Guided From
€2439
Price From
€
  • UNESCO World Heritage citycenter of Bruges
  • town of Péronne and the fascinating “Grande Guerre” museum
  • World War I battlefields of Somme Valley
  • Musée Condé: one of the finest collections of paintings in France
  • luxurious barge with a maximum of 24 passengers
15 Days
14 Nights
456 Total kms
38 km/day (avg)
mini-map
This tour is characterized by a wide variation in landscapes and has all the ingredients a good bike and barge tour needs to explore these interesting regions. Highlights of the first stage in France are – obviously – beautiful Paris, the “City of Lights” as unbeatable start of a beautiful discovery tour, the Chateau de Chantilly and its art gallery the Musée Condé that houses one of the finest collections of paintings in France, and World War I battle fields and memorials in the Somme valley. The second stage in Belgium features highlights like Vincent van Gogh’s heritage, tapestry in Oudenaarde, history in medieval Ghent, a nice Belgium beer at end of your daily cycling tour and magnificent Bruges, “Pearl of Flanders” and destination of this two-week discovery tour. The cycling tours go over gently forested undulations and across open farm land, along the rivers Seine, Oise, Somme and Scheldt; and the French-Belgian border which is the watershed between the river basins of Seine and Scheldt.

Tour Route

Day
1
Arrival
to
Paris

Embarkation and check-in at 2 p.m. in the center of Paris. After a welcome by the captain, crew and tour leader, there is time for a walk to the Cathedral Notre-Dame and the Ile de la Cité. Night in Paris.
Day
2
Paris
to
Bougival

During breakfast the Zwaantje cruises the river Seine through the center of Paris. At about 10.30 a.m. you will be able to go ashore for an interesting bike ride. You can also choose to stay on board and enjoy the view while cruising out of Paris. The ship will moor in an outskirt of the city.
35km
Day
3
Bougival
to
Auvers-sur-Oise

After breakfast you will cycle along quiet towpaths along the river Seine to the higher situated St. Germain; the gardens of Le Nôtre provide a magnificent view across Paris. Next you will ride through a forest area to Conflans for a picnic on the pier amongst the terraces. After a short stop at the Pontoise Bridge, you continue cycling across the picturesque Chemin des Monts to the church of Auvers, famous for Van Gogh’s paintings. You will have the possibility to visit Van Gogh’s grave on the local cemetery during a short evening walk.
38km
Day
4
Auvers-sur-Oise
to
Beaumont

Sailing breakfast to Beaumont. Start your bike tour in Beaumont and follow the Oise River upstream. You will pass the abbey of Royaumont, one of the best preserved abbeys from the 13th century. During the afternoon you will visit the splendid Chateau de Chantilly, a magnificent castle with a horse dressage and its art gallery – the Musée Condé – that houses one of the finest collections of paintings in France.
42km
Day
5
Beaumont
to
Compiègne

During breakfast the barge will bring you to Pont-Sainte-Maxence. This town owes its name to the fact that in the Middle Ages here was one of the very few bridges over the Oise River. Therefore Pont-Ste-Maxence became the place to stay the night for kings and merchants, who were on their way to Flanders. From here your biking tour starts. Not far from here you pass the abbey of Moncel, which in 1309 was founded by King Philip le Bel. Before you reach your destination Compiègne, you will cycle through the forest named after this town “Forêt de Compiègne”. French kings loved to hunt here. The longer tour ads some more miles of forest and also the little town of Pierrefond, where you can admire the exterior of the impressive castle. Compiègne owes its architectural wealth to the proximity of Paris. The gardens of the Chateau de Compiègne are definitely worth a visit.
33km
48km
Day
6
Compiègne
to
Pont l’Évêque

Today you leave the river Oise to continue your trip by way of the canal system connecting France and Belgium. In the morning you cycle into the most northern part of the forest of Compiègne. Here you visit the “Clairière de l’Armistice”, the place where the French and German generals signed the Treaty to end World War I. You can have a look into the small but interesting museum. Thereafter you will cross the river Aisne and cycle through the forest of Ourscamp. In the afternoon you will spend some time in Noyon, where you can visit one of the oldest Cathedrals of the country. After your visit you will cycle back to the canal at Pont l’Évêque, where the Zwaantje will be waiting for you.
41km
Day
7
Pont l’Évêque
to
Péronne

Today you continue the cruise on and along the Canal du Nord. The construction of this canal was already planned in 1903, but it took until 1966 to finish the works. It was built to replace the older and smaller Canal de St. Quentin, constructed by Napoleon in 1801, to transport coal from the mines to the north. During breakfast the barge will bring you to Haudival from where the cycling tour starts through gently rolling, open countryside to the art deco town of Ham, along the river Somme and other picturesque villages to Péronne. The barge will be moored just outside this charming town with its intimate square and church as well as a castle and the fascinating Grande Guerre museum.
44km
54km
Day
8
Péronne

