Amsterdam - Brügge, MS Magnifique III

Embarkation and check-in where the crew will welcome you on board is at 1 p.m. At around 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.

After breakfast you will cycle a beautiful route to Schoonhoven – nicknamed Zilverstad (Silver City) – a city renowned for its talented silver smiths since the 17th century. As you continue to cycle along the Lek River you will pass through the Alblasserwaard region to Kinderdijk, a village famous for its impressive row of 19 large windmills, which have a UNESCO cultural heritage listing. From nearby Alblasserdam you will take the “Waterbus, a fast ferry that will take you and your bike in approx. 10 minutes to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in Holland. Dinner on board.

During breakfast the ship sails to Willemstad. Your bicycle ride goes to Tholen, once an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams. Nowadays Tholen is connected to the mainland in various ways. In the afternoon you will sail via the impressive Kreekrak lock to Antwerp, which is not only known as diamond city, but also as native city of painter Rubens. You will find some of his paintings in the “Onze Lieve Vrouwe (our lady) Cathedral”. Dinner on board.

Today’s tour will see you cycle out of Antwerp on a beautiful cycle path along the picturesque tidal Schelde River to St. Amands, 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. Dinner on board.

The bike tour follows again the river Schelde in the direction of Gent. Gent is a lively university city, again, one with a rich past. In the afternoon you have the opportunity to discover the city some more or to shop in the lively centre. The city was founded in Roman times, where the rivers Leie and Schelde converge. The convenient location has over the years brought much prosperity, culminating in the late 13th, early 14th century. The textile industry brought great wealth. In the city, many old patricians preserved. The Cloth Hall (1425) brought cloth merchants together. The main church is the St. Bavo Cathedral, which is built in different ages and in the different corresponding styles. In the cathedral are some masterpieces of medieval art, which "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by Jan van Eyck is the most famous. The ship is docked at the lock in Merelbeke, a suburb of Gent (approx. 30 min by bike from the city centre). Dinner on board.

Today you will cycle from Gent through the beautiful Flemish countryside of western Flanders to Bruges, widely described as the "Venice of the North" and arguably the most beautiful of all the Flemish cities. Bruges attracts more than two million visitors every year who cime to see the picturesque medieval town center of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic city and a long list of historic attractions. An outstanding example of a medieval historic settlement, Bruges has managed to maintain its historic fabric as it has evolved over the centuries, with the result that today the city´s original  Gothic buildings from an integral part of the town´s identity. While you are here you can visit one of Bruges many museums or simply take in the stunning beauty and culture of this unforgettable city from the comfort of a sidewalk café. Dinner tonight (not included) will be in town in a restaurant of your choice (recommendations available on board).

Your final day of cycling takes you along a quiet canal and past beautiful poplar trees through an attractive polder landscape (a polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments) dotted with small farm houses to the North Sea coast. Here you can swim in the sea along an inviting sandy beach and visit any one of numerous cafés if you want. Whilst returning to Bruges, you will cycle along a small picturesque canal.

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