Savoir Vivre: New 2023 Rates

Savoir Vivre - Rate Change for 2023 Cruises

Savoir Vivre has announced an increase in rates for 2023 barge cruises. This represents a $2000 increase for private charters and an increase of $500 per cabin for cabin cruise weeks. Savoir Vivre has reduced their rate for single supplements by $250.

 

Book now for 2023 cruises as new prices come into effect on June 1, 2022

 

About Savoir Vivre

 

 

The luxury crewed French Hotel Barge SAVOIR VIVRE offers both cabin cruises and private barge charters along the Canal de Bourgogne in the Burgundy region of France.

• Route: Canal de Bourgogne, Burgundy between Fleurey-sur-Ouche and Escommes
• Up to 8 guests
• Private charters and Cabin cruises
• Itinerary: Click here
• Learn more: Click here for Savoir Vivre's online brochure

Savoir Vivre is 80 feet long, air conditioned (central heating, too), and has 4 identical guest cabins which can be configured with either a queen or two twin beds, each having ensuite private bathrooms.

Savoir Vivre is a bit different to the other hotel barges that we represent as they do not have an onboard chef. Pastries for the continental breakfast are supplied by the local bakery. Lunches are freshly prepared and provided by private chef who meets up with the boat with their prepared meal. Dinners are ashore at a different local restaurant every evening (included in charter fee).

 

Book Now and Save !

 

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Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com

 

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#savoirvivre #barginginfrance #bargecharters #burgundybargecruise

Join La Bella Vita for an Italian Opera Cruise This Summer

Join La Bella Vita for an Opera Cruise This Summer

 

 

Book your spot aboard La Bella Vita’s Italian Opera Cruise for a lavish barging experience departing on 17th July 2022. Beginning in Venice, the “City of Canals”, La Bella Vita travels down the Po Valley to Mantua, with stops at magnificent locations on an opera-themed cruise.

 

 

Operatic Excursions

 

 

There are numerous opportunities to visit some of Italy’s most illustrious and beautiful opera houses and theaters throughout the cruise. In Venice, you can discover more about the history of this longstanding form of entertainment at the Arena Muse Opera and see where the premieres of great composers such as Verdi and Rossini were performed at the Teatro La Fenice.

 

In Ferrara, you will see the impressive five-tiered auditorium at the Teatro Communale, while in Mantua you will explore the Teatro Bibiena, an intimate baroque theater that opened in 1770 with a performance by the 13-year-old Wolfgang Mozart.

 

 

Best Seats in the House

 

 

The jewel in the crown of this Italian cruise is the chance to enjoy an acclaimed opera at the Arena di Verona, an astonishingly well-preserved Roman amphitheater built in the first century AD. This 15,000-seat venue is a magical environment for watching the performance where guests aboard La Bella Vita’s cruise will benefit from choice seats in the front stalls. Those quick enough to book this year’s opera cruise have the opportunity to experience a thrilling performance of George Bizet’s ‘Carmen’.

 

 

Experiencing Italy

 

As well as these enviable experiences for opera enthusiasts, this itinerary offers plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in Italian history and culture as you cruise the serene waters of the River Po. There are private wine tastings, as well as dinner hosted by a Countess at the beautiful 17th-century Villa Ca’Zen, for example.

 

 

Bird lovers will find the nature reserve of the Po Delta enjoyable while viewing flamingos, snipe, and herons from the barge’s sun deck. The Archaeological Museum at Adria, an Etruscan town with a rich history, will fascinate ancient history lovers. The impressive Ducal Palace in Mantua is enchanting with its Gallery of Mirrors, masterful frescos, and multiple gardens.

 

With a wonderfully attentive crew and a small group of like-minded passengers, there’s no better or more enjoyable way to cruise through the serene Italian waterways.

 

Interested? Contact us to book this summer’s amazing opera cruise.

