Cycling holiday Amsterdam to Bruges

Boarding time is between 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM.  The barge needs to leave the mooring place in Amsterdam at 2 PM. It is very important you are on time. The barge can’t wait due the opening hours of bridges and/or locks. When you arrive on board the ship, you can put your luggage away in your cabin and then enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. It is also a good moment to become acquainted with the guide, skipper and crew and of course your fellow passengers. We sail to Oude Wetering where the guide will take you on a short ride to get used to your bikes.

From Oude Wetering you will continue your tour over country roads along river banks and channels through the Green Heart to the city known for its cheese: Gouda. Who thinks of Gouda, not only thinks of cheese, pipes, ‘stroopwafels’ (treacle-waffle) and pottery, but also of stained-glass windows, a fairy-like town hall and atmospheric canals. Gouda is a beautiful Old-Dutch city with a mostly intact city centre. As on most days, after dinner you can take a walk through the city.

Today you will cycle along the Dutch IJssel, through the deepest lying polder of the Netherlands Krimpenerwaard and over narrow cycling paths to the river ‘Lek’. Here you will cross the river by ferry to Kinderdijk. From the embankments of the river Lek, you will witness an amazing view of the 19 windmills, which are now listed as a UNESCO’s World Heritage site. This is where you will take a break and visit the interior of a windmill. After a beautiful tour through the Alblasserwaardpolder you will take a fast ferry to the old town of Dordrecht, birthplace of independance of the Netherlands.

From Dordrecht we will sail to the Delta area of the Dutch greater rivers during breakfast. Years ago, an open connection existed with the sea due to the many tributaries in this area. After the disastrous flooding in 1953, the Deltaplan was developed and most tidal outlets were closed from the sea by dams. Most parts of Zeeland were, and still are, under sea level and in 1953 the embankments were too weak and too low, causing this area to be at risk for flooding’s once in every 80 years. Now, because of the flood barriers, that chance is reduced to less than once every 4000 years. Just before reaching our destination of today (Zierikzee, on the island of Schouwen-Duivenland) we will visit the ‘Watersnoodmuseum’. This museum tells the tragic events of 1953 and is built in recently renewed caissons, once used for the last closure gap. This was done in November 1953, ten months after the storm surge which broke through more than 300 embankments. Zierikzee is a beautiful town and the centre of the ‘mussel culture’. The ‘Zeeuwse mosselen’ (blue mussels) are a renowned delicacy.

This morning you cycle along the Oosterschelde towards the North Sea, to cross the Oosterscheldedam. The enormous locks are built in this embankment and can be closed during storms and high tides protecting the south-west of the Netherlands against the sea. This embankment was one of the last in a series of barriers against the sea. When cycling along the embankment, one will realize why this has been one of the most difficult and costly challenges to protect the country now and in the future and to let seawater into the widespread Delta area. It is precisely why the Deltaworks are referred to as the one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. After this dam you will peddle to Middelburg, but not without visiting the picturesque port town of Veere. Middelburg is the lively principal town of Zeeland with many old houses, churches, the beautiful town hall and a pleasant shopping. Also to be found in Middelburg is the Roosevelt Academy, a liberal arts college, located in the former late-gothic town hall on the market of Middelburg.

Today you have to cross the ‘Westerschelde’, the only estuary which isn’t closed by a dam because it is the gateway to the port of Antwerp. A short ferry trip brings you from Vlissingen to Breskens in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen (Dutch-Flanders)! We are getting close to Belgium. On your daily cycle route you will cross the Dutch – Belgium border back and forth before you definitely cross the Dutch – Belgium border by boat to sail to Ghent.

This morning you will cycle through Ghent to the scenic countryside of Oost-Vlaanderen (East-Flanders). Characteristic for this area are the woods, fields, small villages and castles. From the Aalterbrug (also for the shorter route) the last part of this route takes us over the former tow path along the canal of Oostende-Gent, the oldest canal of Belgium, to Bruges. The impressive city of Bruges is the end destination of this bike and barge trip. This evening you can enjoy the medieval city of Bruges and many of you are likely to stay another day in this beautiful city.

End of the tour after breakfast, before 10 AM. If you have an early flight you can ask the the tourlguide to arrange a taxi to the airport.

The barge is moored at the Oosterdok in central  Amsterdam, near the train station. You are expected to arrive at our barge on Thursday between 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM.  When you arrive on board, you can settle in and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. It is also a good moment to become acquainted with the tour leader, skipper and crew and of course your fellow passengers.
The barge leaves dock at 2 PM. You will first cruise through Amsterdam before reaching the wetlands south of the city and the mooring place of today, the village of Oude Wetering. A relaxed way of starting your trip and get used to life on the barge.
During dinner aboard the ship, the program for the next day and the global planning of the week are discussed. Instructions on cycling and safely procedures will also be given. After dinner the tour leader will escort you on the first kilometers on your bike during a short ride around the village.

