Boat and bike Brussel-Bruges | Floor von Aemstel

Travel independently to Vilvoorde, a suburb located about 10 km north of Brussels. The crew will warmly welcome you on board starting at 4:00 p.m.

Your first bike tour takes you through Mechelen—where the density of more than 300 historic buildings, including eight churches, within less than three square kilometers is particularly noteworthy—through green, gently rolling hills, past idyllic villages and stately country estates, all the wayto Willebroek. Meanwhile, your boat will travel along the Willebroek Canal to your destination for the day.

From Willebroek you are cycling over Lier to Antwerp, the world’s centre of diamond-processing and your today’s destination. Antwerp offers a number of interesting sights such as the richly decorated town hall in renaissance style, the historic Grote Markt, the huge Liebfrauen Cathedral and the medieval Steen Castle.

Today, your bike tour takes you upstream along the Scheldt toward Hemiksem, where, after a short climb, you’ll continue at a leisurely pace to Rupelmonde. Here, where the Rupel flows into the Scheldt, you’ll follow the Rupel for a short while and reach the town of Niel after a few kilometers, which borders the Walenhoek Nature Reserve. Here, between Niel and Boom, lies a historic brick-making region where bricks have been produced from the Middle Ages to the present day. You’ll then cross the Brussels-Rupel Canal and finally arrive at a water tower on the outskirts of St. Amands.

In the morning, take a boat ride along one of the most scenic stretches of the Scheldt to Dendermonde. From here, continue by bike along the Scheldt embankment to your destination for the day. Don’t miss the Beguinage in Dendermonde, with its beautiful local history museum. A “must see” is a short coffee break on the beautiful Flemish Grote Markt. Today’s destination is Ghent. Explore the beautiful old town of Ghent, partly by bike and partly on foot. Once the second-largest city after Paris in the Middle Ages, Ghent has preserved its architectural richness in the city center to this day. Your ship will dock for the night just outside Ghent at the lock in Merelbeke, a suburb of Ghent, about a 30-minute bike ride from the city center
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Note: If your ship cannot dock in Dendermonde due to the tide, the bike tour will start in Sint Amands instead.
The total distance remains the same.

In the morning you are leaving for Lovendegem. The whole cycle route follows the Gent-Oostende-canal through the wide Flemish plain until you arrive at Bruges “The Venice of the North” is widely known in Europe for its art and museums. Bruges’ old town with its number of Grachten (small channels) belongs to the UNESCO world’s cultural heritage. Enjoy the bustle activity around the Grote Markt (the big market place) while having a nice tea or coffee.

Today you have a choice of two bike tours. One route takes you through the small town of Damme (the “birthplace” of Till Eulenspiegel) and Groot Ter Doest, home to the impressive Ter Doest Abbey, to Lissewege, the “most beautiful village in Flanders”— whitewashed houses cluster here on both sides of a small canal and around the imposing village church. Afterward, the route heads straight to the coast. A long sandy beach and numerous cafés invite you to linger. After about 2 hours there, return to Bruges.

After breakfast, disembarkation until 9:00 am and individual journey home.