Vantage World Travel

Towns of the Golden Age - 8D/7N

Discover the cities that flourished during the “Golden Age” of Holland when the riches of its colonies fostered a wealthy middle and upper class that spent lavishly on their homes. These towns still exhale the character of this period of wealth in Dutch history. The influence of the 17th Century is still noticeable in the many monumental buildings and different trades that are introduced to you on this tour. Visit Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Schiedam, Dordrecht and Gouda.

The Netherlands is often called Holland because of the role the two western provinces North and South holland played in its history. This region encompasses Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and other well known Dutch cities. During the Golden Age, Holland was the Capital of the World. It is a country of water; ever since the 16th century, many Dutch people have been living on the bottom of former lakes. Part of the country is covered by large rivers, whose estuaries form an immense delta. Ijssel Lake, a large freshwater lake, still covers 296,400 acres. Windmills are used to drain the land and keep it dry. They still form an important element of water management in these low lying lands.
Amsterdam, one of the great cities of Europe has many faces. You may know the romantic canals, the numerous bikes and the exciting night-life, however, Amsterdam offers so much more. It has a wide range of places of interest, historical monuments and more than 40 museums. Arts and antiques are for sale in quaint quarters, fashionable and upscale products in chic shopping streets.

Included: Accommodation in double cabin with private facilities, full board (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner), bicycle with gears and pannier, travel guidance, several excursions as visit windmills Kinderdijk, Museum of Spirits, city walks.

Accommodations: Double room cabin.

Departures: On Request.

Itinerary

• Day 1: Saturday: cycling ± 10 km. - In Spaarndam you leave the barge and cycle to Haarlem. During the ages lots of Flemish moved here to try their luck and fortune. Partly due to them the linen commerce expanded . The wealth that came along with this development attracted lots of artists, among them Frans Hals. In the evening you will enjoy a delicious meal and a special guest will tell you all about the history of the Haarlem breweries.
• Day 2: Sunday: cycling ± 45 km. - After a short sailing cruise you cycle right through Holland’s Green Heart to Leiden, birthplace of Rembrandt and Jan Steen. The Leiden university is one of the oldest in the Netherlands. You may wish to bring a visit to the local museum De Lakenhal, where you’ll find an interesting collection of industrial art and paintings from the 17th-20th century. In the evening you can make a city walk through the historical centre of Leiden.
• Day 3: Monday: cycling ± 50 km. - From Leiden on you go biking to the city of Delft. In the 17th century the Delft potters were so impressed by the chinaware that was brought in from overseas that they created their own Delftware (Delft Blue). A visit to Delftware factory ‘De Porceleyne Fles’ gives you a good impression of the Delft Blue and modern ceramics.
• Day 4: Tuesday: cycling ± 30 km. - After a city walk through the centre of Delft you cycle via the Westland region to the city of Schiedam. Here you will find the five highest windmills of the world. Schiedam is also famous for its many gin distilleries (called ‘jenever’ in Dutch) that were founded there during the Golden Age. You might want to try a ‘jenevertje’ in the Jenever Museum.
• Day 5: Wednesday: cycling ± 50 km. - Today the programm consists of a cycle tour past small rural villages and a part of the National Reserve ‘De Biesbosch’. The cycle trip ends in Dordrecht, one of the first ports of transhipment of the Netherlands. In the Dordrecht Museum you will find a interesting collection of several Dutch masters.
• Day 6: Thursday: cycling ± 40 km. - How Dutch can a landscape be? After leaving Dordrecht you get the 19 windmills of Kinderdijk in sight. After visiting one of the mills you continue to Gouda. On the central marketsquare markets have been held since the Middle Ages. The famous St. Jans church with the beautiful stained glass windows is certainly worth a visit. You will visit a potter who shows his crafts in making earthenware and Gouda clay pipes.
• Day 7: Friday: cycling ± 25 km. - Early in the morning the barge leaves Gouda direction Amsterdam. Around noon you disembark and cycle alongside the river Amstel into Amsterdam. In the afternoon there’s time left to visit the Dutch capital. In the evening you may wish to make a round trip of the Amsterdam canals (for your own account) or join your guide for a walk.
• Day 8: Saturday - Breakfast, say farewell to your tour leader, the crew and fellow travellers. Your bike & barge holiday has come to an end.

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