 

 

About The Italian Hotel Barge Bella Vita

Italian Hotel Barge La Bella Vita

La Bella Vita

La Bella Vita is a stylish 20-passenger vessel with a typically modern Italian interior, reflected in the use of vibrant colors throughout to create an atmosphere of casual relaxation. There is an inviting bar area in which to enjoy a glass of Prosecco and a spacious dining room with louver doors that open to give a perfect view as you are served delicious Italian specialties and wines.

There are two main deck junior suites and eight lower deck staterooms, all air-conditioned and with en suite facilities. The upper deck has a huge sun deck with a large canopy and comfortable loungers to relax and watch the world drift by.

Enjoy delicious regional cuisine, fine Italian wines and the services of an attentive crew that will make this an unforgettable cruise. 

La Bella Vita offers 6-night, all-inclusive private charters, as well as cabin cruises. Themed cruises such as family, golf, opera, and wine appreciation are available for private charters.

• Learn More: Online Brochure 
• Route: Venice, the Islands of the Venetian Lagoon, the Bianca Canal and the Po Valley
• Up to 20 guests
• Private charters and Cabin cruises
• Itineraries: Standard classic, Family, Golf, Opera, Wine appreciation
• Special offers for solo travellers: Click here

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Discover the Waterways of Northern Italy

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Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book LA BELLA VITA
View La Bella Vita's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com

 

 

 #operacruise #barginginitaly #bargecharters #paradiseconnections

 

 

Visit Burgundy’s Oldest Winemakers with French Hotel Barge Finesse

Visit Burgundy’s Oldest Winemakers

 

Maison Champy Wine Tasting Experience

 

French Hotel Barge Finesse - Burgundy Barge Cruises

Does it get any more indulgent than sampling exceptional wines at the vineyards of Burgundy’s oldest wine company? Since its founding in 1720, Maison Champy has been producing award-winning wines, and it’s the newest stop on Finesse’s itinerary.

What is so special about Maison Champy?

Maison Champy owns around twenty-one hectares of vines, with most on the Côte de Beaune. This region of France is famous for producing some of the world’s most expensive white wines and for fermenting a tiny proportion of Burgundy’s best reds.

Maison Champy makes both white and red wines, of which the most prestigious is Grand Cru. Another speciality of this experienced wine-maker is Pernand-Vergelesses premier crus, known for its intense ruby color. Planted in 1158 by the monks of the Abbey of Maizières, Le Clos de Bully in this region is one of the oldest in Burgundy. Harvesting is organic to preserve and highlight the true character of the unique terrain where the grapes are grown.

History of Maison Champy

The Champy family established themselves in the early eighteenth century and the French Revolution aided their ambitions to buy more land in Beaune. In 1779, the civil war enabled Maison Champy to expand its influence in the region and the family acquired additional land to plant more vineyards.

Maison Champy prospered again in the nineteenth century after supporting the scientific discoveries of Louis Pasteur. The forward-thinking attitude of Maison Champy meant that their wine cellars were the origin of the invention of pasteurization in the 1860s. Although the pasteurization process is now associated with the dairy industry, wine was responsible for its invention.

However, Maison Champy didn’t limit itself to just winemaking and science. At the turn of the nineteenth century, the company invested in engineering after being inspired by the unveiling of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. In 1890, a winery, fermentation cellar, and wine cellar were all built in the innovative ‘Eiffel’ style.

 

Within a decade, Maison Champy was exhibiting its wines at fairs and international exhibitions, gaining a formidable reputation as one of the best winemakers in Burgundy. Maison Champy was recognized with gold medals for two successive years in 1889 and 1900 at the Universal Exhibitions in Paris.

Today, Maison Champy is still a major player in the Côte de Beaune, exporting its prestigious wines all over the world.

 

New addition to Finesse's itinerary
 

 

The new Maison Champy wine-tasting experience, lunch and vineyard tour can be enjoyed on the Finesse classic cruise itinerary, as well as their golf and wine themed cruises. Families can also choose to visit the vineyard, where younger guests are offered a juice tasting.

