Historic Towns and coastal Holland by Sail and Bike

Day 1: Antwerp – Doel (embarkation)
Check-in begins at 2 p.m., with the three-master Elizabeth moored close to the centre of Antwerp, one of Europe's great port cities and a lively destination in its own right, known for its diamond trade, its art and its fashion. Once everyone is aboard, the ship sets off under engine and sail through lower Flanders towards the village of Doel. You will settle into your cabin, enjoy a first drink on deck and watch the Scheldt widen towards its estuary, while the crew introduce you to life on board and to the sailing itself.

Day 2: Doel – Paal – Hulst – Terneuzen (39 or 49 km)
After breakfast the ship cruises a short distance to the tiny village of Paal, where you cross from Belgium into the Netherlands and your first ride begins. There is a choice of two routes. The longer one leads to Hulst, one of the best-preserved fortified towns in the country, where old walls, historic streets and monuments still trace its long past, and continues to Terneuzen, a port on the Western Scheldt with a distinctly maritime character. Whichever route you take, the ship will be waiting for you in Terneuzen at the end of the day.

Day 3: Terneuzen – Breskens (50 km)
Today you ride on through Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, in the far south-west of the Netherlands, a region with an identity of its own. Bordering Belgium, it has long been known for its relaxed, almost Burgundian character, and its scenery mixes the natural and the built: beaches, dunes and tidal flats alongside the dikes and polders reclaimed from the sea along the Western Scheldt. At the end of the ride you rejoin the ship and sail together towards the Zeeland mainland.

Day 4: Middelburg – coastal route – Middelburg (30 or 55 km)
A circular ride starting and ending in Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland: a city of canals and historic alleyways, of a late Gothic town hall and the Lange Jan tower, all reminders of the prosperity it enjoyed during the Dutch Golden Age. You will cycle to Vlissingen on the North Sea coast, a true seaport at the mouth of the Western Scheldt where the passing ships feel close enough to touch, then follow the coastline past dunes and beaches to Westkapelle, a village set dramatically behind a huge sea wall and known for its lighthouses and its long sea dike, before turning back to Middelburg. A day of fresh sea air and broad views.

Day 5: Middelburg – Veere – Kamperland (36 km)
The ride leads first to Veere, one of Zeeland's most charming small towns, beautifully set on the Veerse Meer, with an old harbour, 15th- and 16th-century buildings and the Schotse Huizen, the Scottish Houses that recall its once-flourishing wool trade with Scotland. From Veere you continue to Neeltje Jans and cross the Oosterschelde storm surge barrier, the most impressive part of the Delta Works: nine kilometres long and resting on sixty-five massive concrete pillars. Entrance to the exhibition on the artificial island of Neeltje Jans is included. The day ends at the ship's mooring in Kamperland, surrounded by water and open landscape.

Day 6: Kamperland – Hansweert (sailing day)
Today is given over to sailing. You will glide through calm waters, pass through locks, cross the Oosterschelde estuary and continue on to Hansweert. No experience is needed, but if you are curious the crew will gladly explain how the ship works, and you can even learn how to help set the sails.

Day 7: Hansweert – Zandvliet – Antwerp (34 km)
On the final cycling day you set off from Hansweert for one last ride to Zandvliet, just north of Antwerp and back across the Belgian border. From there you sail into Antwerp, a fitting close to a week of varied landscapes, sea air, calm water and time shared on board and ashore.

Day 8: Antwerp (disembarkation)
End of the tour. After breakfast, disembarkation takes place until 9.30 a.m.