Backroads
Iconic Canals, Windmills & Bike Paths from Amsterdam to Bruges
Spring is magic in the Low Countries. Fairy-tale windmills float upon banks of sea grass. Busy bike paths interlace with softly flowing canals. And when Mother Nature is ready, gardens burst into bloom.
Vacation Inclusions
- All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
- Expert Backroads Trip Leaders, on ship and on shore
- Off-the-beaten path exploration
- Access to all ship amenities
- Impeccable and personalized service from ship staff and Backroads Leaders
- Exclusive activities that amplify your appreciation and understanding of the local culture
- Exclusive biking routes with multiple options at varied paces
- Gratuities on ship and on shore handled by your Backroads Leaders
- Exploring lesser known routes away from busy ports
- Dedicated support vans
- Custom Titanium bike
- Easy-to-use route directions so you're free to explore independently
- Private walking tours with expert guides
- Access to all ship activities and excursions
- Wine included with all onboard meals
- Private cocktail/wine receptions
- Off-ship lunches in genuine settings
Vacation Highlights:
- Sail the canals, waterways and reservoirs that crisscross these two countries—if ever a region was made for small cruise ships, it’s this!
- Celebrate spring at the world-renowned Keukenhof Gardens, where a landscape planted with 7 million bulb flowers is opened to visitors for just one month a year
- Bike through dynamic cities like dreamy Amsterdam, charming Ghent and romantic Bruges
- Clink a glass of Belgian beer as you indulge in local specialties like waffles, chocolate, gourmet cheese and fresh seafood
- From sweeping sandy beaches to marshes rich with birdlife, the Low Countries’ landscapes may surprise you
Featured Destinations
Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the Dutch city with a difference. City on the river Maas, number 1 world port. An architectural and cultural metropolis with many attractions, festivals and museums. A vivacous, young urban culture and a superlative selection of shops, restaurants and cafes.
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Destination Guide
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Bruinisse
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Schoonhoven
Schoonhoven
Schoonhoven is famous for its gold and silverware. Most visitors take a walking tour of the village, then board a motorcoach and travel through the peaceful countryside to Keukenhof Gardens, the world's largest flower garden.
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Kampen
Kampen
The city of Kampen is situated along the river IJssel close to the point where it flows into the IJsselmeer (formaly the "Zuiderzee"). Kampen received city rights in 1236. Having been a member of the Hanseatic League it used to be an important port.
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Ghent
Ghent
It is no coincidence Ghent was given several names: historic heart of Flanders, a city of all times, one of the most beautiful historic cities in Europe. The city combines an impressive past with a vivid present. The historic heart of the city offers many places of interest. From St Michael's bridge there is a wonderful view of the skyline of Ghent with the three impressive towers of St Nicholas' Church, the Belfry with its bell tower, and St. Bavo's cathedral. Traces of the Middle Ages are well-preserved in Ghent. The old port with its guild halls on Graslei and Korenlei is merely one example of the beautiful views this town has to offer. Not far from Graslei arises the Castle of the Counts, once the medieval fortress of the Count of Flanders. Ghent also has several museums, abbeys, beguinages, dozens of churches and historical buildings. Everyone can find something here to suit his taste. Ghent offers shops, restaurants and an exciting nightlife. Discover Ghent by boat, carriage, bicycle or on foot.
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Destination Guide
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Antwerp
Antwerp
Antwerp is famous for its art treasures, diamond industry, and culture, relaxation and entertainment. Shop at Grote Markt, at the heart of which stands Brabo Fountain. Antwerp’s main attractions include stunning City Hall, one of the most important buildings of the Northern Renaissance; Our Lady’s Cathedral, one of the finest gothic churches in Belgium; and the daintily restored 16th-century guildhouses. Visit Diamond Land or Provincial Diamond Museum. Other sights include The Steen - a waterfront gatehouse of a medieval fortress built on site of a 9th-century fortification from which the town spread that now houses the National Maritime Museum; Mayer van den Berg Art Museum; Royal Art Gallery - which has 2,500 paintings spanning five centuries; and Plantin-Moretus Museum - a 16th-century patrician mansion that was a famous printing house of the Plantin and Moretus families.
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Destination Guide
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Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Cosmopolitan Amsterdam is most famous for its narrow, gabled houses lining the canals. Interesting attractions include the medieval weighhouse, Royal Palace on Dam Square, and New Church. Its most glamorous industry is the diamond trade. Not too far from Amsterdam are the flower centers of Aalsmeer, the picturesque fishing villages of Volendam and Marken, cheese markets at Edam and Gouda, and historic Haarlem, the main center of the bulb-growing industry. Enjoy the city’s sights from a glass-topped sightseeing boat which passes characteristic gabled houses and negotiates picturesque arched bridges. Facing Dam Square, the Royal Palace was built in 1648 and is still officially the royal residence, although the royal family resides in The Hague. The marbled Citizens Hall with inlaid maps of the world is worth seeing. One of Amsterdam’s most visited sites is historic Anne Frank House. Rijksmuseum, the city’s most prestigious museum, houses the largest collection of Dutch paintings in the world. Van Gogh Museum houses a striking collection.
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Destination Guide
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