Burgundy & Provence E-Bike & Boat

Day 1: Lyon
Day 2: Châlon sûr Saône - Cormatin,  26 mi. (42 km)
Day 3: Mâcon - Cluny - Trévoux, 34 mi. (54 km)
Day 4: Lyon City Tour, 1.8 mi. (3 km walking distance)
Day 5: Avignon - Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 22 mi. (35 km)
Day 6: Avignon - St. Remy - Arles, 27 mi. (43 km)
Day 7: The Ardèche Gorge, 16 mi. (27 km)
Day 8: Departure or extension in Lyon

*All distances are approximate. The itinerary is subject to change, at times without prior notice. Some waterways may be subject to occasional closures due to drought, storms, floods, canal or lock repairs, or other unforeseen circumstances that make navigation unsafe or impossible. The captain reserves the right to make any changes deemed necessary.

Day 1: Lyon
The crew of the Stella will be waiting to welcome you on board. Embarkation begins at 5 pm. Once you have settled in, there will be a tour presentation followed by an evening panoramic drive through Lyon's old town. Your first dinner on board will be enjoyed as the ship slowly glides north on the waters of the Saône. Departure at 9:00 p.m. from Lyon towards Burgundy.

Day 2: Châlon sûr Saône - Cormatin - Châlon sûr Saône,  26 mi. (42 km)
You will awake and enjoy breakfast as the ship continues navigating, reaching the northernmost point of this voyage, Châlon sûr Saône, at about noon. By this time, you are ready for your first cycling stage through an area in the triangle between Châlon, Cormatin, and Tournus,  important both culturally and geographically. You encounter castles, Romanesque churches, and enchanting villages. Once linked by a railroad, the villages today are connected by a “voie verte”, or rails to trails cycle path. After lunch, you reach the 17th-century Château de Cormatin, surrounded by a moat and lawns and English-style gardens. The gently undulating afternoon route is very scenic, with wonderful views over the valley. If you prefer you can take the support vehicle up part of this stage. Your day's cycling ends with an exhilarating descent. From a distance, you can already make out the striking outlines of the 9th-century priory church of St. Philibert in Tournus, a jewel of Romanesque architecture. Here you will enjoy a tour, see the fundamentals of French architecture and learn the fascinating history. A short transfer will bring you back to Châlon sûr Saône in the evening.

Day 3: Mâcon - Cluny - Trévoux, 34 mi. (54 km)
While you sleep, the ship will sail south, and you will awaken in the heart of southern Burgundy on the quay walls of the city of Mâcon. Your e-bikes are ready and waiting not far from the jetty. From the village of Macon, you will negotiate a hill and then cycle on a scenic route with a distant view of the rock of Solutré.  A few kilometers further, the mighty Berzé-le-Châtel castle appears in front of you. The fortress served to secure the Cluisois and the Grosne valley to the south. Continuing on, you will reach Cluny, the most important center of Benedictine monasticism in the 11th century in Europe. Cluny had amassed an immeasurable fortune through gifts and endowments. The ruin still looks imposing, although it is only a small part of the once gigantic ensemble. During a detailed tour, a local, knowledgeable guide will show you the imposing monastery complex and its excavations. A transfer will take you to Trévoux in the late afternoon, where your ship will dock. After dinner, the STELLA will return to Lyon. The ship stays overnight in Lyon so that you can stroll through the narrow streets of the city after dinner.

Day 4: Lyon City Tour
Lyon is the gateway to the south and the secret capital of gourmets. The Saône flows into the Rhône here and divides the city center into a busy part with splendid facades from the 19th century and the picturesque old town. Here are the Renaissance houses of the rich cloth merchants and bankers. From the outside rather inconspicuous, the true splendor of the inner courtyards is revealed with the help of narrow passages that connect the streets with one another. They are called "Traboules" (transambulare = to walk through). They were often used as escape routes when citizens and bishops feuded or Catholics and Protestants stabbed their sabers in the chests. The trading city, which has been important since Roman times, has never boasted of its wealth, but those in the know, know that Gauguin and Cézanne paintings hang in some of the bourgeois apartments. The unmistakable atmosphere of Lyon has awarded it UNESCO World Heritage Site status. You'll be back on board for lunch and the ship will pick up anchor to navigate south. Enjoy the view of the leisurely passing cityscape of Lyon with coffee and cake and later with an aperitif or let yourself be pampered in the Spa on board. 

Day 5: Avignon - Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 22 mi. (35 km)
In the morning you can enjoy watching the landscape go by on the sun deck. In the late morning, the STELLA stops not far from the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The bikes are already waiting at the jetty. You cycle to the small town center of Châteauneuf du Pape and learn about the elaborate production of the fine, red wines during a wine tasting. After the lunch break you leave the world-famous vineyard and cycle through a fertile fruit and vegetable growing area. You have just passed one of the largest islands in the Rhône. The route runs on comfortable paths to the much-celebrated bridge to Avignon and then not far to the ship. The ship stays overnight in Avignon so that you can stroll through the narrow streets of the city before dinner and take a look at the many small boutiques. 

Day 6: Avignon - St. Remy - Arles, 27 mi. (43 km)
In the morning you will experience Avignon on a city tour. For almost 70 years the popes did not reside in Rome, but here. In the midst of the secluded gardens of Cathedral Hill, you will learn how the anti-popes fell into “Babylonian captivity”. After the city tour, get on the e-bikes at the gates of Avignon and ride to St. Remy de Provence. Van Gogh stayed here for a while in a privately run clinic, in a former convent. After lunch in St. Rémy,  you continue to the monumental art center Carrières de Lumières, located in the middle of the Alpilles. Every year a big show of a special kind is offered in which the big names in art history are presented. After the visit, you drive on small branch routes out of the Alpilles down into the alluvial land of the Rhône. You cross Provencal villages, pedal along meadows and fields with wheat and sunflowers to Arles. The Roman residence city houses a magnificent amphitheater in the city center, which is one of the best preserved in France. Today bloodless bullfights still take place here. In the meantime, your ship has sailed on to Arles and lies directly in front of the mighty city gate that opens onto the riverbank. You still have the option of visiting the ornate Romanesque portal of the Saint Trophime cathedral or enjoying an espresso in the square of the famous Café de la Nuit by van Gogh.

Day 7: The Ardèche Gorge, 16 mi. (27 km)
In the morning light you can see the vineyards of the Côtes du Rhône and the vineyards of the famous “Crozes Hermitages”. This morning a bus will take you to the deep gorge of the Ardèche and one of the most attractive cycling routes on this tour. During the journey, your guide will explain to you the very interesting history of the origins of the UNESCO World Heritage cave systems and their Stone Age settlement. Once on your bike, you discover a garrigue landscape and cycle down along lavender fields and holm oaks until you suddenly come to the enormous gorge of the Ardèche river. The river has dug its way into the rock up to 300 m deep. A winding panoramic road runs along its edge and again and again allows fantastic views of the cliffs and caves. Impressive evidence and rock paintings of our ancestors have been found here. You visit a cave system that extends deep into the rock. At noon you will be back on board and can spend the afternoon on the spacious sun deck, In the evening, an excellent final dinner awaits you on board in the wine bar. In the meantime, your ship will sail back to Lyon overnight.

Day 8: Departure or extension in Lyon
Wake up back in Lyon.  After breakfast you will leave your ship at around 9 a.m. If you have arrived by plane, a transfer will take you to the airport (at a fixed time, at an additional cost) or extend your stay in Lyon!

• Stella

  Deluxe

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  4 out of 5 (1 Review)

  View Boat

  Deluxe Class Boat

  Electric Bike

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