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Casual Barge
Biking Cruises in Holland, Belgium, Germany and France
The cruises listed below are for those passengers
that are looking for a very laid back experience at an affordable price.
These cruises are multi language. Your cabin consists of your own private
toilet and shower, though you take care of cleaning your room. You are
given clean linens during the cruise and you make your own bed. Lunch is a
packed bag each day. There is no formal meals such as a Captain's Farewell
dinner. No alcoholic beverages included in the rates.
These are a great value and great fun if the
above features appeal to you.
3 Country Mosele
Tour
8 Days
Individual
Booking - $1790 per person
Metz to Cochem
August 11 -18, 2012
Cochem to
Metz
Rate
includes: 8 days,
breakfast, lunch package, dinner,
bed linen, bike rental, tour guide.
You
can book this trip as a bike & barge trip or as a cruise. If you
book a bike & barge trip, you can make a bike tour of 20 – 40 km
per day, accompanied by an experienced guide. If you book a cruise, you
sail with the barge and you use public transport, accompanied by another
experienced guide.
Itinerary: Metz –Konigsmacher – Remich - Saarburg
–Trier – Bernkastel - Cochem
Highlights: Cathedral of Metz –
Maginot line - Saarburg - Porta Nigra in Trier- marketplace Bernkastel - fine white wines
Fine German wines, French
savoir vivre and rich history.
The countryside on both banks of the
Mosel are splendid, the cool wines taste deliciously, the picturesque little
towns have rich histories and the conditions for cycling are excellent indeed.
Here you fine the perfect mix of ingedients for a fine bike and barge vacation.
This tour takes us through a wonderful, varying region.
We follow the
river Mosel, partly in France, partly in Luxembourg, and partly in
Germany.
The tour starts in Metz, France, with her splendid cathedral. We
bike through the charming French countryside with welcoming villages, where the
inhabitants are proud of their sweet, smooth wines and golden “Mirabellen”
liqueur (plum liqueur) and we visit the fort Hackenberg, important part of the
Maginot line. We continue into Luxembourg where we spend the night in Remich. In
Germany we will first follow the river Saar to charming Saarburg, with the
stunning waterfalls in the city center. Then, of course, there is Trier, the
oldest city of Germany with the Porta Nigra dating from the first century after
Christ. After Trier we follow the Mosel downstreams along the endless vineyards
and the enchanting old cities Bernkastel and Cochem. It goes without saying that
we will taste the local wines whenever we can.
Day 1 (Sat): Metz
This tour starts in Metz,
strategically situated between Côtes de
Moselle and the plateau Lorrain. These days, the rich
mediaeval city is a traffic junction, an administrative center, a center of
learning, but especially a lively center of trade. A visit to the
St.Etienne Cathedral, one of the most beautiful gothic
cathedrals in France, is a must. This cathedral sits in the middle of the old
city center, where shopping is also good.
Day 2 (Sun): Metz - Konigsmacher
Bike tour: ca 30 km or 50 km
The barge leaves early today
and we have breakfast during sailing. Our bike tour starts in Talange and leads us through the French countryside. There
is long option to the fort Hackenberg, part of the
Maginot line. The short option goes to Thionville.
We can visit a place where the French locals make eau de Vie in Petit Hettange. We meet the barge in Konigsmacher.
Day 3 (Mon): Konigsmacher - Remich
Bike tour: 50 km.
Today’s tour leads us via the
beautiful valley of the Mosel across the French border into Luxembourg. We
may visit the castle of Sierck-les-Bains,
beautifully situated on the banks of the Mosel river. On top of the hill
there is a castle from the 11th century, which was at stake in the battle
between the duke of Lorraine and the archbishop of Trier in the 12th century. We
spend the night in Remich. Here the Mosel forms the
border between Germany and Luxembourg and Remich is
on Luxembourg ground. Close to remich we may visit
the small village of Nenning, where you can visit an
old roman mansion. The nearly undamaged mosaic floor in the party hall is
extremely beautiful.
Day 4 ( Tue): Remich – Saarburg
Bike tour: ca 45 km
Today we follow the valley of
the Mosel and Saar to the north and we visit charming Saarburg. On the way we visit a winecellar in Wormeldange,
where they make ‘Cremant de Luxembourg’, a sparkling
wine where this region is famous for. Saarburg
is an interesting old town situated in the most beautiful part of the Saar
valley. Here the banks of the river are densely forested. The castle of Saarburg was built here in the middle of the 10th century.
In the middle of town we come across a waterfall of 20 meters high. At the foot
of this waterfall there is an old mill, which is driven by the small river.
In this part of town most of the old houses from the 17th and 18th century,
which give Saarburg such a picturesque look, are
still intact.
Day 5 (Wed): Saarburg – Trier
Bike tour: ca 35 km.
Today we bike on toTrier, an interesting and lively city, the oldest city in
Germany. According to the Romans, Trier was founded around 15 before Christ by
Caesar Augustus under the name of Augusta Trevorum.
As a trading town and administrative center, Trier flourished during the late
imperial age. This Roman golden age has left us with a respectable number of
monuments. Most authentic is the city gate Porta Nigra, which was built around 18 after Christ.
Day 6 (Thu): Trier - Bernkastel-Kues
Bike tour: ca 50 km.
Today we start sailing early
and we start cycling in Schweich. From there lovely
vineyards stretch out in many places. The white Mosel wine is a household word
far abroad. We cycle past Trittenheim and Piesport, both big names. Piesport produces a number of beautiful white wines. Especially the ‘Piesporter Goldtröpfchen enjoys great fame. Trittenheim lies in a sharp hairpin turn in the Mosel. It
is surrounded by mountains covered with extensive vineyards. The Laurantiuskapelle with its gothic choir is sitting right in
the middle of the vines. Our destination is Bernkastel-Kues. Bernkastel is a frequently visited,
old and picturesque town, with the best wine regions of the Mid-Mosel. We visit
wine cellars and relish the wine. Pride of the town is the market square, with
its picturesque timberframed houses.
Day 7 (Fri): Bernkastel-Kues - Cochem
Bike tour: ca 45 km.
Again we join the barge in the
morning for a while. Later we cycle along the Mosel
downstreams past
Traben-Trarbach and Zell. Traben-Trarbach is
surrounded by woods and extensive vineyards and it is the major center of wine
trade in the Mosel region. Zell is beautifully situated on the Mosel,
where the river meanders through the hills in many loops. Our final
destination is Cochem, a
cosy and characteristic Mosel town, with steep wine
mountains, wooded hills, mediaeval fortresses and a picturesque center with
beautiful timber-framed houses. The fortress houses a museum.
Day 8 (Sat): Cochem
After breakfast the tour is ended
   
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