Hanseatic tour of the Netherlands

Check in: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM, Merlijn will set sail for Weesp, where there is an overnight stay. We’ll present you with a welcome drink and introduce the crew. We will also provide information on the tour, the ship, and offer you a safety briefing. Dinner will be served during the cruise, and afterwards you can have a stroll through the first charming city (of many on this tour) called Weesp.

After your first breakfast on board, there will be a bike introduction so you and your ‘barge bike’ can get to know each other. For the first day, the guide will not make it too difficult for you, enjoy cycling through the varied Dutch landscapes while the guide shows you the way. After boarding the Merlin, we sail the last part to todays destination - Wijk bij Duurstede. In the evening you can stroll through the very charming city (Neighbourhood of Duurstede translated). Duurstede is the name of the nearby castle/ruin, where the bishop of Utrecht used to live. Wijk bij Duurstede is located at the place where Dorestad used to be, an important trade settlement, that was pillaged around 850 by the Vikings. This city has the only drive-through windmill in the world. We will spend the night here.

Sailing breakfast while we cruise to Amerongen, where your bike tour will start. You will bike through the Betuwe, situated between the Waal and Rhine/Lek rivers, surrounding the Linge stream, and famous for its fruit production. The tour ends in Arnhem, the capital of the province Gelderland. Before or after dinner you will have time to stroll a little more through the centre. Of course, your tour guide will show you the city as well as the highlights.

While you enjoy your breakfast we cruise the beautiful river IJssel downstream and take you to Doesburg. This is one of the seven Hanseatic cities on the river IJssel. Here your bike tour starts along the sparkling river, described by many people as the most beautiful river of the Netherlands, and certainly by Capitan Coen. This week you will visit the mediaeval cities of Kampen, Hattem, Deventer, Zutphen and Doesburg, all of them beautiful gems. Tonight you will enjoy your dinner at your own expense in one of the many restaurants in Deventer, and before or after dinner you will have time to stroll a little more through the centre. Your tour guide will show you the city as well as a couple of restaurants.

After breakfast your bike tour starts and the ride will be from Deventer to Hattem. Another very charming  Hanseatic city. After your visit you will board the Merlijn and together we sail to the city of Kampen, where we will stay overnight. A city stroll will be offered through this ancient city after dinner.

You will enjoy a sailing breakfast while we cruise the Roggebotsluis, where your bike tour starts. Across the water you will see the eastern part of Flevoland, one of the new Dutch provinces. Your bike tour takes you to the Veluwe, and you will visit Elburg, a charming fishermen’s village. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts. Your bike tour ends in Harderwijk, another charming mediaeval city, on the Veluwemeer (Veluwe lake). Here you will board the Merlijn and together we will sail to the city of Spakenburg, here we will stay overnight. Spakenburg is situated south on the IJsselmeer,  and it is one of the few places left in the Netherlands where some women still wear local traditional clothes.

Your last biking day starts in Spakenburg, after you have enjoyed your breakfast. You will bike along the Gooimeer (Gooi lake) and through the beautiful Gooi, where impressive houses are to be seen, and reach the Merlijn who is already waiting for you in Amsterdam. After dinner your guide can take you on a walking tour through Amsterdam.

Breakfast, checkout and departure. Extend your stay in Holland and reserve some time to explore the city. You might want to go on a ride along the canals, or visit the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum, or Amsterdam Hermitage.