of this beautiful city. I decided to find the Powder Tower first and then head to the Astronomical Clock which is on the Old Town Hall building in Old Town Square. As I meandered to the Tower and Square, I enjoyed looking at all the Christmas decorations and stalls. Many were open but some were still getting set up for the official opening this weekend. The historic architecture of the buildings in old cities like Prague is my favorite thing to look at and capture with pictures. A person can feel the history just oozing from the cobblestone streets, old brass door plates, sounds of church towers announcing the hour, and colorful crests on many buildings making you wonder about the people that built such amazing and sturdy structures.

I decided to stop for brunch at a Czech restaurant right off Old Town Square and enjoyed a lovely coffee and the Czech version of eggs benedict. It was fuel for my next stop – walking up to the Old Castle where the Lobkovicz Palace and St. Vitus Cathedral are also located all ensconced inside the Old Castle walls. It was about a 25-minute walk through Old Town and across the Vltava River to start the climb up the hill to the castle. It was a beautiful crisp day to make the walk up to the castle. I did a quick video (which you can find on our FB page) as I walked across the river which really showed the scope and view of the castle from below and the historic buildings surrounding the river. I will say that the stairs going up to the castle grounds are not for the faint-hearted! Take your time and wear comfortable shoes if you intend on making this walk!

Although the climb up was a bit strenuous, there were a few vendors and artisans along the way so you can stop and catch your breath while enjoying the view of below over the wall. Again, the history permeating from the ancient wall and stairs was palatable. I could almost hear the clatter of hoofbeats, swishing of dresses, and clatter of a busy castle household of olden times as I approached the castle entrance.

For entrance to the various museums and sights inside the castle grounds, you can buy tickets there or online. I did not purchase any tickets but I spent over two hours meandering the castle grounds admiring the St. Vitus Cathedral and the other buildings and the Christmas Market located inside the square behind the cathedral. One noteworthy point for those planning to visit the castle is that there are two entrances and there are security checkpoints at both entrances much like airport security. You are required to walk through a metal screener and have them look inside bags in order to pass onto castle grounds. There are also armed security officers walking and posted throughout the complex for safety of the valuable Czech assets housed within the palace, cathedral, and museums. Some might be put off by the presence of the security team but I felt more at ease knowing there were officers on site who could handle an emergency if it occurred.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the castle grounds, it was approaching late afternoon and it was time to head back to the Cosmopolitan. The return walk took about 20 minutes as it was much faster walking downhill than up! I did stop on the stairs going down at an artist stand and picked up a small watercolor painting of Old Prague. It was well-priced and really captures the beauty of river and Old Town.

After resting for about an hour, it was time to find a dinner spot and view some nighttime lights at the Old Town Square. About a 10-minute walk from the hotel, I enjoyed the twinkling lights on many buildings and Christmas Market stalls along the way. But the view at Old Town Square of the giant Christmas tree and other lights on the stalls and buildings was truly the best. Sparkling white lights adorned everything and it truly was an amazing sight to behold. The square was very crowded since it was Friday night – lots of families and so many visitors. I heard the languages of many countries with a large percentage being American, British, and German. It is wonderful to see people traveling again!

After looking at many locations to have dinner, I decided to walk back to the hotel and look at options in that area. Checked out several bakeries, grocers, and markets along the way just to see pricing and compare to other European countries I will visit on this trip. One significant thing of note is that for dinner, many of the restaurants require reservations and you will not find seating in many even if there are vacant tables. One reason is that Europeans typically dine later in the evening and the meals are generally much longer affairs than in the US. The other is that post-Covid, there are still some staff shortages in the service industry throughout the world thus precipitating measures such as required reservations to avoid flustered customers and over-burdened waitstaff. A concierge at your hotel can usually make reservations for you and will often have recommendations as well.

One final item of note is to bring or get Czech currency - korunas! Most of the Christmas Market stalls only accept cash and Euros are not widely accepted. Some shops and restaurants have Euros listed as acceptable currency (I paid in Euros for my brunch) and most accept credit cards as well. Be sure to have them run your transaction in korunas as the exchange rate is currently better for korunas than Euros. Although I try to prepare my clients for everything for their trips, I find myself short-changing myself frequently and did not get korunas for my trip. There are exchange places everywhere and atm’s so you can always get them in country but best to be prepared for the use of korunas while in Prague.

Be sure to follow our photos of this amazing trip on our Facebook page (Cruise Planners – greatwhitetravels.com) and Instagram @annetteduplechin! Stay tuned for more from GWTA as we explore Prague some more and head to Vilshofen to embark on the AmaLea!