Welcome onboard

Merlijn is a fully equipped small River-Cruise-Ship, capable of hosting 24 passengers. Built in 1930 as a freighter and converted to a luxurious and authentic cruise ship in 2002. Since then she is without a doubt the most elegant lady on the European rivers.

Luxury cruising, Boutique cruises or Small ship cruises, sounds familiar to you? you should look further.

Cruise in style on a converted vintage barge

What we offer you

  • Bike & Barge trips in Europe
  • Individual bookings directly through our website
  • Reserve and pay online
  • Reserve the entire barge for your group
  • Charter the entire barge with your company
  • Large, bright lounge/restaurant
  • Professional kitchen
  • Manned bar service
  • Luxurious, spacious cabins
  • Your own private bathroom

Our 2025 Bike & Barge cruises, are online!

We at Merlijn have been working hard to finalize our 2025 tours into every little detail. No effort was spared (and neither was our night's rest in the last few days), to make sure the tours will launch on time!

We've dedicated ourselves to developing beautiful itineraries with breathtaking views. We took a good look at existing routes, designed a new route, and reintroduced some old successful routes. Ensuring each journey is memorable..

Going online you might see your preferred date already booked. This is possible because we have been promoting our tours to groups and partners for longer. If you cruised with us last year, you probably already saw the sailing schedule on the table. We are very proud to share that a few group reservations did start this way. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty to choose from and more tours than ever are available for individual bookings!

‘Booked by an agency’, can be seen noted at some tours. This means the entire tour has been reserved by one of our partners. They re-sell our tours to their clientele, sometimes with extra services before and after our Bike & Barge Cruise. If you wish to book that specific tour, please contact us and we can let you know the agency and if they have cabins available. Or book another date directly via our website.

Discover all our tours

Where we sail

The no. 1 in bike and barge cruises across Europe

The Merlijn sails on:

  • All rivers & lakes of Holland/Netherlands, including the IJssel, Meuse, IJssel Lake, inland lakes of the Randmeren, the Waddensea, the Groene Hart van Holland (Green Heartlands) commencing in Amsterdam and running via Gouda/Delft to Kinderdijk. 
  • In Germany we sail the Rhine, Moselle, Saar, Main, Main-Danube-canal, Danube, Neckar, Midlandcanal, Havel, Weser, Oder, Peene & more. 
  • In Belgium we sail the Schelde and several canals to Bruges & Brussels, from there to Maastricht.
  • In France we sail the Moselle, as far as to Nancy.
  • In Poland we sail the West-Odra and cross the Lake Stettiner haff, also we dock in the city of Szczecin.
  • The Danube deserves a special mention: from 2022 we will sail on this river through Germany & Austria until we reach Vienna.
  • In the future we add a little more and we also cross Slovakia to sail as far as Budapest in Hungary.

Merlijn's Captain knows all these waters & their natural surroundings well, and knows where the most tranquil spots are to be found. 

The last news

Our ‘workcation’ in Spain

Friday 16 february 2024

Our ‘workcation’ in Spain

This past January, we took a workcation to the warmth of Spain, a welcome change from the Dutch winter.

Beyond the cruises you see, there's a world of tasks behind the scenes like writing travel guides, answering queries, and arranging excursions. We drove 2250 kilometers to South Spain, Sacha, our faithful dog, in tow, since flying wasn't an option for her.

During our time in Spain, we focused on enhancing the experiences for Merlijn's voyages. Weekends, however, were for exploring; we hiked through Andalusia's mountains, Sacha bravely joined us, albeit needing a little help at times. Our visits to various local spots revealed breathtaking scenes, making us wish Merlijn could cruise throug Spain.

Want to cycle with a Merlijn bike this year?

Friday 16 february 2024

Want to cycle with a Merlijn bike this year?

We've heard from one of our partners that they still have rooms available for the coming season (2024)! This is quite unique and is almost always due to people, or even a group, having to unexpectedly cancel their trip. These rooms are now also bookable through our website. Do you think waiting a few months is long enough and are you ready to pack your bags within a few days? Then quickly take a look at our tour page.

Looking back on Merlijn’s Bike, Barge and Cruise Season 2023

Wednesday 29 november 2023

Looking back on Merlijn’s Bike, Barge and Cruise Season 2023

As the sun sets on the unforgettable 2023 Bike, Barge, and Cruise season on the Merlijn, we look back on the adventurous bike rides, picturesque towns, and delicious meals that made this trip so special.

We sincerely thank all our guests for joining us and for their pleasure. We love it so much to see how enthusiastically everyone comes on board, only to leave the ship full of memories at the end of the trip, sometimes with a tear! Let's not forget that without you we are nowhere, only through your enthusiasm can we run the Merlijn.Thank you!

Cycling enthusiasts and travelers enjoyed a season full of exploration and fun. Merlijn, our floating home, provided a unique perspective as we paddled through beautiful landscapes and discovered Europe.

From the charming streets of Bruges via former east and west Germany to Vienna in Austria, Merlijn took us on a journey through rich history and culture. Daily excursions brought us in the heart of cities, with Merlijn always on the horizon.

Whether we dined in Merlijn’s cozy restaurant or enjoyed a picnic in a village square, each meal celebrated Europe's diverse culinary treasures.

As we say goodbye to the season 2023 on board Merlijn, we cherish memories of cycling adventures, breathtaking landscapes and new friendships. Until next season 2024, when we set sail again on the Merlijn. We look forward to next season and hope to see you on board!

14 july 2019

Malchin - Berlin 'Premium Amazone of the north"

Dear Coen & Christina, Thanks for making our second tour even better than our first, an amazing accomplishment! Greatly appreciated your sharing of your home, and you certainly made our entire group feel like members of your extended family; you truly love what you do and it shows. Your crew and our guide was prepared for every contingency and assured that we had "smooth sailing" through out our visit and journey. The meals and sack lunches prepared were absolutely fantastic! We are looking forward to booking our third tour in the very near future, keep up the good work you two, and we'll visit with you again soon. Kind Regards, Brad and Gwen Hontz