Medieval Cities Along the Seine

Travel from London to Paris on Eurostar, and transfer to embark on the barge, moored close to the Eiffel Tower, for your six-night cruise, which begins with a welcome drink and an introduction to the crew and a cruise through Paris. Enjoy an evening of entertainment.
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Sail through the heart of the capital along the River Seine, busy with bateaux-mouches boats, crossed by the Pont Neuf (among 37 bridges), and passing monuments including the Musée d’Orsay and Notre Dame Cathedral. Continue cruising to arrive in Evry in the early afternoon, for a visit to the private Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, a majestic 17th-century ensemble of Italianate and neo-classical design, encircled by gardens of fountains and terraces, and set in a 500-hectare historic estate. Back onboard the barge, join us for a drinks party this evening.
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Enjoy the rural riverbank scenery as you sail to Melun this morning, and, this afternoon, visit beguiling Barbizon, where cobbled streets are lined with little shops and art galleries. The artist Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot came upon Barbizon in 1827, painting naturalistic canvases of its surrounding landscapes, and paving the way for other artists to follow the style, now known as ‘the Barbizon school’.
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Cruise through the morning to Moret-Loing-et-Orvanne, to visit the Château de Fontainebleau, boasting 1,500 rooms, 130 hectares of gardens, and 900 years of history. Built as a royal hunting lodge in the 12th century, and enlarged and embellished in the 16th, to become an extravagantly regal residence, the stately grandeur if its exterior is matched by lavish opulence within. After a tour of the fabulous palace and its formal gardens, explore the narrow streets of the charming town which surrounds it.
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Discover the landmarks of Moret-Loing-et-Orvanne on a guided tour this morning. Set at the edge of the Fontainebleau Forest, its landscapes immortalised by the impressionist painter Alfred Sisley, the town hems and bridges the banks of the Loing River with well-preserved remnants of its 12th-century ramparts and gates, Renaissance houses, and the Notre-Dame church. With time to stroll after the tour, don’t miss the barley sugar shop, the delicately flavoured confection for which the town is famous. Return to the barge for an afternoon float to Montereau-Fault-Yonne, and enjoy a farewell drinks party this evening.
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Begin the day with a tranquil cruise along the Yonne River, a tributary of the Seine, for an afternoon arrival in Sens, and a tour of the historic town. The Cathedrale St. Etienne dominates the hilltop, the first of the great Gothic cathedrals in France, and the church where Louis IX married in 1234, with stained glass windows depicting the story of murdered Archbishop Thomas á Becket. Sturdy stone and timber-ribbed façades mark the eras along the streets and squares of the old town; and the covered market is a vibrant place to taste local produce. Gala Dinner on board.
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Disembark this morning and transfer to Paris for your return train journey to London.
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