Author Archives: Jan European Barging & River Cruises

Explore Cawdor Castle on the Highland Barge Cruise

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Experience Cawdor Castle and Explore MacBeth

MelkCawdor Castle is a splendid, turreted gothic castle situated amid gardens in the parish of Cawdor, around 10 miles east of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. The castle was built around a 15th-century tower house, with generous additions in subsequent centuries. The castle was, originally, a property of the Clan Calder which passed to the Campbells in the 16th century. It continued to remain in Campbell ownership, and is now home to the Dowager Countess Cawdor, stepmother of Colin Campbell, 7th Earl Cawdor.

A curious feature of the castle is that it was built around a small, living holly tree, the remains of which may still be seen in the lowest level of the tower.

The castle is renowned for its stunning gardens, which include the WalledGarden which was originally planted in the 17th Century, the Flower Garden planted in 18th century and the WildGarden added in the 1960s. In addition to these gardens, the castle property includes a wood featuring numerous species of trees as well as over 100 species of lichen.

Shakespeare and Cawdor Castle

Cawdor Castle is best known for being immortalized in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth where the title character is made “Thane of Cawdor”. But the playwright has taken several artistic liberties and has highly fictionalized the story. The fact is that the castle itself was built many years after the life of the 11th-century King Macbeth.

Notwithstanding the fact that the real Macbeth never entered the castle – he died around 400 years before it was built – the atmospheric medieval keep and battlements are pervaded with a sense of romantic history.

Our 8 passenger scottish highlander barge will be a perfect choice for you if you want to visit Cawdor Castle. So get aboard our highland barge cruise and make a visit to the amazing and immortalized castle!

Barging on the Burgundy Canal in France

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Burgundy has been a rich and prosperous area of France since ancient times. The Romans were the first to plant vineyards there, during the time of their occupation of Gaul, and their efforts were richly rewarded. The amazing red wines that come from the region are so famous that their color is known to the English language as “burgundy.”

 

Dijon And Burgundy

Burgundy was once an independent nation, easily the rival of Paris in power, and Dijon was its capital. The city still retains much of the structure of the Middle Ages, and half-timber buildings can be seen from the ancient canal. The famous Tower of John the Fearless overlooks the city, watching over your deluxe barge cruise down the canals of Burgundy. The salient historical, and geological, fact about this area is that one of the most important and essential of all early canals was cut through here. The river that runs through Dijon, the Ouche, drains into the Saone, and then the Rhone, and then the Mediterranean. On the other side of the rolling plains of the Burgundian region is the Yonne, which drains to the Seine and then travels past Paris on the way to the Atlantic. As one could imagine, this was of tremendous importance to medieval France. The ability to carry freight from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic without having to brave the ocean or sail around Spain was central to the economic life of the Middle Ages. Water travel was no longer a matter of life and death for an ancient merchant, but a pleasant opportunity to see the country and conduct business. The fascinating historical architecture that grew up around the canals shows this history of growth and profit.

 

What To Expect On A Burgundy Canal Cruise

The canal path through the beautiful hills and green mountains of Burgundy is well used and well-traveled. While enjoying a grand and luxurious Burgundy canal cruise you can walk alongside the barge at a leisurely pace, and even participate in opening and closing the locks as they arrive. A wine cruise on the legendary canal from the Yonne to the Saone can unlock a world of viticulture and wine culture for you and your family. If you would like to book your Burgundy Canal Cruise, please feel free to contact us today.

Castles & Wineries of Germany River Cruise – Mosel River Cruise

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Winding through the hillsides of France, Luxembourg and Germany, the Mosel (also Moselle) River weaves a watery path for travelers to follow through breathtaking vistas sprinkled with ancient castles, picturesque villages and steep-sloped vineyards.

Enjoy Germany’s Oldest Wine Region on a Mosel River Cruise

Riverbanks lined with black alder and willow trees combine with a carpet of vines to create a magnificent flora for rare animal species to roam through Germany’s oldest wine region. In this charming landscape, passengers on a Mosel River Cruise are transported to a world of cobble-stoned hamlets, legends and wine tastings.

Your Mosel River Cruise Explores German Winemaking

Mosel River CruiseWinemaking in the Mosel River Valley began more than 2,000 years ago, when the Romans planted vineyards to provide a local source of wine for their troops. Viticulture thrived in the region, and throughout the Middles Ages villages grew up around the winemaking industry.

Early Roman offerings were described as light-bodied and austere, but the grape that would make the region famous arrived in the 15th century. Count John VI of Katzenelnbogen documented the first known reference to the Riesling grape when he listed an entry of “22 shillings for ‘Rieslingen’ vine cuttings for the vineyard” in his storage inventory log. Thus, began the tradition of the crisp, sweet liquid gold that dominates the territory to this day.

Vineyards in the Mosel Wine Region face south or southwest to maximize on the 1,370 hours of sunshine each year that produces what top wine experts consider the best white wine grapes in the world.

