Embarkation and check-in is from 1pm and the boat leaves Amsterdam at 2pm and cruises south past Breukelen and the busy city of Utrecht to Vianen on the picturesque Lek River. Here we disembark for a very short ride. This is an opportunity to get used to our bikes and to make any fine-tuning adjustments prior to the longer rides ahead. On returning to the boat the evening meal is served!

The first day’s ride leads us alongside the river to Schoonhoven, which is also known as Zilverstad (Silver City). The town boasts a plethora of silversmiths and consequently there are a myriad of silver shops, as well as a very interesting silver museum, to browse at your leisure.

The route leads us along the Alblasserwaard Polder to the famous windmills of Kinderdijk. This impressive collection of 19 traditional windmills are still fully functioning and all bar one are inhabited. The one unoccupied windmill is a museum which is open to the public.

From nearby Alblasserwaard we take the 10 minute water-bus (fast ferry) the short distance to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in Holland where the Fluvius is waiting for us. She remains moored in Dordrecht for the night.

After breakfast we disembark in the town of Tholen. The route leads us to Bergen op Zoom, a lovely little place with quaint shops and a picturesque town square. We then leave civilisation behind and cycle along a quiet cycle path through the superbly named “Wouwse Plantage” forest. Next stop is the huge and impressive Kreekrak Lock where we re-board the boat for a leisurely cruise into Antwerp. Known for it’s long association with the diamond trade, the city was also once the hometown of one Peter Paul Rubens and many of the master’s works can be viewed in the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Cathedral. After dinner we recommend a stroll through the centre of the old town.

There’s plenty of time to look around Antwerp a little more this morning before following a cycle path out of the city along the bank of the Schelde river. We’ll be following the river for the whole ride today and the scenery is quite sublime. Quaint riverside towns interrupt the natural beauty every now and then, tempting us to stop for a coffee or a wander around. We re-join the Fluvius in Dendermonde where she remains moored overnight.

After breakfast we continue alongside the Schelde River. A few easy kilometers later we arrive in the City of Ghent, where the Schelde and Leie Rivers meet. This confluence more than likely contributed to the town’s meteoric success as a commercial centre in the middle ages. The wealth and grandeur of of the city can still be seen in the churches and ornate houses scattered throughout the beautiful old town centre. The Fluvius moors for the night in the lock at Lovendegem on the outskirts of the city.

After breakfast we disembark with the bikes. After a relaxing ride through the countryside of western Flanders we arrive in Bruges, easily the most beautiful of the Flemish cities. Gothic, gabled townhouses line the still canals which are traversed by small ornate stone bridges at various intervals. There can be few cities more conducive to exploration by bike or foot than Bruges and we’ll spend a very pleasant afternoon wandering the beautiful old streets of this rather special city. We doubt it needs pointing out but the Belgians are of course renowned for their high quality chocolate and excellent beer – both are offered in abundance throughout the old town. The Galley is closed this evening but the crew will be happy to recommend restaurants for your evening meal.

The final ride of your holiday takes us out to the North Sea coast. After a day in the city it’s great to be surrounded by nature once more. The polder landscape of meadows, canals and windmills is quite sparse but very striking. The dunes of the of Het Zwin nature reserve separate the beaches from the meadows and this is followed by an exhilarating ride along the impressive sea defences. Weather permitting you may be tempted to go for a dip before saddling up for the return ride to Bruge along a picturesque canal path. The final night aboard is spent in Bruges, a fitting finale to your Dutch/Flemish cycling adventure.

After breakfast it’s time to disembark, by 9.30am, and head for home or your next adventure.