Sunday, Day 1
Your drivers will meet you at your hotel or the rail station and drive you to the Savoir Faire, which will be moored in the picturesque town of Bruges. Lovingly referred to as the "Venice of the North", this beautiful town is laced with small canals and magnificent squares. Deserving of the UNESCO World Heritage Site award it has received, our guests are continually delighted by this gem. After a Champagne Welcome and some delicious canapes, your tour guide will arrange a canal boat ride, so you can see the architecture from a different perspective. Upon your return, you will have time to relax and enjoy the ambiance of the bar onboard, before the first of many gourmet meals.
 
Monday, Day 2
After a hearty breakfast, your tour guide will escort you on a walking tour of Bruges to explore the many architectural wonders of this town. We then return to the barge for lunch, after which you will have time to explore and shop on your own -- lace is a speciality of Bruges. Later we begin our afternoon cruise to Ghent.
 
Tuesday, Day 3
This morning your guide will escort you into Ghent. Our visit includes the magnificent cathedral with its fabulous painting 'The Mystic Lamb', painted by the Van Eck brothers. There's also an assortment of fantastic boutiques nearby. Upon returning to the barge for lunch, we begin our cruise up the River Schelde to the town of Oudenaarde, where we will moor for the night.
 
Wednesday, Day 4
A gentle morning cruise further up the River Schelde will take us past sleepy hamlets and rolling landscapes to the ancient town of Tournai, with its famous 'Pont des Trous' (Bridge with Holes). We shall also explore the wonderful square with its ancient and fascinating clock tower.
 
Thursday, Day 5
We continue along the river Schelde as it winds its way through the town of Valenciennes to the busy junction of Canal du Nord at the little French village of Arleux. This sleepy town is the meeting place of many of the barges setting south towards France. Along the way we will drive to the bustling town of Valenciennes to visit the Museum of Fine Arts.
 
Friday, Day 6
This morning we begin our climb over the Vermandois Hills of Picardie, through the many deep locks and several tunnels of the Canal du Nord, one of which is over 3 miles long. The scenery is spectacular, giving you the opportunity to see rural France at its best. Well maintained towpaths follow alongside the canal that allow for great walking and cycling. After lunch, we have a real treat in store with an excursion to Amiens, to visit what must be one of the greatest of all Gothic cathedrals in France, with its towering spires and magnificent columns. This is one of the "not to be missed" items on any visit to France.
 
Saturday, Day 7
After breakfast you can visit the War Museum in Peronne. Upon return, we will continue our journey along the canal du Nord. There will be plenty of opportunities to walk or bike while the barge travels from lock to lock. The cruise now continues along the Canal du Nord, as it drops down into the valley of the Somme River before climbing over another watershed. The landscape unfolds revealing a part of France tourists rarely see.
 
Sunday, Day 8
Today we will cruise down to the Oise River valley to moor in the busy riverside town of Compiegne, with its Royal Palace and huge square There are many places to visit, including the train where the World War I Armistice was signed. Shops abound everywhere, giving you the opportunity to see how the local people live.
 
Monday, Day 9
The Oise River Valley is truly beautiful. Our cruise today takes to Auvers sur Oise, where we moor for an opportunity to explore this charming Van Gogh scene. Here is where he lived and painted many of his last and most important paintings, and where he stayed in a small room above a local cafe. We will have an afternoon walk around the town and visit the cemetery where Vincent and his brother are buried.
 
Tuesday, Day 10
Today we are off on a day excursion to Giverny to visit the home and gardens of Claude Monet, probably the most famous of all the Impressionist painters. Your chef will prepare a delicious picnic lunch to be taken in the gardens of Giverny. During your walk you will see the famous 'Lily Pond' and the 'Japanese Bridge' that inspired so many of his paintings. We will moor for the night in Conflans, which is the junction of the Oise and Seine Rivers. It is here that many of the commercial skippers retire, thus the reason for so many barges moored alongside the quays.
 
Wednesday, Day 11
In the morning we will cruise up the mighty river Seine to Bougival and visit Malmaison, the home of Napoleon. We will see its many lavishly decorated rooms furnished by Josephine. We will rejoin the Savoir Faire for an evening cruise through Paris, past the Eiffel Tower and the cathedral of Notre Dame and into the 'Port d'Arsenal' adjacent to the Bastille for a farewell dinner on board.
 
Thursday, Day 12
After another hearty breakfast, our drivers will take you to either your hotel or the airport.


Note:

• This is a sample itinerary. Itineraries are flexible and may be changed according to passenger requests and local conditions.
• In May, the cruise route is Bruges to Paris
• In October, the cruise route is Paris to Bruges

 

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