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Five Different Itineraries for 2010
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The Burgundy Canal offers an incredible
abundance of interesting shore excursions by coach, foot or bicycle.
This incomparable region is world-renowned for its exquisite cuisine and
fine wine.
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Departure
dates:
April 3 - June 12, 19, 26 - July 3, 10 |
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The Canal du Centre
offers some of the richest and most beautiful regions of pastoral
France.
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Departure dates:
April 10, 17, 24 - May 1,
8, 15, 22, 29 - June 5 |
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This cruise is on the Burgundy Canal and Canal du Rhone au Rhin
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This is a family
Cruise. Children are welcome!
Lorraine is
uniquely equipped with the possibility of having a pull down bunk
for children to accompany parents in the same cabin.
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Cruise
the heart of Alsace-Lorraine, where French and German
culture entwine to create one of France’s most bewitching
regions. Visit Colmar and Strasbourg, enjoy wine tasting,
and have a look at crystal-making.
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Departure dates:
July 31 - August 7, 14, 21, 28
- September 4, 11, 18, 25 - October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 |
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Itinerary
One
The Heart of Burgundy : Dijon - St Léger
April 3 - June 12, 19, 26 - July
3, 10
The
Burgundy Canal, the most beloved in France, offers an
incredible abundance of interesting shore excursions by
coach, foot or bicycle. This incomparable region is
world-renowned for its exquisite cuisine and fine wine.
Cruise Highlights:
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Shore Excursions to Dijon, Capital of Burgundy
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Beaune, capital of the vineyards
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Medieval Fortress of Chateau de Marguerite
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12th
Century Chateau Rully
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12th
century Monks winery of Clos de Vougeot
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Barging center of St Jean de Losne
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visit to Hotel Dieu, the first charity hospital of
Europe founded in 1443
Saturday
Meeting at Dijon Railway station at 4:15
p.m. The bus will wait until all passengers are on board or
5:30 p.m. Passengers will be provided with a cell phone
number of the bus driver in case there is some problem.
Bus transfer to Lorraine and welcome aboard drinks with
introduction of the crew. As you are getting acquainted
with your new sailing mates the Lorraine will begin its
journey along the Canal de Bourgogne to its evening mooring
at Ouges.
Sunday
After your buffet breakfast aboard Lorraine
our motor coach will wisk you to Dijon for a tour of this
capital of Burgundy. Meanwhile Lorraine continues down the
Canal de Bourgogne. Passengers will return to Lorraine for
lunch and continued cruising along the canal. There are many
opportunities for guests to walk along the towpath or cycle
into nearby villages. This evening we will moor in St Jean
de Losne, traditionally the centre of barging in Burgundy.
It is in St Jean de Losne that the Canal de Bourgogne with
merges with the river Saone. There is ample opportunity to
walk the village before dinner and stroll the quiet streets
after dinner. There are hundreds of barges moored here in
addition to major barge manufacturers. Live aboard barge
owners are abundant. It is a unique village.
Monday
This morning your guide will take you to
visit to Clos de Vougeot. Wine was produced here as early as
the 12th century—by none other than the local monks. A
private wine tasting follows before we return to
Lorraine. This afternoon we will cruise to Chalon sur
Saone. CHALON SUR SAONE is the second largest city in
Burgundy and has been an important trading centre since
gallo-roman times. There will be time to visit the beautiful
medieval town centre
surrounding the Cathedral St Vincent.
Tuesday
Today we enter the Canal du Centre from the
Saone through a lock with a fifty foot rise. We will cruise
along an attractive winding stretch where a good towpath and
fairly frequent locks give ample opportunities to walk or
cycle the tow path. This afternoon we will have an excursion
to the nearby village of Rully for a private guided tour of
the 12c Chateau. When we return to Lorraine it will be
moored in the lovely little town of Chagny.
Wednesday
Morning excursion to BEAUNE.
Beaune, wine capital of Burgundy and home to the magnificent
Hôtel-Dieu,
a charity hospital founded in 1443. This monument boasts the
finest Burgundian-Flemish architecture in the world.
Afternoon
cruise through the meanders of the canal du centre to
moor in the midst of the
famous vineyards of SANTENAY
Thursday
Today we navigate to the quiet village of
Dennevy. Drive to Couches to visit the chateau of Marguerite
of Burgundy, the beautifully preserved vestiges of a vast
medieval fortress, followed by a tasting of the wines made
here by Emmanuel Cayot, son of the owner. Ample time for
waking or cycling today. Later we cruise on to the
picturesque village of St léger-sur-Dheune for a farewell
gala dinner.
