La Nouvelle Etoile Hotel Barge - 2017 Season, Holland & Belgium, European Waterways Cruises

CRUISE MAP

Classic Holland Cruise - Amsterdam to Rotterdam

Sunday, Day 1 - Amsterdam to Zaandam
After your pick-up in Amsterdam by our driver you will be taken to the barge moored in the center of Haarlem for a champagne welcome. We will relax for the afternoon with a cruise to Zaandam, where we will moor for the night and you will enjoy your first gourmet dinner on board.

Monday, Day 2 - Zaandam to Ouderkerk
After an elegant breakfast we will take a short drive to the Zaanse Schans to visit a working windmill, a clog maker and a cheese maker. In the afternoon we will cruise to Amsterdam, through the heart of the city where the small canals and architecture will take you back to a previous century and then along the Amstel River to Ouderkerk.

Tuesday, Day 3 - Ouderkerk to Gouda
An early rise and drive to the colorful flower auction in Aalsmeer. Upon return we will set off for a cruise on the canals to the cheese Mecca of Gouda. After lunch, we will take a drive out to a local cheese farm. Besides cheese, you will find beautiful buildings, excellent shopping and the most magnificent stained glass windows in Holland.

Wednesday, Day 4 - Gouda to Delft
A morning cruise to Rotterdam through the center of this busy port and then onto Delft. Visit the Delft Pottery works, where porclain is still handmade and painted. Spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around this beautiful ancient Dutch city.

Thursday, Day 5 - Delft to Oude Wetering
A morning cruise through the canals past Leiden, across the Brasemmer Lakes to Oude Wetering. Spend the afternoon at the famous Keukenhof Gardens with the largest display of flowers in the world. Here you will see hundreds of varieties of tulips, hyacints and other beautiful bulbs.

Friday, Day 6 - Oude Wetering to Haarlem
Morning cruise to Haarlem, a picturesque town and the home of the famous Dutch painter Frans Hals where we will tour its museum. Farewell celebration on board and the last delightful gourmet dinner.

Saturday, Day 7 - Haarlem to Amsterdam
This will be your last wonderful breakfast on board. You will then be driven to either the Schiphol Airport or Amsterdam.

On alternate weeks the cruise is in the reverse direction.
This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change.

Classic Two Country Cruise - Amsterdam to Bruges

Sunday, Day 1 - Haarlem to Cruquius
You will be met by our driver in Amsterdam and driven to La Nouvelle Etoile, which will be moored in the quaint town of Haarlem where there will be a wonderful Champagne welcome. There will be time to relax and then take a short walking tour of Haarlem. Upon return, La Nouvelle Etoile will set off for a short cocktail cruise through Haarlem and moor for the night near Cruquius. Tonight will be your first, of many, gourmet meals on board.

Monday, Day 2 - Cruquius to Delft
After an early elegant breakfast we will drive to the colourful flower auction in Aalsmeer and then return back for morning cruise along the canals to Lisse where you will be taken after lunch to visit the Keukenhof Gardens, the largest display of flowers in the world. Here you will see hundreds of varieties of tulips, hyacinths and other bulbs. Meanwhile, La Nouvelle Etoile has continued cruising to Delft and before returning to the barge we will take you for a visit to the Delft Pottery Works where the world famous pottery is still handmade and painted. Dinner on board.

Tuesday, Day 3 - Delft to Willemstad
We leave Delft and cruise to Rotterdam. In the morning you will have time to visit the ancient distillery of Ketel One where one of the most prestigious vodkas in the world is made. Upon returning to the barge we will continue cruising through the busy port of Rotterdam and then across the Hollandsch Diep, part of the Dutch estuaries, to the charming old fortress town of Willemstad. Dinner on board.

Wednesday, Day 4 - Willemstad to Antwerp
Today we will leave Holland and cross the border into Belgium and cruise to Antwerp. Antwerp is the city of Rubens where we take a tour of Rubens’ home and then walk in the old quarter of this beautiful Flemish city. Dinner on board.

Thursday, Day 5 - Antwerp to Ghent
We can catch the flood tide up the winding “Sea Schelde” which takes us to the town of Ghent. Here you can look at the “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” the famous painting by the Van Eyck brothers, or just stroll through this wonderful town in the afternoon. Dinner on board.

