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Day 1 Saturday: Arrive in Ghent.
If you fly into Amsterdam your coach will take you to Ghent, leaving Amsterdam at approximately 1.00pm and arriving at approximately 5.00pm. You will be able to join your fellow guests on board your floating hotel. The city has its origins in Roman Times, at the place where the rivers Leie and Schelde converge. This favourable situation brought a great deal of prosperity over the years, which peaked in the late 13th and early 14th century. The textile industry brought great wealth and in the city centre you will see many old patrician houses that have been preserved. The owners of these houses, the textile merchants, used to meet in the Clothmakers’ Hall. The major church is St. Baafs’ Cathedral, built in various ages and in various styles. In the cathedral you can admire a number of masterpieces of mediaeval painting, of which the ‘Adoration of the Lamb’ by Jan van Eyck is the most famous. In the evening your guide will take you for a walk around the city.
Day 2 Sunday: Ghent to Bruges.
Everybody makes the train ride to Bruges. After arriving there is a horse carriage ride and a short guided walk past the many historic monuments in the centre of Bruges. From midday you are free to visit Bruges until you are ready to return by train to Dendermonde.
Day 3 Monday: Dendermonde to Antwerp, 31 miles (50km).
You leave the charming provincial town of Dendermonde and cycle across the riverland of the river Schelde to the outskirts of Antwerp. After arrival there is free time to explore this old port. Antwerp is not only known as 'diamond city', but also as the native city of the artist Rubens. In the Rubens House, where he was born, you can admire his work. In the middle of the city is the Cathedral of Our Lady and around the Market Square beautiful town houses from a rich past. In the evening you may wish to visit some bars and try some of the excellent Belgian beers.
 Day 4 Tuesday: Antwerp to Willemstad.
In the morning you will be able to spend some more time in Antwerp. Across the impressive waterways of Zeeland, the barge sails to the beautiful fortified town of Willemstad.
Day 5 Wednesday: Willemstad to Gouda, 25 miles (40km).
The cyclists ride through part of the Biesbosch Nature Reserve to Moerdijk and then head for Dordrecht. After a short visit the cyclists ride to the world famous windmills of Kinderdijk where they will meet the non cyclists and visit one of the mills. After the visit the walkers go by bus to Gouda where they will be rejoined with the cyclists.
Day 6 Thursday: Gouda to Oude Wetering, 16 miles (25km).
A cruise will take you to your start point where you will cycle to the Keukenhof flower park. Walkers go by bus (public transport) to the Keukenhof. After having seen the tulips and daffodils in bloom the walkers return to the barge.
Day 7 Friday: Oude Wetering to Amsterdam, 19 miles (30km).
You will cycle alongside the river Amstel until you reach your final destination of Amsterdam, where you can visit the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh museum. In the evening your guide will take you for a walk around the centre or you can take a round trip of the canals.
Day 8 Saturday: Depart from Amsterdam.
It is the end of the tour and so it is time to say farewells, exchange contact details and make your way home. |
Cruise and Cycle
