Amsterdam – Bruges, MS Magnifique I

Embarkation and check-in is between 1.30 – 1.50 p.m., where your crew for the week will be waiting to welcome you on board. At  2 p.m. the ship will depart from Amsterdam for Vianen, a small, fortified village on the Lek River. After dinner you have the opportunity to enjoy a short first test ride through the surrounding area.

Today you will cycle along a beautiful route to Schoonhoven – nicknamed Zilverstad (“SilverCity”) – a city renowned for its talented silver smiths since the 17th century. Later in the day asyou cycle through the Alblasserwaard region you will reach Kinderdijk, a village famous for itsimpressive row of 19 large windmills. All 19 windmills have a UNESCO cultural heritage listingand are a definite highlight – you will have the opportunity to visit one so don’t forget to bringyour camera! From nearby Alblasserdam you will take the “Waterbus”, a fast ferry, that will takeyou and your bicycle in approx. 10 minutes to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in Holland.

As you enjoy your breakfast aboard the ship, the ship will sail to Willemstad where you will startyour day’s cycling. Willemstad is a beautiful old fortified town on the Haringvliet waterway. Yourbicycle ride goes to Tholen, once was an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams, wheremany people fished for their living. Nowadays Tholen is connected to the mainland in variousways.
Then you cycle on to the destination of this trip, Bergen op Zoom. Bergen op Zoom is a historicfortified town that once lay on the open waters of the Oosterschelde. After dinner you can take awalk through the old town. Narrow streets, old town, market and church squares andidiosyncratic monumental buildings show the history of a rich and eventful past that goes backmore than eight hundred years.

In the morning you will enjoy a small bike ride through the beautiful “Wouwse Plantage”surrounding Bergen op Zoom. In the early afternoon you will once again board the ship which willsail to the port city of Antwerp, situated on the river Schelde. Antwerp is famous for handling upto 80% of the world’s rough diamonds and is a city with a long list of attractions including: the City Hall, one of several majestic buildings constructed during the Renaissance period, thehistorical City Square Grote Market, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Cathedral and the medieval Steen Castle. Dinner tonight (not included) will be in town in a restaurant of your choice(recommendations available on board).

This morning you will cycle out of Antwerp along a picturesque section of the Schelde River to Sint-
Amands to your home for the night. There is only one way to describe the landscape around the Schelde and that is “magnificent”. It is without doubt one of the natural highlights of the tour.

Today you will continue to follow the river Schelde to Ghent where the ship will moor for the nightat a lock in a suburb of town. Ghent is a lively university city that boasts a rich history. SinceRoman times Ghent’s position at the junction of Leie and Schelde Rivers has ensured that it hasbeen a successful trading port. In total the city features an Opera House, 18 museums, morethan 100 churches and over 400 historical buildings. Major attractions are St. Bavo Cathedralwhere a number of masterpieces of medieval art including the world famous ‘Adoration of theMystic Lamb’ by Jan van Eyck are kept and the 91-metre-tall belfry of Ghent, one of threemedieval towers that overlook the old city center. Before dinner a small canal boat will take youfor a guided tour through the historic city.

Today you will cycle from Ghent through the beautiful Flemish countryside of western Flanders toBruges, widely described as the ‘Venice of the North’ and arguably the most beautiful of all theFlemish cities. Bruges attracts more than two million visitors every year who come to see thepicturesque medieval town center of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic city and a longlist of historic attractions. An outstanding example of a medieval historic settlement, Bruges hasmanaged to maintain its historic fabric as it has evolved over the centuries, with the result thattoday the city’s original Gothic buildings form an integral part of the town’s identity. While you arehere you can visit one of Bruges many museums or simply take in the stunning beauty andculture of this unforgettable city from the comfort of a sidewalk café.

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