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Check in starts in the afternoon, then Merlijn will set sail for Hoorn, where we’ll stay overnight. There will be a welcome drink and introduction of the crew. Also, we’ll inform you about the tour and the ship, and give you a safety briefing. Dinner will be served during the cruise. In the evening there is a city walk through charming Hoorn.

After breakfast, you will start biking to Enkhuizen, another delightful city and harbour. In the historical centre, there are still many remnants of the Dutch East India Company period, such as the iconic 16th century Drommedaris tower. Enkhuizen was also the home of the Merlijn architect in 2001. In the afternoon, you will re-join the Merlijn, and together we will cross the IJsselmeer, the largest lake in the Netherlands. After dinner, you may want to stroll through the centre of Lemmer, a very famous Dutch water sports town.

While enjoying your breakfast, we will sail through the province of Friesland, where there is more water than land, and you will see many lakes and canals. Because this part of the country is below sea level, you will see sailboats, but merely their sails, as the boat hulls are situated too low down to see; a very interesting experience. The famous black and white Frisian cattle, and the well-known black Frisian horse breeds originated here. Friesland is also the home of many famous Dutch skaters.

Your biking tour stars in the area surrounding Sneek, one of the eleven Frisian cities. After visiting Sneek, with its medieval centre and famous Watergate, you’ll bike through the Frisian landscape to the capital Leeuwarden. Here we will stay overnight. You can stroll through the city with its monuments, marketplace, canals and medieval houses. Leeuwarden is the starting and finishing point of the Elfstedentocht (11 cities tour): a 200 km long speed skating race over the Frisian waterways that is held when winter conditions in the province permit. Enjoy dinner tonight at your own expense in one of the many restaurants in the city.

After breakfast, your bike tour takes you through more charming unadulterated Frisian landscape, and at the border with the province of Groningen, you will board the Merlijn in Stroobos; together we will sail into the city of Groningen. This is the capital of the province Groningen, the most north-eastern province of The Netherlands. It’s a lively university city with perhaps even more bikes than you’ve seen in Amsterdam! Enjoy dinner on board and afterwards you may want to visit one of the city’s 160 pubs.

Today, you will bike your last part in the Netherlands through the landscape of Groningen, along the Dampsterdiep, passing Appingedam, which is still a very appealing smaller-sized city. Many original medieval premises can be found in the centre. The most famous sight is the hanging kitchens above the Damsterdiep.

In Delfzijl, you will board the Merlijn, and from here we will sail an impressive part of the tour. First the Dollard, part of the Waddenzee, and then into the estuary of the river Ems. We will follow this river until Leer, and further along the Ems, and you will cycle through the floodplains of the river, a nature reserve, to the city of Papenburg, where we will stay overnight. After dinner, you can walk through this charming city, still close to the Dutch border. Papenburg is also known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building giant cruise liners. The history of Papenburg goes back much further in time though: some 350 years ago, poor peat farmers started with the foundation of the oldest and largest fen community of Germany.

After breakfast, you’ll visit the Meyer Shipyard, after which your bike tour leads you to Dörpen on the Küstekanal, where the Merlijn awaits you. The canals that shaped this city are well worth seeing. Draw-and bascule bridges connect the riverbanks, with flower-decorated houses located alongside. There is an overnight stay at Oldenburg.

Your biking day will start in Oldenburg, and you will bike along the waters of the Küstekanal, Hunte and Weser to Vegesack, a northern district of the city of Bremen. Together, we sail the Weser to the Schlachte, our mooring spot for the night. You will enjoy a superb view sailing into the city of Bremen. The 1200-year-old Hanseatic city of Bremen is home to the Weser Renaissance town hall and the grand old statue of Roland on the market square (both UNESCO World Heritage); these are two of the city's most famous landmarks.

And then of course there is the Schnoor Viertel, the oldest district in Bremen, with its unusual buildings along the delightful little Böttcherstrasse taking you back to a bygone age. But no sightseeing tour is complete without a visit to the Town Musicians statue featuring the donkey, dog, cat and rooster from the Brothers Grimm fairy-tale, the Bremer Stadtmusikanten.

After breakfast, it is time to say goodbye and continue your European trip or leave for the airport. We recommend you extend your stay in Bremen by a few days, there is so much more to see!