Canals, Colors and Delights

Founded as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age as a result of its innovative developments in trade. Today, the city has one of the largest historic centers in Europe, with about 7,500 registered historic buildings. The street pattern is largely unchanged since the 19th century. The center consists of 90 islands, linked by 400 bridges. On the city tour through the Dutch metropolis, you will see the Royal Palace, numerous canals and the Museum Quarter. Aside from touring  Amsterdam by coach, you will also stop and stroll along the flower market. As there is no better way to see the city than cruising on the water, the tour will end by a canal cruise boat trip.

Take a drive through the Dutch Polder landscape to the old fishing village of Volendam, built on the shore of the former Zuiderzee. The Volendam houses are built very close together, forming the typical neighborhoods of Volendam. Take a stroll through the old village and see people still dressed in traditional costumes.

Board your coach and drive out of Volendam and into the countryside to visit a local cheese farm. Here, you will learn how Dutch cheese is made and sample the local product. On your way back to your ship, you will enjoy a short walk through the quaint village of Edam, famous for its cheese. Given its narrow streets, continue through the village on foot and see the Carillon tower, once part of a church that was destroyed in the 19th century. Walk to the cheese weighing house and the Dam with its 18th century town hall.

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world, often called the “Gateway to Europe”. During the Second World War the heart of Rotterdam was almost completely destroyed and Rotterdam was gradually rebuilt from the 1950s through the 1970s. Nowadays Rotterdam is famous for its eyecatching skyline with the Erasmus Bridge across the river Maas and modern architecture with cutting-edge buildings by Renzo Piano, Piet Blom, and Rem Koolhaas.

Another highlight of your city tour is the visit of the market hall, which is a covered area of ​​the size of a soccer field full of stands for fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables and other delicacies.

Delft is known for its historic town center with canals, its Delft Blue pottery, and for the painter Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) who was born in Delft and used the streets and home interiors as the subject and background of his paintings. The medieval Oude Kerk is the burial site of Johannes Vermeer. Once the seat of the royal House of Orange, the 15th-century Nieuwe Kerk houses the family's tombs and overlooks Delft's lively market square. Delft has strong ties to the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.  The town's association with the House of Orange started when William of Orange, nicknamed William the Silent (Willem de Zwijger), took up residence in 1572. At the time he was the leader of growing national Dutch resistance against Spanish occupation of the country, this struggle is known as the Eighty Years' War. Still today, members of the Royal Family are buried in the New Church in Delft. We will take a stroll across the old market square and along the canals of this beautiful town center. On our way back to Rotterdam we’ll also make a stop to visit the well-known pottery “Royal Delft”.

We depart by bus from Rotterdam and take a short drive to the city of Gouda, located 25kms northeast of Rotterdam. During the 11th century, Gouda was mainly covered in peat and peat harvesting was the main source of employment. As technologies developed, Gouda was connected to the great canal network in the Netherlands via the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) river and became an important trade hub. In the more recent history, Gouda’s economy revolves around the world famous Gouda cheese industry and its famous cheese market is held on a weekly basis between the months of April and September. Enjoy a guided walk through the historic and picturesque center of the town where you will find the 15th-century town hall on the Market square, a Gothic building with red and white shutters, as well as the 17th-century Goudse Waag, once a cheese-weighing station and now home to the Gouda Cheese Museum.

Zierikzee is a small town in the province of Zeeland.  In 1248 Zierikzee received its town charter and became a wealthy trading city.  Its glorious past and wealth led to the construction of its beautiful port and a large number of historical buildings. Although fires between 1414 and 1576 destroyed a number of these, even nowadays Zierikzee records well over 500 historical monuments.  Its historic city walls, town gates, towers, churches and 16th Century town hall can all still be admired.  

With Zierikzee in the Top 10 of Dutch monument towns, you can understand why you should take a walking tour through this picturesque town.

Disembark and drive to the Delta Works Project located at Neeltje Jans. This is an amazing example of how the Dutch have truly tamed the environment in which they live. Here you will see and learn about the storm surge barrier, part of the Delta Works, a project that was started after the 1953 flood which killed many people and inundated much of the province of Zeeland.

The storm surge barrier was the final phase of this project which is considered one of the engineering marvels of the world.

After a coach ride, you will reach Bruges. Due to the canal system the city is also known as the “Venice of the North” and is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The historic marketplace – the center of old Bruges – is cradled by the river Reie and was recognized as cultural world heritage site by UNESCO.
As you walk along the maze of winding, cobbled alleys and romantic canals, you will be transported to medieval times. Besides various other sights, the market, the ‘Burg’ (the site of the former Bruges castle and the Basilica of the Holy Blood are especially worth seeing.

Visit Ghent, one of Belgium’s most attractive cities, with its rich heritage of medieval buildings. You will see the fortress “Gravensteen” which was built in the 12th century by the Count of Flanders after he returned from his crusades. Today, Gravensteen is one of the biggest moated castles within Europe. During the tour you will also walk through the beautiful city center and see the belfry, a medieval bell tower with 54 bells. Additionally, the St. Bavo’s Cathedral, which houses an impressive number of art treasures including the baroque high altar in white, black and red flamed marble, a major work by Rubens, the ‘Calvary Triptych’, tombs of the Ghent bishops, and the world-famous Adoration of the Mystic Lamb painted by Hubert and Jan van Eyck.

(NB: Renovation works of the altarpiece began in fall, 2012, and will continue into 2017. Parts of the altarpiece will be brought to the Ghent Museum of Fine Arts to be restored, while other parts will remain in the cathedral and can be admired during your visit.)

Discover Antwerp and with it, one of Europe’s largest ports. Walk through the attractive old center of the city and visit the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Cathedral, the largest Gothic church in Belgium. This church contains valuable treasures, such as works by Rubens, wall paintings dating back to the 15th century and many more. However, the church is more than just a museum, it is still an active place of worship. After your visit to the cathedral, enjoy some free time to explore this wonderful city with its lively shopping scene.

Visit the famous Rubenshuis, the former home and workshop of Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp. Purchased in 1610, Rubens had the Flemish townhouse renovated and extended on the basis of designs by Rubens himself. He lived in this palazzo with his family and also painted here with his colleagues and assistants. Many of his  paintings were created in this house. Nowadays a museum, it has an interesting collection while also showing visitors how the master lived and worked.

After your visit to the Rubenshuis, enjoy some free time to explore this wonderful city with its lively shopping scene or visit the cathedral on your own.

Utrecht is the 4th largest city in The Netherlands.  It has a medieval city centre small enough to explore by foot; large enough to enjoy world class festivals, modern architecture, trendy shops and interesting museums for days on end.  The history of the city goes back to 47 AD when the Roman emperor Claudius ordered to build a defensive line along the Rhine river. In the center of Utrecht, where one of the strongholds, or castellum, was built, now stands the Domchurch built in the 13th century. As you discover the city you might hear the carillons of the Dom Tower play.  The historic center has tree-lined canals, Christian monuments and a venerable university.  Utrecht has also been described as a picture-postcard feast of canals, curving cobbled streets and baroque and Gothic medieval architecture, where its cafe culture rubs up against its exciting music and art scene. Discover this vibrant city with its old historic center and let yourself be surprised.