Through this 75-mile stretch of the Mosel River, known as the Mosel Wine Region, passengers on the “Castles & Wineries of Germany” Mosel River Cruise can enjoy wine tastings at the many exclusive, family-owned wineries along the riverbanks and tour the area’s impressive ancient castles.

Len and Marisa Crispino of Foreign Affairs Winery will serve as hosts on this wine-themed cruise through Mosel’s endless loops and bends. After living as ex-pats in Italy in the early 1990s, Len and Marisa returned to Ontario and planted their first vines. Inspired by the Italian wine-making process, they use a unique grape drying process known as appassimento (or the Reduction method).

During this Germany wine cruise, Len and Marisa will share their knowledge of wine and tales from the land’s storied past, as passengers enjoy a leisurely cruising pace that lends to the Mosel region’s hypnotic charm.

Departing from Nuremburg on Oct. 31, this Mosel River Cruise will wind its way through quaint riverside villages, among the most notable, Bernkastel, home to the famous Bergweiler Winery, and the charming village of Cochem-Zell, where the majestic Reichsburg Cochem Castle rises more than 300 feet above the river.

Prices for this enchanted tour start at $2,599 per person, with an additional 5-night land program available for $3,839.

Perfect for wine-enthusiast groups and organizations as well as individual wine lovers, this Germany wine cruise fills up quickly, so please call and book your expedition through the famed Mosel Wine Region today.

Pre Douro River Cruise City of Madrid

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Pre Duoro River CruisePre Douro River Cruise Is A City of Madrid

Madrid is not only the capital of Spain, but is also the largest city in the country. It’s also the capital of the autonomous community of the same name (Comunidad de Madrid) and is located on the Manzanares River in the center of both the country and the Community of Madrid. Madrid is a globally important city with a great reputation for having the most modern infrastructures and is an economic, financial, administrative, and service center of the country. Madrid provides a multitude of opportunities for sightseeing and boasts of some world-class restaurants and a vibrant nightlife.

Madrid is renowned throughout the world for its great cultural and artistic heritage and has many Spain Culture Sites. The culture of this city is deeply influenced by its Royal history as the center of the Spanish Empire. Madrid has several landmark sites dating back to the times of Spanish Monarchy such as the Royal Palace, enormous cathedrals, and churches. The city boasts a rare level of medieval architecture and has a unique blend of historical and modern blends, comparable to what’s seen in London and Berlin.

Attractions in Madrid include Prado Museum Royal, Palace Plaza Mayor Sun Gate, Parque del Retiro, Torres KIO (Puerta de Europa) Cibeles, Plaza Santiago, Bernabeu Stadium and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum Galería 57.

Explore A Spectacular Pre Douro River Cruise

Madrid also takes pride in being one of the top European art destinations, including the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado.
The Thyssen Bornemisza Museum is another great museum which was established from a mixed private collection of artwork. Reina Sofía Museum is a one of a kind display where Pablo Picasso’s Guernica hangs, returning to Spain from New York after more than two decades.

An abode of history, art, and culture, Madrid is a must visit location. Our Pre Douro River cruise offers an optional 3 night land program in Madrid! Book your holiday on one of our Douro River cruises and make a trip to the amazing city of Madrid!

The Historical Elbe River Cruise Will Give You A Life Changing Experience

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Elbe River Cruise Visit The Historical Elbe River Cruise

One of the major waterways of Central Europe, the Elbe River rises in the Krkonose Mountains of the north-western Czech Republic. It is located in the former Eastern Europe region of Germany after crossing Bohemia and finally flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven which is 110 km northwest of Hamburg.

The Elbe River acts as a gateway to Eastern Europe. There is an exciting mix of medieval cities and towns from the Bohemian capital Prague, to Hamburg and through the sensational hovering sandstone mountains of Saxon Switzerland as you cruise along the Elbe to indulge in a breathtaking scenic journey.

Aboard your Elbe River Cruise, you can find many treasures on the banks of Elbe such as Dresden, the “Florence of the Elbe”, the pottery of Meissen, the gardens and palaces of Worlitz, the cradle of the Reformation, 18th century Pillnitz Castle, Luther’s Wittenberg which is a UNECSO World Heritage Site and Magdeberg and its Gothic Cathedral.

The embarking and disembarking cities range from Prague, Decin, Hamburg or Magdeburg – all have much to offer as pre or post cruise stays. Elbe is a great way to explore Prague and ideal for discovering the unspoiled beauty of former East Germany’s fascinating landscape.

What Has More To Offer Than The Historical Elbe River Cruise

Elbe has so much to offer in addition to the contrasting array of sights, ranging from splendid palaces and modern architecture to mountains and beautifully landscaped gardens, with medieval cities and contemporary culture all in between! No other river in Europe can come close to Elbe in offering such a diverse order of sights and places.

As the Elbe River often has low and high water levels, the cruising period is short. Contact us for more details on this lovely scenic cruise!