Friday
Transfer to Dijon station after breakfast
Itinerary Two
Beautiful Southern Burgundy and Eastern Loire :
Chagny to Paray-le-Monial
April 10, 17, 24 - May 1,
8, 15, 22, 29 - June 5
The
Canal du Centre
offers some of the richest and most beautiful regions of
pastoral France. This route offers
some of the best bicycling and walking of all the canals
regions of France. The terrain is gentle and the
villages are inviting you to come explore.
Cruise Highlights:
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Shore excursions to the medieval town of Chalon
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Moorings
among the vines in Santeney
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Wine
tasting and a visit to Chateau Rully
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Visit
to the Benidictine Abbey of Cluny, founded in 910
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An
exploration of the ancient Roman city of Autun with its
incredible medieval section
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A
visit to the Chocolate Factory of Bernard DuFoux, the
most prestigious chocolate maker in France
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A
visit to a unique auto museum housed in a 14th Century
Chateau
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A
visit to the 12th Century Bacilic de La Clayette, a
reproduction of the church at Cluny
Saturday
Our meeting place is
Le Creusot
Mo TGVtrain
station at 3:15. (TGV Duplex 6617 from Paris Gare de
Lyon arrives at 3:15---train and times subject to change
by SNCF). You will be met at the station and
transferred to your barge which awaits you at
Chagny.
Welcome drink on board while the crew stores your bags
in your cabin. Then we will begin cruising to our first
nights mooring in the delightful vineyard village of
Santaney.
There will be time for a stroll around the village or a
bicycle ride before we enjoy our
first Gourmet Dinner
aboard.
Sunday
Excursion to
Chalon for a
guided visit to this charming town. The we return to
the barge to cruise for our second nights mooring in the
canal town of St
Leger su Dheune. On the way we will pass
through many locks offering passengers excellent to walk
or bicycle along the tow path. You can even venture
into some villages for a personal look.
Monday
Today's shore
excursion is to the lovely
Chateau de Rully
where we will be personally greeted by the Countess
de Rully and treated to a
private wine tasting
in her cave. Our cruise for today will be to
Montchanin
which is the highest point on the Canal du Centre
Tuesday
Today we will
experience some delightful cruising through picturesque
countryside to
Montceau les Mines. Our shore excursion
today is to Cluny,
a world heritage sight. Cluny houses the remains of the
famous Benedictine
Abbey founded in 910 by William the Pious.
Before the construction of St Peter's in Rome, Cluny
contained the largest church in Christendom.
Wednesday
Our cruise continues
through beautiful valleys to the village of
Genelard.
Along the way we will visit the
ancient city of Autun
whichh was founded by the emperor Augustus. Here we
will find the remains of a
Roman Theater
and two decorative city gates. We will also visit
the cathedral of St
Lazare and the
medieval district of
Autun with its winding cobble stone streets
that visitors have been walking on for 1000 years.
Thursday
Chocolate lovers
will really love today. We drive to the town of
La Clayette
to visit the premises of the Master Chocolate maker
Bernard Dufoux.
Of course we will have some samples. Then we will
have a visit to the
Automobile museum which is housed in a 14th Century
Castle. Our cruise today is to
Paray-le-Monial
where the 12th century basilica was built as a smaller
reproduction of the
Abby Church of Cluny. Our visit will offer
time to stroll arond the town center before we return to
the barge to injoy our
Gala Farewell dinner.
Friday
After breakfast you
will board our bus for the journey to Le Creusot rail
station and the end of a perfect week.
This route is run in reverse on alternate weeks.
Itinerary Three
Dijon to Besancon
- Transition Cruise for Lorraine
July 17
Saturday
Meeting point in DIJON at 4:15 p.m.,
welcome cocktails on board ,cruise to OUGES
Sunday
This morning we will have a visit of
Dijon with a guided tour of the principal sights of the
city center. We will return to Lorraine for lunch on
board and cruise down to St Jean de Losne where the
Burgundy canal meets the river SAONE. There will be
lots of opportunity for walking and cycling the tow path
this afternoon. St Jean de Losne is a canal barge
town. It is unique and worth exploring. There are
hundreds of live aboard bargers here, most British and
American.
Monday
We begin the day with a short cruise up
the river SAONE and then on to the Rhone-Rhine canal.
This day presents good opportunities for walking or
cycling on the towpath and discover nearby villages. We
will moor in Dole ,an attractive city overlooking the
river. This afternoon we will have a guided tour to the
old town, where we will see the house where louis
Pasteur was born (now a museum) and the collegiate
church of our lady (14c)
Tuesday
This
morning we cruise up an enchanting stretch of the river
Doubs to Ranchot where we will have an excursion to the
royal saltworks of Arc et Senans. We will see such an
extraordinary example of 18c industrial architecture
that it is listed in as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Afterward we will visit the nearby pretty jura wine
capital of Arbois and a chance to taste its superb
wines.
