Christmas Markets with a Danube River Cruise Pilgrimage with Bishop Keehner & Brooke Taylor

We depart from Cleveland or Chicago area airport on an overnight flight to Vienna. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Quotes for add-on flights and for optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request. Due to group air restrictions, we cannot request specific seat assignments on flights. If a specific seat location is important to you, please purchase the Land Only package and plan to book your own air.

We arrive in Vienna, board our motorcoach, and head to the Polish Church in Vienna to celebrate Mass and then explore the small museum of St. John Paul II relics and a lovely little gift shop. Following lunch at one of the Christmas markets in Vienna, we board our cruise ship in the late afternoon. Unpack and settle into our comfortable home for the next four nights. Enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner followed by music in the lounge. Overnight on the cruise.

Enjoy breakfast on the ship. Our buses take us to Mass in one of the most beautiful churches in Vienna. During our panoramic tour of the Ringstrasse area, we see the majesty of Imperial Vienna made even more beautiful by the festive Christmas decorations. We walk to the St. Stephen Cathedral (outside view), followed by a 90-minute guided walking tour of the city center, including Donner Fountain, Belvedere Palace Gardens, Hofburg Palace, and the Spanish horses training site (outside view). Return to the ship for lunch (included) or enjoy lunch on your own in Vienna. Stroll through the various Christmas markets, located throughout the city, sipping mulled wine and tasting local delicacies. Return to the ship for dinner and entertainment. Overnight on the cruise.

We wake up in Budapest, Hungary. Following breakfast, we celebrate Mass and enjoy a tour of both sides of the city: the Pest and the Buda. We start with a panoramic tour of Castle Hill to see the Fisherman′s Bastion, which takes its name from the guild of fishermen responsible for defending this stretch of city walls in the Middle Ages, and Matthias Church. Our exploration of this beautiful city includes a visit to Heroes’ Square and St. Stephen’s Basilica. The bus will drop us off at Vorosmarty Square to see the Christmas markets there and by the Basilica. Enjoy exploring and browsing the various stalls filled with ornaments, gifts, cookies, food, and decorations. Return to the ship for lunch (included) or enjoy lunch on your own in Budapest. If you get tired of the festivities at the markets, take a soak in the famous Gellert Spa (reservations required). Return to the ship for dinner, followed by a folklore show. Following the show, enjoy one of the highlights of the cruise as we see Budapest by night from our ship. Our ship sails for Bratislava tonight. Overnight on the cruise.

This morning, we have time for the Rosary and a retreat on the ship with Fr. Leo. Mass is also celebrated on the ship. Enjoy a light lunch; we arrive in Bratislava in the afternoon, and more great food awaits us at the town Christmas markets. The ship is docked in the city center. Our guide leads us to the main square, where we have time to explore at leisure. You may walk back to the ship at any time you wish. Tonight, we have our farewell dinner on the ship with music and dancing. Overnight on the cruise.

We disembark from our ship and drive to Salzburg to browse through the Christmas markets beneath the medieval fortress. Following Mass, we have time to trace a scene from the Sound of Music, sample Mozartkugel chocolates, and visit Mozart’s birthplace while exploring the city of music on your own. Continue to Munich for dinner and an overnight stay.

After breakfast, we drive to the magnificent Ettal Monastery, where we celebrate Mass (TBC). Experience the centuries-old brewing tradition at Ettal Monastery’s brewery, where Benedictine monks have been crafting specialty beers since 1609, offering a taste of history and Bavarian monastic life. From here, we continue to the charming town of Oberammergau, world renowned for its staging of the Passion Play every 10 years by members of the local community. We have time to explore the woodcarvers’ village and visit the Oberammergau museum before returning to Munich in the late afternoon. Dinner is at leisure in Munich, allowing time to explore local restaurants or visit one of the city’s vibrant Christmas markets like the one at Marienplatz. Overnight in Munich.

Following breakfast, we celebrate Mass. Then enjoy a full day to explore Munich. This is an excellent opportunity to visit Munich’s significant Catholic churches, such as the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) with its iconic twin towers, and St. Michael’s Church, a stunning Renaissance church with the largest barrel-vaulted nave north of the Alps. Enjoy ample time for lunch on your own and to continue your exploration of Munich’s diverse Christmas markets, including the Medieval Christmas market, and the Christmas Village at the Residenz. We reconvene this evening for our farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Munich. (B. Special dinner)

After breakfast, we are transferred to the airport for our flights back to the USA.