The skyline of Passau is dominated by two buildings that owe their existence to the prince-bishops who ruled the city until 1803: the great fortress looming on a hill above the three rivers, home to the bishops until the 17th century, and the green onion domes of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. As you walk through the cobblestone streets toward those green onion domes, you’ll realize that Passau retains the layout of the medieval town.

However, many of the wooden medieval buildings burned to the ground in the 17th century, and the prince-bishops imported Italian artists to build a new cathedral and a magnificent new residence for the bishops themselves. As a result, these splendid structures flaunt Italian baroque and rococo style and ornamentation, complete with opulent gilding and wonderful frescoes. Your guide will introduce you to some of the architectural highlights—the rococo stairways of the New Residence, the cathedral, and the Town Hall, which boasts a magnificent atrium adorned with large paintings by Ferdinand Wagner.

Spend Christmas Day in two Austrian towns famous for music. Salzburg is not only the birthplace of Mozart, Austria’s most famous composer, it is also where favorite scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed. Walk with your guide through the Mirabell Garden, the beautiful formal gardens where Maria sang “Do-Re-Mi” with her young charges, and through the heart of the UNESCO-designated Old Town, with its magnificent 17th-century cathedral. The archbishop’s splendid palace faces the square now named for Mozart, which has a statue of the great composer in the center; the house where Mozart was born is nearby. Enjoy lunch at the charming and historic Stiftskeller St. Peter before you head off to the little town of Oberndorf, where the most beloved Christmas carol of all time was performed for the first time. Joseph Mohr, Oberndorf’s priest, and Franz Xaver Gruber, the choir master in nearby Arnsdorf, composed “Silent Night” for a Christmas Eve service in 1818. Visit the chapel and see the little museum dedicated to the history of the carol.

Ramble through charming Grein, which has long been associated with river shipping: The handsome 16th-,17th-, and 18th-century houses you’ll pass belonged to the prosperous river pilots who guided boats through the hazardous Danube waters here. Step inside the oldest theater in Austria to retain its original form—and function—since troupes of actors still perform in it. Local artisans transformed part of the city granary into a theater in 1791; you enter through the old City Hall (now a museum) and immediately enter the past. It’s not every theater that boasts both a box for Napoleon and sight lines for prisoners, but that’s exactly what Grein’s State Theater has; prisoners in the city jail, which was attached to the City Hall, could watch plays on stage from their cells. Nor are those the only unusual features—the first three rows have seats found nowhere else: They can be folded up and locked, so the subscribers could make sure no one else used them.

Inhabited by the Counts of Clam for over half a millennium, the Burg Clam is as much a beloved family home as it is a local landmark and attractive castle. The friendly Count will personally welcome you in for a chance to tour the building’s historic halls.

The Babenbergs, a great medieval ducal family that controlled a wide swath of Austria before yielding to the Habsburgs, were the first to erect a castle on the hill above Melk, which they subsequently gave to Benedictine monks. These monks, some 900 years ago, turned it into a fortified abbey and the greatest center of learning in Central Europe. Their library was celebrated far and wide (and still is—Umberto Eco paid tribute to it in his best-selling novel The Name of the Rose). Monks there created more than 1,200 manuscripts, sometimes spending an entire lifetime hand-lettering a single volume. Today the library contains some 100,000 volumes, among them more than 80,000 works printed before 1800. This beautiful complex, completely redone in the early 18th century, is a wonderful example of baroque art and architecture, and the views from its terrace are spectacular. As you walk through the abbey’s Marble Hall with your guide, look up at the ceiling fresco painted by Paul Troger: Those classical gods and goddesses represent Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, allegorically bringing his people from darkness to light and demonstrating the link he claimed to the original Roman Empire.

Considering its diminutive size, the village of Dürnstein offers much to explore. The famous blue baroque tower of the abbey church is doubtless its best-known landmark, but the ruined castle above the town provides its most romantic tale. There Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned until he was found by his faithful bard, Blondel, and ransom could be raised—or so the legend goes. Walk with the Cruise Manager through the Kremser Gate, which dates to the 15th-century, and past 16th-, 17th-, and 18th-century houses; it’s an up-close look at over 300 years of regional architecture. The inhabitants of this region have grown apricots and grapes for many centuries, and they have happily turned both into delectable beverages through the years. Taste a local spin on mulled wine—spiced with Wachau Valley saffron—after your walk, then sit back and enjoy an organ concert inside a rococo Augustine monastery.

