AmaWaterways wine cruises add a unique epicurean dimension to a variety of itineraries at no additional cost. Join one of these wine cruises with a special wine host and be treated to a menu of exclusive wine and culinary experiences designed to delve deeper into the wonderful flavors and tastes of Europe.
European cities transform into majestic winter wonderlands for the holiday season – and we invite you to experience all their splendor with us. In addition to our variety of daily excursions, you will also have the opportunity to visit festive Christmas Markets in select destinations and participate in nostalgic traditions.
Maximize your Christmas experience by embarking at the height of the holiday market season with daily or near-daily visits to Christmas Markets.
Get "just a taste" of the holidays in mid-November or late December with visits to one or two Christmas Markets during your river cruise.
We are pleased to offer guests the opportunity to experience Floriade in 2022 while sailing along the Rhine River and Dutch and Belgian Waterways between April 14 and October 9. Right outside Amsterdam, this rare experience calls for its visitors to “explore, touch and change” as part of their journey into Floriade – which is set to feature stunning gardens, innovative sustainable gardening exhibits, live entertainment, talk shows, souvenirs and food stalls.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Rhône with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Explore the rich history of classical music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2024.
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through four countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
Join Chef Joanne Weir, award-winning cookbook author, restaurant owner and host of PBS television series “Plates & Places” as she hosts a special 7-night Flavors of Burgundy river cruise.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Danube with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2025
Explore the rich history of classical and folkloric music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Countries Visited: Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through five countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
We invite our loyal past guests to join us once again on these special Loyalty Cruises, offering unique experiences in multiple ports, commemorative gifts, and many more surprises and delights.
Imagine if there was a way to combine luxury river cruising on the iconic Danube with the opportunity to indulge your passion and play golf. We have created the perfect package to enable you to do just that with our Exclusive Concierge Golf Program. Discover Europe, complete with award winning cuisine, incredible service and a choice of excursions in every port, as well as up to 5 rounds of golf at some of the leading championship courses on the continent.
AmaWaterways’ Exclusive Concierge Golf Program is available on select Magna on the Danube cruises sailing aboard the AmaMagna.
Hello! "I'm Kristin Karst, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of AmaWaterways and I'm passionate about river cruising. Each month, I love to share with you my thoughts, personal stories, travel tips and latest news on the people and places that help turn every mile of our guests' river cruise experience into one of their most cherished memories!"
Often mistaken for a fruitcake, stollen is a special yeast bread made with dried fruit, marzipan and a generous dusting of powdered sugar that has been a German Christmas tradition for seven centuries. In fact, the historic recipe can be traced back to 1329 in Dresden, Germany.
The Bishop's Contest
It is believed the Bishop of Nauruburg held a contest. His goal: to see which local chef could create the tastiest bread baked with specialty ingredients. Although milk and butter were forbidden to be used in accordance with Advent rules at the time, the Bishop was still enamored with the winning entry and ordered a select quantity of grain reserved solely for making the tasty treat.
Sweet and Significant
In their early days, the baked loaves were hefty, weighing approximately 30 pounds each — for maximum enjoyment! In 1650, Prince Ernst von Sachsen petitioned the Pope to lift his restrictions on the use of butter — and the results were glorious. Stollen became so associated with life in Dresden that families had their own set of special utensils. You can even buy a Dresden Stollen Knife today!
A Christmas Sailing Tradition
Although our ships do not currently sail through Dresden where stollen originated, our esteemed Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, Kristin Karst, was born there. To this day, the loaf is her very favorite holiday treat, which we are delighted to serve on board our Christmas Markets river cruises. In the meantime, we invite you to try out our recipe below.
Ingredients
Steps to Prepare:
Step 1: Soak the dried fruit in 1/2 cup of hot water. Gently warm the apple juice for a few mins in a pan, then add the yeast and leave to activate for 10-15 mins (it will start to bubble).
Step 2: Put the flour in a bowl. Stir in the yeast and apple juice mixture to form a smooth dough, then cover and leave to prove somewhere warm until roughly doubled in size, about 1-2 hrs.
Step 3: Drain the fruit and add to the dough along with the nuts, spices and marzipan. Squish everything together, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the fruit stays in the dough.
Step 4: Shape the dough into a sausage shape and put it on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to proof somewhere warm for 30 mins–1 hr. until the dough has risen by about a quarter.
Step 5: Heat oven to 350F. Bake the stollen for 20 mins, then reduce oven temperature to 300F and bake for 25-30 minutes more until golden-brown and firm to the touch.
Step 6: Remove the stollen from the oven and brush all over with the melted butter. Dust generously with the icing sugar and leave to cool completely before slicing. Store any remaining stollen, well wrapped, in an airtight container.
Best served at a table with loved ones. Enjoy!
We invite you to share your baking photos with us at #AmaWaterways.
Learn more about our Christmas Markets river cruises and reach out to your travel advisor to reserve yours today!