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Divided into 3 stages the Tour is an Epic traversing the length of into the cultural heart of following in the footsteps of Napoleon.

PARIS TO | (JULY 02 - AUGUST 06 | 2022) Napoleon Overview 2 OUR ROUTE | FULL TOUR – TO www.rideandseek.com

TOTAL ST PETERSBURG DISTANCE: 3702km | 2300mi Alutaguse ELEVATION: RUSSIA m | 88,110ft NAPOLEON Smiltene 26,856 GRADING: Jekabpils DURATION: 36 Anyksciai DAYS Tours 35 Nights available GDANSK from Reszel Suwalki 1 WEEK Zamek Gniew Godkowo Gizycko Torun Gąsawa Poznan

CZECH REPUBLIC GERMANY Wiechlice BAUTZEN

Olbernau LITHUANIA POLAND LUXEMBOURG Bad Plauen Schwabthal Heidelberg Wurzberg Chalons en Orscholz Champagne Jagthausen Meisenheim ESTONIA LATVIA PARIS Monthairons La Ferte Gaucher

RUSSIA FRANCE 3 A HISTORICAL ADVENTURE www.rideandseek.com The Napoleon expedition takes us from West to East on the trail of one of history’s most famous conquerors.

Presenting ’s most inspiring cycling journeys

Join us on this ride of historical proportions as we ride in the footsteps of Napoleon from Paris to Saint Petersburg.

The Napoleon tour, divided into 3 stages is an Epic spanning the length of Europe into the cultural heart of Russia following in the footsteps of Napoleon’s near 700,000 strong Grande Armée.

We will ride across the Champagne region of France into the picturesque castle clad green hills of southern Germany. Our route then takes us through UNESCO protected medieval villages in Poland to the North Sea. From here we strike east via the great lakes of Poland and up through the Baltics. We finish in St Petersburg, a city Napoleon never took, but a must on any Russian odyssey.

Experience total immersion into the landscape, history and culture of the places we visit as we ride this inspirational trail on the road less travelled. 4 HIGHLIGHTS www.rideandseek.com

Grande Armée | Paris to Saint Petersburg

TOTAL DURATION: DISTANCE: ELEVATION:

STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 WEEK 1 - Paris to Heidelberg WEEK 3 - Bautzen to Gdansk WEEK 5 - Vilnius to St Petersburg

Ride from the Arc de Triomphe, built to honour Unspoilt landscapes, beautiful villages, medieval We ride through the atmospheric and welcoming Napoleon’s victories along the Champs-Élysées. castles and quiet roads. Poland is a truly undiscovered – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on our Enjoy fantastic cycling and food in the Champagne cyclists gem. Riding the length of Poland is most multi-national of weeks. Enjoy the expansive and Alsace regions. spectacular and memorable. views and quiet roads. WEEK 2 - Heidelberg to Bautzen WEEK 4 - Gdansk to Vilnius

Many will be surprised to find that this is one of the History through the ages – Nikolaus Kopernikus’ most beautiful cycling areas in Europe – fairy tale , Hitler’s ‘Wolfsschanze’ and medieval castles, green rolling hills around winding rivers and fortresses. We head east through the Masurian Lakes, beautiful historic villages. to Lithuania and Napoleon’s historic invasion point. TOTAL DURATION: TOTAL DURATION: TOTAL DURATION: DISTANCE: ELEVATION: DISTANCE: ELEVATION: DISTANCE: ELEVATION: 15 15 8 | 54,301ft | 22,907ft | 11,007ft 1414km | 878mi DAYS 1412km | 877mi DAYS 776km | 482mi DAYS 16,551m 14 Nights 6982m 14 Nights 3355m 7 Nights

CLICK to see the Ride & Seek website for details of tour dates and prices 5 GALLERY www.rideandseek.com 6 BED TIME www.rideandseek.com We carefully select the Château Monthairons places where we stay based This castle overlooks the La Meuse river in a 14 hectare landscaped park. With its individually decorated rooms, old-world detail, whirlpool and sauna, on their personality and it’s a truly grand experience. the hospitality of our hosts Schlosshotel Götzenburg Be it a Château in France or a spa resort in Poland, we seek to connect you with the places we travel in, The namesake of the castle was Götz von Berlichingen, who was born here in 1480. through the accommodations we choose. A famous knight in German history, Götz was romanticized as a kind of Robin Hood, who stole from the rich to give to the poor.

Gniew Castle

A huge Gothic fortress of knight-monks, a seat of kings, hetmans and starostas, famous for knight tournaments, fierce battles and amazing spectacles, invites you to its Chambers.

The Herbarium

An amazing high class Polish lodge with exceptional spa and sauna facilities and one of the best restaurants of the whole tour.

