Medieval France, Romance of Fontainebleau and Paris (port-to-port cruise)

Possible transfer(1) by coach from Paris to join our ship in Sens (duration ~2:00.) Passengers are welcome to board our ship in Sens at 6:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail before dinner.

In the morning, visit the city, home to a variety of historical buildings with impressive architecture. The cathedral in Sens was the first of the great Gothic cathedrals in France and was the inspiration in layout and design for many others, including Canterbury Cathedral in Great Britain. Strolling through the street and along the promenades, you’ll take in the remarkable homes, buildings and wall fronts that are testimony to the town’s rich past. Take some time to browse in the market and taste the local products. We’ll return on board and begin to cruise on the Yonne River, a tributary of the Seine. During our peaceful journey, we'll pass by several lakes and ponds. We’ll arrive in Montereau-Fault-Yonne in the late afternoon. The evening is free to do as you please.

We’ll spend the morning cruising to Moret-sur-Loing. In the afternoon, we’ll leave for a guided visit of Provins and its exceptional heritage and 58 listed monuments, including ramparts and towers, keeps and barns, and sumptuous 13th-century homes and wooden façades. At the end of our tour, we’ll have a tasting of one of the most renowned specialties in the town: rose honey. After our visit, we’ll return to the ship. The evening is free to do as you please.

We’ll spend the morning cruising to Melun.

In theafternoon, join us for a tour of the Palace of Fontainebleau and its magnificent gardens. All the kings and queens of France passed through Fontainebleau at one time or another. The château is a unique example of a residence that was inhabited regularly for more than eight centuries. The French gardens, fountains and flowerbeds will transport you back to the palace’s days of glory. We’ll also visit the cosmopolitan town which sprung up around the château to round out your tour.

After our visit, we’ll return to the ship. The evening is free to do as you please.

We’ll spend the morning cruising to Evry. In the afternoon, visit the village of Barbizon. Around the year 1820, Edmée and François Ganne set up a grocer’s shop in the hamlet of Barbizon. In 1827, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot discovered the village, paving the way for other painters to come here, including Théodore Rousseau and Jean-François Millet. A whole generation of young artists decided to paint “from nature”, leaving their studios to work in situ, like their two great English precursors, John Constable and Turner. Stroll through the cobbled streets and push the door of small shops and art galleries! Afterwards, we'll return on board. Tonight is our gala dinner and evening.

In the morning, visit of the sumptuous Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. The architect Louis Le Vau was already widely celebrated when Fouquet called on his services in 1653. As the King’s “Principal Architect,” he had erected a number of Parisian mansions including the Hôtel Lambert. Considered the greatest ambassador of the Italianate style in France, Le Vau also drew inspiration from classical antiquity. Drawing on these traditional sources, he then created a powerful new style of his own, starting with Vaux-le-Vicomte – and thus lay the foundations of French architecture for the next 150 years. After our tour, we'll return on board on Evry. We’ll spend the afternoon cruising to Paris. Tonight, we'll cruise through Paris to take in the romantic City of Light at night (depending on water level).

Enjoy breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services.