RHINE & DANDY...

A river cruise is a stress-free way to see the Christmas markets of Germany

- CHRIS WILTSHIRE

CALL me sentimental, but nothing beats singing Silent Night among friends on a crisp winter's night with a mug of steaming mulled wine in hand to get into the Christmas spirit.

When you are joined by a swaying 40-strong choir in the shadow of the colossal Cologne Cathedral, lit up with tens of thousands of fairy lights, you have the makings of an unforgettable evening.

I'm getting my first taste of an authentic German market, an early present for my Christmas-loving wife, Carole, during a four-night Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets jaunt with Riviera Cruises.

Festive markets abound along this famous river, but the Weihnachtsmarkt am Kolner Dom (Christmas market at the cathedral) is the daddy of them all.

Excited children with colourful bobble hats weave through the crowds, sizzling bratwurst (sausage) and reibekuchen (a type of potato pancake) compete with gluhwein (mulled wine) to lure parents from the neighbouring shops, while glittery decorations and beautiful, handmade gifts adorn colourful stalls. It's a heady mix of gold, scents and mirth.

How fitting, then, that the shrine of the Three Kings from the Nativity story can be found on the high altar of the neighbouring cathedral.

As a resident of Salisbury and now York, I have a soft spot for cathedrals and Christmas markets, but I admit to feeling choked when first clasping eyes on the golden sarcophagus that is believed to contain bones of the biblical Magi (the Three Kings).

The sheer scale of the place, with its 515ft spires and cavernous ceiling, is quite humbling, and it's easy to see why it is Germany's most popular landmark with 20,000 daily visitors. It has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1996.