Bruges Boat Trip
The Canals and Inland Waterways of Belgium
October 3 – 15, 2012
(Click on the images below to see more pictures for each day)
Day 1
Wednesday 3 October
Departure from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany through JFK for Brussels
Day 2
Thursday 4 October
Arrive Brussels by Delta Airlines DL140 at 9:00 hours.
Transfer by motor coach to Ghent
Lunch included
Site 01 - Brief Tour of City Center Ghent
then free time to recover from jet lag
Dinner
Overnight Ghent River Hotel
Day 3
Friday 5 October
The Dazzling City of Ghent
Site 02 – Morning Boat Trip - Ghent's Waterways - ends at new City Centre Lock (Scaldissluis)
Site 03 – Short Guided Tour - on foot with official city guide
Lunch on your own
Afternoon Free Time to Explore
Dinner
Overnight Ghent River Hotel
Day 4
Saturday 6 October
A Day in Beautiful Bruges
Site 04 – Round Lock –between Ghent-Brugge Canal and old Sluis Canal-old Brugge Harbor
Site 05 – Historic Bruges City Center - on foot with official city guide
Site 06 – Historic Bruges Boat Trip
Lunch on your own
Free Time to Explore
Dinner
Overnight Ghent River Hotel
Day 5
Sunday 7 October
Northwest Flanders - Canals and WWI - In Flanders Fields
Site 07, – Nieuwpoort - unique flood management and navigation water cross-roads –
River Ijzer, Kanaal Plassendale-Nieuwpoort, Kanaal Nieuwpoort-Duinkerken also King Albert Monument
Site 08 – The Trench of Death in Diksmuide – on the River Ijzer
Site 09 – City of Ieper (Ypres) – The Grote Markt, WWI and the In Flanders Fields Museum
Lunch on your own
Site 10 – Ypres-Comines Canal (never completed) and Visitors Center (historic photographs)
Site 11 – Walk the Canal – The Ypres-Comines Summit Level
Site 12 – Kortrijk – Beautiful city-center historic bridge with Medieval Towers and Leie/Lys River bypass canal (Time Permitting)
Dinner
Overnight Ghent River Hotel
Day 6
Monday 8 October
North Flanders –The Artery of Commerce
Site 13 – Evergem Locks Ghent – behind the scenes tour of high capacity locks north of Ghent on the bypass canal, recently completed 2nd chamber, and control tower
Site 14 – Boat Trip Ghent Harbor aboard Jacob Van Artevelde special harbor company vessel (Courtesy Mr. Daan Schalck, General Manager Port of Ghent and Vanessa Desmet, Public Relations Officer)
Site 15 – Continue Boat Trip north on Ghent Ship Canal to Terneuzen Navigation Control Center (Netherlands) – High-volume Commercial Shipping on the River Scheldt at the port with three entrances (soon to be four) to the Ghent Ship Canal.
LUNCH INCLUDED ON BOARD VESSEL (Courtesy Ghent Port Authorities)
Dinner
Overnight Ghent River Hotel
Day 7
Tuesday 9 October
A Day in Antwerp – the Great Seaport
Site 16 – Boat Trip – Expansive Antwerp Harbour and King Albert Kanaal Terminus
Site 17 – Antwerp City Center – on foot with official city guide
Site 18 – Museum Aan de Stroom – on island between historic Willemdok & Bonapartedok- panoramic view of Antwerp and harbor from rooftop terrace
Lunch on your own
Free Time
Dinner
Overnight Brussels, Hotel Ibis
Day 8
Wednesday 10 October
The Capital: Brussels and its Waterways
Site 19 - Grand Place - Spectacular square Brussels City Centre
Site 20 - Molenbeek Lock - on foot
Site 21 - Boat Trip - Charleroi-Brussels Canal and Ship Canal through Brussels –with commentary on port and proposed upgrading of canal
Lunch on your own
Free Time
Transfer to Namur
Dinner
Overnight Hotel Les Tanneurs, Namur
Day 9
Thursday 11 October
Namur and Dinant – The Meuse Valley By Road and Water
Site 22 – Tour of Namur - on foot with official city guide
Site 23 – Dinant and the Citadelle – beautiful town on the Meuse and Citadelle above town on rocky promontory
FREE TIME and LUNCH INCLUDED - RIVERSIDE
Site 24 – Boat Trip in Namur – Cruise of the Meuse and Sambre Rivers
Dinner
Overnight Hotel Les Tanneurs, Namur
Day 10
Friday 12 October
Down the Meuse and Albert Canal and Up the Ourthe Canal
Site 25 – Liège - Entrance to Albert Kanaal with Monument – park setting
Site 26– Liège – Covered slipway and dock
Site 27 – Locks at Lanaye - 3 generations of locks, splendidly beautiful site with spectacular deep cut through precipitous limestone cliffs
LUNCH INCLUDED – La Capitainerie – overlooking the Meuse
Site 28 – Liège – Junction of River Ourthe and the Meuse - - the first part of the planned 1827-1831 Meuse-Moselle Waterway – never completed
Site 29 – Village of Tilff – on the river Ourthe south of Liège - wonderful town square and setting
Site 30 – La Rouche á Faucons – The Falcon Rocks – dazzling overlook of the valley
Site 31 – Poulseur – well preserved lock south of the village on old Ourthe Canal
Return to Namur via Hamoir, Ouffet, Tinlot, Huy or Sprimont on A26 to Liège and A15
Dinner
Overnight Hotel Les Tanneurs, Namur
Day 11
Saturday 13 October
Shiplifts and Inclines: Canal Curiosities in Hainaut Province
Special Presentation M. Yvon Loyaerts, Eng. – Director General SPW – Waterway Authority Wallonia
Site 32 – Old and New Canal du Centre and Charleroi Brussels Canals -Boat Trip Shiplifts and Incline – Board trip boat below the new 73 meter (237 feet) shiplift at Strépy-Thieu (opened for 2,000 ton vessels in 2002), cruise up the shiplift then along the summit level to Lift #1 on the old 300 ton Canal du Centre – late 19th century/early 20th century near La Louvière for unique cruise down the boat elevator– walk past lifts #2 and #3 to engine/power house-reboard vessel for trip up Lift #1 on west side of plateau, then down the Ronquières Incline on north slope of Hainaut Plateau.
LUNCH INCLUDED
Site 33 - Site investigation of machine room Strépy-Thieu Lift - not normally visited by tourists
Dinner
Overnight Hotel Les Tanneurs, Namur
Day 12
Sunday 14 October
Canal Enlargements and Restorations
Site 34 – Bicycle Trip - down the 16 lock flight and entire line of the old 300 ton Charleroi-Bruxelles Canal from the summit level tunnel to the junction with the present line below the Ronquières Incline
Site 35 - Tournai - old bridge (Pont des Trous) and lift bridge just south - problem of canal enlargement in city center of beautiful old town
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN IN TOURNAI
Early arrival at hotel to prepare for departure in the morning
Final Gala Dinner at Château de Namur
Overnight Hotel Les Tanneurs, Namur
Day 13
Monday 15 October
Transfer to Brussels Airport for Return to USA
Site 36 - Unusual lock on Dijle-Levon Canal (near airport) - optional depending on traffic
PLEASE NOTE:
THE TOUR ORGANIZORS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO OMIT OR OTHERWISE ALTER SOME SITE VISITS OR the planned ROUTE AT ANY TIME, DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, INCLEMENT WEATHER, OR UNEXPECTED PROBLEMS and EVENTS