Netherlands to Belgium: 8-day Bike & Barge tour

Amsterdam – Vianen

Embarkation and check-in where the crew will welcome you onboard is at 1pm. At around 2pm the ship will depart from Amsterdam for Vianen, a small fortified village on the Lek River. After dinner you have the opportunity to enjoy a short first test ride through the surrounding area.

Vianen – Schoonhoven – Kinderdijk Kinderdijk – Dordrecht 32km or 56km

Today you will cycle along a beautiful route to Schoonhoven – nicknamed Zilverstad (“Silver City”) – a city renowned for its talented silversmiths since the 17th century. 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. All 19 windmills have a UNESCO cultural heritage listing and are a definite highlight – you will have the opportunity to visit one so don’t forget to bring your camera! From nearby Alblasserdam you will take the “Waterbus”, a fast ferry, that will take you and your bicycle in approx. 10 minutes to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in Holland.

Dordrecht – Willemstad Willemstad – Tholen Tholen – Kreekrak lock – Antwerp 36km or 44km

As you enjoy your breakfast aboard, the ship will sail to Willemstad where you will start your day’s cycling. Willemstad is a beautiful old fortified town on the Haringvliet waterway. Your bicycle ride goes to Tholen which was once an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams, 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 of an eventful past. In the afternoon you will once again board the ship which will sail to the port city of Antwerp, 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 attractions including the City Hall, one of several majestic buildings constructed during the Renaissance period, the historical City Square Grote Market, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Cathedral and the medieval Steen Castle. After dinner you can visit the beautiful old city centre.

Antwerp – Temse – St. Amands 34km or 49km

This morning you will cycle out of Antwerp along a picturesque section of the Schelde River to St. Amands your home for the night. There is only one way to describe the landscape around the Schelde and that is “magnificent”. It is without doubt one of the natural highlights of the tour.

St. Amands – Dendermonde Dendermonde– Ghent 52km

Today you will continue to follow the river Schelde to Ghent where the ship will moor for the night at a lock in a suburb of the town. Ghent is a lively university city that boasts a rich history. Since Roman times Ghent’s position at the junction of Leie and Schelde Rivers has ensured that it has been a successful trading port. In total the city features an Opera House, 18 museums, more than 100 churches and over 400 historical buildings. Major attractions are St. Bavo Cathedral where a number of masterpieces of medieval art including the world-famous ‘Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ by Jan van Eyck are kept and the 91metre-tall belfry of Ghent, one of three medieval towers that overlook the old city centre.

Ghent – Bruges 22km or 45km

Today you will cycle from Ghent through the beautiful Flemish countryside of western Flanders to Bruges, widely described as the ‘Venice of the North’ and arguably the most beautiful of all the Flemish cities. Bruges attracts more than two million visitors every year who come to see the picturesque medieval town centre of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic city and a long list of historic attractions. An outstanding example of a medieval historic settlement, Bruges has managed to maintain its historic fabric as it has evolved over the centuries, the city’s original Gothic buildings form an integral part of the town’s 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. Dinner tonight (not included) will be in town in a restaurant of your choice (recommendations available onboard).

Tour around Bruges to the North Sea 38km or 51km

Your final day of cycling takes you along a quiet canal and past beautiful poplar trees through an attractive polder landscape (a polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments) dotted with small farmhouses to the North Sea coast. Here if you want you can swim in the sea along an inviting sandy beach, visit any one of numerous cafés and see the attractive dune landscape. On the return ride to Bruges you will cycle along a small picturesque canal.

Bruges

End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30am.

The planned itinerary is subject to change due to nautical, technical or meteorological reasons and other unforeseen circumstances. If there is low or high water and a route cannot be shipped, the captain reserves the right to change the route in view of your safety (this cannot be accepted as a reason for free withdrawal).