Tulip Time in the Low Lands

Your holiday begins with either an accompanied flight from London Heathrow to Amsterdam or a rail journey from St. Pancras to Brussels and road transfer to Amsterdam.

No visit to The Netherlands in spring would be complete without a visit to Keukenhof Gardens to experience the gorgeous views of blooming Dutch tulips and other flowers for which The Netherlands is renowned. The world-famous gardens at Keukenhof encompass over 70 acres of gardens and parkland. Here, we admire the spectacular displays of over seven million bulbs in bloom and over 80 different varieties of trees set amongst shimmering lakes and beautiful water gardens.

The gardens and pavilions show a fantastic collection of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses, carnations, irises, lilies and many other flowers. You will be overwhelmed by a spectacle of colours and perfumes.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinderdijk, with its 19 historic windmills, plays host to our visit this morning. Boasting the largest concentration of windmills in the world, and dating back to the 1740’s, the windmills are kept in operating condition, forming an iconic Dutch scene. The windmills of Kinderdijk were built to keep the low-lying lands of the Alblasserwaard dry and here, we discover how the Dutch have been using water to their benefit for over 1000 years.

After lunch, we embark on a walking tour of Schoonhoven, with its preserved medieval parts and delightful canals. Schoonhoven is renowned for its silver tradition and has been home to Gold and Silversmiths since the Middle Ages. We have the opportunity to discover more of this traditional art at the Dutch Silver Museum.

Known as Manhattan on the Meuse, due to its impressive skyline, Rotterdam has a fantastic reputation for architecture. The city centre was largely rebuilt after World War II and the buildings, skyscrapers and bridges have been designed with a daring, forward-thinking approach. The Erasmus Bridge (referred to locally as ‘The Swan’), the towering Euromast and the modern skyscrapers along the Wilhelminakade pier are particularly striking examples of the distinctive architectural style.

The afternoon is spent cruising over the border into Belgium on passage to Ghent

This morning we travel to the romantic Castle Loppem, built in 1856 by Baron Charles van Caloen and his wife Countess Savina de Gourcy Serainchamps. The architecure and interiors are preserved in their original state and the castle is home to a rich art collection.

The Countess Isabelle van Caloen, current owner of Castle Loppem, will be in residence to welcome our group personally, followed by a private tour of the castle and grounds and an exlcusive Champagne reception.

Onwards to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bruges, one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe, where we board a canal boat to discover why Bruges is often called ‘the Venice of the North’. Our picturesque city tour of the historic centre bypasses charming medieval step-roofed houses and imposing churches reflected in the still waters of the canals, as well as the main market square with its 83 metre high 13th century belfry.

We conclude our tour by sampling the traditional chocolate craft of Bruges, considered to be the best in the world.

After breakfast the beautifully restored medieval centre of Ghent, one of the oldest cities in Belgium with a history dating back to the Stone Age, awaits. The old city is a picturesque array of alleyways rimmed by quaint steeple-roofed buildings running along pretty canals. Our tour takes in St. Bavo’s Cathedral, which houses an impressive number of art treasures including a major work by Rubens and the world-famous Adoration of the Mystic Lamb painted by Hubert and Jan van Eyck around 1432.

We depart from Bruges at lunchtime and spend our final afternoon sailing the Belgian waterways bound for Antwerp.

After breakfast, our cruise comes to an end in Antwerp. We are transferred to either Brussels airport or Brussels Midi railway station for the return journey to the UK.