Netherlands & Belgium: Amsterdam – Bruges Relax

Embarkation and check-in where the crew will welcome you on board are between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Around 2 p.m. the ship sails to Weesp. This small city on the banks of the river Vecht has a historical center with many canals and buildings dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth century. It also has a few beautiful windmills. The scenic river Vecht and the small roads along the river attract yachters and cyclists. As soon as you arrive, the tour leader will organize a test ride. After dinner, you will have time to stroll through this charming city.

Your bike tour starts in Weesp, and you will cycle along the beautiful meandering river Vecht with impressive mansions on its banks. Along the way, you will visit a real Dutch cheese farm, where cheese is still produced according to traditional methods. You will meet the ship in the city of Utrecht and from there, sail the Amsterdam-Rhine canal to Vianen, a small fortified town on the river Lek.

Today you will cycle a beautiful route along the Lek River to Schoonhoven — a city renowned for its talented silversmiths since the 17th century, earning it the nickname Zilverstad (“Silver City”). Later in the day, as you cycle through the Alblasserwaard region, you will reach Kinderdijk, a village famous for its impressive row of 19 large windmills. These 19 windmills are also UNESCO cultural heritage attractions and are a definite highlight of The Netherlands.  You will have the opportunity to go inside one, so don’t forget to bring your camera! From nearby Alblasserdam, you will take the “Waterbus,” a fast ferry that carries you and your bicycle in approx. 10 minutes to Dordrecht. Dordrecht, or “Dordt,” as it is called by insiders, is one of the oldest Dutch cities, and sits on the confluence of three major rivers. In the evening, after dinner, you can join our guide for a short city walk visiting some of Dordt’s 1600 monuments and the picturesque point where the waterways meet.

As you relax with a tasty breakfast aboard your ship, the Gandalf, it will sail onwards to Willemstad where you will start your day’s cycling. Willemstad is a beautiful old fortified town on the Haringvliet waterway. From here, your bicycle tour for the day heads to Tholen, which once was an island in the middle of the large Zeeland stream system — a place where many people fished for their living. Nowadays, Tholen is connected to the mainland in various ways, but it is still a picturesque village with many relics from an eventful past.

After coffee and breakfast, you will leave the barge for a bicycle tour through the “Wouwse Plantage” forest, heading south to the impressive Kreekraksluis, or Kreekrak lock.

In the afternoon, you will once again board the ship to cruise to the port city of Antwerp, which is situated on the river Schelde. Antwerp is famous for handling up to 80% of the world’s rough diamonds and is a city with a long list of delightful attractions in store for you. These include the City Hall — one of several majestic buildings constructed during the Renaissance period — the Grote Markt historical city square, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Cathedral, and the medieval Steen Castle.

Today your barge stays in Antwerp. This means you will have an entire day to discover this city of culture, cobblestones, and Flemish Baroque masterpieces. You can visit the Rubens House, the palazzo where the brilliant and versatile artist lived with his family. You will find some of his paintings to admire just a ten-minute walk away in the “Onze Lieve Vrouwe (Our Dear Lady) Cathedral.”

Other ideas for spending a pleasant afternoon here are to visit the famous beer brewery of ‘de Koninck’ for a tour and tasting, explore the fascinating Museum on the Scheldt River (MAS — Museum aan de Stroom) or go shopping in Antwerp’s welcoming shopping area. Dinner tonight is not included as you have the chance to dine at a restaurant of your choosing. If needed, your crew can provide restaurant recommendations.

This morning, you will cycle out of Antwerp along a striking section of the Schelde River to St. Amands, where your home away from home will dock for the night. There is only one way to describe the scenery along the Schelde, and that is “magnificent.” Its natural splendor is, without doubt, one of the highlights of the tour. In the evening, if you haven’t already taken the chance to taste one of Belgium’s incomparable “biers,” then make sure you give them a try — the famous Duvel brew is a specialty of the region.

During breakfast, the ship will bring you to the city of Dendermonde. Here you’ll disembark and continue to bike along the Schelde River to Ghent, where the ship will moor for the night at a lock in a suburb of the city. Ghent is a lively university city that boasts a rich history: Since Roman times, Ghent’s position at the confluence of the Leie and Schelde rivers has ensured its success as a trading port, at one point making it the second biggest city in Europe.  The old city features an Opera House, a total of 18 museums, more than 100 churches and over 400 historical buildings. Two of the major attractions are St. Bavo Cathedral — where a number of medieval art masterpieces are kept, including the world-famous ‘Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ by Jan van Eyck — and the 91-meter-tall belfry of Ghent, which is one of three medieval towers that overlook the old city center. Tonight, your floating hotel will be docked close to the city center of Ghent, giving you the chance to explore at your leisure.

After a fortifying breakfast, you will cycle onwards from Ghent through the beautiful Flemish countryside of Western Flanders to Bruges, which is widely described as the ‘Venice of the North’ and arguably the most beautiful of all the Flemish cities. Bruges attracts a great many European and foreign holidaymakers thanks to its picturesque, UNESCO-listed medieval city center and a wealth of attractions for history lovers. An outstandingly-preserved example of a medieval settlement, Bruges has managed to maintain its historic fabric as it has evolved over the centuries, with the result that today the city’s original Gothic buildings form an integral part of its identity. While you are here, you can visit one of Bruges’ many museums or simply take in the stunning beauty and culture of this unforgettable city from the comfort of a sidewalk café. In the evening, your guide will take you for a walk to show you some beautiful parts of the city center — and maybe you can even taste a ‘Brugse Zot,’ a famous local beer.

Today your barge will stay in Bruges, giving you the choice of how you would like to spend the day. The tour leader will offer a morning bike tour of about 37 km. Your final cycle will set out along a quiet canal, past beautiful poplar trees, and through attractive landscapes of flat green polder fields dotted with small farmhouses (a polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments). On the return ride to Bruges, you will cycle along a charming little canal.

The end of your tour: Enjoy one final breakfast and disembark by 9.30 a.m.