Amsterdam to Maastricht Bike & Barge

Arrive Amsterdam and make your own way to the barge. Embarkation and check-in, where the crew will welcome you on board, is between 1.00pm - 2.00pm. At around 2.00pm the boat will leave Amsterdam and cruise to Weesp, a small city on the banks of the river Vecht. Weesp has an historical centre with many canals and buildings dating from the 17th & 18th century along with beautiful windmills. Here the bicycles will be distributed and you can enjoy a short ride. After dinner you will have time to stroll through this charming city.

After breakfast, we start cycling along the beautiful meandering river Vecht, with impressive mansions on its banks. Along the way we will visit a Dutch cheese farm, where cheese is still produced according to traditional methods. We will meet the barge in the city of Utrecht and from there cruise the Amsterdam-Rhine canal to Vianen, a small fortified town on the river Lek.

From Vianen we cycle through a typical Dutch landscape to Leerdam, a little town on the banks of the river Linge. Leerdam is famous for its glasswork. We then continue by bike along the Linge to Gorinchem, a charming town on the river Waal. After a short visit, we re-join the barge and cruise to Heusden.

During breakfast we cruise from Heusden to Lith, a village on the Maas river. From here we cycle to the medieval cities of Ravenstein and Grave. In Ravenstein you can visit the Tanners' Cottages and in Grave you'll see cannons dating from the time of Napoleon. Grave played an important role in "Operation Market Garden" during WWII because it was situated near an important bridge, now called the John S. Thompson Bridge. Following the Maas river we will meet the barge in Cuijk, where we spend the night. Here, the neo-gothic St Martins Church houses a well kept Baroque organ (built 1639-1650), one of the oldest in the Netherlands. After dinner we will visit museum Ceuclum in Cuijk and you can climb the tower for a magnificent view of the Maas valley.

Today we will cycle along the Maas valley to Afferden and Heijen, through the unique Maasheggen landscape. With its thorny hedges, that first came into use to keep cattle in and scare off Roman occupants, it’s the oldest cultural landscape in the Netherlands. The route continues through the National Park Maasduinen, a long stretch of river dunes deposited by wind and the Rhine river. In the town of Well we'll discover Well castle with its heavy round brick tower dating from the 14th century. Today's destination is Arcen. Time permitting, you can visit the famous castle gardens, known for their extensive and diverse flowers and other vegetation. Another option is the beer garden of the local brewery, Hertog Jan.

Our bike route follows the Meuse river, and we cross back and forth by ferry or bridge to follow the most interesting paths. The first stop is Venlo, with many historical monuments and a lively inner city. At lunchtime we arrive in Kessel, one of the oldest villages along the Meuse. We cross to the other bank and continue cycling to the beautiful village of Beesel, where the grain mill ‘Grauwe Beer’ stands proudly along the river. Today’s ride ends in the city of Roermond, where the Roer and Meuse rivers converge. Roermond has a rich cultural heritage. Since 1559, it has served as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Roermond, and its skyline is dominated by the towers of St Christopher's Cathedral and Roermond Minster. It is also the birthplace of Pierre Cuypers, perhaps the most important Dutch architect of the 19th century, being the architect of the Rijksmuseum and Central Station in Amsterdam and designer of more than 100 churches. Dinner tonight is not included, you are free to dine at a restaurant of your choice (recommendations are available on board).

Today, the cycling tour continues through charming villages and the beautiful landscape of the province of Limburg. First stop is Thorn, the ‘White Village’ on the Dutch/Belgian border known for its cobblestone streets and white painted houses. The only non-white building is the 14th century church. From Thorn we cycle across the border to the Belgian city of Maaseik, which is famous for the painters Hubert and Jan van Eyck. On the market square you will see typical Renaissance-style houses with their impressive facades. Take the opportunity to enjoy a nice Belgian “pint” on this beautiful square. The boat will be waiting in Born, from where we cruise to Maastricht. Maastricht, the capital of Limburg province, is a beautifully preserved city with Roman roots. There's lots to see including the Basilica of St Servatius, the Bonnefanten fine art museum and the Kazematten (Casemates), encompassing an 18th-century fortress & its surrounding cave network. There's also the marl caves near the Fortress of Saint Peter, or spend time in the heart of the city in the beautiful Vrijthof square.