FRANCE
Midi-Camargue
Language
Français
Deutsch
Dutch
IRELAND
ITALY
POLAND
2 to 3 days week-ends
to live to the full !
In spring and autumn, discover the lake at Loosdrecht with its multitude of tiny island where herons, ducks and moorhens nest.
"The Vecht and the Loosdrecht lock are open from 1/4 to 1/11. The bridges and the locks on the other canals stay closed on Sundays until the 16/4 and from 15/10".
Holland
MOORING IN THE HEART
OF DUTCH CITIES
At Amsterdam the marina is very central, but still quiet.
It is just across the ship canal from the central station,
and is served by a ferry which runs every 10 minutes night and day. Taking a penichette through the city's canals is simple enough with a little care, and it is the best way of all to see the place.
You will need to buy a permit to enter the city.
At Utrecht you can readily moor at the quaysides or opposite the cathedral. A plan of the city's canals and the many bridges will be given to you at the entrance lock, where you will have to pay a modest toll.
At Gouda the marina is in the middle of the old town.
Festivals and Events
to look out for during your cruise
18-24 August.
Amsterdam Canal Festival, Some 70 concerts featuring international performers. www.grachtenfestival.nl
20 March-18 May.
Opening period of the display gardens of Keukenhof near Haarlem, with some 6 million tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other bulbs
www.keukenhof.nl
8 May.
National Windmill Day. The day when mill owners open their doors to the public.
TO REMEMBER
Locks and lifting bridges are splendidly well maintained; at many, you will be asked to pay a small toll, usually
between 4 and 6 €.
The yacht harbours which you will find in most towns also charge for overnight stops. Before 15 April and after 15 October some canals are
closed entirely and others closed on Sundays.
It is essential to check your cruising plans with the base during these
periods.
Info-region
HOLLAND
Flower of Europe
If Europe boasts a real paradise for the inland cruising enthusiast, it has to be Holland. The waterways network is so vast that it is virtually impossible to calculate its total mileage.
Cruising here is totally unlike cruising in France. One must appreciate that every Dutch family owns a boat, ranging from the humble to the magnificent, and at weekends most canals and rivers are bustling with cheerful boaters.
NOORD-HOLLAND, ZUID-HOLLAND UTRECHT
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.
NEW : the Vecht and the Loosdrecht lock are now open on Easter Monday and on Sundays up to the 1st November.
ACCESS TO BASES
Base at Loosdrecht |
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Base at LoosdrechtLocaboat HolidaysBloklaan 22 A NL 1231 AZ Loosdrecht Tel : +31 (0) 294 23 70 79 Fax : +31 (0) 294 23 70 81 E-mail : loosdrecht@locaboat.com
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