Amsterdam to Maastricht

On Saturday afternoon you will be expected by 2 p.m. on your boat located close to the Amsterdam Central Station. After storing your luggage and meeting your cycling companions, guide, captain, and crew. The barge sails to Weesp where the tour guide will organize a test ride. Dinner on the boat will be followed by a stroll through the charming city of Weesp and a preview of the cycling itinerary for the upcoming week.

We will leave Weesp after breakfast and will cycle along the beautiful meandering river Vecht with impressive mansions on its banks. Along the way we will visit a real Dutch cheese farm, where cheese is still produced according to traditional methods. In the afternoon we will meet our barge in Utrecht, from where we will sail the Amsterdam Rhine canal to Vianen. Vianen received city rights in 1337. During the Middle Ages, as a “free city,” Vianen could be a haven for felons and escaped serfs. Of the three castles built during the town’s history, Castle Batestein was said to be one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands. Its only remnants are a 17th-century brick gate and water-pump. Remnants of the old city wall are visible fence parts of the old downtown. Vianen celebrates its city rights every year in October with a horse-market. Besides the horses there are also other activities on this day, such as a fair and market and traditional Dutch games

Today we will cycle through a typical Dutch landscape to Leerdam, a little town on the banks of the river Linge. Whichever way we cycle, nature between Lek and Linge is equally beautiful everywhere. Along the way we will pass old farms and unique locations for a stopover. Leerdam’s culture has been strongly influenced by the glass and timber industry. The glass currently manufactured in Leerdam is internationally known as Royal Leerdam. After visiting Leerdam we continue biking along the river Linge to Gorinchem, a charming town on the river Waal. After a short visit we will join the barge to Heusden. Wander through the picturesque streets, alleyways and discover numerous buildings dating back centuries. This historic setting is the home to galleries, speciality shops, friendly restaurants and pavement cafes

During breakfast we sail to Oss, a city on the river Maas (Meuse). From here our daily bike trip will start, leading us along the river Maas to medieval cities as Ravenstein and Grave. In Ravenstein you may visit the Tanner’s Cottages and in Grave we will see canons from the Napoleonic era. Grave has played an important role in Operation Market Garden during World War II, because of it’s situation near the John S. Thompson Bridge. Our journey continues along the river Maas to Cuijk. After dinner we will visit museum Ceuclum in Cuijck where we can climb the tower for a magnificent view of the Maas Valley. 

Today we have a magnificent bike tour scheduled for you. We will cycle along the river Maas to Afferden and Heyen. The route continues through National Park Maasduinen to Well where you will find the Well castle, with it’s heavy round brick tower, dating from the 14th century. Our final destination of the day will be Arcen, where we’ll spend the night. Here you may visit the famous castle gardens with a great variety:

• The Rosarium, with ten different rose gardens
• The water- and sculpture garden
• The Lommerijk, with shades, waterfalls and streamlets; the Valley offering six ‘international’ gardens 

We will start the day cycling following the river Meuse. We will hop on ferries and cross bridges to follow the most interesting paths. Our first stop will be Venlo, with it’s many historical monuments and lively city centre. Around lunch time we will arrive in Kessel, one of the oldest villages along the river Meuse. From here we will cross over to the other bank and continue to the beautiful village of Beesel, where the grain mill ‘Grey Bear’ stands proudly along the river. We will spend the night in Roermond, where river Roer and river Meuse meet each other. Roermond’s rich history and religious promincen is well visible through the many monumental buildings in the city centre. Roermond is also the city of Pierre Cuypers, according to many the most important Dutch architect of the 19th century. Cuypers is the architect of the Rijksmuseum and Central Station in Amsterdam. Tonight dinner is on your own. We will have dinner recommendations available on board.

Today our cycling route continues through charming villages and the beautiful landscape of the province Limburg. Our first stop will be in Thorn, the ‘white village’, at the Belgium border. Thorn is known for its cobblestone streets and white painted houses. The only non-white building is the 14th century church. From Thorn we will cross the border to the Belgian city Maaseik. Maaseik is famous for the painters Hubert and Jan van Eyck. On the market square we will see typical Renaissance style houses with their impressive facades and can order a Belgian beer (Pint) at one of the many terraces. After Maaseik we will continue to Born where we will meet our barge. From here we will sail to Maastricht. Maastricht, the capital of the province Limburg, is a beautiful preserved city with Roman roots. You can’t get bored in Maastricht with so many places of interest:

• The treasure house of the St. Servaas Church
• The Bonnefanten museum for art and antiquity
• The Kazematten, a system of underground fortress works from the 18th century
• The marl caves
• Or enjoy yourself at the lively and famous square the Vrijthof

Our tour concludes after breakfast, with departure before 9:30 a.m.