Wednesday
Today we cruise up the river Doubs to the
little vilage of Thoraise where we moor in a delightful
country setting. Today’s excurisio is to the Loue valley
and the breathtakingly beautiful riverside town of
Ornans where we visit the museum dedicated to the famous
locally born painter Gustave Courbet.
Thursday
We continue up the meandering Doubs river
, to the majestic town of Besançon, our final
destination. This afternoon we will tour on foot to the
citadelle built by the famous military architect Vauban,
then on to St John’s Cathedral, past an extraordinary
astronomical clock and through the picturesque old
town. Tonight of course is our Gala Farewell dinner.
Friday
Coach
transfer to the train station after breakfast. Arrival
at the station at 10 a.m.
Itinerary Four
Besancon to Mulhouse -
Lorraine Family Cruise
July 24
Saturday
Pickup point is Dijon Train Station around 4.15 p.m.
(Official train schedules are not up yet.) Coach transfer to
the
Lorraine moored at the lock in the village Ouges. Welcome party on board. Free
time to explore, bicycle or rest before dinner.
Sunday
This morning we will have a guided visit of Besançon
including a visit to the zoo set within the ramparts.
Afterwards we will visit the natural history museum with
it large collection of naturalized animals and insects.
We return to Lorraine and cruise to the river side
village of Baume Les Dames.
Monday
This morning we visit of the Grotte de la Glaciere, and
do an exploration of these underground caves. Bring a
jacket, it is about 50 degrees in the caves. We then
cruise to the charming riverside town
of L’Isle sur le Doubs. This marks the end of the
river travel and the beginning of canal navigation which
will give us ample opportunities to cycle on the tow
path.
Tuesday
Today we cruise to Montbeliard ,with its lovely old town
center and 17c chateau. We will also pay a visit to the
Peugeot museum with a collection of their cars since
1889, and then visit the factory to see this years cars
being built.
Wednesday
We cruise through the summit level of the canal at
Montreux-Chateau and cruise down a narrow valley to
Dannemarie. We will pay a visit to the Ecomusée d'Alsace
in Ungersheim a typical village where people live as they did in the
19c. We can watch fields being ploughed by horses,
clogs being made and cakes coming out of wood burning
ovens.
Thursday
Mulhouse is our cruise destination today. It has a
fantastic choice of museums. There is a train museum
and next to it the firemen museum. The national car
museum with its 464 cars of 98 different brands is the
biggest in the world. Finally we will visit
ELECTROPOLIS where we can learn everything about
electricity while having fun! This is a busy day packed
with learning.
Friday
After Breakfast we will board our coach to transfer to
train station in Mulhouse. We will arrive before 10
a.m.
This cruise will be sold at normal value season rates
for the parents. A child staying in the same room will
pay only 660 Euros additional. If one parent
travels with one child the pp double rate will apply to
both. If two parents travel with two
children then the parents will pay normal value season
rates and the two children sharing one room will pay
only 1333 Euros each. These prices
are commissionable at normal rates.
Itinerary Five
Majestic Alsace - Lorraine :
Kraft to
Xouaxange
July 31 - August 7, 14, 21, 28
- September 4, 11, 18, 25 - October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Cruise
the heart of Alsace-Lorraine, where French and German
culture entwine to create one of France’s most bewitching
regions. Visit Colmar and Strasbourg, enjoy wine tasting,
and have a look at crystal-making. Spend time in picturesque
villages and around a gourmet dining table.
Cruise Highlights:
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shore
excursions to beautiful Colmar with it's "Little Venice";
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The
Medieval Village of Riquewihr
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Stasbourg with it's "Petite France" district
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The
cathedrale Notre Dame
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A
unique visit to an Alsatian Brewery
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A
visit to a Crystal Factory
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A
ride of the famous Inclined Plane of Arzwiller
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Passage
through two tunnels and the exihabit of the Chagall Tapistry
and stained Glass in picturesque Sarreburg.
Saturday
Meeting place is
the Strasbourg train station at 2:15 pm. From there you will
be transferred to The Lorraine, moored on the East
side of Strasbourg. You will be welcomed aboard and meet
the crew while your bags are put in your cabin. Following
the welcome drink our guide will invite you to to board our
air conditioned coach for a short tour of Strasbourg as a
first brief introduction to this historic town. Shortly
thereafter you will enjoy your first gourmet dinner on board
this evening.
Sunday
After
breakfast we we take the air conditioned
coach to Colmar,
renowned for its magnificent medieval and Renaissance
buildings,
13th-century collegiate church, and the
waterside Little Venice
district. This is an all day program. You
will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Colmar. In
addition to your guided tour you will have some free
time to explore. Stop at the
Unterlinden Museum,
famous for its Renaissance art and home to the
“Issenheim Altarpiece.” We will return to the barge
through the famous
"Route Des Vins" a small road running at the
base of the foothills of the Vosges Mountains, parallel
to the Rhine and through the famous vineyards of Alsace.
