Spotlight on Panache: For lovers of unique culture, cuisine and wines

A Short History of Panache

Panache started life as a freight barge, built in 1959 by the Michot Frères shipyard in Thuin, Belgium. Christened ‘Padova’, her first owners were the Darteville family, who navigated the barge through the waterways of northern Europe until the early 1990s.

In 1993, the barge changed ownership. Renamed ‘Sunrise’, she continued to ply the rivers and canals of northern France and Belgium, transporting grain, sand and cereals.

In 1998, Sunrise was retired as a trading barge. Avoiding the breaker’s yard, she was transformed into a floating hotel. Her new owners, Ronny and Damienne Muyshondt, were a hardworking Belgian couple who looked to holiday her alongside their three-masted sailing barge called Marjorie. Renamed Marjorie II, to fit within the family’s naming structure, she served as a hotel barge for 14 years.

After spending many years cruising the waterways of the Netherlands and Belgium as Marjorie II, the barge was purchased by European Waterways. In 2012, she was taken to the Netherlands for a sparkling new refit to meet modern standards, and was renamed ‘Panache’.

Panache still serves as a hotel barge in our fleet, cruising  Holland in the spring, and the Alsace & Lorraine region of France from May onwards. Throughout the spring weeks, she takes guests to visit windmills and tulip farms, then on to the vineyards and countryside of Alsace and Lorraine.

Panache on the Map

Holland – Dutch Canals and Waterways

In the spring, Panache cruises the delightful waterways of Holland’s western provinces. Passing windmills that sit majestically above the polders, looking onto scores of tulip fields, and navigating through quaint waterways, this charming cruise is the perfect time to see the bounties of Holland’s horticultural prowess.

Guests on Panache will see the 7 million tulip bulbs in full bloom from late March to April at the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens, visit the Royal Delft pottery with its blue and white chinoiserie, and view the picturesque Dutch landscape dotted with historic windmills in Zaanse Schans.

Lovers of culture will also enjoy tours of the traditional Dutch cities and their many museums. The dwellings of Delft, Leiden and Haarlem are incredibly charming and inspired so many of the greatest historic artists.

Alsace & Lorraine – The Canal de la Marne au Rhin

The Canal de la Marne au Rhin, built over 150 years ago, was once a key route connecting Paris to Alsace via the River Marne, and Germany via the River Rhine. Today, this historic waterway mostly sees barges and boats to cruise leisurely down the historic waterways.

Today, the canal through Alsace & Lorraine offers a captivating fusion of French and German cultures. Lush green landscapes are characterised by charming villages with quaint half-timbered houses and cobbled walkways. A gentle cruise on Panache through the picturesque scenery will navigate locks and bridges, revealing new vistas at every turn.

Widely known for producing excellent white wines, the Alsace Wine Route stretches across the landscape for just over 100 miles. Featuring vineyards where visitors can sample the region’s wines, you’re sure to taste the best on offer when you cruise aboard Panache.

Alsace-Lorraine is known for its extraordinary blend of cuisine, also influenced in equal measure by both French and German culture. A cruise within the region will reveal speciality dishes you’ll fall in love with like choucroute garnie, tarte flambée, and baeckeoffe. With more Michelin-starred restaurants here than in any other part of France, the Franco-German cuisine is a true delicacy.

The region of Alsace-Lorraine is home to the city of Strasbourg, famed for its impressive Gothic cathedral. As you navigate the rivers and canals of this breathtaking region, you’ll experience another feat of engineering!  The impressive Arzviller Boat Elevator takes guests on a 450-foot mountainside ascent/descent in a matter of minutes. Created to replace a series of 17 locks that historically took more than a day to pass, the elevator is a supremely unique ride that can’t be rivalled!

Itinerary Highlights

Holland

A spring cruise to Holland takes guests through winding waterways with picturesque views of a quaint landscape where wooden windmills rise, timbered houses stand strong, and tulips flourish in the gentle breeze. Available only from March to early May, the Classic Cruise aboard Panache visits some of the most iconic sites in the west of the Netherlands.

Visiting Keukenhof Gardens is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many. European Waterways guests tour an impressive 100 acres of landscaped gardens that are planted annually with over 7 million flowering spring bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, narcissi and crocuses fill the location with breath-taking backdrops of colour. You’ll certainly want to take photographs of this stunning stop!

Panache also cruises through the canals of the Zaanse Schans conservation area. Historic landmarks like old wooden windmills, sweet houses and acres of pasture as far as the eye can see make for picturesque viewing. A visit to this location will transport you back several hundred years through Dutch history and leave you longing for a simpler life.

Culture lovers will also enjoy trips to the Royal Delft pottery and the historic towns of Haarlem and Leiden, which were historic residences for Golden Age Dutch Masters like Frans Hals and Rembrandt.

At the pottery, you will see some of the finest European imitations of Chinese dinnerware, crockery, and sculptures, and learn about how the export of these items made Holland a leader in porcelain production in the seventeenth century. The busy port of Delft also became significant for the rise of the Dutch East India Company, which was involved in the circular economy of the Slave Trade.

Alsace & Lorraine

Explore the splendour of the unique Alsace-Lorraine region of France from May onwards. You’ll feel inspired by the rolling countryside, the grand cru vineyards and the half-timbered houses in the towns of Lutzelbourg, Sarrebourg and La Petite France in Strasbourg.

Visit Strasbourg’s extraordinary cathedral with its extravagant Gothic architecture and pink sandstone walls. Towering above the surrounding buildings, its elegant facades display a Renaissance astronomical clock, and its spire is reaches 66 metres, or 33 steps, into the skyline of the city. Enjoy the views inside and out as you marvel in this fantastic piece of French architecture.

Wine lovers will be thrilled to find that Panache cruises near to the historic Route des Vins d’Alsace, or Alsace Wine Route. Producing wines since as early as 1472, the region is home to almost 38,000 acres of vineyards. With a private wine tasting at Domaine Lissner, and an opportunity to taste many other wines onboard throughout the week, you’ll leave having added to your repertoire the flavours of these special Franco-German wines.

If cuisine is something you savour, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy tasting some very special local dishes, such as the thin flatbread-like dish called Flammekueche, which is prepared with crème fraiche, cheese and ham.  With an evening dinner arranged at a traditional Alsatian restaurant and a night of candlelit dinners whilst passing through the Arzviller tunnels, you’ll have every chance to try new and exciting dishes.

Christmas Markets Cruises

This not-to-miss seasonal spectacular cruise makes for the most festive winter holidays. Stroll through sparkling towns and Christmas markets whilst you sip a gluhwein made with white wine and sample the gourmet food you’ll find on offer.

You’ll tick off your entire Christmas shopping list, see giant Christmas trees and experience bauble blowing at the original glass bauble factory in Meisenthal. See dreamy fairy lights brightening the half-timbered houses in Colmar, and electric reflections on the canals of Alsace & Lorraine.

Find out more about our Christmas Markets Cruises, and read all about the highlights of this exquisite experience.