Bruges to Amsterdam Bike & Barge - Comfort Plus

Make your own way to Bruges and the docking location. Embarkation is from 1-2 pm. After a welcome meeting with the crew at 2pm there will be a bicycle fitting and short test-ride through the countryside around Bruges. After dinner on board the tour leader will take you for a walk through the centre of town. Bruges is known as the "Venice of the North" and the "Pearl of Flanders". We recommend coming one or two days earlier so you have time to discover its treasures. Perhaps the most beautiful of all Flemish cities, the medieval Old Town is almost completely intact and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the Middle Ages it was a metropolis and centre of commerce and art, and you can see this glory in the beautiful buildings. It is also a nice town for shopping or going out - sample a waffle, coffee or traditional Belgian beer around the Grote Markt (the main square). *If you arrive early, it's possible to leave your luggage on board from 11am.

Your cycle tour starts early today in the outskirts of Bruges, from where you will pedal through pleasant Flemish countryside along the Ghent canal towards the historical centre of Ghent. It is a lively university city with a rich past, and in the afternoon you have the opportunity to discover its beauty on foot. The city was founded in Roman times, where the rivers Leie and Schelde converge. The convenient location has over the years brought much prosperity - in the Middle Ages it was the second largest European city after Paris. The textile industry brought great wealth, with the Cloth Hall established in 1425 bringing many merchants together, and many aristocrats remain today. The main church St Bavo Cathedral reflects different periods in history and building styles, and houses some masterpieces of medieval art, the most famous of which is "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by Jan van Eyck. The barge will dock at the lock in Merelbeke, a suburb of Ghent approx. 30min by bike to the city centre.

After breakfast in Ghent you will cycle downstream through a diverse landscape alongside the tidal Schelde River to Dendermonde, a friendly little town, located at the junction of the Dender and Schelde Rivers. The River Schedle stretches for 435km through northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands and is connected by several canals to the basins of the Rhine, Meuse and Seine Rivers. It has always had considerable commercial and strategic importance over the years. Dendermonde has a beautiful town hall on its main square. The ideal place to relax and enjoy a nice Belgian beer after your ride. Worth visiting is the St Alexius Beguinage, where you can learn about housekeeping, work and recreation in the lives of former generations. Overnight in Dendermonde.

Today you will follow the Schelde river further downstream through the Temse region and the small village of Baasrode to the lively port town of Antwerp. This part of the route is along a beautiful and winding section of the Schelde which over the centuries held strategic importance for the Romans, Vikings, Spanish and Napoleon. Antwerp, where the boat is moored overnight, is known as the diamond city and has an abundance of jeweller's shops. Peter Paul Rubens lived and worked in Antwerp in the 17th century, producing paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe and you will find some of his paintings in the “Onze Lieve Vrouwe" (our lady) Cathedral. Other highlights include the City Hall, one of many majestic buildings constructed during the Renaissance period, the historical City Square Grote Market and the medieval Steen Castle. Dinner is not included this evening so you are free to dine in one of the many restaurants in the historic centre of Antwerp.

In the morning we cruise through the Schelde-Rhine Canal and through the imposing Kreekraksluis (Kreekrak lock). The cycle tour starts through the beautiful 'Wouwse Plantage' forest before leading to Tholen, a former fishing village set amidst the large streams of the province of Zeeland. At Tholen you board the boat for an afternoon cruise to Dordrecht, passing through the impressive Volkerak lock system en route. After dinner there will be an evening walk with the tour leader to the town centre of Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in the Netherlands.

This morning a fast ferry takes you to Alblasserdam, from where it is a short cycle to the famous 19 UNESCO listed windmills of Kinderdijk. The windmills were constructed in the 18th century to pump water from the low Alblasserwaard polder. There is a visitor centre and windmill where you learn more about Dutch water management. Continue cycling to the 'Silver City' of Schoonhoven, renowned for its talented silversmiths, and on to Vianen, a small fortified town on the river Lek. In the evening you can explore the town.

During breakfast the barge will cruise to Breukelen, where the final day of cycling starts. You will ride along the Vecht River in an area famous for its sprawling mansions, small castles and beautiful houses with large gardens and parks. Pass through the small villages of Nieuwersluis, Loenen and Vreeland and arrive at Nigtevecht, where you can visit a traditional cheese farm. Continue cycling through the historical town of Muiden to Amsterdam and the barge's mooring place in the harbour for your last evening aboard. Later you can explore the lively Dutch capital on foot or cycle around the famous Amsterdam canals.