We pause in picturesque
Medieval Riquewihr
for a wine tasting
of local vintages and souvenir shopping before returning
to Lorraine.
Monday
We cast off
early and cruise
over breakfast toward
Strasbourg center. We enter the heart of
Strasbourg and pass through the commercial docks before
leaving the city to the north. We pass the ultra modern
buildings of the European Parliament. Here we will disembark
for a guided walking
tour of the principal sights of Strasbourg with its cobbled
streets and timbered houses. The unique beauty
of picturesque “petite
France” riverside district is magnificent. The
remarkable cathedral of
Notre Dame, whose construction spread over five
centuries from the Romanesque choir to the flamboyant gothic
spire, is a highlight. Afterwards we continue cruising to
Hochfelden and our mooring for tonight. There is ample
opportunity to walk between locks on the tow path or to
bicycle into nearby villages. Overnight in the picturesque
village of Hocfelden.
Tuesday
This morning
we begin cruising after breakfast passing several typical
Alsatian villages
where ancient documents prove there was a brewery as early
as 870 A.D. We
will visit a small local brewery and sample some delicious
Alsatian Beer.. All the best French beers are
brewed in Alsace. This day provides us with excellent
opportunities for walking
and cycling (perhaps diverting to a
bierstub
to appreciate the product of a local brewery). Later, a
delightful afternoon cruise brings us to the picturesque
small town of Lutzelbourg
nestled in the Vosges mountains..
Wednesday
After
breakfast we make a short drive
to visit a unique crystal
factory to see the most famous products of this
area. Beautiful pieces of crystal are still individually
blown and fashioned by hand.
Back on board, cruise
into Lorraine, where the canal follows the steep-sided
valley of the River Zorn to the
famous inclined plane of
Arzwiller. Here, a counterbalanced barge lift
hauls us up nearly 150 feet to the Marne to Rhine Canal. We
then cruise through a cutting and
two tunnels under
the peak of the Vosges Mountains before mooring at a quiet
spot near the village of
Hess.
Thursday
We begin a
morning along the summit pound, the highest section, of the
Marne to Rhine canal. This section of some thirty kilometres
with no locks passes through the
regional park of Lorraine,
a nature reserve with numerous lakes and vast areas of
woodland. The canal then begins its descent towards the
plain of Lorraine through a series of locks,
the first of which was
built in the nineteen-fifties to replace a flight of
seven of the original early nineteenth century locks and has
a drop of nearly fifty feet. This afternoon we will take the
coach for a drive to
Sarrebourg and visit the chapel of the Cordelieres
where we can see the stained glass window created by
Marc Chagall. We return to Lorraine for our
farewell gala dinner.
Friday
Leave the
Lorraine after breakfast and coach transfer to the train
station in Strasbourg arriving just before noon..
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Note: These are sample itineraries: subject to
modification in the case of unforeseen circumstances
such as canal closures. The boat cruises in the
opposite direction on some weeks. Programmes
are being constantly developed and we may modify our
overnight stops and excursions without prior notice
in order to assure a consistently high standard of
moorings and visits.
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Rates 2010:
Prices are in EUROS
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Date |
Season |
Itinerary |
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April 3 |
Value |
Dijon - St Leger |
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April 10, 17 |
Value |
Chagny - Paray Le
Monial |
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April 24 |
Standard |
Chagny - Paray Le
Monial |
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May
1, 8*, 15*, 22*, 29* |
Standard |
Chagny - Paray Le
Monial |
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June 5 |
Standard |
Chagny - Paray Le
Monial |
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June 12*, 19, 26 |
Standard |
Dijon - St Leger |
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July 3*, 10* |
Standard |
Dijon - St Leger |
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July 17* |
Value |
Dijon - Besancon |
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July 24* |
Value |
Besancon - Mulhouse |
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July 31 |
Value |
Xouaxange - Krafft |
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August 7, 14, 21 |
Value |
Xouaxange - Krafft |
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August 28 |
Standard |
Xouaxange - Krafft |
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September 4, 11, 18, 25 |
Standard |
Xouaxange - Krafft |
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October 2, 9 |
Standard |
Xouaxange - Krafft |
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October 16, 23, 30 |
Value |
Xouaxange - Krafft |
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Accommodation |
Standard |
Value |
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Double Occupancy, per
person |
1,990 Euros |
1,890 Euros |
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Single supplement |
690 Euros |
690 Euros |
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Full Boat Charter |
39,800 Euros |
37,800 Euros |
*Special reduced prices for
these departures only.
Click here for more details
Rates include:
Rates do not include:
Features:
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Internet access (fee applicable)
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Telephone access (fee applicable)
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