Today the Zwaantje will stay in Péronne. You have time to visit the museum, take some rest and do some shopping. Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants.
Day
9
Péronne
to
Moeuvres

Day 9 (Sun): – Ytres | Ytres – (19 km/11 mi. or 45 km/27 mi.) The first part of your cycling tour goes through the valley of the Somme River. Later you will continue through the sparsely populated open and rolling landscape to Ruyaulcourt. At the end of WW1 this area was the frontline of the battle around the Somme. The Canal du Nord has 2 tunnels, where the barge has to sail through. The longest one is the tunnel of Ruyalcourt, which is 4,350 meters (2.7 miles) long. As soon as are all back on board, the Zwaantje will pass this tunnel. Above the tunnel is the watershed between the rivers Somme and Escaut (Scheldt). From there the barge therefore goes downhill into the direction of Arleux. Mooring is in Moeuvres, an outskirt of this town.
19km
45km
Day
10
Moeuvres
to
Arleux

Your cycling tours leads to the city of Cambrai, once a Roman provincial capital and an important destination for pilgrims. Worth seeing are the impressive restored buildings of the city fortress, built under King Charles V. Then you will cycle through the marshlands of Chantraine to rural Arleux.
35km
51km
Day
11
Arleux
to
Doornik (Tournai)

Today the Zwaantje follows the Canal du Grand Gabarit for a few hours, passing through a former industrial area of northern France. Old coal mines and steel sites border the canal. You will start your bicycle ride in Arleux. The tour goes through open farm land, through little mining towns towards Lewarde, where a mining museum can be visited. Once in Belgium you will cycle through the so-called “white land”. The charming little fortress town Antoing lies at the heart of this region and since the Roman days, (white) limestone has been mined here. Today’s destination is Doornik (in French: Tournai), one of the oldest cities of Belgium. Now you are in Wallonia, French speaking Belgium, where all towns and villages have both a French and a Flemish name. Up till the beginning of the 17th century Doornik was ruled by the French. Here, tapestry weaving gained in importance, while the cloth industry became less important. In the various museums of the town, excellent examples can be seen. In 1940 the entire city center was destroyed after a German air-raid. However, the town has been renovated splendidly. Especially the cathedral the Notre Dame (12th and 13th century) is worth seeing, as well as the Belfort, which was built at about 1200.
57km
Day
12
Doornik (Tournai)
to
Oudenaarde

Now the barge sails downstream the river Scheldt and after crossing the language barrier you enter the Flemish region. From here onwards Flemish is the spoken language. Your target today is Oudenaarde. In former days this little town was situated on the border of the French and German Empires and as a result it was involved in wars frequently. Since Oudenaarde was right in the firing-line, there was always someone on the look-out. The statue of the most famous watchman, Hanske de Krijger, is on the splendid city hall. In the first half of the 16th century this city hall was built of sandstone in Brabantine late Gothic style and it is one of the most beautiful city halls of Flanders. Oudenaarde is also known as the town of the tapestry weavers. Their tapestry is famous all over the world.
41km
47km
Day
13
Oudenaarde
to
Ghent

Shortly after starting your cycling tour at Oudenaarde you briefly stop at the ruins of the old abbey of Ename, located at the river Scheldt. You keep on following the river towards Ghent, your destination. Ghent is a lively university town with a rich history. The town arose in Roman days on the confluence of the rivers Leie and Schelde. This favorable location brought on quite some wealth with a peak in the late 13th and early 14th century. The cloth industry was a source of great richness in the late Middle Ages. In the city many patrician residences have been preserved. In the “Lakenhal” – Cloth Hall – (1425) the cloth traders gathered. The most important church is St. Baafs cathedral, which was constructed in different centuries and in different styles. In the cathedral several masterpieces of medieval painting are to be found. “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” by Jan van Eyck is the most famous of all. You may wish to take a city tour by boat or visit the old castle Gravensteen.
41km
Day
14
Ghent
to
Bruges

While enjoying breakfast you will cruise the Canal Ghent – Bruges to Aalterbrug. Here you will start your cycling tour. Today your cycling tour goes through the pleasant flat country side of Western Flanders to Bruges. Bruges, also called “Venice of the North”, is said to be the most beautiful of all Flemish cities. Its old center, which dates from the Middle Ages, is almost completely intact. In past ages, Bruges was a metropole, center of trade and art, which you can still fully enjoy. We advise you to stay in Bruges one or more days longer, so that you will have plenty of time to discover this interesting city.
30km
40km
Day
15
Bruges
to
Departure

End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.