Taleon Imperial Hotel

Named among the best 100 in the world this former in the heart of Saint Petersburg makes for a fantastic final night. 7 DINNER TIME www.rideandseek.com We choose our restaurants Palac Wiechlice because they are At Palac Wiechlice we eat like kings – an amazing spread for breakfast and the dinner exceptional and unique is a showcase of the best of Polish food.

Whether they are haute cuisine, a meal at a local farm, an 8 course degustation menu or local boar stew, Vilnius every meal is guaranteed to be memorable. The Amandus restaurants is run by Lithuania’s best known chef, Deivydas Praspaliauskas. It’s here in the centre of the , with his 12 course degustation menu, that he brings to life probably the best meal of the tour as he socialises with us and explains each course, its local ingredients and its creative journey to your plate. Les Temps Changent

At Chalons en Champagne we enjoy a classic French brassiere with wonderful traditional meals, a modern twist and of course brilliant champagne and fine wine to match.

Meisenheim

The tiny village of Meisenheim has been left unscathed by Europe’s conflicts and its historic buildings are beautifully preserved. It’s in this hotel, that’s been welcoming guests since 1699 and features some of the best vineyards in the world on its doorstep, that we enjoy the best of German cuisine served with their own wine. Ride & Seek Picnics

We pride ourselves on providing the best picnics. These are always in spectacular locations, be it at a historical site or a breathtaking view. The produce will always be local, fresh and exceptional. 8 NAPOLEON BIOGRAPHY www.rideandseek.com ‘France has more need of me than I have need of France.’ Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte was born the 15th August, 1769 in Corsica. Educated at military school, he quickly rose through the ranks. At the age of 27 he was made commander of the French army in , where he forced and its allies to make peace. In 1798, Napoleon conquered Ottoman-ruled Egypt in an attempt to strike at British routes with . However, he was defeated by the British at the Battle of the Nile.

Austria, Russia and Britain allied themselves against France. Napoleon returned to Paris where the government was in crisis. In a coup d’etat in November 1799, Napoleon became first consul. In 1802, he was made consul for life and two years later, emperor. He oversaw the centralisation of government, of the Bank of France, the reinstatement of Roman Catholicism as the state religion and law reform with the Code Napoleon.

In 1800, he defeated the Austrians at Marengo. He then negotiated a general European peace which established French power on the . In 1803, Britain resumed with France, later joined by Russia and Austria. In 1805 Britain inflicted a naval defeat on the French at Trafalgar causing Napoleon to abandon his plans to invade England. Napoleon turned on the Austro-Russian forces, defeating them at Austerlitz. He gained new territory, including Prussian controlled lands which ostensibly gave him control of Europe. The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, Holland and Westphalia created, and over the next five years, Napoleon’s relatives and loyalists were installed as leaders in Holland, Westphalia, Italy, Naples, and .

In 1810, he had his childless marriage to Josephine de Beauharnais annulled and married the daughter of the Austrian emperor in the hope of having an heir. A son, Napoleon, was born a year later.

The Peninsular War began in 1808. Costly French defeats over the next five years drained French military resources. Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 with the biggest army ever assembled resulted in a disastrous retreat.

The tide began to turn in favour of the allies and in March 1814, Paris fell. Napoleon went into exile on the Mediterranean of Elba. In March 1815 he escaped and marched on the French capital, regaining power. The Battle of Waterloo ended his brief second reign. The British imprisoned him on the remote Atlantic island of St Helena, where he died on 5 May 1821. What our guests have to say… www.rideandseek.com

Your team did a magnificent job in the planning & executing of this tour – the castles, châteaux, monasteries & mansions we stayed in were amazing!

Ruth K

A fantastic tour for the adventurous with the usual Ride & Seek standards – well researched, great accommodation and meals and the best of guides and support. This tour has a variety of landscapes, terrain, cultures and is filled with history both ancient and modern. There wasn’t a day when I thought I’d prefer to be somewhere else.

Kay J

What a team! On and off the bike the guys could not have been better. Their focus was on ensuring that everyone was safe and enjoying themselves. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble. They handled sometimes difficult situations, with grace, and good humour.

Sharon W

Napoleon was an awesome adventure and great achievement for everyone. It was tough going at times but the friendship and support of everyone in our group made it the trip of my cycling lifetime!

Michael L

After having toured with several different companies, Ride and Seek provide a unique experience not to be missed by any touring bike rider. Always sad when it ends. Until the next one.

Alex B www.rideandseek.com

WANT MORE INFORMATION?

Go to our website at: https://rideandseek.com/tour/napoleon-paris-to-saint-petersburg/ to find out more information, a recommended reading list, testimonials and much more.

Alternatively, contact us at [email protected] or +61 (0) 2 8007 3161

PARIS TO SAINT PETERSBURG | (JULY 02 - AUGUST 06 | 2022) Napoleon Overview