On this Christmas Market holiday, we stay in Luxembourg whilst enjoying the best of the festive season with visits to the Christmas Markets of medieval Trier and nearby Metz.
Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.
We depart St Pancras International by Eurostar to Brussels. Our journey continues by train to Luxembourg, where we spend four nights at the Mercure Grand Hotel Alfa, centrally situated in the shopping district.
After a leisurely start we meet up in the Old Town for a guided walking tour of this lovely city, a UNESCO World Heritage site seated on top of a rocky promontory. The rest of the day is free to perhaps wander around the Christmas Market at the Place d'Armes, where the scent of mulled wine and baking fills the air. Here gift ideas and crafts line the stalls, set out under chestnut trees. You could also visit the smaller but charming market in the Place de Paris, where the illuminated chalets sit beneath the tallest Christmas tree in Luxembourg city.
Today's excursion takes us into Germany by rail. We arrive in Trier, which at over 2,000 years old, claims to be the Germany's oldest city in Germany and is home to the UNESCO-listed Porta Nigra, the northern entrance to Trier, built by the Romans around 200 AD. Its name means 'Black Gate', a name it has retained since the Middle Ages, by which point the stone had become discoloured. In the 11th century, much of the gate was turned into a church. There is plenty to explore here, including the birthplace of Karl Marx, possibly Trier's most famous son, and the Roman Baths. At this time of year however, one of Trier's highlights has to be its annual Christmas Market, set against the idyllic backdrop of the city's turreted cathedral, which also boasts the title of Germany's oldest church. Here you can wander round the hundred or more festive traditional wooden chalets, beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.
Today we take the train to France to visit Metz, one of France's greenest cities. The cathedral of Saint Etienne is renowned for its stained glass, which covers a surface of 21,312 sq ft. The diverse architecture, from its ancient Gallo-Roman remains to the futuristic Pompidou-Metz Centre, makes Metz a extremely interesting city. The Christmas Market in the impressive Place Saint Louis is charming and well worth a visit.
We leave Luxembourg by train for Brussels. Here we join the Eurostar to London.
Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.
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