Castles of the Meuse and Sambre MS Johannes Brahms

7 nightsALL INCLUSIVEfrom£1499

Includes insurance and cancellation cover§ Price reduction available if not required. aboard MS Johannes Brahms + – see pages 144-149 for details No fly option

Sail the Belgian waterways through Flanders, stopping to explore Ghent and Tournai.

Ghent Castle

Day 1: UK to Brussels.

Travel by coach from Folkestone to Brussels via Eurotunnel or ferry and embark your ship Johannes Brahams. Enjoy a welcome dinner on board as your ship moors here overnight.

Day 2: Brussels to Merelbeke.

Spend a relaxing morning on board your ship before disembarking for an included excursion to Ghent, where you’ll enjoy a tour of the medieval Castle of the Counts. Set in the heart of the city, the moated castle has a gatehouse, ramparts, a keep, count’s residence and stables, all of which are open to visitors. You’ll rejoin your ship at Merelbeke for an overnight mooring.

Day 3: Merelbeke to Tournai.

Continue sailing through Flanders this morning, stopping for an included coach tour, during which your guide will talk about the history of Flanders and you will stop to visit the Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial. Continue sailing into Wallonia where your ship will moor at Tournai, a city divided by the River Scheldt.

Day 4: Tournai to Strépy-Thieu.

This morning enjoy an included tour of the city, where highlights include the vast Cathedral of Notre-Dame with its five towers and rose window, the medieval Red Fort tower and the 12th-century Belfry of Tournai, which dominates the main square of Grand Place. This afternoon your ship will navigate several locks before arriving at the funicular lift of Strépy-Thieu. This feat of modern Belgian engineering allows inland waterway vessels to cross a 73.15 meter diference in height, making it the largest boat lift in Europe. Your ship moors here overnight.

Day 5: Strépy-Thieu.

Sail through the morning, passing through more locks before disembarking for an optional afternoon visit to Le Bois du Cazier where you can learn more about the work of a miner during the 19th century. This UNESCO-listed site is the location of a major mining disaster that occurred on August 8, 1956. Overnight mooring.

The Namur Citadel overlooks the Meuse

The Meuse Valley

SO MUCH INCLUDED…

Included travel insurance

VIP door-to-door travel service – see page 155

20 meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners

Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner Free bar, open 12 hours a day†

Cruise Host

Plus...

• Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner • Complimentary Wi-Fi on board • Return coach travel via Eurotunnel or ferry.

INCLUDED EXCURSIONS

• Ghent and the Castle of the Counts • Historic Flanders • Tournai walking tour.

Merelbeke

Tournai

Sambre

Strépy-Thieu Brussels

BELGIUM

Namur

Meuse

Dinant

The Flanders Fields Memorial Tournai Cathedral

Day 6: Namur.

Your ship sets sail early this morning, arriving during lunch in Namur, capital of Belgium’s Wallonia region. The city sits at the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, a point marked by a medieval fortress with a golden statue of a giant turtle and underground tunnels stretching over four miles. You may like to join an optional walking tour of the city to see some of its main attractions. Your ship remains moored here overnight.

Day 7: Namur to Dinant.

Continue sailing early this morning to arrive in Dinant shortly before lunch. This afternoon you may like to visit the Château de Modave on an optional excursion. Your ship remains moored here overnight.

Day 8: Dinant to UK.

Disembark after breakfast and return to the UK.

Prices are £s per person from: Oct 22, 2022 Main Deck Twin (Aft - D) 1649 1499 Main Deck Twin (C) 1719 1569 Upper Deck Twin (Aft - B) 1949 1799 Upper Deck Twin (A) 2049 1899 Main Deck Sole occupancy (C) 2299 2149 Upper Deck Sole occupancy (A) 2699 2549 Cruise code ELB90 Castles of the Meuse and Sambre. 7 nights. §If you choose to opt out of the included insurance and cancellation cover, a reduction applies of £20 – see page 150 for details. TRAVEL OPTIONS: Prices based on coach travel from Folkestone to Brussels via Eurotunnel or ferry, returning from Dinant. Eurostar standard is available for a supplement departing from London St Pancras to Brussels and onward by coach. Flights from Heathrow are also available for a supplement.

Be quick – to be guaranteed the best price, book early as flights can sell out and prices sometimes increase.

Please note: Some of the highlights may only be seen on optional excursions at an additional cost, or by exploring independently. †The free bar on board Johannes Brahms is open from 12pm to midnight, serving non-branded alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.