Day 1 Wednesday 3rd
Departure from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany through New York JFK for Brussels
Day 2 Thursday 4th
Flight arrives Brussels 09:00 – coach transfer to Ghent, land participants collected Ghent railway station, brief tour of city center sites, all close to the Ghent River Hotel, then free time to recover from jet-lag, dinner and overnight Ghent River Hotel.
Day 3 – Friday 5th
The Dazzling City of Ghent
Morning boat trip through Ghent's waterways, 90-min tour on the old arms of the Leie and Schelde, revealing many of the city’s monuments, and the new Scaldis lock site – short guided tour on foot with official guide, some free time, overnight Ghent River Hotel.
Day 4 – Saturday 6th
A Day in Beautiful Bruges
Extended visit to Bruges, Dampoort round Lock between the Ghent-Brugge Canal and the old Sluis Canal and old Brugge Harbor, walk in surrounding area, between old and new, with replica of treadmill crane, boat trip through historic Bruges, lunch on your own, Bruges City Center on foot with official city guide. Free time to explore. Return to Ghent, dinner, overnight Ghent-River Hotel.
Day 5 - Sunday 7th
Ypres, WWI and All Quiet on the Western Front
Nieuwpoort, unique flood management and navigation water cross-roads, River IJzer, Kanaal Plassendaele-Nieuwpoort, Kaanal Nieuwpoort-Duinkerken, also the King Albert Monument, the Trench of Death Near Diksmuide on the IJzer Canal, city of Ieper (Ypres), Grote Markt, WWI and the In Flanders Fields Museum - Lunch on your own - Ypres-Comines Canal (never completed) and Palingbeek Visitors Center (artefacts and historic photographs). Short transfer to bridge over former canal, walk along 1.8-mile (2.8km) length of the unfinished canal through its summit level. Return to Ghent via Kortrijk, beautiful city-center historic bridge with Medieval Towers and Leie/Lys River bypass canal (time permitting). Dinner, overnight Ghent-River Hotel.
Day 6 Monday 8th
North Flanders, Arteries of Commerce
Visit Evergem Locks just north of Ghent (on the bypass canal) including recently completed new (2nd) chamber and control tower, continuing to the port of Ghent, board boat for cruise down the Ghent Ship Canal to Terneuzen (lunch on board). Disembark, proceed to maritime and inland waterway traffic control center on the Scheldt. Overnight Ghent River Hotel.
Day 7 - Tuesday 9th
A Day in Antwerp – the Great Seaport
Boat trip – Expansive Antwerp Harbour and the historic inner city dock basins, terminus of the Albert Canal, Museum Aan de Stroom, on island in historic docks : panoramic view of Antwerp and harbor from rooftop, Antwerp City Center on foot with city guide. Lunch on your own. Free Time. Transfer to Brussels. Dinner (included). Overnight Brussels Ibis Off Grand’Place. N.B. We change coaches. Namur-based coach from the following morning
Day 8 - Wednesday 10th
The Capital: Brussels and Its Waterways
Molenbeek lock, the first on the Charleroi-Brussels Canal, comments on long-term proposed upgrading of canal. Boat trip on the Ship Canal through Brussels, with comments on port & urban regeneration. Open bar. Lunch on your own. Free time, then transfer to Namur. Dinner, overnight Les Tanneurs, Namur
Day 9 Thursday 11th
Namur and Dinant – the Meuse Valley by Road and Water
Morning tour of Namur, then up the Meuse valley to Dinant, beautiful town on the Meuse and Citadelle on rocky promontory. Boat trip in Namur - cruise on the Meuse and Sambre Rivers. Dinner, overnight Les Tanneurs, Namur
Day 10 Friday 12th
Down the Meuse and Albert Canal and Up the Ourthe Canal
Liège, starting at the entrance to the Albert Canal, with covered slipway and dock in the port, continuing north to the Lanaye locks complex and spectacular cutting (whereby the Albert Canal skirts the Netherlands border) - 3 generations of locks; return to visit sites on the canalised river Ourthe, first part of the planned Meuse-Moselle canal through Luxemburg. Well-preserved Poulseur lock. Returning to Liège, stop at viewpoint at the Falcons Rock, Esneux. Dinner, overnight Les Tanneurs, Namur.
Day 11 Saturday 13th
Inclines and Shiplifts: Canal Curiosities of the Hainaut Province
Introduction by Yvon Loyaerts of the waterway authority SPW. Boat trip starting below the new 73 meter (237 feet) shiplift at Strépy-Thieu (opened for 2,000 ton vessels in 2002), up through the shiplift then along the summit level to Lift #1 on the old 300-ton Canal du Centre (late 19th century/early 20th century near La Louvière) for unique cruise down the boat elevator and along the World Heritage canal to Lift #2. Disembark and proceed to Lift #3 to engine/power house. Return to reboard vessel for trip up Lift #1 on west side of plateau, then down the Ronquières Incline on the north slope of Hainaut Plateau. Lunch included. Site investigation of machine room Strepy-Thieu Lift- not normally visited by tourists. Dinner, overnight Les Tanneurs, Namur
Day 12 Sunday 14th
Canal Enlargements and Restorations
Bicycle down the entire line of old 300-ton Charleroi-Bruxelles Canal, with its 16 locks, from the summit level tunnels to the junction with the present line below Ronquières. Non-cyclists make an extended visit to Ronquières including machine rooms and other parts not normally visited by tourists. The two groups get together in Ronquières. Gala dinner at Hôtel du Château beside the Citadelle in Namur. Overnight Les Tanneurs, Namur
Day 13 Monday 15th
Return to Brussels Int'l Airport for departure to USA, OR continue in coach to Brussels-Midi station for land participants.
Photos (top to bottom):
Ghent junction between the old river Scheldt and the restored link canal
Bruges canal scene in the center
Ypres never used lock on the Ypres-Comines canal
Terneuzen navigation control center at entrance to Ghent Ship Canal
Antwerp Museum an de Stroom in the city center docks
Brussels ship canal in the city
Dinant and its Citadelle on the Meuse
Liège old lock on the Ourthe Canal
Strépy-Thieu shiplift, 73m high
Ronquières old canal lock
Louvain Canal lock at Kampenhout
