DAY 1 / VENAREY-LES-LAUMES

Guests are met at the Hotel Westminster in Paris and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to La Belle Epoque. A full crew Welcome Aboard with champagne and canapés. After time to settle into your cabin you will enjoy your first dinner on board and an introduction to Burgundy’s excellent cuisine.

DAY 2 / VENARAY-LES-LAUMES / MONTBARD

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then we cruise through woodlands and rolling fields with great towpath biking and walking opportunities past the tiny canalside villages of Nogent, Courcelles and Les Granges. After lunch, we enjoy either a stroll around the hilltop village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, where the film ‘Chocolat’ was set, or a tour of the medieval town of Semur-en-Auxois. On the way from the summit of Mount Auxois, we also look at Alesia, where the last battle between the Gauls and Romans took place in 52 B.C. and visit the impressive museum. Dinner on board.

DAY 3 / MONTBARD / RAVIERES

Morning cruise with excellent towpath walking or cycling, passing the 18th century Forges de Buffon. Then after lunch we escort you to the exquisite UNESCO World Heritage Site of Abbaye de Fontenay founded by St Bernard in 1118. Representing a distinctive example of early Cistercian architecture and virtually intact, Fontenay allows an exceptional glimpse of Cistercian life and industry with its peaceful gardens, ponds and fascinating cloisters, dormitories and scriptorium. Return to the barge and cruise to Ravières. Dinner on board.

DAY 4 / RAVIERES / ANCY-LE-FRANC

Morning visit to medieval Noyers-sur-Serein to admire the local produce, colours and delights of the traditional French market, or to wander the town ramparts in this, one of the most beautiful villages in France. We return to the hotel barge and after lunch on board, enjoy a gentle afternoon cruise past grazing Charolais cattle, with plenty of opportunity to walk or cycle along the towpath, to moor in Ancy-le-Franc. Dinner ashore at a local restaurant.

DAY 5 / ANCY-LE-FRANC / LEZINNES

This morning we visit Château d’Ancy-le-Franc. This beautifully symmetrical, 16th century masterpiece contains France’s biggest collection of Renaissance murals and is set in magnificent gardens and parkland. In the afternoon, a gentle cruise as your hotel barge continues along the Burgundy Canal and descends through the picturesque locks to moor at Lezinnes. Dinner on board.

DAY 6 /LEZINNES / TANLAY

After breakfast we enjoy a leisurely cruise to our final mooring at Tanlay, with the opportunity to cycle or walk into the picturesque village of Saint Vinnemer. Following lunch, we tour the vineyards and town of Chablis, dating back to Roman times and enjoy a private wine tasting at a renowned winemaker such as the family-run Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard, which makes the most of the region’s wonderful local terroir to produce high quality wines, before returning to the barge for Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.

• Comfortable accommodation in air-conditioned, en suite staterooms or suites

• Gourmet meals prepared by the onboard chef, fine wines and an open bar

• Daily escorted excursions to places of interest and private wine tastings in air-conditioned minibuses

• Local transfers e.g. to and from Paris

• Bicycles and on most hotel barges, an on-deck spa pool

• Attentive service from an experienced crew – Captain, chef, tour guide, and hosts/hostesses

Please stay tuned for travel tips tailored for this itinerary!

For any immediate questions, please contact us as 905.258.7778.