Itinerary
Day 1 - Dijon
Guests are greeted at the pre-designated meeting point and escorted to 'Saroche' in Dijon. After settling in you are invited to join the Captain for a Champagne Reception and cruise safety briefing. There's plenty of time for a stroll around Dijon or merely to relax on board and enjoy the view.
Day 2 - Cruising : Dijon to Fleurey sur Ouche
Our first day cruising leaves behind the bustling centre of Dijon as we journey to our evening mooring in the village of Fleurey sur Ouche, nestled in the Ouche valley. Climb to the top of the church of Notre Dame to view the marvellous panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.
Excursion: Tour the Côte de Nuits vineyards known as the Champs Elysées of Burgundy. Visit the Château of Clos de Vougeot, established by the Cistercian monks and famous for its wines. The Chevaliers du Tastevin meet here to sample the wines and confer their medals on selected vintages.
Day 3 - Cruising : Fleurey sur Ouche to Gissey sur Ouche
Let the tranquility of the countryside and the lush scenery of the Ouche valley refresh you. Today we'll pass through Pont de Pany and Saint Marie sur Ouche to this evening's stopping point at Gissey sur Ouche. There are many opportunities to stroll or cycle alongside the vessel as it slowly meanders along between locks, allowing you to work up an appetite for this evening's meal ashore at a typical country restaurant.
Excursion: A tour of Dijon provides many places of interest to explore. Discover places of interest such as the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, housing the Fine Arts Museum with its paintings from the 14th century to the present day. Climb the 3l6 steps of Philip the Good's Tower to get a wonderful view of the region.
Day 4 - Cruising : Gissey sur Ouche to La Bussière sur Ouche
Today's cruise takes us through the picturesque village of Saint Victor and then on to La Bussière sur Ouche where you can visit the buildings and the grounds of the medieval abbey.
Excursion: Visit the abbey of Fontenay which was founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard and built in the Romanesque style by the Cistercian monks in the 12th century to the 15th century.
Day 5 - Cruising : La Bussière sur Ouche to Pont d'Ouche
En route to Pont d'Ouche, we cruise through the tree-lined valley and the canal-side villages of La Forge and Veuvey sur Ouche. Charollais cattle graze peacefully in the pastures alongside the canal.
Excursion: Beaune is Burgundy's wine capital. Tour the Hôtel Dieu with its honeycombed, coloured tiled roof. Built in 1443 as a hospice for the sick and needy, it is now famous for its collection of pottery jars and its annual wine auctions. Visit the cellars of Patriarche Pere et Fils, the largest cellars in Burgundy, for a tasting of some of its fine wines.
Day 6 - Cruising : Pont d'Ouche to Vandenesse
Our final morning's cruise winds us past the hillside villages of Bouhey and Châteauneuf. The cruise culminates in the Captain's Farewell Dinner, held ashore at a Burgundian restaurant.
Excursion: Visit the magnificent Château of Commarin with its forbidding stone walls and towers, and the romantic 12th-century village of Châteauneuf, former seat of the Duke of Burgundy, prominent upon its hilltop overlooking the Canal.
Day 7 - Vandenesse
Time after breakfast for one last chance to sit on deck before your departure from 'Saroche.'
New for 2008, 'Saroche' is the largest six-passenger barge in France with spacious cabins affording all the amenities found in fine hotels. The split-level lounge/dining room has large, opening windows and a hexagonal skylight to flood the interior with fresh air and sunshine. A spa pool awaits on Sun Deck with a parasol-covered area for meals al fresco. 
