Author Archives: Jan European Barging & River Cruises

Venice Barge Cruise- Explore Special Historic Regatta

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Special Historic Regatta in Venice

veniceThe Special Historic Regatta is the grandest, most famous and extremely spectacular festivity in the city of Venice. It takes place on the waters of the Grand Canal and is a rich celebration of Italian culture.

The Special Historical Regatta comes to the city of Venice on the first Sunday of September every year. The history of this most traditional among all Venetian events goes back to 10th of January 1315 when it first took place under the rule of the doge Giovanni Soranzo.

Venice Barge Cruise- The Grand Event

The grand event was originally organized in the Serenissima times to celebrate the military victories or to honour the foreign dignitaries. Presently, it consists of two different parts: the historical parade and the rowing boat races. The splendid event begins with a majestic historical procession consisting of opulent, perfectly carved boats of the Venetian rowing clubs, and complete with hundreds of figures in wonderful brocade costumes.

Though the historical parade has just a picturesque importance now, symbolic of a bygone era of the political and economical greatness and prosperity of Venice on the seas, the regattas are relevant even today as they represent the climax of the agonistic season in the field of rowing. For rowers, winning on that day means to become a part of the history of this sport and, in a broader perspective, of Venice.

Venice Barge Cruise- The First Race

The first race that takes place after the historical parade is the Youngster Rowers one, wherein greatly technical boats challenge the ability of the talented young men. Next, Women’s race comes where there are light two-oared boats used by courtesans in the old days. The third race is Men’s one on heavy river-transportation boats which are almost out of use today.

Book one of our Italy River Cruises or Venice Barge Cruises out of Venice the last week of August and enjoy the regatta when you return!

Biking and Canoeing in Budapest

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Budapest is undoubtedly a wonderful destination which attracts a number of tourists. What is more exciting about visiting Budapest is a tour of the areas around it. If you book your holiday with our Danube River Cruise, we will take you on an adventurous biking and canoeing trip around Budapest. Szentendre is the most charming town around Budapest and our Danube River Cruise will make arrangements for your bike and boat tour of this lovely place.

Szentendre is the town of arts. This is a beautiful medieval town situated next to the Danube River and is marked by curvy streets, cute small houses and churches.

Biking Through Budapest

The tour starts with a scenic ride on a bike path along the river, departing from the center of Budapest. On the way, there are several wonderful places to enthrall you such as the popular Roman coast and Aquinqum, which used to be a Roman settlement. You will also stop next to some refreshing lakes, where you will get a chance to swim.

On reaching Szentendre, you will bike around enjoying the mesmerizing atmosphere of this countryside town. There are several attractive stops where you can take a break for a while. You can watch the beauty of these picturesque places and take some amazing photographs.

For lunch, you will get a chance to feast on a Hungarian speciality: Lángos with a nice cold beer. Our way back to Budapest is by boat.

We are concerned about your safety and organize our tours carefully so that you can enjoy your holiday in a calm and relaxed way. Your Budapest bike tour is a safe ride as it is along the bike paths and car-free areas.

We schedule our tours in small groups so you will find yourself in the company of fellow people who are friendly and interactive. The local, expert guides accompany you to give you directions and descriptions of places you come across during the journey.

So book your holiday on our Danube River Cruise and embark on an adventurous and unforgettable journey!

Top Events in the Black Forest in 2013

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The Black Forest, quite famous for its beautiful cuckoo clocks, is a wooded mountain range located in the southwest corner of Germany in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the border triangle between Germany, France and Switzerland, it extends along the Rhine River for about 100 miles. The Black Forest (in German language “Schwarzwald”) is one of the most popular tourist places in Germany and has much more to offer besides cuckoo clocks. Apart from its beautiful lakes and attractive sites, the Black Forest is well known throughout the rest of the country for its variety of cultural events and festivals.

A Year of Festivals In The Black Forest

The whole year, the Black Forest is busy celebrating festivals. There is a lot of variety ranging from culinary festivals, to flower festivals and wine and mill festivals. During summer season, Black Forest residents celebrate culinary festivals such as the “Oberkircher Erdbeerfest” (Strawberry Festival) on June 25-26 and the “Kaiserstühler Kirschenfest” (Cherry Festival) in Königsschaffhausen from May 24-27. Enzklösterle, a village in the northern part of the Black Forest, is famous for its wild blueberries – also known as “blue gold”. Here, the locals celebrate a traditional “Blueberry Festival” on the July 20-21. The “Bühler Zwetschgenfest” (Plum Festival) celebrated in Bühl from September 6-9, is also dedicated to the sweet, blue regional fruit.

