| Tour | Bike+Boat |
|---|---|
| Type | Guided |
| Skill | Easy |
| Length | 11 days |
| From | €1795 Rates |
| Client Reviews |
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Tour Dates
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Tour Boats
Day-To-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to Amsterdam, barge departs at 2:30 pm
Day 2: Haarlem - Leiden, 27 mi. (43 km)
Day 3: Leiden - Katwijk - Delft, 30 mi. (48 km)
Day 4: Delft - Rotterdam - Kinderdijk - Alblasserdam - Willemstad, 26 mi. (42 km)
Day 5: Willemstad - Zierikzee, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 6: Zierkzee - Veere - Middelburg, 26 mi. (42 km)
Day 7: Middelburg - Blissingen (Flushing) - Sas van Gent - Ghent, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 8: Gent - Machelen - Kortrijk, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 9: Tour around Ypres, Flanders Fields, 27 mi. (43 km)
Day 10: Kortrijk - Lichtervelde - Bruges, 20 mi. (32 km)
Day 11: Departure from Bruges
Distances are approximate.
Day 1: Arrival to Amsterdam, barge departs at 2:30 pm. Amsterdam - Spaarndam - Haarlem, 10 - 15 mi. (6.2 - 9 km)
You are able to board the Quo Vadis and check in from noon onwards but please try to be on board by 2 pm. The boat will depart promptly at 2:30 pm for Spaarndam. Upon arrival, you will be fitted with your bike and begin a short ride to the oldest lock of Europe and the famous statue of Hans Brinker. You will then bike along a dune landscape to the historical city of Haarlem.
Day 2: Haarlem - Leiden, 27 mi. (43 km)
Today is a day to enjoy the coast and the water. You will pedal through the dunes, along sandy beaches, and quaint harbor villages, like Zandvoort and Noordwijk. You will end in the historic city of Leiden, birthplace of Rembrandt van Rijn. The origins of this university town is about 800 AD and became a marketplace at the confluence of the Old and New Rhine Rivers, the Vliet River, and the Mare. For many years, it was the second most important city in Holland with Amsterdam being the first. In medieval times, it was the center of the textile industry. A well-known episode from the history of Leiden is the siege of 1574 by the Spanish, who were driven from the area when the dikes broke through. The history of this is fascinating if you have some time for pre tour reading.
Day 3: Leiden - Katwijk - Delft, 30 mi. (48 km)
From Leiden you will follow the course of the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) through the dunes, to Katwijk aan Zee, an old fishing village. From here you bike in the direction of the Hague, through the Haagse Bosch, a large park, and past the Royal Residence, Huis ten Bosch. A tranquil cycle path through the dunes leads to Wassenaarse Slag and the remnants of the Atlantikwall, the 1900 mile long coastal fortification built by the Nazi Third Reich. Passing the Hague you will arrive in Delft, birthplace of Vermeer, known for its Delfts Blue ceramic, the Nieuwe Kerk with its historic link to the royal House of Orange. Relive its glorious past as you wander along canals, churches, mansions, and courtyards.
Day 4: Delft - Rotterdam - Kinderdijk - Alblasserdam - Willemstad, 26 mi. (42 km)
From Delft, you’ll bike to Rotterdam, also known as "Manhattan on the Maas". This bustling city has many architectural highlights, interesting museums, and is the main port of Holland. On the Maas River, the Erasmus Bridge is the gateway to the Kop van Zuid district. From here you will take the high-speed ferry to famous Kinderdijk, where the biking begins anew through the Alblasserwaard, situated in between rivers. You'll enjoy the lovely scenery of water and meadows. The many inundations and the slowly sinking surface made water management essential in this fenland. Canals and ditches were dug and windmills were constructed. Nineteen of these windmills remain today. After visiting one of the windmills you bike to Alblasserdam. Here the Quo Vadis waits you. You will enjoy a sailing dinner while motoring along the industrial area south of Rotterdam to the old fortress town Willemstad.
