Belgium & France: Through Flanders Fields and along the Somme

Embarkation and check-in take place between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM in Abbeville, near the beautiful old train station. After a brief welcome talk and meeting the crew at 2:00 PM, it’s time to adjust your bike and enjoy a test ride around Abbeville. In the evening, your guides will take you on a stroll through town.

Before we head east, we first head west to see the Atlantic, the English Channel to be more precise. The longer ride will take you to the coastal town of Cayeux, with its pebble beach and sea side atmosphere. Afterwards, continue to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. The short tour will lead straight to this lovely town, from where you could take a steam train across the Bay and back.

We leave Abbeville and embark on our grand journey to Bruges. First stop is the Castle of Rambures, a 15th century fortified castle set amidst a rose garden and arboretum. You can enjoy both the gardens and the castle itself, before continuing to the small town of Long and its pink and white Château of the same name. Unlike many castles in France this one is open to visitors. To get there we follow a so called ‘voie vert’, a ‘green road’ meaning car free and often on old converted railway tracks.

Enjoy the morning views of the pretty Somme river, as the Fleur takes you to the lock of La Breilloire. On route to Samara, we will pay a visit to a ‘chèvrerie’ (goat cheese farm), because any tour in France would not be complete without cheese. A bit further up the road are the fascinating medieval underground caves of Naours, once used as shelter. We end up in Samara, where the Fleur is waiting for you. At walking distance from the boat you can visit the arboretum and Samara Historical Park or follow a walking trail nearby.

A short ride along the Somme will take you to the city of Amiens. Before you have time to explore this town, you are taken on a guided boat tour at the famous ‘floating’ gardens of Amiens, the Hortillonnages. After storing the bikes on board the Fleur, the rest of the day is yours to explore Amiens. Visit the magnificent Cathedral (twice the size of the Notre Dame of Paris) or pay a visit to the Jules Verne House. End the afternoon relaxing on the Place du Don. Tonight you will enjoy a delightful dinner in one of the city’s inviting restaurants, with recommendations from the crew.

The longer ride today takes you through the small town of Moreuil, once famous for its thriving weaving industry. A little further up ahead is the whisky distillery of Hautefeuille. You will be shown how it is made and of course you can find out if French whisky gets your approval. Alternatively, take a shorter ride today and spend some time at the Franco-Australian Museum and the nearby John Monash Centre, both well worth a visit if you are interested in World War 1. Today’s rides end in the town of Corbie.

Cycle with your guides towards Albert, where you can visit the remarkable underground 1916 museum. North of Albert you can visit one of the largest memorials for British and South African soldiers from WWI. You can opt for a shortcut, skipping Thiepval and going straight to take a look at the colossal Lochnagar mine, where the British detonated an underground mine, starting the Battle of the Somme. We once again return to the Somme near the charming town of Cappy, where the Fleur awaits us.

During breakfast the Fleur will bring us a little upriver to the lock near Frise. From here we hop on our bikes as the Fleur navigates her last kilometers on the Somme before turning left onto the Canal du Nord. We bike to Péronne, where you can visit the “Grande Guerre” museum or explore this little town on foot. In the afternoon we ride through the peaceful Somme Valley, once the front line during WWI. We meet the Fleur at the entrance of the impressive 4-kilometer-long Ruyalcourt tunnel. As we go through, we cross the watershed between the Scheldt and Somme rivers. Tonight the ship is moored in the middle of nowhere at the highest point of the Canal du Nord.

From ‘Lock 7’ the Fleur follows the Canal du Nord. It took over 60 years to complete, replacing the older St. Quentin Canal, built by Napoleon to transport coal from the mines to the south. Today the short rides leads straight to Arleux, famous for its smoked garlic. Those on the longer rides pass through Cambrai first before smelling the garlic. Everyone will then visit the Coal Mining Museum in Lewarde, before the final destination for today, the ‘city of giants’: Douai. The belfry tower is an indication we are now in French Flanders.

As on most days, there are two options today. Those interested in art should bike via nearby Lens, where the famous Louvre of Paris has an annex displaying objects lend out by the Paris museum. Those who want to spend more time in Lille can opt for the shorter ride. We will spend two nights in Lille, nicknamed by the French the ‘capital of Flanders’.

Today the bikes remain on board and you have a full day to explore the 4th biggest city of France. This vibrant university town has it all: a nice old town, lots of (botanical) gardens, a citadel, a cathedral and an excellent museum of fine arts. What makes Lille special and different from all other big French cities is the unique mix of Flemish and French architecture and food. Tonight you can try the typical Northern French “Ch’ti” cuisine in one of the many restaurant in town. Or go for ‘mussels and fries’, perhaps the most famous dish of Lille.

During breakfast, the Fleur sails out of Lille and out of France. We are now on the Lys river. Over the years the river has changed a bit, but the border hasn’t, resulting in going in and out of France a few times before we take the bikes off board. From here on we bike through Flanders, the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. On todays longer route, you can visit Tyne Cot, the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world. Both routes today lead to Kortrijk, a well preserved city with plenty of medieval landmarks. Both the belfry and the old ‘beguinage’ (a complex built for lay religious women) are well worth a visit. The Fleur will await us just east of town.

A lovely day to see Flanders Fields, both the American cemetery for those who wish, as well as actual Flanders fields. In Oudenaarde we’ll have a drink at the Tour the Flanders Center. If you thought the French are crazy about road biking … Oudenaarde was also known for its tapestry industry and the museum is well worth a visit to see some huge tapestries. We continue to the small town of Deinze, our destination for today.

Flanders is part of the Low Lands, and you will now see why. Just like its northern neighbor it is flat as a pancake and many parts are just below sea level. It makes for wonderful biking, riding through lush green flatlands dotted with charming farms. In the afternoon, enjoy a relaxing picnic in the expansive gardens of Poeke Castle. You can choose between a longer ride, just to enjoy the Belgian countryside, or a shorter tour to spend more time in Bruges. Either way you will not be disappointed. Nor will you with the farewell dinner tonight.

After breakfast, say your goodbyes to guides and crew and disembark by 9:00 AM, concluding a memorable journey.