World War One Commemorative Cruises on European Waterways (Luxury Hotel Barge Cruises)

About this Cruise

It is now more than a century since the outbreak of World War One and we will be continuing to offer a number of World War One Commemorative Cruises in late Spring for the next few years.

These cruises will be aboard our 12 passenger hotel barge, Panache, along the Canal du Nord and the River Oise. There will be excursions to sites in Flanders, including the Menin Gate in Ypres for the moving Last Post ceremony; the battlefields, memorials and museums of the Somme, such as Thiepval and Belicourt; the forest clearing at Compiègne where the Armistice was signed in November 1918.

There will be tours of other significant places during the conflict, such as Vimy Ridge and Villers-Bretonneux, site of the Australian National War Memorial and and a place of deep meaning to Australians and New Zealanders.

The excursion programme for the cruises will have some flexibility built in to allow, where possible, guests of different nationalities to visit sites of particular significance to their own countries. In addition, there will be interesting cruising through the Spring Picardy countryside.

Cruise Highlights

Holland (March to Early May)
Tour Keukenhof Gardens with the largest display of flowers in the world
Visit the vast Aalsmeer flower auction
See the windmills of the Zaanse Schans conservation area
Visit the Royal Delft pottery to see the world famous earthenware being hand-made and painted
Tour picturesque Haarlem and visit a museum of the Dutch painter, Franz Hals
Tour the charming city of Leiden, Rembrandt’s birthplace

Champagne (Late May & June)
Private tour and tasting at world renowned champagne house, Moët & Chandon
Tour the majestic cathedral in Reims, where the Kings of France were once crowned
Visit the boutique champagne house of Frerejean Frères and enjoy lunch in the family domaine
Enjoy a private winery tour and tasting at Maison Pannier, the largest champagne house in the western Marne Valley
Cruise the pretty River Marne past waterside vineyards
Visit Château-Thierry, the scene of fierce battles in World War I, and Belleau Wood

Alsace & Lorraine (July to October)
Tour the beautiful city of Strasbourg and visit its Gothic cathedral
Explore the Route des Vins d’Alsace with a private wine tasting
Experience an ascent or descent of the unique Arzviller boat elevator
Visit the spectacular René Lalique Collection
Tour of Sarrebourg including a visit to the Chagall chapel
Enjoy a candlelit meal whilst cruising through the Arzviller tunnels
Excellent opportunities for walking and biking. “Biking Plus” option available