Viking Cruises has announced a new river cruise itinerary which offers a uniquely German experience through concerts, plays, and historical insights. 

Ready to set sail in spring 2020, Viking offers a new river cruise tour focused on providing guests with an immersive experience of Germany. The 10-day journey will highlight classical concerts, insights into Nuremberg’s history, local traditions, and a performance of The Passion Play, a depiction of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ, performed by local citizens of Oberammergau – a tradition which began in 1634.

Richard Marnell, senior vice president of marketing for Viking, commented on what to expect on the new itinerary: “We are committed to providing our guests with opportunities that bring local culture and history to life both onboard our ships and onshore.”

Guests will be cruising on Viking’s 190-passenger Viking Longships, traversing the Danube River between Munich and Budapest. Highlights from the new itinerary include:

• The Passion Play in Oberammergau: Performed only every 10 years, the play will feature hundreds of actors onstage and welcome thousands of spectators from all over the world. On 2020, the tradition’s 42nd instalment will be celebrated from 16 May to 4 October.
• Organ concert in Passau: On the Italian-style streets of Passau, passengers will have the chance to stop and view Europe’s largest pipe organ with more than 17,000 pipes at the magnificent 17th-century St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
• Mozart & Strauss concert in Vienna: In the city celebrated for its music, guests can experience a classical concert including Strauss waltzes and selections from Mozart’s The Magic Flute – music that has been embedded in the city’s culture.
• Nuremberg’s history: Visitors will get a glimpse into Nuremberg’s World War II history including Zeppelin Field and the Palace of Justice, the venue of the Nazi war trials. Nuremberg is the historic setting on which the Third Reich gained and lost its power.
• Budapest’s baths: The tour’s passengers will experience first-hand the restorative benefits of bathing in the thermal waters that flow through Budapest – a regimen that was discovered by ancient Romans, which local residents still enjoy today.

Marnell added: “To help our guests learn about a destination through Working World, Local Life, or Privileged Access experiences such as this historic performance [The Passion Play] – is what we call ‘The Viking Way’ of exploration.”

The new river cruise package is a follow-up to the launch of Viking‘s ‘longest-ever continuous around the world cruise’ early last month. Viking’s chairman, Torstein Hagen, said that the company offers guests “the thinking person’s cruise” as an alternative to mainstream cruises.