Barging in Burgundy: Cruising Through French Wine Country on a Floating Luxury Hotel

I have been fortunate enough on more than one occasion to be able to watch images of stunning landscapes on television while luxuriating in a bathtub, but I never imagined in my wildest dreams that this could happen in real life. That is, of course, until – amazingly – fantasy became reality, on board the luxury barge La Belle Epoque, the European Waterways vessel that cruises the Burgundy Canal, in the heart of one of France’s premier wine regions.

How is this possible? Truth be told, I am not talking about a bathtub, per se, but one better: a whirlpool hot tub bath (commonly known as a jacuzzi, although strictly speaking, Jacuzzi is a trademarked brand name, and not a generic term).

La Belle Epoque, like all European Waterways barges, is equipped with a spa pool on the upper deck – affording panoramic views of the rolling hills, vineyards, and sunflower fields of Burgundy, punctuated by the occasional medieval village, each boasting ancient stone architecture.

I was also particularly fortunate in that I always had the spa pool tub to myself (or with my significant other), even though there was room in the water for eight. But there is no doubt that at some point in every cruise, there will be opportunities for either complete privacy or socializing with fellow passengers in the pool.

What’s more, the vessel’s impeccably trained and extremely friendly staff will serve you your choice of drink while you sit back marveling and reveling in your luck at being able to live, even briefly, like a millionaire. It is important to emphasize that, since the water temperature is adjustable, soaking is a day or night activity: if it is a hot summer’s day, the tub is like a plunge pool, and one may cool off with a glass of chilled champagne;  after dinner, it becomes a traditional hot tub, best enjoyed while sipping a digestif.

If travel is about everlasting memories as much as anything else, then the precious, practically indescribable moments I spent being massaged by bubbling water while the world was ever so slowly unfolding before me have to rank very close to the top of the list of unique experiences I have been lucky enough to enjoy over five decades of globetrotting.

Inland Water Cruising at its Finest

This cruise on the Canal de Bourgogne was my introduction to inland water cruising – whether within the narrow confines of a canal dug in the late 18th and early 19th century or along a major river, such as the Seine in Paris or the Po in northern Italy, among other routes served by European Waterways. (I don’t count being a passenger on crowded ferries plying the inland waters in Kerala or chartering a private houseboat in the backwaters of that same southern state in India.)

The experts at European Waterways – which has grown from the early 1980s to become the largest barging company in Europe – now command a fleet of 18 vessels operating in nine countries across the continent. This translates into the widest choice of destinations of any hotel barge company – ranging from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands in the West, to canals crisscrossing the length and breadth of France, and extending as far as Venice in the eastern part of central Europe.

No fewer than six of these barges cruise the Burgundy region, each one focusing on a different stretch of Bourgogne, such as arriving from Paris and the upper Loire Valley in the north or heading straight to beautiful Beaune and famed Dijon in the south. Virtually all of these itineraries are available over the course of a considerable cruising season, extending from April to October – i.e., spring, summer, and fall.

(There are limited scheduled specially themed cruises even in the winter, albeit in a different region, Alsace, in order to visit the renowned Christmas Markets.)

Each European Waterways cruise lasts one week, with afternoon departures weekly on Sundays, returning the following Saturday. Passengers are chauffeured in Mercedes vans from the meeting place in a hotel in central Paris to the port of embarkation and transferred back to the same place after debarking.

Northern Burgundy Aboard La Belle Epoque

La Belle Epoque (French for “The Beautiful Era”) is the primary European Waterways barge that cruises northern Burgundy, the part of the region that is home to the town of Chablis, which gave its name to the famous varietal white wine. The region’s history goes back to Roman times when Julius Caesar invaded and conquered Gaul (veni, vidi, vici).

The barge, which once carried logs from Burgundy to Paris, has been transformed into a floating hotel featuring indoor and outdoor dining areas, a well-appointed saloon (living room), and a sundeck lined with chaises longues leading to the spa pool. The vessel is built to accommodate up to 12 guests, housed in two junior suites and four staterooms.

With a crew of six, La Belle Epoque boasts a favorable ratio of one staff member for every two guests. Moreover, there were only seven passengers on our cruise, affording a level of service that any hotel on land or sea can hardly match.

The captain of a European Waterways barge is not a captain in the traditional sense of manning a bridge and directly supervising the vessel’s navigation. His role is more akin to that of a cruise director, ensuring every aspect of the voyage runs smoothly. He – in our case, the affable English-born Captain Craig – is also the guide for our daily excursions on shore.

