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Ghent Castle- Namur Citadel overlooks the Meuse
- The Meuse Valley
River Cruise from
£1,499 per person
7 nights Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £20 if not required
Castles of the Meuse and Sambre
Dutch and Belgian waterways
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No fly
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VIP on selected river cruises
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All Inclusive
Sail the Belgian waterways through Flanders…
Explore the Castle of the Counts at the heart of medieval Ghent, learn more about the history of Flanders whose famous fields witnessed fierce fighting during World War II and join a walking tour of Tournai where the 12th-century Belfry of Tournai dominates the main square of Grand Place.
Admire the scenery as your ship navigates the numerous locks of Belgium’s Low Lands and perhaps take the opportunity to visit UNESCO-listed Le Bois Du Cazier, the site of a tragic mining disaster, take a walking tour of Namur and visit the Château de Modave during optional excursions.
Including...
20 meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners
Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
Free bar, open 12 hours a day†
Cruise Host
Plus...
- Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
- Return coach travel via Eurotunnel or ferry
Included excursions
- Ghent and the Castle of the Counts
- Historic Flanders
- Tournai walking tour
†The free bar on board Johannes Brahms is open from 12pm to midnight, serving non-branded alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
View Full Itinerary
Day 1 UK to Brussels
Travel by coach from Folkestone to Brussels via Eurotunnel or ferry and embark your ship Johannes Brahams.
Enjoy a welcome dinner on board as your ship moors here overnight.
Day 2 Brussels to Merelbeke
Spend a relaxing morning on board your ship before disembarking for an included excursion to Ghent, where you’ll enjoy a tour of the medieval Castle of the Counts. Set in the heart of the city, the moated castle has a gatehouse, ramparts, a keep, count’s residence and stables, all of which are open to visitors.
You’ll rejoin your ship at Merelbeke for an overnight mooring.
Day 3 Merelbeke to Tournai
Continue sailing through Flanders this morning, stopping for an included coach tour, during which your guide will talk about the history of Flanders and you will stop to visit the Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial. Continue sailing into Wallonia where your ship will moor at Tournai, a city divided by the River Scheldt.
Day 4 Tournai to Strépy-Thieu
This morning enjoy an included tour of the city, where highlights include the vast Cathedral of Notre-Dame with its five towers and rose window, the medieval Red Fort tower and the 12th-century Belfry of Tournai, which dominates the main square of Grand Place.
This afternoon your ship will navigate several locks before arriving at the funicular lift of Strépy-Thieu. This feat of modern Belgian engineering allows inland waterway vessels to cross a 73.15 meter difference in height, making it the largest boat lift in Europe. Your ship moors here overnight.
Day 5 Strépy-Thieu
Sail through the morning, passing through more locks before disembarking for an optional afternoon visit to Le Bois du Cazier where you can learn more about the work of a miner during the 19th century. This UNESCO-listed site is the location of a major mining disaster that occurred on August 8, 1956.
Moor here overnight.
Day 6 Namur
Your ship sets sail early this morning, arriving during lunch in Namur, capital of Belgium’s Wallonia region. The city sits at the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, a point marked by a medieval fortress with a golden statue of a giant turtle and underground tunnels stretching over four miles. You may like to join an optional walking tour of the city to see some of its main attractions.
Your ship remains moored here overnight.
Day 7 Namur to Dinant
Continue sailing early this morning to arrive in Dinant shortly before lunch. This afternoon you may like to visit the Château de Modave on an optional excursion.
Your ship remains moored here overnight.
Day 8 Dinant to UK
Disembark after breakfast and return to the UK.
Le Bois du Cazier
Listed by UNESCO as one of the best-preserved places of coal mining in Belgium from the 19th to the 20th centuries, le Bois du Cazier is located in what was once the town of Marcinelle. It’s best known as the location of a major mining disaster that occurred on August 8, 1956 in which 262 men were killed. Today, the site features memorials to the disaster, a small woodland park, preserved hoist frames and various buildings, plus an Industrial Museum and Glass Museum.
Walking Grade 3
Three hours
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Optional on 7 nights itinerary
Namur walking tour
The university city of Namur has a strategic setting at the meeting point of the Meuse and Sambre rivers and has been of military significance since Roman times. Namur Citadel sits high above the city on a rocky outcrop and features barracks, ramparts and subterranean tunnels. The city centre is home to the 17th-century Hotel de Gaiffier d’Hestroy, which houses the Museum of Ancient Arts where artefacts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance are displayed. Another noteworthy building is the Baroque Church of St Loup, which features a stucco facade and 12 Doric pillars. Nearby there is a museum dedicated to the works of 19th-century artist Félicien Rops.
Walking Grade 3
Three hours
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Optional on 7 nights itinerary
The Château de Modave
The Château de Modave, which overlooks the Hoyoux Valley, was built in the Middle Ages and remained in the Modave family for over 400 years. The château has undergone much restoration, including the addition of a classic facade. Inside you can explore more than 25 rooms, many of which feature tapestries, paintings, sculpted panelling and 17th century stuccos adorning the ceilings. You can also take a walk through the extensive grounds.
Walking Grade 3
Four-and-a-half hours
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Optional on 7 nights itinerary
£1,499 per person
2 passengers
7 nights Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £20 if not required
Dutch and Belgian waterways
£1,499 per person
2 passengers
7 nights Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £20 if not required