FAQs

    • 15 days/14 nights
    • 14 x breakfast
    • Packed lunches
    • 13 x 3-course dinner
    • Coffee and tea on board
    • Welcome drink
    • Use of bed linen and towels
    • Daily cleaning of the cabin, 1x change of bed sheets
    • Climate-controlled cabin
    • Daily briefings
    • Fully guided cycling tours (from 18 guest: 2 tour leaders, 2 groups)
    • Some short walking tours
    • Maps for cycling tours (1 set per cabin)
    • GPS tracks
    • Use of a helmet
    • Use of a waterproof pannier bag
    • Water bottle
    • Fees for ferries
    • Canal trip through Ghent
    • Visit museum Glade of the Armistice
    • Entrance castle of Chantilly
    • Visit town hall Oudenaarde
    • Wi-Fi
    • 1 x dinner
    • Drinks
    • Bicycle rental or E-bike rental
    • Personal insurances
    • Gratuities (at your discretion)
    • Entrance fees and excursions (not mentioned under included)
    • Transfers to/from the docking place
    • Parking fees

  • About this ship: Zwaantje

    The Zwaantje (little Swan) is a new built passenger barge. Since September 2014, the „Zwaantje“ has new owners and operators: Martijn van Tatenhove and Marjorie Kersten, who have experience as operators of a passenger barge for many years. Martijn is your captain on board; he grew up in a family in the hotel and restaurant business and is also a licensed chef. Marjorie graduated in Tourism at the Breda High School and has been working in public relations. The sympathetic and very motivated couple have restyled the interior of the “Zwaantje” in winter 2014-2015 and have created a warm and cozy atmosphere. The Zwaantje sails under Dutch flag and management and is a very popular small river barge on several tours in The Netherlands, Belgium and France.

    Description of the cabins
    On the lower deck, the Zwaantje has twelve comfortable guest cabins. Ten twins (7 m² – 75 sq.ft.) with two separate single beds and two doubles (6 m² – 65 sq.ft.) with one double bed. Each cabin has a private shower, toilet and basin. All cabins have ventilation, central heating, air-conditioning and a window; the windows in the doubles can be opened, the windows in the twins are fixed for safety reasons. Furthermore, in each cabin you will find a mini safe and hair dryer.

    Description of the ship
    On the upper deck you will find the nice and cozy salon with heating, air conditioning, large panoramic windows, a restaurant area, lounge corner and a small bar. Wi-Fi is available. The Zwaantje also has a very spacious sun deck with chairs and tables where you can relax, enjoy the scenery while sailing or join the skipper in the wheel house.

    Facts about the ship
    Length:         40 m (131 ft.)
    Width:          5,6 m (18 ft.)
    Crew:           4
    Cabins:         12
    Pass.:           24 (max.)

  • About this ship: Fleur

    The Fleur started cruising in 2002. This small, yet very tasteful passenger barge with its sleek lines was built to fit the smaller locks and canals in France and has been cruising the French waters ever since. In 2018 Steffie Kranz and Evert Jan Muurling, will take over ownership. Steffie and Evert Jan have been in the business for more than 15 years. These years of experience and commitment are reflected in every detail and guarantee that your vacation will be a pleasant one.

    Description of the cabins
    On the lower deck, the Fleur has ten comfortable guest cabins (9 m² – 97 sq.ft.) with two separate single beds. Each cabin has a private shower, toilet and basin, central heating and air-conditioning; windows are fixed for safety reasons. Furthermore, in each cabin you will find a mini safe and hair dryer.

    Description of the ship
    On the upper deck, there is a lounge with large windows, a roomy sitting area, a dining area, a cozy bar, central heating and air-conditioning. Wi-Fi is available. On the upper deck you will also find the half-covered sun deck, which is the ideal place to drink a cup of coffee or an aperitif and to enjoy the scenery while cruising.

    Facts about the ship
    Length:     38.7 m (126 ft.)
    Width:       5 m (17 ft.)
    Crew:        4
    Cabins:     10
    Pass.:        20 (max.)

Prices

High Season
02
May
31
Jul

Low Season
26
Sep
26
Sep

Guided / per person
Standard Adult Double €2439€2339
Adult Single €3695€3509

Notes
Fleur: Bruges – Paris, departure on May 16 | Zwaantje: Bruges – Paris, departures on May 2 and July 25 Paris – Bruges, departures on June 27 and Sept. 26

Extras

Bike rental €170
e-Bike rental €370
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