Your sailing experience, our customization.​
do you want....
SNIFFING CULTURE?
We dock in historic towns or places.
Cultural walks through old towns with visits to museums. Hanging out on atmospheric terraces or in typical Dutch 'brown'pubs. A visit to the cinema or a bite to eat? A different kind of city break!
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do you want....
BREATHING NATURE?
Anchored in the middle of a lake or puddle? Surrounded by silence, special bird species and clear water for swimming? And what about bike rides about
the unsurpassed bicycle node network that the Netherlands is rich in! For cyclists or rollerbladers: there is also room on board for your gear.
do you want....
ACTIVE OR RELAXED?
Andante is your home base for reading a book, sunbathing on the deck or having fun in the water. But also your base for exploring the area. Off the ship for a beautiful cycling, walking or canoe route? Where Andante is waiting for you at the end point? Ask us about the possibilities!
From Friesland to Limburg: the possibilities are endless. Bicycles and canoes are on board, but you must bring your own walking shoes ;)
Although the possibilities are endless, we already show some example routes for inspiration.
example: Utrechtse Vecht
On the winding banks are castles, country houses with tea domes, interspersed with romantic old towns. And beyond that the vast swamp area of the Gooi and Vecht region. Bicycle, walking shoe and canoe provide fantastic access to this natural wetland.
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A journey through history too, of medieval castles (such as the Muiderslot), warring rulers, of wealthy Amsterdammers from the Golden Age who sought refuge outside the city and of THE great defenses of the Low Countries: the New Dutch Waterline.
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This example starts in Utrecht and ends in Weesp, but can also be done the other way around, there is a good train connection.
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Cruise in 3 nights/4 stages with overnight stays in Maarssen, Nederhorst ten Berg and Weesp. Optionally with a return trip to the starting point of this package on the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal on the last day.
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Stops in Breukelen, Loenen and Nigtevecht, canoe trip 5-25 km through the lake area of Loosdrecht, walks/cycle tours around Ankeveense lakes and Naardermeer.
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Expand or link? This is possible, for example with 'Journey along the Rhine' or 'New wildernesses'.
example: Journey to the Middle Ages
4+ days: Hanseatic cities along the IJssel.
History lies here up for grabs. The medieval Hanseatic towns are strung like pearls on the beautifully meandering string of the river IJssel.
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You can meander here with Andante as you wish from 4 days to as long as you want.
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Each city is packed with history, perfect for exploring on foot. You can also make beautiful cycling trips in the area. From the almost foreign “undulating” Veluwezoom around Dieren and Rheden, to extensive estates behind Zutphen and Deventer. The extensive network of bicycle junctions offers endless possibilities.
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For example, you can cycle or sail alternately from city to city. You can also choose to stay a little longer on the quay of a city, such as the example shown here in Doesburg or Zwolle. Or go down the IJssel by canoe....
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And your journey does not have to stop in Hanseatic town Kampen, you can also continue to Kampen and even further across the Randmeren to Elburg (fully walled medieval town!) and Harderwijk….
This is just an example, it is also possible to start in Zwolle, upstream, so with longer sailing days....
example: Twente, Salland and Drenthe
Sailing, cycling or walking through hills and high moors
across country estates and along stream valleys.
With a start in the Hanseatic city of Zutphen aan de IJssel. We choose the route east towards the green park town of Lochem.
The next sailing day towards Hengelo / Enschede is also a beautiful cycling or walking day over extensive estates and past castles around Diepenheim and Goor.
From Almelo it is wonderful to walk or cycle through the hills around the Tankenberg (behind Oldenzaal) and along stream valleys around Tubbergen.
Vriezenveen is our next stop. The name says it all: traditionally extensive high moor areas where peat was cut, which can still be seen in the peat museum.
The tour continues to Coevorden, traditionally a fortified town from the 13th century. If you take the bike today, you can make a beautiful trip over the Lemelerberg and via Ommen along the meandering Vecht.
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This brings us to Drenthe, where the Verlengde Hoogeveense Vaart was the highway for peat to the west until well into the 19th century. Now we sail past small villages with names such as Veenoord and Zwinderen. End in Meppel, a medieval town of stature.
Places 2, 3 and 4 in particular are suitable for an extra day's stay for, for example, a canoe trip on the Vecht, cycling / walking tours in the hills of Twente or through the high moor reserve of the Amsterdamse Veld on the NL-German border.
example: A trip along the Rhine
From wooded ridges to vast peatlands, or vice versa. Meandering along river towns brimming with history.
In this example, the tour starts in the lake area near Rheden. Surrounded by hills and forest edges. Trips possible to theVeluwezoom, high steep hills - such as the Posbank, with more than 100 meters the highest point in the Netherlands outside Limburg - from where you have a view over the Rhine and IJssel. Or just laze on the deck and take a tour in the canoe?
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Then we steam up the IJssel, swing up the Rhine and float lapping towards the sea. But we are not there yet. Spend the night (and go out?) in Arnhem. On to the castle Doorwerth at the foot of the steep slopes. From there walk or cycle to Wageningen.
