Amsterdam to Bruges Bike & Boat – Princesse Royal

Start the day with a satisfying stretch of cycling down to Schoonhaven with its majestic medieval town hall, city walls and rows of narrow gabled houses lining the waterside. A super-wealthy place to be in the 17th century, home to skilled silversmiths and clockmakers, it’s still known locally as ‘Silver City’ today. Don’t miss the impressive town clock or the glittering prizes in the museum dedicated to the Dutch silver trade. But just when you think things could hardly get more Dutch, the famous Unesco World Heritage Site, the Kinderdijk, comes into view. Only a short cycle across the Alblasserwaard polder from Schoonhaven, you can feast your eyes on a row of mighty drainage windmills. Nineteen in number, these working mills make an amazing site, but be sure to visit one to experience these impressive wooden structures along with all their creaks and cranks up close. Your classic Dutch barge awaits to cruise onwards to Dordrecht, the ‘Island on the Dort’ with its fine ‘Grote Kerk’ and bordered by no less than five rivers. Historic Wolwevershaven (wool weavers harbour) with its charming rows of narrow gabled houses is your typically Dutch port for the night.

Overnight mooring – Wolwevershaven

Miles  16-30  Kms  25-50

Disembark at Tholen after a short breakfast cruise and bike it via the woodlands of the ‘Wouwse Plantage’ to Bergen Op Zoom. Its names suggests a hill or two (Bergen) where the sand pushed against the mainland clays, but everything around here is relative! The city boasts an historic marketplace, gateways and the fine 15th/16th century Markiezenhofpalace, now a museum and cultural centre. A relaxed pedal push later, the mighty Kreekraksluis lock complex  comes into sight, with the MS Princesse Royal docked at the end of the dam to deliver you down the tidal River Schelde into Belgium in style, all the way to the very historic heart of Antwerp. The city of diamonds, the world of Rubens, the capital of the province of Flanders – there’s so much to see, but the paintings by the local Grand Master in the gothic ‘Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal’ built in 1351 has to be a must. After supper, there’s a tour of the old city with a bit of local insight courtesy of your on board guide.

Overnight mooring – Antwerp

Miles  21  Kms  35

Disembark with your bike at Zeeschelde for a day of mainly riverside cycling through the beautiful landscapes around the tidal River Schelde as it ebbs and flows its way to meet the River Dende at Dendermonde. Your destination will be either St Amands or the historic town of Dendermonde with its ‘Vleeshuis’ on the marketplace and impressive city hall and belfry.

Overnight mooring – St Amands or Dendermonde

Miles  25 or 34   Kms 42 & 56

From a mooring at St Amands, either set off by bike or stay aboard the MS Princesse Royal to cruise to historic Dendermonde. From Dendermonde, enjoy more scenic cycling as you push your pedals along the pathways of the River Schelde and glide towards where it meets with the River Leie at the vibrant university city of Ghent. Although more modest than Antwerp or Bruges, Ghent combines wonderful flourishes of medieval architecture with refreshing contemporary culture and even has Roman roots. ‘Gravensteen’, its 12th century ‘Castle of the Count’ built by Phillip of Alsace, has round towers and battlements which seem to rise out of the river and are a must-climb moment just for the city views. Before you meet back up for dinner with the MS Magnifique I at Merelbeke lock in the city suburbs, the historic ‘Graslei’ area has to be on the menu, as well as St Bavo’s Cathedral for a healthy helping of fine art by Van Eyck.

Overnight mooring – Ghent (Merelbeke)

Miles  24 – 32  Kms 40 – 53

A gentle cycle through the charming West Flanders countryside, never straying too far away from the river, leads to the canal lands of Bruges – a place which wears a coat of very many colours and a good number of different hats too! The largest city in West Flanders, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Venice of the North, the most beautiful of all Flemish cities … it’s hard to know quite whether to start, but climbing the 366 steps up the ‘Belfort’ is likely to give you the bearings you need as well as some perspective over the intact medieval city centre. Graze the fine art offerings at the Groenigemuseum, shop for lace, fine chocolate or check out perhaps the city’s most whacky offering – the ‘Frietmuseum’ (yes, a whole museum dedicated to chips!). That should give you an appetite for supper in town tonight!

Overnight mooring – Bruges.

Miles 28  Kms  45

Time to leave the hustle and bustle of Bruges for a quieter canal or two. The coast is closer than you think and with massive sandy stretches and wonderful nature reserves just a gentle cycle away, who can resist? Pedal along poplar-lined pathways across the West Flander polders dotted with farmsteads to meet the North Sea around ‘Het Zwin’ with its famous dune landscape. Kick-back and relax at a café or plan a little paddle perhaps before leaving the refreshing North Sea breezes behind you for the busy life of Bruges once again.

Overnight mooring – Bruges

Miles  30  Kms  50

Following your final breakfast on board your floating home, you might choose to stay a while longer in Bruges, return to Amsterdam by train or plan a different route for your onward journey.

Extra nights in hotel accommodation can be booked to allow more time to explore Bruges at your leisure.