Bruges - Amsterdam: bike & boat, MS Magnifique 2

Your ship awaits you in the port of Bruges. At 2 pm the crew will welcome you on board. After a short time for initial orientation, the day continues with dinner followed by a short walking tour of the charming historic Old Town of Bruges. Arriving one or two days before embarkation gives you the opportunity to explore Bruges at your leisure.

Your first bike ride today will take you through the picturesque Flemish countryside along the Ghent Canal. Upon arrival, you will have the opportunity to discover the city on a walking tour. The city center of Ghent enchants with its illuminated streets and an impressive wealth of historical architecture. In times past, Ghent was the second largest city in Europe, after Paris. The ship will moor for the night at the lock of Merelbeke, a suburb of Ghent about a 30-minute bike ride from the city center. Before dinner is served, you will have the opportunity to join a guided canal tour of the city.

After breakfast, you will have some time in Ghent. In the late morning you will cycle downstream along the tidal river Scheldt to Dendermonde, a town at the confluence of the rivers Dender and Scheldt. The movement of the boat in this part of the Scheldt depends on the tides. You will travel either by bike or by boat (depending on the tide) from Dendermonde to St. Amands. Your floating accommodation will be moored in St. Amands for the night.

Today you continue your journey and follow the Scheldt downstream to Antwerp. Over the centuries, this stretch of the Scheldt has been a strategically important place for various historical players. Today, this leg of your journey presents itself as an ideal combination of bicycle and boat travel. Your destination today, Antwerp, is a port city along the Scheldt. As early as the 15th century, it carried the reputation of being the world capital of the diamond trade. There are numerous remarkable sights to explore in this fascinating city. These include historical monuments such as the Renaissance City Hall, the historic marketplace "Grote Markt" or the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Cathedral.

This morning the ship navigates the Scheldt-Rhine canal to the imposing Kreekrak locks. Here your bike tour starts through the forest area "Wouwse Plantage", leading you to Tholen. Tholen was once a modest fishing village on an island in the Dutch province of Zeeland, but since the implementation of the Delta Project it is now connected to the mainland. From Tholen, you will continue your journey by boat through the impressive Volkerak lock system until you reach Dordrecht - one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands and your stopover for tonight.

Today the first stage takes place in about 10 minutes by bus transfer to Alblasserdam. You will quickly reach Kinderdijk by bike, known for its row upon row of 19 windmills, which have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your bike ride continues via Schoonhoven to Vianen, a small fortified town on the banks of the Lek River. Here the ship will dock for tonight and after dinner you will have the opportunity to explore the town.

During breakfast, the ship moves towards Breukelen, where you will disembark for your last bike ride. You will cycle along the picturesque river Vecht, which is lined with many manor houses, small castles and magnificent country houses with extensive gardens. The route will take you through several small towns until you reach Nigtevecht, where you will have the opportunity to visit a traditional cheese farm. Your journey continues to Amsterdam, where you board the ship again for your last night in the port of Amsterdam.

Disembarkation and individual journey home after breakfast from 9:30 am.

Possible, necessary changes of the itinerary due to wind, weather and nautical peculiarities remain reserved to the skipper as captain of the ship at any time!