Amsterdam to Bremen

Day 1: Amsterdam - Hoorn
Day 2: Hoorn - Enkhuizen - Lemmer
Day 3: Lemmer - Sneek - Leeuwarden
Day 4: Leeuwarden - Stroobos - Groningen
Day 5: Groningen - Delfzijl - Papenburg
Day 6: Papenburg - Oldenburg
Day 7: Oldenburg - Vegesack - Bremen
Day 8: Bremen

Average biking distance per day from 25 to 50 km. All distances are approximate. The itinerary is subject to change, even on very short notice,  due to changing wind and weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances having to do with mooring requirements, docking location changes, lock repairs,  etc.

Day 1: Amsterdam - Hoorn
Check-in on board begins at 3:30 pm. You can drop your luggage off beginning at 10 am but please note that the cabins will not be ready for check-in. At 5 pm,  Merlijn will disembark to Volendam. Once on board, as you sip your complimentary beverage, enjoy a presentation regarding your tour, the ship, the cycling, and safety. A lovely dinner follows, topped off by a city walk through charming Volendam.

Day 2: Hoorn - Enkhuizen - Lemmer
After your breakfast, you will start biking to Enkhuizen, another very charming city. In the historic center, there is still much to discover that brings back the memory of the Dutch V.O.C. (East India Company) period such as the 16th century Drommedaris tower. Enkhuizen was also the home of the Merlijn-architect in 2001. In the afternoon you will board the Merlijn and together we will cross the IJsselmeer, the largest lake in the Netherlands.  After dinner, you may want to stroll through the center of Lemmer, a very famous Dutch water sports town and the former home harbor of the Merlijn, when it was still a freight ship.

Day 3: Lemmer - Sneek - Leeuwarden
While enjoying your breakfast, the boat cruises through the province of Friesland, where there is more water than land.  You will see many lakes and canals, and because this part of the country is below sea level, you will see sailboats, but only the sails, since the actual boats are too low to see. The famous black and white Frisian cattle and the well known black Frisian horse originated here. Friesland is also the home of the famous Dutch skaters. You will start your biking tour in Sneek, one of the eleven Frisian cities. After visiting Sneek with its medieval center and the famous Watergate, you’ll bike to the capital Leeuwarden.  After dinner, there is plenty of time for a stroll through this city with its monuments, market place, canals, and medieval houses. Leeuwarden is starting and finishing point of the Elfstedentocht (Eleven cities tour), a 200 km-long speed skating race over the Frisian waterways that is held when winter conditions in the province allows.

Day 4: Leeuwarden - Stroobos - Groningen
Today, your bike tour takes you again through the charming Frisian landscape (pure nature). At the border with the province of Groningen, you will board the Merlijn in Stroobos to finish the last leg of today's route with a cruise to city of Groningen. This is the capital of the province Groningen, the most northeast province of the Netherlands. It is a lively university city with perhaps even more bikes than you’ve seen in Amsterdam! Enjoy your dinner tonight at your own expense in one of the many restaurants in this city. Following dinner, you may want to visit one of the 160 pubs!

Day 5: Groningen - Delfzijl - Papenburg
You will bike your last part in the Netherlands through the landscape of Groningen, along the Dampsterdiep, passing Appingedam. Many original medieval residences can be found in the center. The most famous sight is the hanging kitchens above the Damsterdiep. In Delfzijl, you will board the Merlijn and from here, sail an impressive part of the tour: first the Dollard, part of the Waddenzee and then into the estuary of the river Ems. Following this river until Leer, and then further along the Ems, you will bike through the floodplains of the river - a nature reserve - to the city of Papenburg. After dinner, you can walk through this charming city, still close to the Dutch border. Papenburg is also known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building giant cruise liners.  However, the history of Papenburg goes back much further in time, about 350 years ago, poor peat-farmers started with the foundation of the oldest and largest fen community of Germany.

Day 6: Papenburg - Oldenburg
You can visit the Meyer-Shipyard in the morningand afterward your bike tour will lead you to Dörpen at the Küstekanal, where the Merlijn awaits you. The city of Dörpen is shaped by canals. Here, draw-and bascule bridges span the riverbanks, and houses adorned with flowers line the banks. Tonight you will overnight in Oldenburg.

Day 7: Oldenburg - Vegesack - Bremen
Your biking day will start in Oldenburg and you will bike along the waters Küstekanal, Hunte, and Weser to Vegesack, a northern district of the city of Bremen. The boat cruises the Weser to the Schlachte, the mooring spot for the night.  The 1,200 years old Hanseatic city of Bremen offers the Weser-Renaissance town hall and the grand old statue of Roland on the market square (both UNESCO World Heritage); these are two of the city's most famous landmarks. And then of course the Schnoor Viertel, the oldest district in Bremen, with the unusual buildings along delightful little Böttcherstrasse take you back to a bygone age. But no sightseeing tour is complete without a visit to the Town Musicians statue featuring the donkey, dog, cat and rooster from the Brothers Grimm fairytale, the Bremer Stadtmusikanten.

Day 8: Bremen
Individual departure or enjoy a nice leisure day in Bremen and board the Merlijn once again at 4 pm to begin second part of tour to Magdeburg!L

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  "The Divine Miss M" as we lovingly call the Merlijn is a diva, for sure. What can we say? Is it the luxurious cabins with most comfortable beds you have ever slept in? Is it the lovely dining area with the large windows and skylight that let the air, light, and sun pour in? Or perhaps it is the sun deck, where you can relax with newfound friends, sharing good wine and good conversation. We think you will find it is the entire divine package! Step onboard and discover for yourself! Read More