France: Northern Burgundy to Paris or vice versa

Embarkation and check-in at 2 pm. After a welcome by the captain, crew and tour leader there’s time to find your bike and give it a try. After dinner on board, you can take a stroll through Auxerre, the most beautiful of all river towns, with a skyline punctuated by church spires and streets lined with 16th century timbered houses. The cathedral of Saint-Étienne is magnificent, a masterpiece of gothic art.

Today you have several options. If you feel like relaxing and just want to discover Auxerre, please do and enjoy this beautiful city with the Abbey St Germain, the Cathedral St Étienne and the clock tower. If you’re ready for cycling, then explore the area around Auxerre together with your guide. Cycle along the Yonne to visit Caves de Bailly, a vineyard famed for its sparkling Cremant de Bourgogne and its dramatic entrance into the limestone hillsides – yes, real caves. St Bris and Irancy, also well-known vineyards, are close by on the hilltops. Also in Bailly you can admire the paintings of local painter Georges Hosotte, which are on display in the Chapelle de Bailly. Just walk up the little street of the church to discover his lush landscapes depicting this region’s beautiful countryside.

Today’s bike tour leads along the Yonne river valley in a northern direction. Later, the longer cycling option leaves the valley and leads through charming countryside to Brienon-sur-Armançon. From there you bike along the beautiful Burgundy canal for a while to the town of Migennes, sitting at the junction of the Burgundy canal and the river Yonne, once a center of shipping industry. Close to Migennes the ship will be waiting for you for an afternoon sail to Joigny. This picturesque little town has a very long and successful wine history. It has several historical monuments, ancient churches and unique townhouses from the 16th-17th centuries, with carved renaissance facades.

Today’s bike tour starts with a circuit through local vineyards. The tour leader will show you some local producers where you can sample Burgundy’s fine wines. Around lunchtime we return to Joigny and you have the choice to join the ship sailing to Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, or opt for a pleasant afternoon ride to Saint-Julien-du-Sault. With its beautiful stained-glass windows, the town’s Saint-Pierre church dating back to the 13th century is worth a visit. Our day ends in Villeneuve, a very lovely French town on the banks of the Yonne, which remains undiscovered by many tourists. You’ll come across medieval gate towers and a romantic string of gardens while exploring this delightful place.

From Villeneuve there are again two bike options. The shorter one stays close to the river, while the longer option takes you through the hills to the Musée de la Pomme et du Cidre, a museum where you can taste and learn about the fine cider they produce here. Close to Sens, today’s destination, you’ll come across the Parc du Moulin à Tan, a lush park bordered by two rivers. Sens is one of the oldest towns in France, dating back to Celtic Gaul. Its Saint-Etienne Cathedral is the first of France’s great Gothic cathedrals and served as inspiration for many others. A guided visit of the cathedral is on the program. You’ll also have time to shop, visit the local indoor market or stroll around town. Today there is no dinner on board, instead you can select one of Sens’ many local restaurants to dine in.

Today you can choose to follow the river valley again for a short cycling option or take a longer ride into the countryside and visit a local honey producer. If you decide for the short option, you can spend some more time in Sens before you start biking. Today’s destination is Pont-sur-Yonne, a small friendly town on the river.

We set off today cycling in the direction of Montereau-Fault-Yonne, a town situated at the confluence of the Yonne and Seine rivers. In Montereau the Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Loup collegiate church, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, has been classified as a historic monument and is worth a visit. From Montereau we rejoin the ship for a dinner cruise to the day’s final destination, Moret-sur-Loing, a charming medieval fortified town, strategically situated on the banks of the Loing, where painter Sisley found inspiration for his beautiful impressionist paintings.

Today you’ll explore the valley of the Loing river. First up is a visit Grez-sur-Loing, which flourished as an international artists’ colony in the early years of the 20th century. You then continue to Bourron-Marlotte, where you can admire a few magnificent impressionist paintings in the town hall. We then return to Moret-sur-Loing where we stay overnight again.

Today you’ll cycle through the wonderful forests of Fontainebleau. First destination is the town of Fontainebleau, a pleasant town for exploring or shopping, but which is most famous for its magnificent palace, which was highly favored by the French kings thanks to extensive hunting possibilities in the surrounding forests. One of the largest royal palaces in France, the château also houses a museum dedicated to Napoleon. After this, you’ll continue to the artistic village of Barbizon, where many 19^th century painters found inspiration. In the local museum you can learn about the “Barbizon School”, an art movement founded by a group of landscape painters in the 1830s. The final destination of today’s bicycle tour is Melun, a town known as “le domaine des reines blanches”, as it used to be the retreat of widows of the French kings.

We are now getting close to Paris, which means there’s a bit more traffic to deal with. In the morning enjoy a short bicycle ride following the banks of the Seine river to the lock at Évry, from where you’ll rejoin the ship as we sail into Paris. We lunch on board before reaching the ship’s mooring place in the center of Paris, not far from Notre Dame. After dinner you can join the tour leader for an evening walking tour through the city of light.

End of the tour: breakfast, goodbyes and disembarkation until 9.30 am.