Luxury Barge Tour in Upper Burgundy

Venary-les-Laumes.

Guests are met at the designated meeting point in Paris and transferred to the barge moored at Venary-les-Laumes. A welcome champagne with canapes is served and after time to settle into your cabin, you will enjoy your first dinner on board.

Venarey-les-Laumes to Montbard.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast,then we cruise through woodlands and rolling fields with great towpath biking and walking opportunities pas the tiny canalside villages of Nogent, Courcelles and Les Granges. After lunch, we enjoy either a stroll around the hilltop village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, where the film 'Chocolat' was set, or a tour of the medieval town of Semur-en-Auxois. On the way from the summit of Mount Auxois, we also look at Alesia, where the last battle between the Gauls and Romans took place in 52 BC and visit the impressive museum. Dinner on board.

Montbard to Ravieres.

Morning cruise with excellent towpath walking or cycling passing the 18th century Forges de Buffon. Then after lunch we escort you to the exquisite World Heritage UNESCO site of Abbaye de Fontenay founded by St Bernard in 1118. Representing a distinctive example of early Cistercian architecture and virtually intact, Fontenay allows an exceptional glimpse of Cistercian life and industry with its peaceful gardens and ponds and fascinating cloisters, dormitories and scriptorium. Return to the barge and cruise to Ravieres. Dinner on board

Ravieres to Ancy-le-Franc.

Morning visit to medieval Noyers-sur-Serein to admire the local produce, colours and delights of the traditional French market, or to wander the town ramparts in this, one of the most beautiful villages in France. We return to the barge and after lunch on board, we enjoy a gentle afternoon cruise past grazing Charolais cattle, with plenty of opportunity to walk or cycle along the towpath. We moor in Ancy-le-Franc. Dinner ashore in a local restaurant

Ancy-le-Franc to Lezinnes.

This morning we visit the Chateau d'Ancy-le-Franc. This beautifully symmetrical, 16th century masterpiece contains France's biggest collection of Renaissance murals and is set in magnificent gardens and parkland. In the afternoon, a gentle cruise as your hotel barge continues along the Burgundy canal and descends through the picturesque locks to moor at Lezinnes. Dinner on board.

Lezinnes to Tanlay.

After breakfast we enjoy a leisurely cruise to our final mooring at Tanlay, with the opportunity to cycle or walk into the picturesque village of Saint Vinnemer. Following lunch, we tour the vineyards and town of Chablis, dating back to Roman times, then enjoy a private tasting at a renowned winemaker such as the family-run Domaine Regnard, that makes the most of the region's wonderful local terroir to produce high quality wines, before returning to the barge for the Captain's farewell dinner on board.

Tanlay.

After breakfast, disembark and transfer to the designated drop off point in Paris.

This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change. On alternate weeks the cruise is in the reverse direction.