Holland & Belgium – Amsterdam to Bruges Aboard Magnifique III

Depart on an overnight flight to Amsterdam.

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND / EMBARK MAGNIFIQUE III

Arrive in Amsterdam and transfer for a canal cruise with lunch on board. Then visit Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, the State Treasury of Dutch art, for an inside look at the largest-ever exhibition devoted to painter Johannes Vermeer. Embark Magnifique III, and enjoy a welcome dinner as we cruise to Vianen.

VIANEN / KINDERDIJK / DORDRECHT

Transfer from Vianen to the village of Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Join an expert for a guided tour of Kinderdijk’s 19 windmills and cutting-edge water management system. The site emerged from the Dutch efforts to turn swampland into productive land over a thousand years. Early settlers dug ditches and built dikes to create dry land called polders. As these areas drained, they sank deeper, increasing flood risks from nearby rivers and the sea. In response, the Dutch designed a system of windmills, pumps, and water basins to remove water from the polders and keep the land above sea level. Marvel at Kinderdijk’s octagonal, Brabantine Gothic-style windmills, engineering wonders built in the mid-18th century and unparalleled for their size. Continue to a unique country estate surrounded by one of the oldest English landscape gardens in the area (pending confirmation). Rejoin the ship in Dordrecht, one of the Netherlands’ oldest cities.

DORDRECHT / ANTWERP, BELGIUM

Step ashore for a guided tour of Dordrecht, strolling through cobblestone streets lined with more than 950 monuments, from medieval houses to picturesque canals. See its historic city center, harbors, enchanting alleyways, and 17th-century merchants’ houses and warehouses. Continue to Antwerp, a city renowned for its medieval and modern architecture and extensive art collections. Following lunch, join an expert to explore Antwerp’s tallest building, the city’s Cathedral of Our Lady, where you’ll be awestruck by its sheer scale and grandeur. As you approach the cathedral, you’ll be immediately drawn to its soaring 400-foot-tall spire, which, upon its completion in 1518, made it the tallest building in the Low Countries for several centuries. Inside this masterpiece of Brabantine Gothic architecture, enjoy a guided look at major paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, including his 1626 achievement Assumption of the Virgin Mary. This painting measures a staggering 16 feet in height and 10 feet in width, with Rubens’s dynamic, spiraling composition filling the vast canvas. Then join a guided look at Antwerp’s Museum Mayer van den Bergh, one of Belgium’s most highly regarded yet less-visited art collections. Take a private perusal of the acquisitions of the noted collector Fritz Mayer van den Bergh (1858–1901), including works by Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The museum’s most famous work is Bruegel’s vivid Mad Meg, his 1563 depiction of a frenzy surrounding Dulle Griet, a figure from
Flemish folklore, as she leads a female army on a mission to pillage Hell. Dinner is at leisure.

ANTWERP / SINT-AMANDS

Step into the vivid imaginations of Van Eyck, Rubens, Rodin, and Ensor at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, known as KMSKA. Join an expert guide to explore the museum’s 600 years of creative treasures charting art’s evolution in the Low Countries, from 15th-century Flemish portraits to 20th-century Belgian Expressionist canvases. After lunch at leisure, discover some of the world’s oldest printing presses at the UNESCO-listed Museum Plantin-Moretus, the sole surviving Renaissance and Baroque-era printing workshop and publishing house globally. This evening, enjoy dinner onboard.

SINT-AMANDS / GHENT

In the morning, cruise to Ghent, one of Europe’s best kept secrets. After lunch at leisure, enjoy a tour through the city’s medieval center. A highlight will be St. Bavo’s Cathedral, where you’ll come face to face with Ghent’s greatest treasure—the 15th-century Ghent Altarpiece (The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb). One of history’s most influential masterworks, this monumental polyptych was completed in 1432 by the Flemish painters Jan and Hubert van Eyck, and it has now returned to its original home. Scholars and art lovers have marveled at this altarpiece, known as “history’s most stolen artwork,” for centuries. Recently, a major restoration project has uncovered long-hidden details and shed new light on the Van Eycks’ remarkable mastery. With expert guidance, appreciate its breathtaking beauty and profound symbolism firsthand.

GHENT /YPRES/ BRUGES

Transfer from Ghent to the historic town of Ypres, one of the most thriving medieval cities in Flanders. The medieval Market Square, the Gothic spires of the Cloth Hall, and the 13th-century Cathedral of St. Martin will transport you to the city’s zenith, when Ypres prospered as a center for clothmaking. During World War I, Ypres was the site of three devastating battles along the British lines of the Western Front, and you will delve into that poignant history today. First, join your expert guide at the In Flanders Fields Museum, uncovering WWI artifacts and personal accounts that make the soldiers’ experiences feel visceral and palpable. The rusted rifles and bullet-riddled helmets paint a picture of the challenges they faced, while also highlighting their bravery and sacrifice. At Sanctuary Wood (pending confirmation), walk through preserved trenches and see the lasting impact of the war on the landscape. Following lunch, visit Hill 60, a man-made hill, 60 meters (197 feet) high, formed from the earth excavated during the construction of the nearby railway. Here, gain a unique perspective on the region’s strategic importance during the war, with its history of mining operations. British, Australian, and German forces fought intense underground battles using tunnels and mines, resulting in massive explosions and heavy casualties. Now Hill 60 serves as a memorial site for WWI soldiers. Conclude your tour at Tyne Cot Cemetery, the world’s largest Commonwealth war cemetery, where nearly 12,000 soldiers are laid to rest. The rows of white headstones and the memorial bearing the names of almost 35,000 missing soldiers offer a powerful reminder of the human cost of war. As you return to Bruges for dinner at leisure, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the city’s charming streets on an optional evening walk.

BRUGES

Experience the city’s rich medieval heritage firsthand. On a privately guided morning tour of the 15th-century Adornes Domain, an authentic medieval estate. Have a rare glimpse into the lives of one of Bruges’s most prominent dynasties, the noble Adorno family, who’ve owned the estate since its beginnings. Enjoy light refreshments before your walk through the grounds (pending confirmation). Then venture to the 12th-century St. John’s Hospital, one of Europe’s oldest surviving hospital complexes. For centuries, the hospital served as a refuge for the poor and ill, offering care to all regardless of their status. Hans Memling (c. 1430 –1494), an influential Early Netherlandish painter from Bruges, created works expressly for the hospital, which has housed his creations since the 15th century. Inside the former hospital, join an expert for a guided tour of what is now the Hans Memling Museum. A highlight will be Memling’s stunning St. Ursula Shrine, a wooden reliquary shaped like a miniature chapel that mimics the appearance of a gilded metal shrine. After lunch at leisure, you may enjoy a free afternoon. As an option, experience Bruges’s Church of Our Lady, featuring one of the world’s highest brick church towers. Inside, see Michaelangelo’s celebrated Madonna and Child, the master’s only work to leave Italy during his lifetime. This marble sculpture has an intriguing provenance, facing plunder by Napoleon and Hitler before returning to Bruges. Alternatively, revel in a treasure of Flemish masterpieces and Early Netherlandish paintings on a tour of the acclaimed Groeninge Museum. Highlights include Jan van Eyck’s The Madonna with Canon van der Paele (1436); Hugo van der Goes’s noted The Death of the Virgin (c. 1472-1480); and Hieronymus Bosch’s The Last Judgment (1486). Gather this evening for a festive farewell dinner.

BRUGES / DISEMBARK / BRUSSELS / RETURN

Disembark after breakfast, and transfer to the Brussels airport for flights home.