Highlights:
- The beautiful river landscape of the river Vecht. You will understand immediately why these landscapes and mansions are the subject of many old Dutch paintings.
- Kinderdijk: the unesco protected windmill park that created one of the first polders.
- Zierikzee founded in the 9th century zierikzee has always been a place of trade and prosperity this can be admired in the rich architecture of this nice town.
- The Delta Works: the Dutch way of taming the sea by building this enormous dam.
- Gent - one of Belgium finest university cities very old and yet so very much alive. The pride of West Vlaanderen.
- Brugge: witness a historical city that is actually an open air museum inhabited by the 21st century.
Tour Itinerary
Amsterdam:
(Sunday - 10 to 15 km) - Arrival on board the Elodie in Amsterdam where the crew will welcome you with a nice cup of coffee or tea. Introduction to the crew, explanation of the rules on board, information on the program. After the introduction We will make a short tour through the rural area of Amsterdam North to get comfortable with your bike. In the evening after dinner your guide will take you for a walk through Amsterdam.
Amsterdam – Nigtevecht – Vianen:
Monday – 46 km (28 miles) - You will start cycling in Amsterdam. Through the Diemer forest you will soon get to the lovely river Vecht. Leaving the river we will head for the caste of Haarzuilen. After a short stop at the castle we will continue our tour through wetland, polders and nice little towns to Vianen where we will spend the night.
Vianen - Dordrecht:
Tuesday - 48 km (30 miles) - Along the meandering river Lek you will proceed your journey for a stop at Schoonhoven. This old town is well known for its Silver. You will be able to admire this in the many Silver shops where the also produce their fine products. From Schoonhoven we cycle to Kinderdijk, one of the most famous attractions of Holland. Here you will find the largest collection of windmills together in a park as they were originally build. After this visit the next and final stop for today will be in Dordrecht. This historical town calls for an evening walk.
Dordrecht - Willemstad - Zierikzee:
Wednesday - 54 km (34 miles) - Early in the Morning the ship will sail to Willemstad while you are enjoying your breakfast. This fortified town will be the starting point of a tour through the Province of Zeeland. The home of the Dutchman that named New Sealand after this province The Polders, farmland and typical small towns of Zeeland will be the setting of your cycling tour to Zierikzee a beautiful place that marks the rich history of this town.
Zierikzee - Goes:
Thursday - 52 km (33 miles) - Today you will encounter one of the wonders of the world. On your bike you will be able to cross the great dam that was built after the great flooding of Zeeland in 1953. This still is the Dutch answer to tame the sea. There is a permanent exposition on how this work was done to visit on the dam itself. Goes will be the place where we spend the night right at the heart of Zeeland.
Goes - Gent:
Friday - 55 km (34 miles) - Today's program offers a tour from Dutch Vlaanderen into Belgium Vlaanderen. Through the tunnel under the Westerschelde we will reach the "main land". The first kilometers will still be in Holland before we reach the Belgium border. The change of culture will become clearly noticeable as we enter deeper into the Belgium countryside on our way to Gent. Gent also called the pride of Belgium honors its title walking through the medley of intimate and grotesque architecture. A university town with a great atmosphere!
Gent - Brugge:
Saturday - 52 km (33 miles) - As we leave Gent we will soon get into the rural country side between Gent and Brugge. Green pastures and picturesque little town follow up quickly as you approach the final destination of this tour. Brugge can be considered an open air museum in every respect. The nice thing about it that it is not! a museum but a town where you can go to a restaurants and bars right in the middle of these special surroundings. We can truly recommend eating in one of the many restaurants because this part of Belgium is famous for its good food.
Brugge:
Sunday - We take leave of you after breakfast.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Included in our tours:
- Your stay in a two birth cabin with private facilities and lower beds
- Crew, Captain, Cook and Multi-lingual travel guide
- Air-conditioned ship with individual climate control in the cabins
- Multi-lingual tour guide (Dutch native)
- Breakfast, packed lunch and six days a 3-course dinner
- Coffee and tea on board
- Bed linen and clean towels on request
- Daily cleaning service
- Twenty-four gears hybrid bicycle, 49,53,57,61 cm frame size
- water bottle and saddle bag
- Harbor dues and tourist tax
- Ferry fares on route
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Netherlands
Belgium
Bicycle Touring
Cultural Journey
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