One sees the true nature of the country on its countless waterways since everything which is built, whether towns, villages, mills or bridges , is also mirrored in the water at its feet. Here you will find the landscapes of its famous painters , from the emphatic tones of Vermeer to the gentler touch of other masters of the Golden Age. You'll see the warmth and joie de vivre of the Dutch in the cafes, on the welcoming terraces along the water's edge, and in the shops which nestle amongst the cellars of the old houses of Utrecht or of Amsterdam. After crossing the great "broad" of Loosdrecht , dotted with untouched islands, you will follow the course of the river Vecht and pass through the two great art centres of Amsterdam and Utrecht.

Further north, near Edam, you cross the Zaan country, full of windmills and rich in wildlife. To the south your cruise unfolds through the timeless Dutch countryside: lifting bridges, dykes, and that magic light of dawn which will surely tempt you into rising early.