The Vienna Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches Museum) is home to an astonishing collection of artistic treasures. Its doors open early especially for you as you join an art historian for a tour of some of the masterpieces gathered here: View a unique group of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Vermeer’s Allegory of Painting, Raphael’s Madonna in the Meadow, and portraits by Rembrandt, Velazquez, Rubens, Titian, Tintoretto, and Van Eyck, among others, in the Picture Gallery before moving on to the Kunstkammer galleries, where you can see Benvenuto Cellini’s legendary salt cellar (the only gold sculpture he created that has survived to the present day) and hear its remarkable story. Your exclusive tour ends with a reception in the magnificent Cupola Hall, perhaps the architectural highlight of the splendid building.

Vienna is linked inextricably with music, as so many great composers lived and worked here: Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss, Schubert, Mahler, Brahms—the list is as long as it is glorious. Enjoy an evening of chamber music performed by some of Vienna’s world-class professionals in a historic and intimate concert venue.

In many ways a must-visit destination for both the art lover and the gourmand, Vienna is full of artistic and culinary treasures. Today’s walking tour is all about immersing ourselves in that side of this beautiful city.

Our menu for the day includes a stop for coffee and strudel at a local coffee house—a hallmark of Viennese culture. These treats will fuel our walks to see the Sisi Monument, a life-sized mosaic replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, the Habsburg Palace, and the extravagant St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

Ring Street, the great horseshoe-shaped boulevard lined with many of the city’s major landmarks—Parliament, City Hall, the Vienna State Opera, glorious palaces, and museums—is a mere 150 years old, practically an infant for a city of Vienna’s age. It replaced the walls and fortifications that had protected the city for centuries. Its construction was a testament to confidence, forward-thinking and grand urban planning, and it resulted in a 50-year building spree. You’ll pass most of these opulent landmarks on your way to the older section of the city, the area the walls once enclosed.

Later, you’ll walk along Kärntner Street, the celebrated pedestrian boulevard that links the State Opera with St. Stephen’s Cathedral, past the elegant shops on the Graben and the Kohlmarkt. The neighborhood offers a lively combination of historic architecture, street performances, shoppers’ delights, and true Viennese atmosphere.

Follow your Cruise Manager into town to see Bratislava’s charming Christmas Market, where twinkling lights brighten the scene and hot mugs of mulled wine beckon from cozy wooden huts. Though typically markets begin to close this late in the month, a few stalls will remain open for a quieter bit of winter charm.

Drive along one of the prettiest streets in Budapest, Andrassy Ave, on your way to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Andrassy Ave is a broad promenade of breathtaking neo-Renaissance architecture and home to many of Budapest’s must-see sites.

You will get off the coach near St. Stephen's Cathedral to visit this beautiful Catholic church. St. Stephen’s Basilica, the largest church in Budapest, is dedicated to St. Stephen, the first King of Hungary. Its towers and domes feature prominently in the Pest skyline. The interior of the cathedral is a masterpiece of dramatic arches, marble and liberally applied gilding. Inside you’ll find one of Hungary’s most sacred artifacts, the Szent Jobb—meaning “Holy Right Hand”—is the mummified right hand of St. Stephen.

Today your guide will show you how to snack around Budapest like a local, starting with a tram ride to the one of the city’s famous market halls. Browse stalls overflowing with traditional Hungarian fare, such as salami, sausages, and cheese, while your local expert explains the intricacies of Hungarian cuisine. Next, it’s time to visit Vörösmarty Square, where you’ll find the city’s largest Christmas Market in addition to Szamos Gourmet Palace, where we’ll pause to try their popular marzipan and truffles. After we've gotten our fill of delicious treats, we’ll hop back aboard the tram to visit the Károlyi Garden, a beloved local green space.

Head to the charming little town of Szentendre with its well-preserved 17th-century houses and active community of artists and craftspeople. A guide will introduce you to the village’s main street, which is also its primary shopping boulevard. Here you’ll find all the traditional Hungarian arts and crafts you can imagine, including ceramics, hand-embroidered blouses and tablecloths, and wool sweaters, as well as fine Herend porcelain and Tokaji wines. You can then visit either the Margit Kovács Ceramics Museum or the unique Szabo Marzipan Museum, which features a display of the Hungarian Parliament made entirely out of marzipan.