14 Day European Canal Bike & Barge Cruise Through Holland & Belgium
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14 Day European Canal Bike & Barge Cruise through Holland & Belgium (Starting in Amsterdam, Netherlands and ending in Bruges, Belgium) Dates; Sunday 14th June to Saturday 27th June 2020 This popular tour is aimed at the active traveller and combines two ideal ways of exploring Europe - cycling and canal barge cruising. In recent years Bike and Barge cycling cruises have quickly become the preferred way of touring Europe - unpack once in your comfortable en-suited cabin, settle in to the homely onboard facilities, delight in varied and wonderful regional based meals, wines and beers, enjoy the company of a small group of like-minded travellers (maximum 22) and the personable service of our crew while watching the beautiful European scenery pass by. For 2020, this tour will be escorted by Bruno & Christine Corletto with the itinerary seeing us cruising from Amsterdam to Bruges via the historic canal system through traditional Dutch and Flemish landscapes of small winding rivers and canals, pretty villages, polders, dykes and windmills, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinderdijk. Our journey will skirt Holland‟s North Sea region, through Zeeland province dotted with islands and peninsulas, along the less travelled routes before heading south through Belgium‟s “Flanders Fields”. Enjoy 13 nights onboard our “floating hotel” the Quo Vadis which will dock every night in charming medieval towns and cities including Amsterdam, Harleem, Delft, Ghent, Kortrijk & Bruges. Our itinerary also provides a special and wonderful opportunity to visit some of the iconic WW1 battle-sites to learn more about and honour those who served on the Western Front. TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Enjoy the company of your fellow travellers and crew on-board the very comfortable Quo Vadis Barge boat, a beautiful & classic Canal Barge exclusively booked for Bishops Adventures. Unpack once and return to your “Floating Hotel” each day to relax over a refreshment in the lounge or sundeck before savouring a delicious 3 course meal prepared by our own chef. Overnight tie-ups in interesting and typical Dutch & Flemish medieval towns & villages allowing leisurely evening walks or cycles into town after most of the day trippers have gone. Guided bike excursions along mostly flat paths & trails enjoying charming towns & peaceful landscapes. Experience the enchanting port city of Bruges, one of Europe‟s best-preserved medieval gems known as “Venice of the North” and enjoy exploring its cobbled alleyways & picture perfect squares & canals. Enjoy ample time in Amsterdam to discover some of the many sites and attractions of this fascinating city. th Visit the UNESCO declared “Kinderdijk” and see the row of 19 windmills built in the 18 century. Day tour to Villers-Bretonneux WW1 Military Cemetery in France with an accredited English- speaking Battlefield Guide. Visit the recently opened Sir John Monash Centre & be moved by the words & actions of our Australian Troops. Day tour to the Somme & experience other Western Front battlefields where our Aussie troops served including the symbolic Menin Gate in Ypres to join the stirring evening Last Post ceremony. CANAL BARGE (QUO VADIS) FACILITIES Our home for this tour is a beautifully refurbished canal barge „Quo Vadis‟ with comfortable air- conditioned twin bed en-suited cabins (with porthole) for a maximum of 22 passengers plus crew. Exclusively booked for our Bishops Adventures Tour, the Quo Vadis has spacious lounge/dining areas, saloon bar and outside sundeck. Meals are beautifully prepared and presented and the bar is well stocked and prices are very reasonable. Wi-fi is limited but free. The vessel is skippered by the owner who involves himself with his passengers and ensures that everything is “ship shape”. Because the barge is small with a retractable wheelhouse it can access some of the narrower canals and waterways fitting under lower bridges that other larger operators can‟t do. Welcome aboard our ‘floating hotel’ the Quo Vadis Enjoy the view and a refreshment from the sun-deck CYCLING Cycle touring is a major part of this itinerary and is the best way to really experience and enjoy the flat lowland regions we will travel through. These organised guided-rides will interest leisure riders and cycling enthusiasts alike and are varied passing through farmlands, forests, pretty villages and towns, alongside canals, rivers and on levy banks lined with windmills etc. Each evening our on-board Bike Guide will provide a briefing on the next day‟s ride and, as you will notice in the proposed itinerary on the next page, will offer on most days either a longer or shorter ride on a majority rules basis or subject to weather conditions. The rides are classified as easy-moderate and will average out at between 