Day 5: Willemstad - Zierikzee, 25 mi. (40 km)
From Willemstad, you will start biking mostly below sea-level to the delta of the great rivers. There used to be many open connections with the sea here, but after the big flood disaster of 1953, the Delta Works plan was initiated, the largest flood protection system in the world. This imposing project, also referred to as one of the seven wonders of the world, illustrates how the Dutch deal with water. In addition, it is a gorgeous environment with wonderful beaches and beautiful nature featured as you tour the island of Schouwen-Duiveland. Your destination for today is the well-preserved historical town of Zierikzee.
Day 6: Zierkzee - Veere - Middelburg, 26 mi. (42 km)
Today's bike tour will start by taking you towards the western part of the island, Schouwen. At Westenschouwen you will begin crossing the Oosterscheldedam. Halfway along the dam, you can spot the former artificial island, Neeltje Jans. Be sure to take a closer look at the interior and exterior of the storm surge barrier. Although all the islands of the provinces Zuid-Holland and Zeeland are now connected, and should no longer be called islands, they have all retained their original character. With a strong headwind, this trip can be quite strenuous. In that case, you may prefer to do the first part of today's route on board the ship and start cycling at Zandkreek. Quiet country roads will take you into Veere and end in Middelburg. This town became, after Amsterdam, the most important center for the Dutch East India Company and also played an important role in the 17th century slave trade.
Day 7: Middelburg - Blissingen (Flushing) - Sas van Gent - Ghent, 28 mi. (45 km)
By ship or on the bike, you will head to Vlissingen (Flushing), an important port at the mouth of the Westerschelde. Here, you will take the ferry to Breskens in Zeeuws Vlaanderen (the Dutch part of Flanders), which takes about twenty minutes. Belgium is now getting close. While cycling through the spacious land and scattered villages, you may not even notice that you are crossing the Dutch-Belgian border. In Sas van Gent, the Quo Vadis waits for you and brings you to Ghent. The city of Ghent is proud of its rich past, but is much more than just a museum town. This lively city has numerous squares and cozy pubs and is an excellent mixture of medieval edifices, stylish shopping streets, splendid mansions, working-class quarters from the beginning of the 20th century which now often house students, and busy little squares where people eat out till the wee hours during the summer.
Day 8: Gent - Machelen - Kortrijk, 25 mi. (40 km)
This morning the ship will bring you to Machelen on the Leie River, the eastern border of the Western Front of WW1. The first stop will be at the Flanders Fields American Cemetery. This peaceful site includes an impressive Memorial. From here you will follow the Leie River to Kortrijk. This town originates from a Gallo-Roman town, at the crossroad of two Roman roads. In the Middle Ages Kortrijk grew to one of the biggest and richest cities in Flanders because of the flax and wool trade with France and England.
Day 9: Tour around Ypres, Flanders Fields, 27 mi. (43 km)
After breakfast you’ll go by train to Ypres where your bike is already waiting for you. Today the Peace Tour brings you along many historical sites and Memorials of WW1.
In the late afternoon you’ll be back in Ypres. Here you can enjoy the regional cuisine in one of the city's restaurants. At 8:00 pm you should visit the Last Post Ceremony under the Menin Gate. This ceremony is a tradition since 1929, every night and in all weathers! After this event you’ll be brought back to the Quo Vadis.
Day 10: Kortrijk - Lichtervelde - Bruges, 20 mi. (32 km)
Today a shorter trip is on the schedule so that you will have ample time to explore Bruges. You will cycle through the beautiful country of Western Flanders to Bruges, the Venice of the North. This town is one the most beautiful of all Flemish cities. Its old center, which dates from the Middle Ages, is almost completely intact. Bruges was, in old times, a metropolis and center of commerce and art. Bruges historic center with its numerous canals, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 11: Departure in Bruges
Departure is after breakfast by 9:30 am.
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Travel Details
This tour is operated by V.O.S. Hanzecharter. We do not run these tours ourselves, we never have. We work on commission from our local partners plus a small administration fee of €20. We pride ourselves on the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide.
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