Guests meet the captain and the entire crew at a welcome champagne reception held immediately after boarding, while luggage is conveyed to your quarters. One remarkable aspect of living onboard is that there are no keys to the cabins’ doors–although there are personal safes for valuables in each room.

This leads to a natural feeling of “home away from home,” and the camaraderie among the limited number of passengers soon grows to feel like temporary family. Even solo travelers are bound to find that one need not be part of a couple in order to enjoy the fellowship and conviviality that add such a significant dimension to the intimate cruise.

We had opted for a double bed (as opposed to twin beds) in our junior suite, so it took up virtually all the space in our cabin. Still, we had a closet in which to hang our clothes, and the bathroom, while it looked cramped at first glance, turned out not to be so at all – even the shower stall was more than adequately sized. There were also pampering toiletry amenities by L’Occitane en Provence, and plenty of soft, thirsty towels – changed as often as you liked, thanks to nightly turndown service.

The plush, monogrammed bathrobes are also a great bonus – and not just for use in your private  cabin – since casual dress is the oder of the day on board. We hardly wore anything but a t-shirt and shorts all week long.

The mattress was very comfortable, and the air-conditioning extremely efficient, so we slept well, with no noise from the tranquil countryside. There is no television in the rooms – or anywhere on board, in fact – but the complimentary WiFi throughout the vessel had everyone connected on their devices to any news, entertainment or communications needed at all times.

Gastronomy and Oenology

No sooner than everyone had settled in and freshened up, it was time for pre-dinner cocktail hour (with scrumptious canapés) and our introduction to one of the great perks of an all-inclusive European Waterways cruise: the 24/7 open bar, with an extensive range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Try as I might, sample most of the liquors, spirits, and liqueurs on offer; even after a week, I barely made a dent in the fully stocked bar, refrigerator, and constantly replenished basket of fresh fruits.

The adjunct to the bar that is arguably the most appreciated by early risers is the always-accessible coffee machine, which offers a range of espresso capsules to choose from—not to mention the varieties of tea. Accompanying nibbles of the local specialty cookie are also always on hand.

The dinner menu was displayed on a small chalkboard, and thenceforward, each day, we had a similar preview of our lunch and dinner menus. All meals on board were prepared by the resident master chef—in this instance, Francois, from the kitchen of a Michelin-star restaurant—and in fact, with one memorable exception, all our meals were consumed aboard La Belle Epoque. (Note: The chefs are attentive to dietary requirements and preferences, with cheerfully served substitute dishes or ingredients.)

Our first dinner, served at the elegantly set table, was a foretaste of many four-course lunches and dinners. Each meal (not counting breakfast) had its own cheese course, always featuring three different cheeses from either Burgundy or neighboring regions. Our food was always washed down with a glass or two (or three) of fine local wines: one white and one red (and an occasional rosé), and all vintages—like the cheeses, for that matter—were explained in detail by the servers.

Breakfast is treated no less seriously than our two other quotidien main meals. Each morning, bright and early, Captain Crag would make a bread run to the local boulangerie (bakery) to ensure that our croissants, baguettes, and sweet rolls were as fresh as possible. Passengers are invited to come along, and those hardy souls (I managed it once) who ride along with the captain on his daily mission are rewarded with an extra treat practically right out of the oven.

Actively Discovering the Enchantment of Rural France

The reader may be forgiven if he or she were to think, given the perspective presented here so far, that this barge cruise is all about relaxing, eating and drinking, while hardly getting up to move. While it is true that this is an option some guests will choose, there is plenty of opportunity to get out and explore – both on foot and/or on a bicycle, and in the framework of land excursions to fascinating sites of cultural, architectural, and artistic interest.

As the barge cruises at barely more than jogging speed down the waterway, passengers are encouraged to get off and walk or bicycle along the canal towpath. Plenty of bikes are onboard for guests to take freely, and there is even a “Biking Plus” option available for venturing further afield.

Those who do choose to walk or bike parallelly to the waterborne trajectory of the barge will be rewarded in triple measure: burning the calories consumed at the frequent and sumptuous meals, breathing in the fresh and clean air of the pollution-free countryside, and being on the receiving end of friendly greetings from other hikers and cyclers sharing the towpath.

Virtually every passerby one encounters, whether native French or foreign tourists, will let out a cheery salutation of “bonjour” or “hello” – and it is hard not to smile when responding in kind.

