Naman Shrestha
Hallmark’s ‘A Keller Christmas Vacation’ centers on the Keller family, who go on a life-changing river cruise across Europe during the holidays. When Anne and Ben invite their three children — Cal, Dylan, and Emory — to join them on a cruise trip that covers famous European Christmas Markets, the three siblings agree to it just for the sake of it. With each sibling dealing with problems of their own, none of them is excited about spending ten days on a river cruise with each other.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, the Christmas vacation becomes a wholesome reunion of the Keller family as Cal, Dylan, and Emory bond, despite their many differences. The Maclain Nelson directorial is a family drama movie that explores many themes, such as new friendships and family bonding, against the picturesque backdrop of European cities, such as Salzburg and Vienna, and their lively, traditional Christmas Markets.
A Keller Christmas Vacation Filming Locations
The shooting for ‘A Keller Christmas Vacation’ was primarily conducted on location in Austria and Bulgaria, especially in Salzburg, Vienna, and Sofia. From what we can tell, principal photography for the drama film seemingly got underway in August 2025 and continued for a few weeks. Eden Sher took to social media and shared his experience of filming the Hallmark production, stating, “I shot a Xmas movie for @hallmarkchannel in real life Europe on a real life riverboat & had a magical time & made lifelong friends…”
Salzburg, Austria
A significant chunk of ‘A Keller Christmas Vacation’ was lensed in the city of Salzburg, situated on the Salzach River. In order to shoot the Christmas Market scenes, the production team redressed a market square in the city with Christmas ornaments and decorations. The city’s baroque buildings and beautiful streets also feature in the backdrop of several portions. In the establishing shots, you might also spot a few iconic landmarks, including Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mirabell Palace, Getreidegasse, and Salzburg Cathedral. The river cruise scenes were reportedly shot on the actual Danube River, which flows through Central and Southeastern Europe. Moreover, the filming unit set up camp on a real-life cruise ship to tape the scenes set in the ship.
Vienna, Austria
For the purpose of filming ‘A Keller Christmas Vacation,’ the cast and crew also visited Vienna, the capital city of Austria. In particular, Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus), situated in the Innere Stadt district on Rathausplatz square, doubled as a shooting site for the movie. Designed by architect Friedrich von Schmidt, the town hall is celebrated for its striking Neo-Gothic architecture. The city and federal state is renowned for its rich history, magnificent architecture, world-class museums, exquisite cuisine, and thriving art scene. Over the years, Vienna has also hosted the production of movies such as ‘Before Sunrise,’ ‘The Piano Teacher,’ ‘Marie Antoinette,’ ‘Christmas in Vienna,’ ‘Come Fly with Me,’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.’
Sofia, Bulgaria
One of the filming locations of the Hallmark movie is Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. Located in the eponymous Valley in the western part of the country, the city rests at the base of Vitosha Mountain. It is recognized for its historic spa culture and is home to several traditional bathhouses and natural mineral springs. The production team settled on one such spot called Bankya Mineral Baths to lens a few scenes for ‘A Keller Christmas Vacation.’ Also referred to as the Great Baths or the Royal Baths, the medicinal bath facility is located in the town center of the spa resort town of Bankya, near Sofia.
A Keller Christmas Vacation Cast Details
Jonathan Bennett, Brandon Routh, and Eden Sher lead the cast of ‘A Keller Christmas Vacation’ with their impressive onscreen performances. Jonathan’s acting career kick-started after playing the role of J.R. Chandler in the soap opera ‘All My Children,’ after being discovered by an agent on a train. Similarly, Brandon also has a history of starring in several productions at the Norwalk Theater of Performing Arts. As for Eden, she has been involved in acting since she was eight years old, having participated in local theaters, commercials, and voiceovers.
Jonathan Bennett as Dylan
Jonathan Bennett portrays Dylan in ‘A Keller Christmas Vacation.’ Hailing from Rossford, Ohio, he has plenty of experience under his belt. You might find his face familiar as he stars in various TV shows, including ‘Awkward.’ as Ethan, ‘Doctor Odyssey’ as Matt, and ‘Station 19′ as Michael Williams.’ His other popular portrayals are Brandon Mitchell in ‘The Christmas House,’ Aaron Samuels in ‘Mean Girls,’ Van Wilder in ‘Van Wilder: Freshman Year,’ Troy in ‘Happy Howlidays,’ and Mike Harrelson in ‘Christmas on Cherry Lane.’
Brandon Routh as Cal
In the Hallmark production, Brandon Routh plays the character of Cal. Besides portraying Clark Kent/Superman in ‘Superman: Returns,’ he is widely recognized for various other projects, including ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ as Todd Ingram, ‘Chuck’ as Daniel Shaw, ‘Out of Order!’ as John Slater, and ‘The Nine Kittens of Christmas’ as Zachary Stone. His voice also features in several animated series, including ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,’ ‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off,’ and ‘Vixen.’
Eden Sher as Emory
Eden Sher steps into the role of Emory in the family drama movie. Widely recognized for her roles in ‘Weeds’ as Gretchen, ‘Night Court’ as Madison, ‘Jane the Virgin’ as PJ, ‘The Middle’ as Sue Heck, ‘Superstore’ as Penny, and ‘Sons & Daughters’ as Carrie Fenton. Eden also stars in multiple movies, including ‘Veronica Mars,’ ‘Sue Sue in the City,’ ‘Step Sisters,’ and ‘Temps.’
While Laurel Lefkow portrays Anne, JR Esposito essays the character of Trey. Moreover, other talented actors in supporting roles also feature in the movie, including Charlotte Krempl as Mia, Anand Desai-Barochia, Jill Winternitz, Nigel Whitmey, Harry Ditson, Bettina Kenney, and Frédéric Brossier.
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