Beautiful walking (and also cycling) trips are possible from Wageningen through one of the most beautiful stream valleys of the Netherlands.
Then it continues, along the steeps of the Grebbeberg and then we arrive in the flat lowlands of Holland. To historic Dorestad (now Wijk bij Duurstede).
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The next day we moor in Culemborg, another beautiful town on the water. If we want, we sail on to Fort Honswijk, part of the New Dutch Waterline.
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In this example we end up in Schoonhoven, the 'silver city' of the Netherlands, and at the same time also a fortified city of the Old Dutch Waterline from the time of the 80-year war.
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Expand or link? You can do that with 'Journey to the Middle Ages' or 'Utrechtse Vecht'....
example: The new wildernesses of the Netherlands
4 days: Marker Wadden – Weesp – Oostvaardersplassen.
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Day 1: Embarkation in the morning and departure from Lelystad. Short boat trip to the Marker Wadden. You can walk here, and we will also spend the night. Lunch and dinner on board!
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Day 2: Cruise to Weesp, with a stop in Muiden (Muiderslot!), through the Groote Zeesluis, a bit on the Vecht, stay in Weesp. Breakfast on board, lunch and dinner as desired on board or on land.
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Day 3: Cruise to the Oostvaardersplassen. To start with, back over the Vecht and over the Markermeer. Then we descend five meters through a lock to the 'Lage Vaart' on the bottom of the former Zuiderzee, now the Flevoland polder. In the afternoon, put on your walking boots for an exploration of Oostvaardersplassen. Lunch, dinner and overnight stay on board in the silence of the Oostvaarderplassen.
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Day 4: The last day a short boat trip back to Lelystad. Time for disembarkation!
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Expand, link? Which can!​
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Expand the tour to a 7-day package with a visit to the IJsseldelta, Schokland and Urk (New Wilderness 2.0)
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Link this tour to 'Utrechtse Vecht'
example: The new wildernesses of the Netherlands 2.0
7 days: Flevopolder, IJsseldelta, Schokland and Urk.
Still not enough of Marker Wadden and Oostvaardersplassen (New Wildernesses)? We totally get that! In this variant you could skip the 2nd night.
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Day 4: instead of waving off to Lelystad, we sail on to… the 'island kingdom of the IJsseldelta'. A sailing day through Flevoland on the 'Lage Vaart' via Dronten and Ketelhaven. Sail along on the water, or cover part of the route by bike? Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board, with an overnight stay in the wilderness of the archipelago as icing on the cake.
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Day 5: Time to explore the archipelago by canoe. Wander around all day along islands, quiet beaches, spot birds, swim, sunbathe (hopefully) and admire the natural beauty. A second night in the wilderness.
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Day 6: A short boat trip to Schokkerhaven, from where you can visit UNESCO World Heritage on foot or by bike Schokland .Embark in the afternoon for part two of the trip to the former fishing island Urk. Here we spend the night, lunch is on board and dinner is at your choice on board or on land.
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Day 7: The last (half) day we sail across the IJsselmeer back to Lelystad for disembarkation.
example: from Drentse Aa to Dokkumer Ee
8 days: meandering through Groningen and Friesland.
In the two provinces, old watercourses such as creeks and 'maars' meander between ancient 'mound villages'. And they traditionally connected the larger cities with the sea. Groningen, for example, was still a tidal port until the end of the 19th century. The Reitdiep, the Dokkumer Ee and the Suderie are the wandering area for Andante and THE base for trips by bicycle, canoe and walking shoe. We start in the nature reserve of Drentse Aa and Hunze, which traditionally form the upper reaches of the Reitdiep.
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Day 1: embarkation in Assen during the afternoon. Dinner on board and perhaps a stroll in the town?
Day 2: a walk through the idyllic landscape of theDrenthe Aa or a bike ride on theDog's back between the valleys of the Drentse Aa and the Hunze. Overnight stay on the Noord-Willemskanaal between Eelde and Glimmen.
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Day 3: short sailing day to Groningen, will you interrupt it for a romantic canoe trip on Lake Paterswold?
Day 4: half a sailing day meandering over itReitdiep to Winsum the most beautiful village in the Netherlands according to the ANWB 2020.
Day 5: half day sailing to theLauwersmeer, vast nature reserve where creeks and headlands jostle each other. Birds, silence and rippling water. Overnight stay somewhere at an 'oppertje'.
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Day 6: up the Dokkumer Ee, into Friesland, afternoon and overnight stayDokkum. You can also go there with our canoe on the small winding canal 'Suderie' (13 km).
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Day 7: sailing on the Dokkumer Ee we pass the terp village of Burdaard to the center of Leeuwarden.
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Day 8: disembarkation after breakfast.
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Indication of travel price:€815 pp when booking with 4 people, including sailing and overnight costs, port fees, 4 x dinner and 7 x breakfast and lunch (package). Surcharge for booking with 2 people: €575 pp.
Questions, wishes, compliments, or just book? Do not hesitate to contact us!