Adventourus Active Vacations

7 day semi-escorted luxury barge cruise, cycling & walking tour

    A beautiful Bike and Barge tour through the provinces of  Limburg, Flanders and Wallonia, all on the best  prepared bike paths in Europe.

    With our luxury Hotel Barge Mir? you start a wonderful and varied bike holiday through the Maas Valley – the Valley of the River Ourthe and the three Limburg regions: the Haspengouw, De Hoge Kempen, and the Maasland. Limburg is the ultimate biking and walking paradise with more than 1800 kilometers of car-free superior quality bicycle tracks, with excellent signposts and outstanding cuisine. It is famous for its numerous Limburg and Belgian types of beer, delicious fruit pies and chocolate pralines.

    A day that you don’t want to bicycle? Or walk? Then stay on board and sail away with the luxurious Miro and enjoy the ever-changing and picturesque landscape.

    You arrive in Maastricht via your own transportation. Boarding starts at 12.00 noon at the marina Pietersplas. On board we start with a warm welcome, a welcome drink and a briefing about the tour. The bicycle briefing takes place at apt. 2.00 o'clock p.m.  The bikes are adjusted for every individual. After this, we sail with the MIRO through the locks of Lanaye (18 meters fall) towards Liège, Angleur. The locks of Lanaye are the highest locks in the River Meuse and are an impressive event. We continue our tour through the locks of Visé through the beautiful valley of Visé to Monsin. We moor in Liège Angleur, right in the centre of the historical Old Town. We enjoy a fine dinner in Liège and in the evening there is an opportunity to take a city tour with the skipper. He takes you to the famous Café Chantant Le Jardin des Ollivette*, where the atmosphere is determined by the Liègois folk music and French Chansons.

   Early in the morning we enjoy a pleasant Skippers breakfast. After breakfast there is an opportunity to visit the famous Sunday market, La Batte, the oldest market in Belgium.  After this the MIRO sails to Angleur. Here the bikes are offloaded and after discussing the tour, we start our bike tour through the beautiful valley of the Ourthe to the wonderful town of Tillf and the delightful town of Esneux. Riding through the valley of the Ourthe is a pleasurable biking experience indeed!

   When we arrive back in Angleur, we will enjoy a romantic afternoon sailing trip with the Miro to Kanne. Here we have dinner and spend the night at the city quay. You are free to spend the rest of the evening as you please. You also have the opportunity to visit the marl caves with the skipper.

Day 3: Bike tour Gellik - Rekum - Maasmechelen (39 km)

    A delicious breakfast cruise  and Briefing of the day's route. The skipper has already taken your bike from the boat and checked the pressure of your tires.
   Our bike tour leads us through an enchanted world of legendary castles, miraculous legends and a mysterious past. The Land of the Haspengouw has you in its spell and will never set you free again. We visit the splendid medieval castle of Alden Biezen, the pearl of Limburg, and the biggest castle between the Loire and the River Rhine. Here we reach the junction of the Albert canal and the Canal of Neerharen.  We  board the MIRO again and take a beautiful sailing tour to the small border town of Rekem and Maasmechelen. We moor beneath the castle and here we enjoy dinner and spend the night. In the evening it is a real treat to stroll the streets of this small picturesque town.

   We start out with a delicious breakfast and a discussion of the tour. The Limburg National Park Hoge Kempen surprises you with beautiful bike routes through large woods, impressive land dunes, mysterious pools and ...... Desert!!

   There are some very good bike cafés along the route, and if you don't want to go too far today, no problem! You simply shorten the route and enjoy a shopping tour in the fashionable Maasmechelen Village Outlet Center. Our guests receive a special VIP invitation with special offers and extra discounts. We will have dinner in the city of Weert and spend the night on the wooded canal banks.

   After breakfast the MIRO sails through small picturesque canals with beautiful scenery to the small historical Museum City of Thorn.  On the way we discuss the tour and at appr. 10 o'clock the bikes are taken from the boat. We start the bike tour by beautiful old farmhouses via the Meuse route along the beautiful old river and the splendid Limburg lakes  and farmland. Don't forget to taste the excellent cuisine and the famous Belgian chocolate!

