Dutch & Belgian Waterways RIVER CRUISES

WHY CHOOSE A DUTCH & BELGIAN WATERWAYS CRUISE?

When it comes to most Holland and Belgium river cruises, they actually take place on the Dutch & Belgian Waterways. This vast network of canals and rivers laces its way across the north of these two countries, flowing past historic cities, colourful tulip fields and pancake-flat countryside. These itineraries usually start and end with an Amsterdam cruise. Here, there are two main modes of transport for exploring – you can pedal across its pretty bridges on a bike, or glide along its famous canals on a boat tour. The museums are first-class, too – the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House should all be on your list. There’s another too-cool-for-school Dutch city on the cards, as well. Rotterdam is vying for Amsterdam’s trend-setter crown, with its uber-modern cube houses, TV tower and canalside shopping district. Rotterdam river cruises aren’t totally 21st-century, though – there are still nods to its seafaring past at the Maritime Museum. Then there are the towns that look like they’ve been plucked from a Rubens or Rembrandt painting. In the Netherlands, it’s the Gothic-style houses in Veere and the greenery of Dordrecht. Meanwhile, our Belgium cruises land you on the café-filled cobbled lanes of Antwerp, where the cathedral has been decorated with art by local painter Peter Paul Rubens. And the Bruges-esque city of Ghent is worth a wander, too. It’s one of Belgium’s oldest cities and flaunts a majestic, moated castle.