http://www.europeanbarging.com ~ 713-240-6753 ~ 888-869-7907: The 6 passenger deluxe Meanderer is the only barge offering multiple excursion options. Choose from escorted cycling tours, walking tours or tours by mini van. Aboard this luxury barge cruise in France, you’ll get an opportunity to experience life there from a truly unique perspective.
Carrying between 1-6 guests, the Meanderer barge cruise is ideal for a group of family or friends. You can charter your own barge or reserve a cabin with other guests.
The Loire region is often referred to as the “Garden of France,” a typically French landscape with peaceful, rolling countryside. Your cruise begins at Montbouy, the northern end of the Canal de Briare close to the regional capital of Montargis. The picturesque town of Montargis welcomes visitors with fabulous floral displays. The canal, once the lifeblood of the capital, winds through the heart of the town passing 17th century buildings and crossing the many smaller waterways which dissect the narrow streets.
RIVER LOING
The section of the canal beyond Montargis follows the course of the River Loing through villages and hamlets, many of which pre-date the canal. At Montbouy, the remains of the Roman Baths and Amphitheatre are clearly visible as a testimony to the heritage of this prosperous region. In Chatillon-Coligny the original riverside washhouses make way for the imposing feudal castle, once home to the Counts of Champagne. Although almost destroyed during the French revolution, the labyrinth of tunnels, chambers and the imposing keep still remain.
SEVEN LOCKS AT Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses
The original flight of seven locks at Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses (the highest point of the canal) is now preserved as a National Historic Monument. The new course of the canal takes us via a shorter flight of locks to the village of Rogny itself, considered by many to be the most unspoilt village of the region. The magnificent lakes of the Puisaye at the summit of the canal supplied the water for the canal before modern pumping stations were installed to allow uninterrupted use of the locks. The Puisaye is famous for the clay used by local tradesmen to produce some of the finest pottery in Europe.