40-50kms per day however this is mostly along flat tow paths, cycle ways and village streets. Daily cycling itineraries are leisurely with ample time for coffee or beer breaks allowing us to truly soak up the experiences along the way, just like a local. There is also a limited supply of e-bikes (electric pedal- bikes) available onboard at an additional cost should you prefer. Each bike is equipped with a weatherproof bag, water bottle and holder, security lock and helmets will be provided. Of course, you can opt out from riding and simply spend leisurely days cruising on the boat in the lounge or deck enjoying the scenery from our comfortable barge. PROPOSED ITINERARY (This draft itinerary may be subject to change - details to be confirmed); Day 1: Arrive Amsterdam & Check-in to “Quo Vadis” Barge Boat (Intro Cycle-up to 20 klms) (L,D) Our adventure starts in Amsterdam, renowned for its picturesque 400 year old canal district, museums, street artists and performers, the famous red-light district and much more. Try to arrive early so you have time to visit the historical centre, a World Heritage site, and to admire the elegant tree-lined canals, tall narrow canal-houses and warehouses. Check-in begins at 10:00am where you will be welcomed aboard the “Quo Vadis” by our friendly crew and be assigned your cabin and bike. In the afternoon, a 10 - 20 klm flat ride through the historical green suburbs and meadows of Amsterdam’s charming Waterland district will be offered to get you accustomed to your bike, otherwise spend the afternoon exploring more of Amsterdam or simply relax on-board. Day 2: Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans – Haarlem (Cycle-50 or 47 klms) (B,L,D) Our cycling day begins with a ferry to Amsterdam North. From here ride through the Ilperveld a unique waterland-park. We then stop at Zaanse Schans a traditional living and working community designed to showcase Holland’s culture. Here you can visit fully operational windmills (one dating 1673) the distinctive Dutch-style green wooden-houses, craft work- shops where you may see millers and craftsmen at work and enjoy a coffee or snack at the café overlooking the pretty landscape. The longer route leads through the ‘polder’ lands to the Hortus Bulborum with a collection of 4000 mostly historic types of bulbs (guided tour possible) followed by a ride through the wildlands behind the sea dunes. The shorter route leads through green villages with wooden houses and the hamlet of Spaarndam built around the lock and the woods and dunes near the North Sea. The Quo Vadis waits for us on the Spaarne River in the historical and medieval centre of Haarlem, with its monumental Grote Markt, little palaces of bankers and charming courtyards. Haarlem gave America's Harlem its name back when New York was "New Amsterdam," a Dutch colony. Day 3: Haarlem – Cruquius – Leiden (Cycle - 39 klms) (B,L,D) After a short ride and ferry transfer, we visit the Cruquius a gothic revival steam mill that once drained the Haarlemmermeer, a polder consisting of land reclaimed from water and meaning Haarlem's Lake. You can see it in operation, and there is a display of models which explain how the Dutch have battled the water. The Quo Vadis will tie-up near the gate to the historic centre of Leiden in South Holland, famous for its university and centuries-old architecture. Leiden means ‘at the waters’ and was founded around 800AD at the confluence of the Old Rhine, Vliet and the Mare rivers. At one time it was the most important textile centre in the Netherlands. A typical cycling day Day 4: Leiden – Delft, via Katwijk (Cycle 57 klm), via The Hague (Cycle 45 klm), or direct (Cycle 32 klm) (B,L,D) Today we offer a longer ride following the course of the Oude Rijn, through the former fishing towns of Katwijk and Scheveningen. The route continues through the dune, along the North Sea coast and follows the remains of the Atlantikwall, the 1900 mile long coastal fortifications built by the Nazi Third Reich. The shorter tour leads through the luxurious Wassenaar Villa quarters and the government centre of The Hague with the International Court of Justice and the Panorama Mesdag (an art museum featuring 19th-century artist Hendrik Mesdag's striking panoramic beach scene, Europe’s largest “cyclorama”). The Quo Vadis tonight will moor at the edge of charming Delft, a canal ringed medieval town with a beautifully preserved historic centre. The shorter and direct route leads cyclists through former peat fields and suburban parks and provides more time for Delft instead of The Hague. Day 5: Delft – Rotterdam – Kinderdijk – Dordrecht (Cycle 48 or 32 klms) (B,L,D) Today we start with a visit to a nearby gallery to view and shop for the famous Dutch ceramic, Delft Blue. The longer cycle route leads to Rotterdam, leaving Delft via the University campus with its fine modern architecture and the 17th century water-bound gunpowder house.