Travelling slowly along the Burgundy Canal, linking the rivers Yonne and Soane, the 12 berth La Belle Epoque, from European Waterways, explores a nearly forgotten French idyll.
It is an intimate cruise with numerous privileged moments: lunch
at the chateau hosted by the Baron and Baroness, a Chablis creator hosting a private tasting, and an expedition of the spiritually peaceful Abbaye de Fontenay. For 6 nights, this former log barge, first introduced in 1930, provides a luxurious French voyage through the best of Burgundy living: champagne, chateaux, cheese, culture, gastronomy, history and red wine. For Francophiles, this is the ultimate Burgundian education.
< img width =" 920" height="767 "src="https://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/La-Belle-Epoque-Cruising-11-modified-920x767.jpg"alt=""/ > Our week, boarding on Sunday and disembarking on Saturday, is
a hotel cruise with guests, typically English-speaking, reserving from throughout the world. Then getting to know each other for a joyously indulgent boat celebration. Though friends and families are increasingly scheduling the entire barge for a cruise. Along with La Belle Epoque’s 6 double cabins, European Waterways have smaller sized barges for groups of 8 or 10 in France, England, Italy and Ireland, plus 2 bigger barges on Scotland’s Caledonian Canal.
Day 1
Cruisers collect in Paris at the gilded grandeur of the Hotel Westminster for an early afternoon departure for Burgundy.
Some guests get here the day before to enjoy strolling around the Opera district, others take a 50-minute bus from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Opera, from where it is a five-minute walk to Hotel Westminster. Pascal, the chauffeur of our gleaming black Mercedes takes us along the Seine’s ideal bank, previous Fontainebleau Forest and southwards. With a services convenience break, it takes us around three hours to get our first sight of the classy lines of La Belle Epoque moored at the tiny town of Lezinnes: around the sundeck packages of pansies, forget-me-nots, strawberries, parsley and rosemary are flourishing.
These truly are the great times, the best of times, for the efficiently varnished La Belle Epoque with her sentimental art work, polished chrome and plush carpets. Though the barge sustained more remarkable days throughout the 2nd World War when she, and the French Resistance, secretly transported downed Allied airmen south to Spain.
Invited with champagne and canapés, Captain Craig, born in England but raised in Burgundy, introduces us to his team of five.< img width= "920" height="767" src ="https://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/La-Belle-Epoque-Cruising-5-modified-920x767.jpg"alt=""/ > Person hosting Luna guides us to our cosy, air-conditioned cabin, where our baggage has currently been provided.
Twenty-minutes of unloading into drawers and wardrobe and we’re shipshape. A fast rains shower and it’s time for cocktails and canapés on the sun deck. Although the open bar and hot drinks point is offered throughout the day, people hosting Ema and Luna are typically around to provide coffees or cocktails. A dinner of Cromesquis cheese duo, duck in a raspberry sauce, cheeses and Norwegian Omlette(think Baked Alaska)set the gastronomic tone for the cruise. Ema introduces the Penand Verglasses 2020 white and the Pernand Verglasses 2017 red
. Day 2
I sign up with Craig on the morning “bread run” to return with armfuls of bread and patisserie from a local pastry shop for the best of breakfasts; along with fruit salad, the cooked-to-order egg of the day, and coffee.
< img width="920 "height="767 "src ="https://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bakery-run-modified-920x767.jpg" alt=""/ > Integrated in the late 18th century, the canal was when a busy commercial artery. Now, for the coming week, we are the only vessel on a silky waterway framed by many airplane trees and the periodic willow. A grey heron follows our wake, stroking to eat black bass, carp and perch. We keep our eyes peeled for the flash of a kingfisher or the splash of an otter as we cruise along through lock after lock.
Lunch is a leisurely affair, with hostess Ema, recommending a white– “Can you discover flower notes?– and a red, “Are you getting a long finish with pepper?” As well as discussing a cheese board of Chaource, Buche de Chèvre and Camembert.
After lunch, we take to the Mercedes to slip through quiet French villages towards limestone white Chablis, a town of just 3,000 occupants.”Surprise life, happy life,”Craig states of locals who live behind closed and weathered shutters. Historically, a heart sculpted into a shutter suggested an unattached girl waiting to be
wooed. 10 thousand acres of rolling hillsides, tinged with limestone fragments, and numerous parcels of vineyards, announce that we have actually reached Chablis nation. Descending into Laroche’s cellars, going back to the 9th century, our guide Regis describes that the limestone contributes to the wine’s minerality. Grapes for Chablis can only be grown within a denominacion fiercely patrolled by legal representatives.
Regis guides us through a tasting of five bottles, where a couple of hundred metres, and sun in the afternoon rather than the morning, makes the difference between a Chablis and top-of-the-range Grand Cru Chablis. Choosing to be called a white wine creator, rather than a winemaker, Regis discusses that the white wine industry is continuously developing. Windmill heating systems or warming electric wires in the vineyards are now used to counter early Spring frosts. Sprinkling powdered seaweed onto the wine to bring sediment to the bottom of the barrel is more economical than traditional filtration. Whilst screw-tops are better for the red wine than cork.
“We are bettors– we gamble with the frost, the rain, the heat and illness,” concludes Regis as he contentedly drinks his Grand Cru.
Day 3
“It’s for sale,” advises Craig pointing at the stylish Ancy le Franc chateau. “The asking cost is around EUR42m.”
For the rate you get an elegantly proportioned 16th Century, Second Renaissance chateau with power and status built-in.
Craig shows us how, in a relatively tranquil age, the chateau was developed as a grand home to impress, announce status and screen allegiance to the King. Visitors were assisted past the guards’ space showing the Duke’s private army. Portraits, stained glass windows and heraldic shields all revealed effective allies.
Incredibly, the chateau was integrated in simply 8 years. Partially because of the Duke’s power, wealth and due to the fact that of using trompe-l’œil painting techniques to make it appear the stonework had been elaborately carved: saving time and money. Interior design and decoration would take an additional two decades before the chateau was “king-ready”.
Over a leisurely afternoon we travel past farms, worked-out limestone quarries and lock-keepers’ homes, before heading when again towards mixed drinks, canapés and a gourmet supper.
We come down to our cabins eagerly anticipating 3 more complete days exploring Burgundy.
Whatever you need to plan your trip in 2025
The cost
A hotel barge
Based upon 2 passengers sharing a cabin, 6-night/7-day cruises aboard the 12-passenger La Belle Epoque start at $6,850 per person and consist of all gourmet meals, great white wines, an open bar for the duration of the cruise, everyday accompanied adventures, admissions, and personal transfers at either end of the cruise.
Group charters 2025 Charter prices aboard La Belle Epoque start from $ 77,000 based upon 12 travelers taking a trip. La Belle Epoque also provides a choice of ‘Themed Cruise’ itineraries (bookable on a private charter basis) for tourists with particular interests, that include family, golf, strolling and wine appreciation.
Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by European Waterways.
Michael Edwards Michael Edwards is a travel writer from Oxfordshire, UK. Although Michael had his first travel pieces released nearly four decades ago, he is still finding new high-end locations to visit and compose on.
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