Author Archives: Jan European Barging & River Cruises

The Charming Village of Le Baux de Provence- Rhone River Cruise

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Rhone River CruiseThis Rhone River Cruise Brings Passengers To The Village of Le Baux De Provence

Le Baux de Provence is an exceptionally picturesque village, more famous as a tourist site than being an active village. And with the surrounding Alpilles, it is extremely beautiful.

When you arrive at the village, you are astonished by the out-and-out scale, not only of the surrounding countryside but of the village itself. Les Baux de Provence was, and still is, more like a strong, fearsome stronghold than a pretty little village. In 1998, it was added to the elite official category of “The Most Beautiful Villages of France”.

Les Baux de Provence indeed remains a village officially as the population in the inner walled city is only 400. The number shrinks to just 22 in the winter months. Nevertheless, the dimensions of the buildings – the Château and its massive keep, the opulent Saint Vincent’s Church and grandiose Renaissance private mansions – are a testimony to Les Baux’ former wealth and power.

The village had an exceptional royal history. Though between the 17th and 19th centuries, it was almost a discarded and deserted place. It was only after the discovery of the mineral bauxite (the name is derived from “Les Baux”) in the neighboring hills that life came back to the village. The tourists started visiting the place and have more recently transformed it. Today, the number of visitors exceeds 1.5 million each year.

The tourists usually flock to the village during the day with the crowd thing rapidly after around 5 p.m. or so, depending on the season. So, it will be great to turn up rather late and enjoy the splendid castle in relative peace. The cultural heritage of Les Baux is exceptionally rich, with 22 architectural treasures classified as “Historic Monuments”, including the church, chateau, town hall, hospital, chapels, houses, doorways and such, without counting items of furniture and a collection of paintings.

You can visit the village only by foot and will admire the ancient houses that have been carefully restored, beautiful Renaissance facades and several magnificent “hotels particulars”, which presently serve as art galleries or museums. There is a winding steep road up to the town and the street of the town are steep as well.

While moving around the village, you will discover many craft shops selling Provençal products and souvenirs. Food lovers will be particularly happy to discover that several restaurants at Les Baux boast international reputations. Indeed, such quality dining is so hard to resist!

The Rhone River Excursion Is One To Remember

Les Baux de Provence is often offered as an excursion from Provence barge and Rhone River cruises. Contact us for more information! Europeanbarging 888-869-7907

Let Us Help Your Find the Perfect European Cruise

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European Barging Can Help You Find the Perfect European Cruise

danube riverEuropeanbarging as a company specializing in European barge and river cruise products offers a wide variety of cruises that can satisfy people who looks for unique way of exploring the beauty of Europe.

Wide range of Europeanbarging cruises includes luxury barge and river cruises, casual bike and barge cruises and small ship cruising.

European River Cruise itineraries include voyages through such countries as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Hungary, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal and more without the usual inconvenience of packing and unpacking. The “Floating Hotels” cruise by beautiful cities, villages, castles and vineyards.

On the European Rhine River Cruises, a variety of itineraries depart from Amsterdam, Cologne, Mainz and Basel. The Rhine River is a European river that begins in the Swiss canton of Grisons in the southeastern Swiss Alps, flows through Germany and eventually empties into the North Sea in the Netherlands. It is the twelfth longest river in Europe, at about 1,233 kilometers (760 mi) long. 883 kilometers (549 mi) can be used by ships. It is one of the longest rivers in Europe. Its name comes from the Celtic word “renos”. Renos means raging flow.
The second longest European river, the Danube rises in the Black Forest mountains of western Germany and flows for some 1,770 miles (2,850 km) to its mouth on the Black Sea. Along its course, it passes through nine countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine. The Danube River Cruise voyages depart from Passau and Nuremburg Germany and cruise to the Austrian and Hungarian capitals of Vienna and Budapest.

In Italy, European River Cruises offer round trip cruises out of romantic Venice visiting fascinating cities like Verona, Ferrara, and Parma. On the Rhone, ships sail from Lyon, France to the Burgundy and Beaujolais wine regions and the Mediterranean style cities of Avignon and Arles. Cruising on the Seine River between Paris and Normandy France, shows towns from the Norman times as well as charming port cities such as Honfleur and Le Harve. Passengers enjoy world famous port wine tasting in Portugal as you cruise the Douro River and explore the many religious and historical monuments of Portugal.

River cruises in comparison to barge cruises are different in that they cruise the rivers of Europe rather than the small canals. The ships are larger and hold from 80 to 200+ passengers and offer cruise lengths from 3 – 21 days.

Barge cruises are great for small groups of 4-20 people, whether friends, family, or for business meetings or incentives. Such group themes as gardens and architecture, opera, gastronomy, wine, health/walking/cycling, golfing, religious, and ballooning are available.

Luxury Barge Cruises represents an extremely comfortable way to experience Europe. Barge Cruising in France, Germany, Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium or Holland allows a journey that shows quaint little villages, beautiful chateaux, cathedrals, wineries, and more. There is much to see and do, but the pace can be as leisurely as one wants.

