About European Waterways
European Waterways is the largest barging company in Europe. Established in 1974, it has been operating cruises since the early 1980’s. During its 50 years of operation, the company has remained in the same private ownership of the two Directors who are still very much involved in the business.
Currently there are 12 luxury hotel barges in the fleet, all of which were former cargo vessels. Now refurbished as luxury floating hotels with amazing food and first-class service, each one is unique. These barges sail across 9 European countries from the South of France to the Scottish Highlands. From Ireland in the West to Venice in the East.
These are luxury vessels with exceptional standards in fittings, fixtures, food and service. Our trip was to be on board the Panache sailing throuhg the Alsace Lorraine region in France.
Our boat – the Panache
We meet our European Waterways representative at le Petit France hotel in Strasbourg. Together with another six passengers – our companions for the week – we are whisked off to meet the barge and enjoy a champagne reception.
We meet the staff including Captain Bryan, who is to play a starring role in our fabulous holiday. The staff are all super friendly, and we are shown our rooms below deck which are spacious and all en suite. The vibe is polished wood, brass fittings and easy comfort
The barge has a large dining area alongside soft seating and a well stocked bar. A large forward deck has another table and chairs, with the thoughtful addition of an on board hot tub! There are bikes on deck too if you fancy cycling alongside the boat on the tow path for a while. Cycling is extremely popular here, probably because it’s quite flat by the canals and the paths are often busy with cyclists and walkers
This is a lovely comfortable boat and the staff make running this whole operation look deceptively simple.
The Alsace- Lorraine region
We are cruising the Alsace Lorraine region, a part of France I know almost nothing about. If you go to Paris and then travel due East you will arrive here on the border with Germany. The black forest is on the other side of the Vosges Mountains which we can see from our canal boat home. The people here have changed nationality several times due to being occupied at various times by both France and Germany. Now the locals see themselves as very much a separate region. They are proud Alsatians.
The boats need to be able to negotiate the canals and this region has lots of locks and is quite difficult to navigate. Our pilot Stefan was very experienced and there wasn’t too much bumping into the sides. I remember the tortuous locks in the UK and having to get my windlass out each time. Here in France the locks are all motorised – a great improvement in my view.
The region has beautiful countryside with charming French towns and castle ruins to explore. We glide past vineyards and fields of sunflowers with unbroken blue sky and hot sunshine day after day. It really is idyllic.
Dining on the Panache
Dining on the Panache is taken to a whole new level. Breakfast is sumptuous with fresh pastries being collected by a member of the crew each morning and a different delicious hot option is offered every day.
Lunch is a three course meal created by Leo our talented young French chef. Each meal involves showcasing a red and white wine from the region as well as some local cheeses. Our hostesses are Louella and Isabella, both trained to talk about the wines and their provenance.
Dinner is another three course meal, a little more elaborate this time with more wines and cheeses. Each menu has a variety of dishes and flavours to suit everyone – and all food preferences and allergies are catered for. The style is modern French.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is where we meet the Panache and it is a lovely city in its own right.
It offers a mix of history culture and gastronomy making it perfect for a long weekend. Our Captain, Bryan, is also a tour guide and was able to give us lots of information on a tour of the city which was included in our barge trip. The centre of the city is where you find the beautiful Strasbourg Cathedral. This stunning gothic masterpiece with its intricate facade and astonishing ancient astronomical clock (which still works!) offers breathtaking views of the city from its tower.
The area of La Petit France is full of picturesque half timbered houses which line the serene canals. This area is great for a leisurely boat tour, providing a unique perspective of the city’s architecture and history. For museum enthusiasts the Palais Rohan is a must visit. Housing three museums – the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Fine Arts Museum – it offers a rich dive into Strasbourg’s cultural heritage. Another highlight is the European Parliament, where you can take guided tours to try to understand the workings of the European Union!
There are so many places to eat here. Alsatian cuisine is obviously everywhere. We tried a delicious Alsatian pizza, a tarte flambée, which is a kind of super thin pizza with cream and onions. Quite delicious washed down with a local Alsace beer. Or of course one of the famous local wines. This is quite a flat city so cycling is very popular, you can rent a bike and explore the paths which criss cross the city. There are bikes on the Panache too so pedalling is possible at all times!
European Waterways – onshore trips
On day one we cruise through the Arzviller tunnels to reach a feature of engineering genius on the waterways – the Arzviller boat elevator. This is a massive lift which takes the whole boat up or down a 450 foot drop. The Arzviller Shiplift has been working since January 1969 and replaced a sequence of 17 locks of 4 km which used to require a whole day of navigation. It is quite astonishing to ride on it as our huge boat slowly lowers down the steep sides of the mountain. After a measured descent we are released out of a lock at the bottom like a salmon once more freed into the river.
Marc Chagall
The next day we pop into the sleepy town of Sarrebourg. Here we visit a small museum and then the local chapel which contains a gigantic stained-glass window designed by famous French artist Marc Chagall. It is enormous : 12 m high and about 9 m wide and it is very beautiful indeed.
Other visits include trips to the René Lalique Collection which I really liked. I particularly liked his ethos of making good design accessible for everyone especially in his famous glass perfume bottles. I do recall seeing these on some dressing table somewhere as a child.
We also visit a local crystal glassworks and see how these creations are blown by hand. Bryan is gifted a lovely carafe to take back on board the Panache.
Lissner winery
We are cruising the Routes des vins Alsace. We set off for a local wine tasting at Lissner winery. This was a particularly memorable trip. We met Bruno an agronomist and scientist who took over his uncle’s Clement Lissner’s vineyards and, joined by his son, now work their vineyards totally organically.
Their vineyards are not in nice neat rows but grow free with wild plants and insects living alongside the vines. They don’t trim the vines but let them do their own thing and only harvest when the grapes are truly ripe. Bruno expounds his philosophy of wine growing with enthusiasm, talking animatedly about how it is part of the local culture and way of life. He is very persuasive and as his wines are in high demand, he must be doing something right. We also met his pet goose Diogenes named after the greek philiospher who lived in a barrel as does the aforementioned goose.
Michelin star Kasbur Restaurant
One evening we dine on shore in a beautiful Michelin star restaurant called Kasbur. This restaurant is in a most beautiful setting overlooking the Vosges Mountains and the food and service excellent as we’ve come to expect on this incredible trip.
European Waterways crew
I’m not sure I’ve experienced such delightful service as I did on board the Panache. The team are composed of Captain Bryan, (the font of all knowledge) and his crew. Pilot Stefan, Chef Leo, deckhand Johan and hostesses Luella and Isabella. They were all just lovely, and couldn’t do enough to make our trip comfortable and enjoyable. They fetched, carried, sailed, smoothed, served and cooked for us with such good grace and I really felt like a first class passenger.
If they didn’t enjoy their jobs aboard the Panache, this tight knit team covered it up extremely well!
There was so much information to take in about the wines and food. Luckily Bryan sent us all the menus with all the food, wine and cheese choices after we returned home, which was a great aide memoire.
European waterways facts
This kind of holiday is not a budget option, but as a considered purchase it is worth every penny. The experience is quite unique and you really feel like a proper VIP. We were very lucky in our fellow passengers too. Three different couples from the East Coast, Mid West and West Coast of the US. A good geographical spread! They were all great company and helped to make our trip very special. About 80% of European waterways customers are from the US. We had a fabulous time aboard the Panache and it is a holiday that will live happily in our memory for years to come.