From Oude Wetering, we will continue our tour over country roads, banks and channels through the Green Heart and polders to the city known for its cheese.Gouda. Your ride takes you through a typical Dutch landscape filed with green meadows, wetlands, canals, rivers and small villages. You will cross waterways on small ferries and over bridges. Before we reach Gouda you ride through the Reeuwijkse Plassen, a nature reserve and renowned wetland.Who thinks of Gouda, not only thinks of cheese, pipes, ‘stroopwafels’ (treacle-waffle) and pottery, but also of stained-glass windows, a fairy-like town hall and atmospheric canals. Gouda is beautiful Old-Dutch city with a mostly intact city center.
The ‘St. Janskerk’, Gouda’s 123-metre-long church, with its renowned ‘Goudse Glazen’ (leaded light windows), the beautiful gothic town hall and the ‘Waag’ (a building once used for weighing cheese) are absolutely worth a visit.
As on most evenings after dinner the tour guide will take you on a walk through the city.

From Gouda you will cycle over quiet countryroads and narrow cycling paths to Dordrecht. You ride past scenic polders and through the deepest lying polder of the Netherlands, Krimpenerwaard. After arriving on the dyke of the river ‘Lek’ you cross by ferry to Kinderdijk. From the embankments of the river Lek, you will witness an amazing view of the 19 windmills, which are now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The windmills at Kinderdijk were still actively used until 1950. These days, a large pumping station is responsible for controlling the water level in the polder. This is where you will take a break and can visit the interior of a windmill. An impressive piece of centuries old technique that is still functional today. 
After a beautiful tour through the Alblasserwaardpolder we will arrive at Alblasserdam. A modern, fast ferry will take us over to Dordrecht, one of the oldest cities of the country, situated at a busy crossing of waterways. Dordrecht is also the birthplace of independance of the Netherlands as this is the town where in 1572 the first free State assembly was held. This assembly can be seen as start of the Netherlands as an independent country as the resistance against Spain was formed here.

From Dordrecht you sail to the 17th century fortified town of Willemstad. After a short stop to explore this nice litte town you continue past the Volkeraksluizen (locks), one of the busiest locks in Europe. You continue through a flat polder landscape to the woodlands surrounding Bergen op Zoom. After this lively town you will bike over the “Brabantse Wal”, a wooded sand wall, a deposit dating back tot the Ice Ages. This area is famous for its delicious strawberries and asparagus.
You board the barge again at the huge Kreekrak lock for a cruise to Antwerp. This is a fascinating journey along the river with its big sea going vessels. The entrance to the harbour of Antewerp is spectacular as you sail past the impressive new Havenhuis (Harbour House).The historical centre of Antwerp is worth a visit, here you'll find: the Onze-Lievevrouwenkerk and the Rubenshuis. In the Willemsdok, near the Museum for Modern Art (Museum Aan de Stroom) you will find the barge. In the Willemsdok, near the Museum for Modern Art (Museum Aan de Stroom) you will find the barge.

This morning you first cross the Scheldt river via the old St. Anna tunnel using the escalator with moving wooden stairs, a special experience. Cycling along the Scheldt river you pass Basel, one of the most beautiful villages of Belgium, and Rupelmonde the birthplace of famous 16th century cartographer Gerardus Mercator. On the way to Sint Amands the cycle route leads you along nature reserves and wetlands like Durme and Schausselbroek. Especially the mudflat of Durme is worth mentioning because it's one of the last fresh water marshes along this tidal part of the river and therefore has a unique flora and fauna. Sint Amands is a sleepy village in a bend of the Scheldt river.

This days starts with a leisurely sail to Dendermonde. After disembarking you will visit the beautiful market square with its impressive 14th century town hall and belfry. From here you cycle again along the Scheldt river to Berlare and later on Wetteren, with its rose nurseries. This is the last place before Ghent, so it's a perfect place to taste some Belgian beer before you reach the city and board the ship again.
Ghent is proud of its rich past but the role of the city is not restricted to a museum-city. The city is a stunning mixture of medieval buildings, chic shopping areas with beautiful mansions, old workers districts from the early twentieth century which now house hundreds of students and busy squares where one can sit and enjoy warm summer nights until the early hours.

This morning you will cycle through Ghent and through the scenic countryside of Oost-Vlaanderen (East-Flanders). Characteristic for this area are the woods, fields, small villages and castles. From the Aalterbrug the last part of this route takes us over the former tow path along the canal of Oostende-Gent, the oldest canal of Belgium, to Bruges. The impressive city of Bruges is the end destination of this bike and barge trip. This evening you can enjoy the medieval city of Bruges and many of you are likely to stay another day in this beautiful city.

End of the tour after breakfast. Disembarkation before 10 am.