French Barge Cruises include the regions of Burgundy, Alsace-Lorraine, Upper Loire, Champagne, Franche-Compte and Provence. A cruise through the Burgundy region will feature scenery made famous by French Impressionists painters and an itinerary of medieval towns and chateaux and the famous vineyards of Chablis. A journey through the Alsace region, perhaps one of the most picturesque provinces in France, is an endless discovery of art, architecture, gourmet food and wine and history. The itinerary is full of turreted castles and picture-book villages. In the Upper Loire region there are the famous Sancerre vineyards and the home of the famous French goat cheese –“Crottin de Chavignol,” as well as many historical buildings. With a cruise to the Champagne region, Europeanbarging organizes wine tastings in some of the most prestigious champagne houses, as well as visiting memorials to the fallen of the First World War, and the superb Gothic Cathedral in Reims. While cruising through the Franche-Compte region, culinary delights will include Compte cheese and the white wines of Arbois. The region is full of rivers, lakes, and streams.

Europeanbarging.com

Contact information:

Jan Baumgartner – Europeanbarging 25132 Oakhurst suite 130 Spring, Texas 77386 USA
Telephone: 713-240-6753 fax 281-419-3920 Toll free 1-888-869-7907
Email: jan@eurpeanbarging.com

The Pilgrimage Site of Vézelay- Meanderer Barge Cruise

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Meanderer Barge- The Pilgrimage Site of Vezelay

Meanderer Barge CruiseVezelay is a small town in the Burgundy region of France. This hill town is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites from the Medieval Age. It is located in an area of prominent pre-Christian sanctity. Though there is no information about the date of the original settlement of the town, its Les Fontaines Salées mineral springs have been favored for their therapeutic qualities since at least the 3rd millennium BC. Celtic presence is evident from the sixth century B.C., and Romans had constructed temples and thermal baths by the second century B.C.

The village of Vezelay was one of Europe’s most sacred places In the Middle Ages. Somewhere near 1050, local monks claimed they had acquired the miracle-working bones of St. Mary Magdalene. The announcement had such a fast and strong effect that, overnight, pilgrims from across Europe flocked to Vezelay to pray at St. Mary’s shrine. Vezelay obviously reaped huge benefits from the sudden influx of pilgrims who brought plenty of money.

Presently, Vezelay is visited by hundred of pilgrims desiring to pray at the Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene, and that number is increasing every year. This Basilica is one of the most magnificent masterpieces of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture in France. It was listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites in 1979. The site is also called Vézelay Abbey, Basilique Ste. Madeleine, La Madeleine, Basilique de Vézelay, and Vézelay Basilica.

The dominant Basilica, to which all paths lead, is situated on the highest point of the city. It is a great monument to piety, where St. Mary’s relics are held in a darkened underground crypt honed from the rock. These are not the original relics that pulled thousands of Medieval pilgrims to Vézelay, as those were burned by French Calvinists during the 16th century Wars of Religion. The present relics were given in 1876 by the Archbishop of Sens. These relics were actually a gift from Pope Martin IV to the Diocese of Sens in 1281.

In addition to being the holy home of St. Mary’s relics, Vezelay was also witness to the launch of the Second and Third Crusades.

Six Passenger Meanderer Barge Cruise

Our six-passenger meanderer barge cruise offers an excursion to Vezelay on its Upper Loire Valley itineraries. Contact us for more details! Europeanbarging 888-869-7907

The Dutch Windmills of Kinderdijk

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The Dutch WindmillsThe Dutch Windmills of Kinderdijk On The Holland Barge Cruise

Kinderdijk is a village in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is situated in a low lying area at the conflux of the Lek and Noord rivers. Around 1740, a system of 19 windmills was created in order to drain the polder (a tract of land surrounded by dikes). This particular group of windmills is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands.

The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the most renowned Dutch tourist sites. They have been listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites since 1997.

A traditional windmill (called windmolen) is possibly the most exemplary Dutch symbol. As you travel about the Netherlands, you can find usually one or probably two Dutch windmills dispersed in the landscape, set apart in the fields. However, you can seldom find the great sails moving, as many are no longer operational. It’s sad but true that there are only about a thousand or so windmills left in the entire country. A source claims there are about 1,150 windmills left, but the fact is that the Dutch will only “count” a windmill if it is fully operational. So, the display of several spectacular windmills, sails rotating in the wind, such as these at Kinderdijk, is indeed a sight to enthrall a tourist’s heart.

For centuries, the use of windmills to pump out excess groundwater, dikes, sluices and canals has been part of the Dutch culture and survival. The 19 remaining windmills at Kinderdijk are actually still operational, although now modern technology does most of the pumping and land reclamation throughout the modern Netherlands. But the fact remains that, for centuries, the windmills played an important role in pumping water from the polders into the canals from ground water overloads, flood waters, and, in the area nearest to the North Sea, high tide waters.

Take A Holland Barge Cruise to The Dutch Windmills

Though Kinderdijk is particularly famous for its windmills, it is also a recreational area, drawing many hikers and bikers to the miles of paths topping the hundreds of dikes in this great polder.

Our Holland Barge Cruises and Holland Tulip River Cruises offer excursions to Kinderdijk. Call us for more information about these cruises and book one of them to see the spectacular beauty of the windmills at Kinderdijk! Europeanbarging 888-869-7907

The Wonder of the Main Danube Canal

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http://www.europeanbarging.com ~ (888) 869-7907 ~ If you are enchanted by the sights and sounds of southern Germany, the Main-Danube Canal is a unique and culturally rich destination to consider. One of the best ways to make the most of the Canal experience is by taking a Danube Continue reading →