Discover timeless Christmas traditions in the heart of the Neckar Valley. Sitting on the banks of the Neckar River, Heidelberg hosts one of the most romantic Christmas markets in its historical center as its magnificent castle sits above. Mulled wine and cinnamon aromas will be your guide as you take in the holiday spirit. Each city shimmers in its best festive getups as they dance to Yuletide tunes.

Day 1
We will welcome you on our ship at 1:00 p.m. so that you can drop off your luggage before heading out on a panoramic tour at 2:00 p.m. to see the holiday decorations in Strasbourg and spend some free time at its famous Christmas markets. In the evening, passengers are welcome to (re)board at 6:00 p.m. After you’ve comfortably settled into your cabins, we’ll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. Tonight, we’ll enjoy dinner and an evening of entertainment on board. Our ship will begin to cruise to Mannheim. Our ship will cruise through the night.

Day 2
We’ll arrive in Mannheim, our starting point for the tour of Heidelberg and its castle. After a guided tour of the old town, enjoy some free time wandering through the local Christmas markets. Soak up the atmosphere, jump on the old-time carousel like a kid, enjoy the scrumptious food, and throw back a beer or sip on mulled wine*. After our tour, we’ll return on board in Heidelberg. We’ll spend the afternoon cruising the Neckar River towards Eberbach. We’ll pass by what the Germans call the “Romantic Four”. Enjoy some free time to stroll through the vibrant, inspiring town of Eberbach. Join us for dinner and an evening of entertainment.

Day 3
Full-day excursion included: Heilbronn (lunch included - approximately 2.5 hours of round-trip travel).You'll travel from Eberbach to Heilbronn, the wine capital of historic Wurtemberg—an ancient Imperial Free City sitting within beautiful forests and vineyards.During your stroll through downtown, you'll see the astronomical clock on the old City Hall in the market square; St. Kilian's Church and its Renaissance-style belfry; and the Deutschhof, an old monastery that now houses the city museums. At Christmastime, the city overflows with music and traditional spices such as aniseed and cinnamon. Enjoy browsing the decorated stands brimming with crafts and souvenirs around St. Kilian's Church, the City Hall, and the market square. We'll have lunch in a local restaurant.After the excursion, we'll return on board in Heidelberg. The rest of the evening is yours to do as you please.

Day 4
We’ll spend the morning cruising. On arrival, join us for a tour of Speyer. The city is littered with impressive landmarks, including the UNESCO-listed cathedral and medieval ruins from the time when it was inhabited by one of the most important Jewish communities in Germany. Speyer also hosts a delightful and ethereal Christmas and New Year market on the famous Maximilianstrasse in front of the Alten Münze (Old Mint). Tonight is our festive gala evening. Our ship will begin to cruise to Strasbourg.

Day 5
Enjoy breakfast on board this morning before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services.

The MS Victor Hugo is named after one of the most famous figures in French literature. This attractive standard ship sails on the Tisza, Sava, Elbe, Rhine and Danube, rivers with a vast history and culture. Completely refitted in 2019, the MS Victor Hugo is an intimate-sized standard ship, measuring 82 m long and 9,50 m wide. It can accommodate 90 passengers, in 45 comfortable and spacious cabins spread over two decks, offering amenities and providing guests with all the comforts they need during their stay. The decoration is a contribution to romanticism. Mineral and bluish colors refer to the Channel Islands where the writer was exiled, while touches of brass and some art-deco elements evoke the characteristic style of the period. Located on the upper deck, the restaurant offers a delicate cuisine in a refined setting, where large bay windows allow guests to fully enjoy the panorama. The lounge bar with a dance floor is located on the same deck, while on the sun deck, an ideal place to relax and admire the landscapes, passengers can enjoy comfortable sun loungers, as well as a large shaded area.

CroisiEurope has a fleet of Prestige category boats with cabins, which ply the most beautiful rivers in Europe. Spacious and light, they offer a welcoming and refined setting. Accommodation capacity varies from 100 to 180 passengers depending on the boat's design. At the cutting edge of technology, their facilities offer comfort and safety.

Carefully maintained and partially renovated each year, the CroisiEurope fleet is largely made up of recently built vessels, less than five years old, all with Veritas certification. The leading European river tour operator, our company owes its international reputation to its seriousness, its dynamism, its sense of innovation and its recognised value for money of long standing.

Vessels are rated four-star and food is superb – as you’d expect on a French-owned cruise line, staffed by French chefs and with top French and German wines aboard. One cruise of the Rhone and Saone Rivers in France concentrates on gastronomy and traditional French cusine, visiting Collonges Abbey, renowned for its great French chef, Paul Bocuse.

CroisiEurope is a family-owned and operated firm, with brothers and sisters running different aspects of the company and keeping a close eye on all operations to ensure excellence.

River cruising offers much free fun. Wake in the morning and observe the passing riverside scenery through your cabin window – perhaps from your bed. Gaze upon village churches or a patchwork of fields sparkling in the morning sun.

CroisiEurope’s network traverses a phenomenal number of European rivers and waterways. They range from the Guadalquivir and Guadiana (flowing through Spain and Portugal respectively); the Douro in Portugal, the Po and Venice Lagoon in Italy; the Rhone in Provence, plus the Seine from Paris to the Normandy Coast. And there’s more: the Moselle, the Neckar, the Saar, the Oder, the Havel, the Baltic Sea, the Camarge, the Rhine, the Main and the mighty Danube; the Tisza and the Black Sea; the Belgian and Dutch waterways. Everything from tulip time in Holland to Christmas Markets in Germany.

Drinks included with on board meals: mineral water, house wine, beer, fruit juice, and tea or coffee.