The visit to Maison Champy starts after breakfast on the Wednesday of every cruise. After a drive through the UNESCO-listed Côte de Beaune vineyards, guests arrive in the capital of Burgundy’s wine country, the town of Beaune. When guests arrive at Maison Champey, Finesse’s captain will escort them through the vineyards, telling them about the surrounding landscape and the vineyard itself. On arrival at the wine house, a wine expert will take over to give a private tour of the wine cellars and a wine tasting experience. Guests will learn about the production of the region’s finest Premier and Grand Cru wines, trying two Premier Crus and three Grand Crus – one of which is from one of their best plots.

A private lunch will follow at CUVE 17. This unmissable and unique dining venue has been created from one of the winery’s historic wooden wine vats, known as “cuves”. An exceptional four-course seasonal lunch (including cheese) is served with wine pairings of Premier and Grand Crus. Guests will choose in advance from a range of dishes on a set menu which changes throughout the year.

Following the Maison Champy experience, guests visit the stunning 15th century Hôtel-Dieu Hospice and return to the barge for an afternoon cruise past the charming little town of Chagny.

 

 

If you would like more information about a barge cruise aboard Finesse, visit our online brochure. Feel free to send an email... we are here to help :)

About The French Hotel Barge Finesse

 

 

Finesse is a double-decker hotel barge that has been built to exacting standards with luxury in mind, enhanced by her modern public areas and very spacious cabin suite accommodation. 

Finesse is the perfect vessel on which to cruise the meandering waterways of Southern Burgundy past vineyards and charming canalside villages, and to discover fascinating places along the way such as Autun, Beaune and Dijon.

 

Cruise Details:

• Route: Southern Burgundy: River Saône & Canal du Centre between St-Julien-sur-Dheune and St-Jean-de-Losne
  
• Up to 8 guests
• Private charters and Cabin cruises
• Itineraries: Standard classic, Family, Golfing, Wine tasting
• Learn more: Online Brochure
  

Cruise Highlights:

• Visit Clos de Vougeot, home of the Chevaliers du Tastevin
• Tour and private wine tasting at Maison Champy, the oldest winemakers in Burgundy
• Visit to Beaune, including Hôtel-Dieu Hospice
• Visit to the ancient roman city of Autun
• Lunch with wine pairings, served in a unique dining venue, created from a historic wooden wine vat
• Excellent opportunities for walking and biking
  
• "Biking Plus" option available

Learn More: 

• CLICK HERE for Hotel Barge Finesse's online brochure

Ready To Go Barging With Finesse?

 

 

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Contact Paradise Connections to book FINESSE
View Finesse's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com

 

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  #barginginfrance #burgundycruises #bargefinesse #bargecharters

 

Special Offers Updated

  Save on 2022 Barge Cruises

L'Impressionniste - Burgundy, France

 

We have updated our Special Offers & Discount page. We hope you can take advantage of these savings.

For example:

• We have added new special discounts for a few summer weeks.
• Spirit of Scotland has two weeks open for private charter. They are offering the week of May 22nd at a 20% discount and the week of June 26 at 10% off. Score!

• Dutch tulip season has arrived. Adagio is offering a 30% discount on open weeks for charters in Holland. Panache is fully booked for Holland EXCEPT they have 2 cabins open for April 17 at a 20% discount.

• Shannon Princess in Ireland is usually fully booked for the season by this time but they still have a few openings at discounted rates. Let's fill their calendar!

• Aurora is offering a 10% discount on their 14-night, 3-country cruise from Rotterdam in Holland to Paris France, June 19 - July 3, 2022

• Special rates for select weeks in France, Scotland, and Italy.
  

• Single Travelers: There's something for you, too.

Plus there's more...

 

 

If you have been dreaming about barging, perhaps now is the time to fulfill those dreams.

