MERGANSER
CRUISE ITINERARY FRANCE 2009
Paris to Montereau: June 27th
Montereau to Briare: July 4th
Briare to Montereau: Julyth
Montereau to Paris: July 18th
Transfers
between Paris or Lille and the Barge
BRIARE to MONTEREAU
Our mooring in Briare is in the basin where in
former times barges gathered before attempting the difficult crossing of the
River Loire and after settling in there is time to stroll round this pretty
town before dinner on board Merganser. Our cruise first takes us up the old Briare
Canal to Rogny les Sept Ecluses where we can see the original
staircase of seven locks built to the order of King Henry IV and completed in
1642. Replaced by a flight of six locks in 1887, they remain witness to a
considerable engineering achievement of their time. Cruising past Châtillon-Coligny
we reach Montargis, capital of
the Gatinais, a region
of pine forests and small streams famous for hunting and fishing, and a town noted for pretty flower-bedecked small
canals.We now head towards Nemours, beautifully situated in the rocky
and wooded valley of the River Loing. After visiting Nemours we continue
along the canal to Moret sur Loing. We visit this charming little town
with its 12th Century dungeon and old winding streets, before
cruising to our final destination,
Montereau.
Moret sur Loing
Montereau is a lively town situated at the confluence of the Rivers Seine and Yonne. Once you are settled in there is time to explore the town before dining on board. We start our cruise down the River Seine the following morning, reaching Samois sur Seine, a charming village set amidst woodland in one of the finest reaches of the river. For those wishing to climb beyond the village there are splendid panoramic views of the Seine valley and the forest of Fontainebleau. Our cruise now takes us to Melun with its remarkable 11th Century Notre Dame Church. From Melun we tour the Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, a magnificent jewel of the Ancien Régime. Continuing our cruise towards Paris we moor for the night in a woodland setting before setting off for the centre of Paris itself. After passing the confluence with the River Marne we pass under the famous and spectacular bridges of the city, past the Hôtel des Invalides, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Ile de la Cité, the Tuileries and Notre Dame Cathedral. There is time to savour the atmosphere of the city before your farewell dinner aboard Merganser.
These itineraries are reversed for the Paris to Montereau and the Montereau to Briare cruises
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