From October 10th to November 11th, the city of Lahr turns into a marvelous colorful sea of flowers composed of glowing chrysanthemums on the occasion of the “Chrysanthema” festival.

Black Forest Wine Festivals

The Black Forest region is famous for its wines and the best Baden wines come from the western edge of the Black Forest. It is wonderful to visit one of the many “Winzerhocks” (wine-grower’s festivals) and wine festivals. There are many wine festivals but the most important among these are the “Freiburger Weinfest” (Wine Festival) from the July 4-9, the “Markgräfler Weinfest” (Wine Festival) in Staufen from August 2-5, the “Breisgauer Weinfest” (Wine Festival) in Emmendingen from the August 16-19, the “Weinfest Kaiserstuhl-Tuniberg” (Wine Festival) in Breisach from the August 30th to September 2nd and the “Ortenauer Weinfest” in Offenburg on September 28-29. At the north-eastern edge of the Black Forest, Pforzheim is going to celebrate its traditional wine festival “Oechslefest” from August 23rd to September 8th with wines from Baden and Württemberg.

Yet another festival to be celebrated in the Black Forest on May 20th is The “Deutsche Mühlentag” (German Mills‘ Day). This is a traditional event and theme day dedicated to the mills and milling industry in Germany. In the northern part of the Black Forest, a particularly large number of these picturesque structures form an integral part of the landscape. So, a highly traditional milling festival is celebrated at and around the “Mühlendorf Ottenhöfen”.

The “Heimattage Baden-Württemberg” is one of the most important festivals over the course of the year. Every year, a special emphasis is placed on a different region. Here you can get a detailed knowledge of the customs and culture of the model region in south-western Germany. In 2013, this festival will be organized by the “Neckar-Erlebnis-Tal” (Neckar Event Valley), which is located at the north-eastern edge of the Black Forest. The traditional “Baden-Württemberg-Day”, scheduled on 5th May 4-5, as well as the “Landesfesttage” (Federal State Festival) scheduled on September 6-8 are other highlights in 2013.

Our many Rhine River Cruise as well as Neckar River Cruise itineraries offer excursions into Germany’s Black Forest. So book your holiday on one of these and visit this wonderful place and its unique festivals!

Chateau de Chantilly Castle Near Paris

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Chateau de Chantilly Castle is one of the most popular French monuments. This beautiful Castle is a prominent part of one of the largest forests near Paris. The estate spreads over 7,800 hectares and the castle has a park which is around 155 hectares in size. Since the Middle Ages from the late 1300’s to virtually the end of the 1800’s, the Chateau de Chantilly Castle and the whole estate has been owned, built up and modified by different owners. This French chateau was never sold as it was always in a process of being passed on by inheritance to generation after generation belonging to the same family.

Chantilly Castle Opens To The Public

However, when the Chantilly Castle and the estate came to Duc d’Aumale by inheritance, he had no one to pass it on as his sons were no more and so the place went to Institut de France. Now Chateau Chantilly, the Conde Museum that it houses, along with the Grandes Ecuries, which is home to the La Musée Vivant du Cheval and the Parks and Gardens are a place everyone can visit and enjoy.

Besides the interesting history associated with Chantilly Castle, the place is also renowned for housing one of the finest museums of historical paintings in France and is second only to The Louvre in Paris. Actually, it is the only museum in France not including The Louvre that has 3 Raphael paintings. The castle displays around 1,000 paintings, 2,500 drawings and 2,500 engravings. Also the Chateau Chantilly and the Conde Museum have a library full of rare books and precious manuscripts. There are around 30,000 books and about 1,500 manuscripts in this library.

The Glorious French Garden at Chantilly Castle

The French garden is spectacular with its magnificent fountains and ponds. It was designed by Andre Le Notre, who also designed the gardens at the Chateau de Versailles and is pleasant to walk around and admire! The Chateau’s chapel is dedicated to Saint Louis, where a prominent statue stands that dominates the exterior façade and was constructed in 1882 around the same spot where the old chapel stood before the French Revolution.

The Chateau de Chantilly is a captivating place but often overlooked in favour of places like the Chateau de Versailles. However, you can really enjoy a lot with family at Chateau de Chantilly and you can also book parties here. With so many treasures hidden inside it, the Condé Museum of the Chateau de Chantilly is a prestigious place to entertain and gala dinners can be held for up to 350 people. The Chateau de Chantilly also has a very large park including the French-style garden with fountains and ponds as mentioned above.

With so many attractions associated with it, Chateau de Chantilly is an inviting and mesmerizing place which you can’t miss visiting. Get aboard our France Cruise and visit the very picturesque Chateau de Chantilly Castle for a wonderful experience!