 

 

Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com

 

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#BargeCharters #Cruises #SpecialOffers #Discounts #BargingInFrance #DutchTulipCruises #BargingInHolland

The Canal de Briare - Part 3

 

 Part 3: Places of Interest

on the Briare Canal

The picturesque Canal de Briare, one of the oldest canals in France, connects the valleys of the Seine and the Loire. The Canal de Briare begins just north of Montargis at Buges. The section of the canal between Montargis and Rogny follows the valley of the River Loing. Many of the villages and hamlets date earlier than the origin of the canal. 

 

 

The Château de Saint-Fargeau is a 17th-century, Renaissance château, originally built as a hunting residence in the 10th century. Destroyed in the 15th century, a castle replaced it. This castle was itself destroyed by fire but promptly rebuilt in the 17th century, with additions and major improvements made in the 19th and 20th centuries.

 

The Château de Saint-Fargeau has a distinctive design. From above, the château’s curtained walls and towers form an irregular pentagon, the corners of which are formed by six towers of pink brick. Lanterns top five of the towers. Designated as a historic monument in 1945, the château has been open to the public ever since. The château has organized a sound and light show each year to raise funds for additional restorations. The spectacle lasts two hours and spans ten centuries of history, from the end of the 10th century through the Liberation in 1944 by the American army. This production has taken place for more than 35 years and involves over 700 actors and 50 horse riders from the surrounding community.

 

 

The Château of Sully-sur-Loire was first built as a defensive fort to protect one of the few places to ford the Loire. Today it is one of the most impressive and picturesque châteaux in the region. 

 

With its origins in the 11th century, the Château de Ratilly was built on existing foundations in the 13th century. Today, Ratilly is a creative Center for the Arts and a pottery workshop, continuing a local tradition which has existed since the Roman occupation of France. The château transformed into a fine residence during the Renaissance when many of its defenses were no longer needed. Arrow slits changed into large windows and some towers were modified for other purposes. Visit the magnificent Château de Ratilly on your cruise with the barge Renaissance on the Canal de Briare.

What may seem like a rather small and uninteresting little church is, in fact, one of the most important in Burgundy. The church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the village of Moutiers-en-Puisaye started life as a priory, built by monks in the 10th century in the Romanesque style. An 8th century hospice on the site took care of pilgrims, especially those from Brittany and England, who were traveling to Rome to visit the tomb of Saint Peter. The derivation of Moutiers is from the French word for monk, moine.

 

During the Hundred Years War, a band of marauding Bretons traveling south destroyed the priory and the hospice but left the church standing. In the 19th century, it was one of many studied by the French architect Eugène Viollet-Le-Duc and, in 1862, became classified as a historic monument. What Viollet-le-Duc didn’t know, however, was that under the whitewashed plaster walls, the church was hiding an incredible secret.

 

In the spring of 1982, after an especially dry warm spell, cracks appeared in the plaster and parts crumbled and fell off, revealing color and images. Over 10 years, an expert restorer of medieval iconography, Isao Takahashi, worked, in part, in the restoration of the 12th century murals and frescoes.

 

The 200m² of painted murals are some of the most important in Burgundy today. They describe in great detail scenes from the Bible, including Genesis, the Great Flood, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, as well as the life of Christ from the Nativity, the Baptism in the river Jordan, and His subsequent crucifixion.

 

 

La Bussière takes its name from the wood it once grew, with Buxeria being Latin for a plantation of trees. The village lies on the edge of the old Roman road, the Via Agrippa. Several Roman artefacts were found in its locale. The château was built in the 12th century by the local Lord, Stephen de Feins. Well situated on the road running from the Loire Valley and Paris, the village soon became a postal stop and a commercial hub, with much of its income going to the estate of the château.

 

During the French Wars of Religion of the 16th century, La Bussière was a Catholic stronghold, whereas the neighboring town of Gien was largely Protestant. In 1567, a group of Huguenots attacked the village and killed 17 Catholic priests, damaging the château in the process. Rebuilt in the 17th century, the château was enclosed by the pond and gardens, designed by Louis XIV’s chief gardener André Le Nôtre. After the French Revolution, the castle changed hands several times until eventually sold to the current owners, who have lived on and maintained the property for over 200 years.

