Bike and Barge: Amsterdam to Bruges Plus! Flanders

Highlights: Amsterdam

Welcome to the vibrant capital city of Holland, Amsterdam! We hope you arrived a few days early to visit some of the highlights of this colorful city — between its museums, canals, hip locales and lively night scene there is plenty to explore. We’ll meet in the early afternoon at our docking point. We’ll settle in on our private barge and enjoy a warm-up ride before a welcome drink and dinner on board tonight.

Highlights: Schoonhoven – famous for its silversmiths, Gouda cheese museum and tasting, UNESCO World Heritage Kinderdijk windmills

This morning our barge will cruise for a few hours to reach the town of Schoonhoven, famous for its silversmiths and carillon makers. Bicycle through town and check out the town hall’s clock-tower bells before heading to Gouda, famous for its orange cheese. Enjoy a visit to the town’s cheese museum, and pick-up some picnic supplies (cheese anyone?) to enjoy at your next stop: the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinderdijk. Here 19 majestic windmills are aligned to form a stunning sight. After exploring we’ll keep pedaling south to rejoin our boat in Dordrecht. Enjoy dinner on-board and perhaps a leisurely walk in town to enjoy the center.

Highlights: Willemstad, a do-it-yourself-moving-bridge; picnic lunch; Roosevelt heritage museum; Tholen; working windmill visit

Another breakfast cruise takes us to Willemstad, a strikingly star shaped fortified town on the shores where the Holland Diep river splits into multiple rivers as it rushes out to sea. Experience the do-it-yourself-moving-bridge before reaching the town of Oud Vossemeer, where the Roosevelt name was very present in the 17th and 18th centuries (and still is), leading many to theorize that the American Roosevelt family whose Dutch ancestor arrived in the US in 1650 was probably from this town. Next we’ll pedal south to Tholen which was once an island in this giant estuary-like environment, but is now connected to the mainland. We’ll enjoy a visit to a working windmill during our ride.

Highlights: Cruise into Antwerp; visit “Onze Lieve Vrouwe (Our Lady) Cathedral” home to several of Rubens’ paintings

Set off on bikes for a delightful morning ride! We’ll get back to the boat before lunch to cruise into Antwerp, enjoying a unique view of the port and harbor as our barge makes its way to the city of diamonds. We’ll enjoy a guided visit of Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens’ art in the city’s Cathedral. After which you can head off to visit the rest of the city, including the historic city center, the diamond district, or the Red Star Line Museum from where 2 million emigrants shipped off to North America between 1873 and 1934. Explore the city and enjoy dinner on your own this evening before returning to our boat for a restful night’s sleep.

Highlights: Schelde riverbank bike path; Sint Amands; Bosteels Brewery

We’ll leave the city of Antwerp and return to the countryside cycling on small roads and along the Schelde river bike path. We’ve arranged a special visit of a 200 year-old brewery, family-run now by the 7th generation. We will continue pedaling along the tidal river until we reach the quaint town of Sint Amands.

Highlights: Bicycle beside stately villas; Ghent’s rich historic center

This morning we will continue to cycle along the river before branching north through historic marshes. These marshes are where sheep production thrived due to the nutritious grasses. Subsequently, Ghent became one of the richest cities in the world during the Middle Ages because of its woolen industry. A bike path along the Schelde river brings us to our boat, which we’ll board for lunch as it cruises closer to the city center. While we are docked in a suburb, we’ll transfer into the historical center for a visit. This lively university city is still one of the prettiest cities in Belgium. Admire its traditional, tall Flemish buildings towering over the small streets and plazas. Enjoy dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants or cafés.

Highlights: Breakfast cruise, Bruges, UNESCO World Heritage Site Medieval City Center

Start the day with a short breakfast cruise before setting off on your bicycle to ride into the crown jewel of Belgium, Bruges. We’ll be moored in the city center, providing excellent access to Bruges’s many treasures. Stroll along the canals that were once main arteries of the city and don’t miss a visit to the medieval square and City Hall. This city is characterized by its fantastic architecture. Bruges is bustling with additional sites to see including the stepped gable houses, market square with the belfort, and historic neighborhoods such as the “Beguinage”, a community of lay women from the 13th century to visit. We’ll enjoy dinner together on board our boat tonight.

Highlights: Guided walk of Bruges, time to explore

Enjoy a mid-morning guided visit around the city of Bruges, after which you can decide to explore the chocolate museum, diamond museum or even the Belgian fry museum! Whatever you choose enjoy this fabulous city.

Highlights: WWI Flanders Field museum, Ypres

Leave elegant Bruges this morning for the lush fields and countryside villages of southern Flanders. Ypres was strategic to the German’s planned invasion of France, and the Allied soldiers were able to put up effective resistance due to the topography. Once in Ypres, visit the “In Flanders Fields Museum” that starkly documents the war’s impact and admire the completely rebuilt town – it was razed to the ground in 1917 due to the artillery fighting.

Highlights: Westvleteren top trappist brewery, Poperinge, Flanders Field museum, Ypres

We pedal to the foothills of Southern Flanders on our way to Poperinge, once famous for its textiles and now famous for its hops. Visit the hops museum if you are a fan, before continuing to Saint Sixtus Abbey of Westvleteren, one of only 6 authentic Trappist beers in Belgium. Here, Trappist monks, a branch of Cistercian monks, still brew beers – one of which is continually ranked amongst the top beers in the world. The 16th Century St. Sixtus Abbey is not open to the public, but you can still enjoy the world’s highest-ranking beers from the Abbey at de Vrede café across the street.

Highlights: World War I sites, Kortrijk oldest town in Belgium

Today you will pedal alongside important WWI sites where more than half a million Allied and German soldiers died in three major battles between 1914 and 1917. Our destination is Kortrijk, one of Belgium’s oldest citiies. Founded by the Romans as Cortoriacum, Kortrijk emerged in the Middle Ages as a major flax-processing and linen production center. Explore the textile’s history and regional influence in a dedicated museum in town before our final dinner together.

Highlights: Explore more of Kortrijk, or safe travels onward

Our tour ends today, after breakfast. Take some more time to explore Kortrijk, enjoy further travels in Belgium, or beyond. Belgian trains are conveniently connected with many major European airports.