Ghent. Adoration of the Lamb Lace-making Biking along the Schelde

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1 Bruges Amsterdam Bike & Barge Tour through Belgium and the Netherlands with MS Merlijn May 21 st 28 th 2016 Average biking kilometers per day 35 to 50 Itinerary: Bruges Ghent Dendermonde - Antwerp - Alblasserdam Vianen Amsterdam Highlights: Bruges Belfort in Ghent Antwerp Windmills Kinderdijk Cheese farm Amsterdam During this tour the historical Flemish cities Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are central. And after this we get to know a very beautiful part of the Netherlands. The tour starts in Bruges, with its picturesque town centre probably the most beautiful of the Flemish historical cities. Then we bike across the Flemish countryside to Ghent, in order to breath the atmosphere of the old days in the ancient town centre. Worth seeing are the Belfort and St. Baafs-cathedral, with the famous triptych of the painter Jan van Eyck. From Ghent on we follow the beautiful tidal river Nederschelde to Antwerp, city of the painter Rubens, whose birth house can be visited (Rubens House). Tonight we will stay in Antwerp, and you will enjoy dinner here in one of the many restaurants. Early morning we motor to Tholen, heading for the Netherlands. First destination here are the Kreekrak-locks and after your bike tour you will enjoy a sailing dinner while we cruise to Alblasserdam. We visit the windmills of Kinderdijk. Finally you bike to Amsterdam along the winding river Vecht with impressive castles on its banks. Along the way we visit a real Dutch cheese farm where cheese is still produced according to traditional methods. In Amsterdam you hopefully will have time go on a roundtrip through the canals or pay a visit to the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh-museum. Bike and Barge Tour Bruges Amsterdam: Day 1 (Sat) Bruges Check in Bruges starts 4 PM (luggage can be brought earlier to the barge) We offer you a welcome cocktail and provide you with information about the ship, the tour and the bicycles. Bridges we need to pass do not always operate on Sundays, therefore we might already start sailing passing these bridges and will stay overnight approx 5 km outside Bruges. Bruges Day 2 (Sun): Bruges or Moerbrugge Ghent After breakfast your bike tour will start and you will ride through the pleasant countryside of Western Flanders to Aalten. Here you will board your barge and together we will sail to Ghent, a lively university city, also this one of a rich past. After an early dinner (18:00) we will take you on a city tour through Gent. The city has its origins in Roman Times, at the place where the rivers Leie and Schelde converge. This favourable situation brought a great deal of prosperity over the years, which had its peak late 13th, early 14th century. Textile industry brought great wealth. In the city centre many old patrician houses have been preserved. In the Cloth makers Hall (1425) textile

2 merchants used to meet. The major church is St. Baafs Cathedral, built in various ages and in styles. In the cathedral a number of masterpieces of mediaeval painting is exposed, of which the Adoration of the Lamb by Jan van Eyck is the most famous. The visit to the Cathedral will be depending on the services on Sundays. Overnight stay in Ghent. Ghent Adoration of the Lamb Lace-making Biking along the Schelde Day 3 (Mon): Ghent Dendermonde After breakfast you will bike along the river Zeeschelde. We follow this beautiful but capricious tidal river downstream to Dendermonde, a nice country town on the Dender estuary. Here we will spend the night. Day 4 (Tue): Dendermonde Rupelmonde -Antwerp After breakfast we follow the river Schelde further downstream via Temse to Antwerp. There is a beautiful bike path along the river and the landscape around the Schelde is magnificent. In Ruplemonde we take you on board our Merlijn and will then sail from here to Antwerp. Antwerp is not only known as diamond city, but also as native city of painter Rubens. In the Rubens House we can admire his work. In the heart of the city you will find the Cathedral of Our Lady and around the Market Square beautiful town houses from a rich past are situated. You will find the Merlijn in the Willemdok, not far from the city centre. You will have dinner this evening in the lively city of Antwerp at your own expense. Before or after dinner you may want to explore the city a little more on a city walk. We will be moored close to the MAS museum, the panorama terrace is open until midnight.

3 Day 5 (Wed): Antwerp Tholen Willemstad Dordrecht Early this morning we start sailing through the impressive harbour of Antwerp. After several hours of sailing we will arrive at Tholen, where your bike tour to Willemstad starts. Tholen once was an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams, where many people used to fish for their living. Nowadays Tholen is connected to the mainland in various ways. But it still is a picturesque village with many relics of an eventful past. From Tholen the Merlin sails through the impressive complex of locks de Volkerak, pass the fortified town of Willemstad where you will board again and enjoy the cruise to Alblasserdam, including your sailing dinner. We will spend the night in Alblasserdam. Volkerak locks Willemstad Dordrecht Day 6 (Thu): Alblasserdam Vreeswijk Your bike tour starts from here and the first stop will be Kinderdijk. Here an impressive row of large windmills appears, built to drain the Alblasserwaard. We can visit one of the mills. Via Schoonhoven, the Silvertown, we bike through the beautiful Dutch river landscape to Vreeswijk, a small fortified town on the river Lek. You can also board in Schoonhoven to cruise the last part of the tour. Dinner and overnight stay in Vreeswijk. Day 7 (Fri): Vreeswijk Amsterdam During breakfast we cruise to Maarssen, passing Utrecht with its beautiful cathedral tower.

4 Here the bike tour starts via the winding river Vecht into the direction of Amsterdam. On our way we visit a cheese farm, where cheese is still made according to traditional methods. You will get a tour here and you can enjoy your lunch at the cheese farm. Final destination of the bike tour is Nichtevegt and together we will sail to Amsterdam, where you can enjoy a round trip through the canals and perhaps visit the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh museum. Amsterdam, Central Station Amsterdam Day 8 (Sat): Amsterdam Check out will be 9AM after breakfast We reserve to ourselves the right of changing schedule and/or program. If part of the route is not navigable the captain is entitled to change the schedule for safety reasons. Changes in schedule and program do not give you the right on free cancellation.

5 Rate p.p. in a double room Included in your trip 8 days Bruges - Amsterdam 7 nights of accommodation, 7 times breakfast buffet, 6 times three course dinners, 5 x lunchboxes Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and ice water free of charge Use of a 24-speed bike, including towel, bike bag, water bottle, pannier and universal sized helmet Services of a tour guide Cheese lunch at the Cheese farm Fees for harbors, bridges and locks Daily cabin cleaning service Welcome drink Route information Ferry fares en route Not included: Insurances 1 dinner Inbound and outbound journey and transfers Organised city tours Drinks other than mentioned Entrance fees, excursions other than the cheese lunch Payment: Cancellation fee: 20% of the price at the time of definite reservation, approving the program 80% 1 month prior to starting cruise date If the cruise is cancelled until 6 months prior to starting cruise date 20% between 6 and 4 months prior to starting cruise date 50% between 4 and 1 month prior to starting cruise date 80% between 1 month and 1 day prior to starting cruise date 90% at the day of starting cruise date or later 100%