Discovering the Historic Towns, Villages & Castles of France by Barge Cruise

Enjoy a 2 hour private walking city tour of Toulouse, This tour will enable you to have a much better idea of the architectural and cultural richness of the city. Plaes of interest you may like to visit include the Old grain exchange which has been transformed into a famous concert hall for classical music, the Botanical Garden with its exotic plants, Saint Michel bridge for a view of the old city, the water tower, the Saint Cyprien neighbourhood, the Modern Art Museum located in the old slaughter house, the Canal de Brienne, Capitol Square, famous private mansions, St Etienne Cathedral and Saint Sernin Basilica. You may like to get a taxi to cover more ground on your tour (not included).

You'll be met by a cruise representative, and transfered to your awaiting barge at port. You'll take the scenic route, which takes you through gorgeous countryside and the towns of Castelsarrasin and Moissac.

Welcome aboard!

On arrival at the Saint Louis barge, you settle in to your comfortable cabin, then after a short safety briefing there is a champagne reception followed by the first of many sumptuous dinners.

After breakfast, you'll cruise through the centre of the pretty city of Agen. On leaving the city, you pass over the most remarkable aqueduct which takes your barge over the River Garonne – this is France’s longest masonry aqueduct. You then descend a chain of four locks to arrive at a beautiful overgrown stretch of the canal which is nicknamed the “Amazon”. At the end of your day’s cruise you'll moor in the pretty port of Serignac-sur-Garonne. In the afternoon you'll be taken on an excursion to three fabulous medieval villages called Sainte Colombe, Bruch, and Clermont Dessous – the last village having a superb view across the Garonne valley. Arrive back at the port in time to have a stroll through the village of Serignac before aperitifs and dinner.

Today you cruise through the beautiful unspoiled countryside before arriving at the delightful port of Buzet-sur-Baïse. After lunch, you're taken on an excursion to the beautiful town of Nérac on the River Baïse, where you visit the Château of King Henry IV and the old medieval quarter of the town with its Roman bridge. Later, you are taken on a fabulous visit to an Armagnac producer, based in an old Benedictine monastery; here you see the old chapel, where the Armagnac is aged, and learn of the rich history of this property and the family that looks after it.

This morning you're taken on a visit to a barrel-makers, where the owners of the works have set up a viewing platform over the shop floor, and you're treated to an almost ballet-like performance of highly organised craftsmen using very high technology and traditional skills. This private visit is memorable, not least because of the charm and dedication to his craft of the owner who takes you around. On your way back to the boat you'll call in on the famous Buzet wine producing cooperative. You'll enjoy lunch on the sun deck and cruise down the canal, through the port of Damazan and under shady avenues of plane trees, to arrive at the port of Le Mas d’Agenais. At Le Mas you'll moor close to the Roman walls of the town, and take a walk up into the town itself, where among other things you see the timber market building which was constructed in 1616, and also visit the church which is full of historic treasures, including an original Rembrandt masterpiece.

In the morning, cruise down the canal under the shade of plane trees and between fields of sunflowers. In the early afternoon, arrive at the pretty little port of Meilhan where you'll go to a presentation called Gens de Garonne (the people of Garonne) which in a remarkable way tells the story of the life of the people living on the side of the River Garonne.

This morning your boat heads down the canal, cruising once again through superb countryside and under a canopy of plane trees. You arrive and moor at your cruise destination, Castets-en-Dorthe. It is here that the canal finishes, and there are massive locks taking boats down onto the River Garonne. In the afternoon you're taken on an excursion to Château Roquetaillade, which is full of surprises. This château has remained in the same family for 700 years, and it was extensively refurbished by Villeton le Duc, of Palais du Versailles fame. On the way back to the boat, you'll pass by Langon, where you see a phenomenon of an entirely different era - this is the Airbus holding yard where massive parts of the new A380 aircraft are assembled at the end of their sea journey, before embarking on their land journey to Toulouse for final assembly.

This morning, you'll disembark the barge after an incredibly relaxed, cultural voyage.

You'll once again be transfered by cruise personnel back to Toulouse, concluding your barging experience.