Péniche Bourgogne

Travel by Eurostar and TGV from London to Dijon via Paris. Famed for the mustard and known as ‘the City of Dukes’, Dijon was the historic capital of the Duchy of Burgundy, with evidence of its Middle Ages heyday in lavish palaces, grand squares and atmospheric alleyways. Transfer to 4-star Maison Philippe Le Bon for overnight. 

Morning walking tour of Dijon. Afternoon at leisure perhaps visit ‘Cite de la Gastronomie’. Board your spacious barge Péniche Danièle for the six-night cruise, and enjoy a welcome cocktail before dinner.
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An excursion this morning follows the Grand Crus wine route through the most prestigious of Burgundy vineyards and includes a wine tasting, after which we return to the barge and cruise through the lush landscapes of the Saône Valley to the charming village of Petit-Ouges. Tracing its roots to the 7th century, its ‘Path of Three Wash-Houses’ reveals the character (and the wash-houses) of the village, on a 4km walk through its history, which you may enjoy for independent exploration this afternoon.
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Drifting through peacefully rural landscapes and passing picture-perfect vineyards, this is a day to relax and enjoy the scenery, perhaps from a seat on the sun deck, as we sail to Saint-Jean-de-Losne. An unassuming enclave, loved by the leisure boating fraternity, it is heralded as both the smallest town and the largest inland port in France. (B, L, D)

This morning, explore Saint-Jean-de-Losne, marking the meeting point of the Saône River and the Burgundy Canal, and located right at the heart of the French waterways and canal systems. Afternoon cruising takes us to Dole, hemming the Doubs River and Rhine-Rhône Canal, and climbing its hillside in a characterful cluster of 16thcentury stairways and alleyways, fountains, churches, and houses, among them the birthplace of Louis Pasteur, whose house is now a museum of his life and scientific work.
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Awarded ‘city of art and history’ status, Dole has a second famous son in writer Marcel Aymé, the author of tales of The Perched Cat, now celebrated in the town’s ‘Circuit du Chat Perché’. Our tour of the trail takes in the town’s heritage, history, and many monuments, from the Cours Saint-Mauris gardens to the collegiate Notre-Dame church. This afternoon, as the barge cruises gently toward the quaint village of Ranchot, perhaps take the opportunity to enjoy a cycle ride along the banks.
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Cruise this morning to Besançon, a city and UNESCO listed ancient citadel, covering the hill on a loop of the Doubs River, and inexplicably little-known despite its charming old town squares and Belle Époque buildings. An afternoon excursion takes us by road to Arc-et-Senans for a tour of the Saline Royale, UNESCO listed for its geometric design, temple-like architecture, and salt-making history. This evening, enjoy a farewell Gala Dinner aboard.
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Disembark in Besançon and travel by TGV and Eurostar to London via Paris.
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