   The bike tour continues to the famous small white town of Thorn. Here you meet the Miro again, your sailing hotel that has moored at the landing outside the city walls.

   This evening you have the opportunity to enjoy the Traditionnal Captains dinner on board the Miro. We will spend the night in Thorn. This evening, you can enjoy a walk through this wonderful little town (the view is breathtaking).

   During a delicious early breakfast we sail towards the sun across the beautiful Limburg lakes to the industrial sailors town of Maasbracht. Here we pass the impressive lock-complex at the beginning of the Juliana canal to the locks of Born, where our bike tour starts. The skipper has already checked your bike and taken them from the boat. Through the rural village of Stein we ride along beautiful apple orchards to the little village of Elslo with its magnificent castle. Here you can enjoy a delicious lunch or have a cup of coffee.

   We continue our tour through a splendid wooded Limburg scenery to the historical city of Maastricht. In the evening the Harbour Taxi or the Miro takes us to the old historical centre of Maastricht. On Thursday evening, all shops ans museums are open until 9pm. Maastricht shows you its unequalled, delightful Burgundian side. As we return to the Miro, we enjoy a drink on the Candlelight deck, looking back on a wonderful day.

    After breakfast youdisembark at 10 o'clock and you may begin your journey home. We would also be more than happy to extend your stay in Europe.

PRICE & DETAILS

DEPARTURE DATES:

- Welcome drink

- 6 nights including buffet breakfast and packed lunch on board the 5***** Hotel Yacht Miro

- 6x afternoon tea

- Luxurious comfort class cabin, with bathroom, satellite TV, air-conditioning, safe, central heating

- Towels, linen and maid service

- bike rental of first-class Gazelle Chamonix electro-bikes with 2 saddle bags, extra long step-in, 8-speeds, bike computer, rain poncho, repair materials, a double safety lock and bike helmet, reinforced tires etc.

- full bicycle insurance

- biking and walking maps, route descriptions and travel information for your use and convenience

- multilingual crew on board to provide assistance and advice on the days touring

- VIP Invitation Maasmechelen Village

- Field Trip and city tour in Liège and visit to the Café Chantant LE Jardin des Ollivettes

- optionally various walks with the Skipper

NOT INCLUDED

- local harbour and lock taxes of 98€ pp, must be paid in cash onboard to the captain

- staff gratuities

- bar drinks

- optional extra night aboard ship pre/post tour

MEAL OPTIONS

Dinner may be served on board or in a well-established local restaurant. This is the choice of the passenger each day.

A 4 course traditional dinner prepared by the chef aboard the Miro costs 26€

There is also a snack service and fully stocked bar on board.

Logding

MS Miro 5*****: The Miro has 6 luxuriously appointed 2-person comfort class cabins, finished in the finest cherry wood, each containing a separate bathroom with shower, toilet and so forth. There is a cosy seating area, satellite colour TV, a safe, 220 volt electricity network, fax, telephone.

The yacht is also equipped with internet access, as well as heating for those cooler nights and air-conditioning for warm summer days.

The interior reflects the luxurious style and decadence of the 1920's, though was totally refitted in 2006. The spacious salon with open fireplace and fully-equipped bar has expansive windows allowing panoramic views.

EASY TO MODERATE: The total length of the cycling route is about 180 km. Almost all bike paths are level and well-lit, but longer alternative routes and local roads are also a possibility.

These are lovely bike routes along well-signposted bike routes. Suitable for all levels of cyclist.

The best flight options are into Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport and out of Paris. There are highspeed trains from the terminal to Maastricht every hour, at a cost of approx. 25€. The voyage takes approx. 2h30. A further option is Paris or even Frankfurt, both a 3 to 4 hour train ride to Maastricht.

Taxi's to & from Maastricht train station are approx. 12 euro.

Zurich Airport to Constance (1 1/2 hours) rail transfers are available at $55.00 one way.