 

 Lavishly decorated by the finest craftsmen and architects in Europe, the Château de Fontainebleau was truly the greatest residence of the Kings of France. Francis I brought the Italianate style, known as the Renaissance, to France while overseeing the construction of the palace, whereas Henri IV created magnificent gardens in and around the forest which surround it. Every monarch from Louis VII to Napoleon III has put their mark on the palace and today it radiates with the Kings’ ideals of wealth, luxury and elegance.

 

 Moret-sur-Loing is a fortified town on the banks of the River Loing. Once part of the Royal Domaine, it found its fame while the Impressionist painter Alfred Sisley lived within its ancient walls in the 19th century. Sisley painted many rural and industrial scenes around Moret-sur-Loing and today is recognized as one of the most important English Impressionist artists.

 

Once the capital of the Province of Berry, the city of Bourges has an intriguing architectural history. While the Cathedral, considered as one of the earliest examples of the high Gothic style in the 13th century, the palace built for Jacques Coeur, is still one of the finest examples of medieval architecture in France. The city has remained well preserved, with many half-timbered buildings and fine townhouses. 

Orléans on the River Loire, is most famous for being the home of Joan of Arc and as the site of the Siege of Orléans which began the end of the Hundred Years’ War. Today it is a shining example of French medieval architecture and the 13th century cathedral is one of the most beautiful in France.

 

Perched high on a hill overlooking its famous, eponymous, wine-growing region, Sancerre was first founded by the Romans. Its name is thought to come from the phrase “San Caesar”, meaning Caesar’s Temple. During the Religious Wars of the 16th century, Sancerre was a Protestant stronghold and fought off many Catholic attempts to besiege it. During the French Revolution, the town was a Royalist stronghold. Sancerre was the local command center for the French Resistance throughout the Second World War and, although the Germans occupied the area, the resistance still continued their work.
 

Built in the 19th century by Compte Lafond in a variety of architectural styles, including Renaissance, Bavarian and Gothic, the Château du Nozet is one of the most romantic châteaux of the Loire. It has been the seat of the Ladoucette family for over 200 years and over 160 hectares of some of the most prestigious vineyards in the Loire surround it.

 

 

Situated on the ancient pilgrimage route to Saint James of Compostella in western Spain, La Charité-sur-Loire is a beautifully preserved medieval town and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

About The French Hotel Barge Renaissance

Renaissance has been designed to carry her guests in ultimate luxury along the Canal de Briare, France’s oldest canal and steeped in history on a cruise route that features elegant chateaux, small countryside villages, and the famed wine-growing region of Sancerre.

Cruise Details:

• Route: Canal de Briare between Montargis and Chatillon-sur-Loire
• Up to 8 guests
• Private charters and Cabin cruises
• Itineraries: Standard classic, Family, Golfing, Wine tasting
• Learn more: Online Brochure

Cruise Highlights:

• Visit the “time capsule” studio home of 19th century artist Rosa Bonheur and a private lunch in her salon
• Private “behind-the-scenes” tour of the magnificent Château de Fontainebleau
• 7-lock flight at Rogny-Les-Sept-Ecluses, a national historic monument
• Cruise across the aqueduct at Briare, built by Gustave Eiffel over the River Loire
• Private wine tasting at the renowned Sancerre winery of Henri Bourgeois
• Excellent opportunities for walking and biking
  
• "Biking Plus" option available

Learn More: 

• CLICK HERE for Hotel Barge Renaissance's online brochure

Ready to Explore the Canal de Briare?

Inquire / Book Now

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View Special Offers / Discounts

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Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book RENAISSANCE
View Renaissance's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com

 

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  #barginginfrance #loire-burgundycruises #bargerenaissance #bargecharters