Walking and Cruising
Inspiration

Strolling, Walking and Hiking Cruises through France

Walking cruises . . . an oxymoron? No, you can indeed just hop off your hotel barge for relaxing walks along and beyond the waterways in France. A vacation on a luxury hotel barge in France can be so much more than cruising. Luxury barges move slowly, slowly enough to walk beside and while the itinerary includes many excursions, it also allows plenty of down time for passengers to do what they please. For those who like to stay a little active but who want to take it easy, a walk along the towpath by the canal is a hugely enjoyable way to keep moving during your barge vacation.

Historically, before motorized boats were built, horses and men would pull commercial barges along these towpaths that flank the French canals. Today, your skipper and crew take care of everything on board but the towpaths still exist and are used mainly by pedestrians, cyclists and for the waterways’ maintenance.

There is something special about stepping ashore at a lock and walking on to the next one as you watch your hotel barge and other boats meander along the canal. With the slow pace of hotel barges, it is very easy for you to follow on foot and for as long as you like. You can watch the captain manoeuver the barge into the lock as the crew gets ready to throw the ropes – perhaps you can even take part in the action and help from the land!

Walking the towpaths in France | Which waterway to choose

The towpaths are an integral part of the French canals and they can vary from area to area. They allow guests to connect more to the region they are cruising in or even to be in touch with the locals. Whilst walking you’re bound to encounter fishermen (fishing is France’s national sport, after all) whiling the day away waiting for a catch; families on a post-Sunday lunch stroll; joggers, cyclists, dog-walkers, and of course the lock-keepers who will have many anecdotes to share. Who knows who you could meet?

Perhaps the most striking towpaths can be found in the south of France, along the picturesque Canal du Midi. Like guardians of this old waterway, centuries-old plane trees provide welcome shade to walkers and boaters alike as the vast canopy of leaves creates a beautiful, natural archway over the water. They were planted in the early 19^th century and contributed to the listing of the Canal du Midi as a World Heritage UNESCO site. Hotel barges like the Savannah or the Espérance offer luxury barge cruises along the Canal du Midi.

In Aquitaine and Burgundy, the towpaths slice through charming and bucolic countryside with views of vineyard-clad hills, while in the Loire area, the towpaths pass through stunning villages and by impressive castle estates. La Belle Epoque, cruising on the Canal de Bourgogne, offers excellent towpath walking opportunities during the cruise, past historic abbeys or in beautifully preserved countryside.

If you need that extra boost to help you get into your stride, some hotel barges provide Nordic walking sticks. Barges in the European Waterways fleet such as Panache, which cruises through Alsace and Champagne, or the Renaissance, operating in the Upper Loire region, have some available on request.

Allons-y! Go beyond the beaten track | The Grande Randonnée

Naturally, your exploration is not limited to the towpaths. Walking in the French countryside beyond the canals and rivers is a wonderful way to complete your hotel barge vacation. Good for the body, excellent for the mind, kind to the environment…walking has so many benefits for the active traveler.

Many itineraries include walking tours of certain towns or villages of particular interest. The lovely Rendez-Vous barge and the luxury barge Prosperité include, for example, a walking tour of Dijon and its covered market hall. Or see some of France’s prettiest villages on your walk.

If you are on a charter barge cruise and would like to include more walks or gentle hikes in the countryside in your itinerary, make sure you inform the hotel barge at the booking stage – they will do their best to accommodate your wishes and can provide transfers to your desired walking spot and, on some barges, a guide to accompany you.

As such, France has hundreds of long-distance routes to explore. In fact, the cumulative distance of all these long-distance hiking routes reaches 60 000km! These Grande Randonnée routes (GR) are easy to look up beforehand and to hop on for a short while, making them an interesting option for your hotel barge itinerary. You will know you are following one by the distinctive marks placed on trees or rocks on the edge of the path – three horizontal stripes, one red one in between two white ones.

These paths are carefully selected and waymarked by the French hiking federation for the exceptional natural environment and heritage they go through. Beautiful views and fascinating heritage properties will reward the weary walkers, not to mention a stop in a hostellerie. Many barges will organize a picnic lunch to be delivered to a sunny beauty spot en route for your midday break. In Alsace, the GR5 traverses the mystical Vosges mountains and perhaps you’d like to take half a day to walk along some of it when staying aboard the luxury hotel barges Après Tout or the Saroche.

Other than GR routes, local, regional walking paths allow visitors to take in truly breathtaking landscapes such as to be found in the lovely Minervois area. Known for its delicious wine, the Minervois is also a remarkable natural area made up of gorges, hills and cliffs which you can see from the canal and easily explore on foot.  The Roi Soleil, a beautifully elegant luxury hotel barge, cruises right through this pretty area.

Walk the Way of Saint James

France has a number of ancient pilgrimage sites and routes and if you are inspired, you can follow in the steps of pilgrims on the Way of Saint James. There are no fewer than 7 different paths in France to reach Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. In northern Burgundy, you can walk to the striking village and basilica of Vézelay, a holy site, listed with UNESCO, and an important stop on the Saint James route. Luxury barges such as the Elisabeth or the Randle operate in this lovely area.

For an entirely immersive week into the spirituality of the Way of Saint James, the Luciole hotel barge has created a special, themed walking cruise for a charter group. Cruising the charming Nivernais canal in northern Burgundy, this family-owned and operated luxury hotel barge passes by Auxerre as well as Vézelay, both important stops for pilgrims. The special itinerary combines relaxing cruising, their usual guided visits, gourmet meals and fine wines with gentle sections of the Way of Saint James. There is no obligation to join the walking party every day.

Along the Canal de Garonne, in Aquitaine in south-west France, you can walk on sections of the Via Garona, another path on the Way of Saint James which brings pilgrims through quaint medieval towns and the stunning natural beauty of this fruit growing region while following the flow of the Garonne river and canal. The hotel barges Rosa and Saint Louis cruise in the vicinity of this walking path.

+ Bike and Barging Options

by Sophie Gardner-Roberts
Independent Specialist Travel Writer