Boat and bike Bruges-Amsterdam MS Fluvius

Arrival and embarkation time between 1 pm and 2 pm in the beautiful city of Bruges, also called “Pearl of Flanders”. After a welcome meeting with the crew at 2 pm there is time for a short test-ride through the countryside around Bruges. After dinner the tour leader will take you for a walk through the city centre.

Your first cycle tour takes you early in the morning through the pleasantly flat West Flanders to Ghent, the university city with a rich past. The city was built as early as Roman times on the spot where the rivers Leie and Schelde meet. The favourable location brought great prosperity for many years, which reached its peak at the end of the 13th century until the beginning of the 14th century. Many old patrician houses have been preserved in the city centre. In the "Lakenhal" (cloth hall, 1425) the cloth merchants met and transacted their business. The most important church is St. Baaf's Cathedral, which was built in different centuries in the respective architectural styles. The cathedral contains a number of masterpieces of medieval painting, of which "The Adoration of the Lamb of God" by Jan van Eyck is probably the most famous. Your boat is moored at the Merelbeke lock, about 30 minutes by bike from the old town of Ghent.

Your bike tour leads along one of the most beautiful parts of the Schelde, a tidal river, today. You will follow it downstream. In Dendermonde it is worth visiting the St. Alexius Beguinage (1288). The departure time will be set by the skipper and is depending on high or low tide as the tide has effect on the speed of the barge. If necessary, shipping to St. Amands and overnight stay in St. Amands.

Today we will follow the Schelde further downstream via Temse to Antwerp. There is a beautiful cycling track along the river and the scenery is magnificent. The harbour city Antwerp with it´s beautiful inner city is well known as diamond city and the city where the famous painter Rubens was born.

The barge will sail over the Schelde-Rhine Canal, over the huge Kreekrak locks. Here your bicyle tour starts through the beautiful “Wouwse Plantage” forest to Tholen, a former fishing village amidst the large streams of the province of Zeeland. From Tholen you will join the ship again for a nice afternoon sail to the beautiful city Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in Holland. Halfway the ship passes the impressive Volkerak lock system.

A fast ferry will bring you to Alblasserdam. From here you will cycle to Kinderdijk, famous for its impressive row of 19 UNESCO cultural heritage-listed windmills. You will continue via Schoonhoven to Vianen, a small fortified town on the river Lek.

Shipping to Breukelen, where you disembark and your cycling tour starts. Ride along the small river Vecht: this area is well known for its beautiful mansions, small castles and beautiful houses with large gardens and parks. Over the small villages of Nieuwersluis, Loenen and Vreeland to Nigtevecht, where you can visit a traditional cheese farm. Continue cycling through the historical town of Muiden and on to Amsterdam where you will meet the barge for the final time in the Amsterdam harbour.

After breakfast: end of the tour and disembarkation till 09:30 am.