To celebrate ship-wide upgrades, European Waterways have announced new excursions for their 8-passenger hotel barge, Rosa.
The barge, which cruises the Gascony and Bordeaux regions of southwest France, provides wine tastings and unique experiential excursions that include a visit to a cheese-making farm in Ramier and private afternoon tea with the countess of an 18th century château.
Rosa is currently offering guests 10% off charters on its April 12, 19 and 26, 2020 departures, a saving of €2,880 off the starting charter price of €28,800 (approx. AU$4,750 off AU$47,110). A deposit must be received by September 13, 2019 to be eligible for the charter special.
“Gascony is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled regions of southwest France, where the Pyrenees Mountains serve as a dramatic backdrop,” said Derek Banks, Managing Director of European Waterways.
“Rosa cruises deep into the heart of this idyllic countryside, where perfectly preserved medieval villages and churches and the old-world charm of its marketplaces transport guests to another era in history.” Banks continued.
A Taste of the Good Life
Among Rosa’s most “tasty” excursions is a visit to an artisanal dairy farm in Ramier, where guests can watch the cheese making process and taste the final results. Also, on tap is a visit to the market at Castelsarrasin, where a wide variety of local produce reflects the richness of French gastronomy and the unique flavors of the region.
In addition to savoring some of the region’s best wines with meals on-board, Rosa guests will visit the Château Bellevue la Fôret, the largest privately-owned wine estate in the region. They will be introduced to the château’s outstanding cuvée ‘Optimum’, a special selections of reserve wines that are made from the vineyard’s highest quality grapes. Guests can also take a stroll through Montauban, a charming fortified town along the banks of the River Tarn before cruising the canal alongside the Forest of Agre, a woodland that is home to wildlife such as deer, boars and rabbits, as well as birds such as the black kite, nightjar and booted eagle.
Arriving at Montech, beginning in summer 2020, Rosa will be able to descend the water slope, a canal inclined plane and marvel of engineering that by-passes five locks all at-once. Other memorable moments include the crossing of the Pont Canal du Cacor, a 1,000-foot-long aqueduct that spans the River Tarn, before the barge descends to the river itself for a short cruise up-stream to the town of St. Livrade. Here, guests will visit Moissac and its 7th century Abbaye St-Pierre de Moissac, a former Benedictine and Cluniac monastery that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To book and save 10% of Rosa’s new excursions visit https://www.europeanwaterways.
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