Guests need to have no fear: there is no chance of getting lost or “missing the boat.” For one, users of the towpath are rarely out of sight of the barge, whether from ahead, behind, or alongside. Secondly, the barge must stop frequently at the many locks – most still operated manually, even in the 21st century. At the pedestrian and vehicular bridges over the locks, walkers and bikers either wait for or catch up to the barge to get back on.

There is plenty of time allotted each day – usually between breakfast and lunch – for walking or biking on the towpath, and guests can calculate how long they wish to exercise in this fashion: take a short walk of about a mile or so from one lock to the next – or opt for a longer trek and skip a lock or two before returning to the barge.

Naturally, a hat, water bottle, and good walking shoes are prerequisites, as advised in the packing guidance guests received from the company when booking the cruise. (Note: Caps and water bottles are among the gifts passengers receive, compliments of European Waterways.)

A highlight of every day is the well-planned shore excursion led by the knowledgeable captain. To be sure, the all-inclusive cruise price covers the transportation by van and all admission fees.

The excursions are roughly divided into two categories: sites of cultural and historical interest, alternating with tastings in wine or champagne cellars, complementing the degustations on board. One excursion even consists of a visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the 12th-century Abbaye de Fontenay, which – aside from its austere beauty – was the unlikely birthplace of Europe’s industrial revolution: the monastery’s forge was the continent’s first metallurgical factory, as well as the first place to use a hydraulic hammer, which is still operational after 800 years.

On another day, a visit to the distinctive 12th-century Château de Commarin portrays the inner workings and lifestyle of a medieval château, down to the ancient kitchen, which (with a few contemporary tweaks) still churns out meals today. Interestingly, the château —one of the few not to be looted during the French Revolution—is owned today by Count Bertrand de Vogüé, of the same family that owns the Petit Trianon, the gem of a château where Marie Antoinette lived in iconic Versailles.

A bonus of the visit to moat-surrounded Château de Commarin is a contemporary display of the medieval art of falconry, performed exclusively for guests of European Waterways on the grounds of the estate. The trained falcons, kestrels, and owls will not only strut their stuff on command; some will happily land on the arms of those brave passengers who volunteer to beckon them.

On our third day, we visit the Château d’Ancy-le-Franc, a 16th-century manor that houses the country’s most extensive collection of Renaissance murals. Our guide, Captain Craig, intrigues us with his explanations and insights into the profound cultural significance of the later artworks that decorate the walls.

The Château de Ricey-Bas is the one that comes to life, as the venue of a magnificent luncheon repast hosted personally by the Baroness Taisne Riocour, followed by tea in her immaculately landscaped garden. Immediately adjacent to the château is Maison Taisne Riocour, where the family business is making champagne – a process we visitors follow from the vineyard to the fermentation vats and thence to our flutes for tastings of the white gold nectar.

Finally, our last day is spent in Chablis, whose eponymous white wines are savored by connoisseurs worldwide. Here, we learn about the cultivation of the terroir’s chardonnay grapes, tour the 1,000-year-old monastery cellars, and conclude our visit with tastings of Chablis wine originating from the most exclusive plots of land hugging the banks of the river.

Returning home from an excursion can also be the occasion for a surprise – like a live band waiting to entertain us during cocktail hour. Delightful surprises can pop up anytime, thanks to the captain’s knack for anticipating guests’ desires: for example, one guest mentioned a favorite sipping bourbon in passing – and the next day, it mysteriously appeared on the bar.

If you go

The European Waterways front office also excels at anticipating passengers’ needs. In addition to providing pre-cruise information sheets and collecting personal preference data, the sales team is very responsive to questions asked via email or phone.

Passengers assemble at the Hotel Westminster near L’Opera in Paris for ground transfer to Burgundy. Some guests stayed at the hotel the night before, but most did not; the neighborhood had many choices of excellent accommodation at all price levels.

There is no point in arriving too early before departure time, as no refreshments are provided while you wait (the hotel will provide drinking water upon request). Check-in at the front desk as a European Waterways passenger, and spend your time better window shopping in the surrounding streets.

Prices in for a 6-night cruise aboard the 12-passenger La Belle Epoque include all gourmet meals, fine wines, an open bar for the duration of the cruise, daily escorted excursions, admissions, and private transfers at either end of the cruise. Full barge charters are also available for families and groups.

This article first appeared in Everett Potter’s Travel Report and is reprinted here with permission of the author. The author also received complimentary passage from European Waterways, but as always, our articles are dedicated to the truth of our experiences.