Friday, Day 6 - Ghent to Bruges
This morning we will cruise to the beautiful little town of Bruges, known as the “Venice of the North”. We will have ample time to explore the many museums and maybe buy some of the handmade lace or take a boat trip on the small canals that wander through the town. Tonight you will be joined by Jan and Diana for a Farewell Captain’s Dinner.

Saturday, Day 7 - Bruges
After your last elegant breakfast on board you will be driven to either your hotel or the airport.

On alternate weeks the cruise is in the reverse direction.
This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change.

Extended Two Country Cruise - Bruges to Paris

Sunday, Day 1 - Bruges
You will be met by our driver and be driven to La Nouvelle Etoile which will be moored in the beautiful little town of Bruges, known as the “Venice of the North”. After a wonderful Champagne Welcome, we will take you into Bruges for a city tour on one of the little canal boats. Upon return to La Nouvelle Etoile you will have time to relax and get ready for your first of many gourmet meals on board.

Monday, Day 2 - Bruges to Ghent
This morning you can join a guided walking tour of Bruges with a local guide. Return to the barge for lunch. After lunch, you will have some free time in Bruges. Late afternoon cruise to Ghent.

Tuesday, Day 3 - Ghent to Oudenaarde
After breakfast, your guide will take you into Ghent. Visit the cathedral with fabulous painting "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” painted by the Van Eyck brothers. Return to the barge for a cruise up the River Schelde to the town of Oudenaarde where we will moor for the night.

Wednesday, Day 4 - Oudenaarde to Tournay
A morning cruise further up the River Schelde will take us to the ancient town of Tournay with its famous "Pont des Trous" (Bridge with Holes) used to collect tolls on the rivers in the old times. This afternoon you can stroll around Tournay or take an optional drive to Waterloo.

Thursday, Day 5 - Tournay to Arleux
We continue along the Schelde through the town of Valenciennes to the junction of the Canal du Nord at the little French village of Arleux. We will drive to Valenciennes along the way to visit the museum of Fine Arts.

Friday, Day 6 - Arleux to Peronne
We begin our climb over the Vermandois Hills of Picardie through the many locks and several tunnels of the Canal du Nord. The scenery is spectacular rural France at its best. There is a great towpath for the barge along the canal that allows you to have a leisurely walk if you wish. After lunch, there will be a trip to Amiens to visit what must be one of the greatest of all Gothic cathedrals with its powerful towering spires and columns.

Saturday, Day 7 - Peronne to the end of The Canal du Nord
After breakfast you can visit the war museum in Peronne. Upon return, we will continue on 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.

Sunday, Day 8 - The Canal du Nord to Compiegne
Today we will cruise down to the Oise River valley to moor in the riverside town of Compiegne. There are many places to visit, including the train where the World War I armistice was signed, as well as the Royal Palace.

Monday, Day 9 - Compiegne to Auvers sur Oise
We are now cruising down the Oise River valley where we stop at the village of Auvers sur Oise. This charming village is a van Gogh scene. Here is where he lived and painted most of his last,and most important paintings where he stayed in a small room above a local café. We will have an afternoon walk around the town and visit the cemetery where Vincent and his brother are buried.

Tuesday, Day 10 - Avers sur Oise to Conflans
We take a full picnic lunch with deck chairs and tables and go on a day excursion to Giverny to visit the home and gardens of Claude Monet, probably the most famous of all the Impressionist painters. The gardens will be at their most beautiful at this time of year where we 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.

Wednesday, Day 11 - Conflans to Paris
In the morning we will cruise to Bougival and visit Malmaison, the home of Napoleon. We will see its many lavishly decorated rooms furnished by Josephine. We will rejoin La Nouvelle Etoile for an evening cruise up the floodlit River Seine past the Eiffel Tower and into the "Port d'Arsenal" adjacent to the Bastille for a farewell dinner on board.

Thursday Day 12 - Paris
After your last elegant breakfast on board you will be driven to Paris or Charles De Gaulle Airport.

On alternate weeks the cruise is in the reverse direction.
This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change.