Barging in France
French Impressionism and Royal Palaces Cruise Itinerary
Enjoy a river cruise on the Seine where it meets the Canal du Loing at Saint-Mammès through Paris to where the Seine meets the Oise river at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. Each day aboard the beautiful Barge Aurora will be a fabulous mixture of relaxation and exploration, with a range of excursions for you to choose from.
Sunday, Day 1 - Saint-Mammès, France
You will be met at the airport or your hotel in Paris in the early afternoon and travel by private minibus to Saint-Mammès on the river Seine. There you will board Aurora for a welcome reception with champagne & petits fours.
Later, you can stroll around the medieval town of Moret-sur-Loing and visit the house of Alfred Sisley, a 19th-century English painter associated with the Impressionist movement. Sisley lived in Moret and painted iconic landscapes and fascinating buildings around the banks of the Loing and Seine. He immortalized this area of France with his paintings and these picturesque spots remain largely the same today. He and his wife are buried in the local cemetery. Moret is a royal town that is also famous for its barley sugar candy, fortified medieval gates, superb renaissance façades and Notre-Dame church.
Monday, Day 2 - Saint-Mammès to Melun
Begin the day with a morning excursion as we depart for a visit to the Château de Fontainebleau with its magnificent gardens with fountains and flowerbeds. Established by Francois I in the 16th century, this splendid royal palace was home to many French kings and queens, as well as Napoleon. The château reflects eight centuries of architectural evolution, as each monarch embellished it to suit their style. We can also visit the town that around the château where you can do some shopping.
Upon return to Aurora, we have lunch and set sail for your first cruise on the river Seine. You can sit back and enjoy the bucolic scenery along the riverbanks until we reach our mooring in Melun. We will be passing commercial boats transporting goods, as well as the village of Thomery where Rosa Bonheur has her museum, and the village of Samois-sur-Seine where gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt lived.
Tuesday, Day 3 - Melun to Evry
In the morning after breakfast we visit Barbizon, a charming village set in the Forest of Fontainebleau. Barbizon found fame in the 19th century through the works of art created by landscape Impressionist painters who were members of Barbizon school. The whole generation of artists decided to paint from nature, leaving their studios to work in situ, like their English precursors, John Constable and Turner. The Auberge Ganne where the artists once lived is now an official museum. This art movement contributed to advancement of Realism movement and included artists such as Monet, Renoir, and Sisley who all found inspiration in this picturesque village. You can stroll through the cobbled streets and visit small shops and art galleries.
Return to Aurora for cocktails and dinner aboard.
Wednesday, Day 4 - Evry to Paris
After enjoying breakfast on the front deck, we take a drive to the sumptuous Château Vaux-le-Vicomte. This privately-owned estate is one of the most spectacular palaces in France, featuring magnificent gardens and has an intriguing history. It was designed by Louis Le Vau, the widely celebrated King's principal architect. He was a great ambassador of Italianate style and drew inspiration from classical antiquity. The Château was financed and built by Nicholas Fouquet, finance minister of Louis XIV, but its opulence drew the King's envy and led to Fouquet's imprisonment for life. His arrest inspired the famous story "The Man in the Iron Mask" and the creation of Versailles in retaliation.
After our tour, we return to Aurora moored in Evry and we will spend the afternoon cruising to Paris.
Thursday, Day 5 - Paris to Bougival
We start cruising in the morning so you can enjoy the beauty of the City of Lights in all its glory. During the cruise one can admire many famous historical landmarks such as the Louvre, Museé d'Orsay, Pont Alexandre III, Grand Palais, Eiffel Tower, etc. Once we leave Paris behind, you can admire many nice houses perched along the river.
We arrive in Bougival in the early afternoon hours. After lunch, we can visit Château de Malmaison. It is a beautiful palace built west of Paris in a splendid green setting where one can discover the story behind Napoleon and his wife Josephine, with many personal objects on display. Château de Malmaison was once the seat of the French government and a place where the Civil Code was thought of or the idea of the Legion of Honour.
Friday, Day 6 - Bougival to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
During the last and final cruise, we sail past Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Maisons-Laffitte suburbs, and many beautiful villas along the river Seine until we reach our final destination of the cruise. Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is a quaint village situated on the confluence of rivers Oise and Seine where many working barges have retired.
After lunch we shall visit nearby Auvers-sur-Oise. This pleasant village is where many Impressionists used to come (such as Renoir, Monet, Pissaro & Cezanne) and particularly the house of Van Gogh (Auberge Ravoux) where the famous painter lived and died. The museum shows the décor and life in Paris around in the time of the Impressionists. We can also visit the Museum of Absinthe, the famous liquor of the 19th century or Maison-Atelier de Daubigny, a French historical monument.
Saturday, Day 7 - Conflans-Sainte-Honorine / Paris
Breakfast on board followed by a late morning return to Paris (hotels or airport) by private minibus.
NOTE:
- The cruise runs in a reverse order every other week.
- This is a sample itinerary. Excursions are tailor-made to suit your interests.
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