Alouette: Avignon to Béziers

Board Alouette, your exquisite floating palace for the week ahead. Enjoy a warm welcome and chilled champagne in the company of your dedicated crew and guide as you take in the 360-degree views on deck. Late afternoon, begin your cruise to Vallebrègues, passing by the famous Pont Saint-Bénezet, otherwise known as the Pont d’Avignon. Your chef is busy preparing your first feast of the cruise, a spread of vibrant dishes crafted from intensely flavourful ingredients, tailored to your tastes. As delicious wines are uncorked, raise a toast to the start of a sublime vacation.

Awake to a beautiful day on the water and a breakfast of local delicacies. Alight with your guide for a walking tour of Avignon, the stunning walled city that was home of the Popes from 1309-77. A tour of the majestic Palais des Papes and the Cathedral of Notre Dame is followed by free time to shop or to order a drink in a pavement café and watch the world go by. Return to the barge, where lunch is served on deck. As Alouette continues cruising along the River Rhône, marvel as you pass the 15th-century castles of Tarascon and Beaucaire that descend right down to the water’s edge. Enter the Petit Rhône and head towards Aigues-Mortes, this evening's mooring. Tonight, enjoy an enchanting dinner on board.

After breakfast, disembark with your guide to explore Aigues-Mortes, a medieval walled town where Louis IX launched two Crusades to the Holy Land in 1248 and 1270. Drenched in fascinating history, the imposing walls, ramparts and towers also conceal a charming hub of shops, markets and cafes. Return to the barge for lunch and continue cruising into the famous Camargue. Grasp the photographic opportunities as we glide through the salt marshes, a spellbinding haven for pink flamingos, black bulls and freshwater turtles. Tonight, we moor in Frontignan, known for its production of Muscat de Frontignan, an irresistible dessert wine. Dinner is served on board.  

This morning, alight to visit Sète, a Mediterranean port whose intricate network of streets, canals and bridges has led to it being called the ‘Venice of Languedoc’. Where fishermen spread their nets out to dry on the quays, alfresco restaurants tempt you with their fresh seafood. Return to the barge for lunch and continue your journey to Marseillan, a beautiful seaside port known for its production of Noilly Prat; a visit to the museum may give you a taste for the fine Mediterranean vermouth. Back on board, relax with an aperitif on deck before dinner is served.

Today, you cruise through the Étang de Thau lagoon, a vast saltwater lake renowned for its oysters and mussels. In the afternoon, stop at an oyster farm to be treated to some of the coveted delicacies. Leaving the lagoon, enter the Canal du Midi, one of the most stunning waterways in France. At a crossroads between the Hérault River and the sea, the barge stops at a wonderful countryside mooring, the perfect spot for dinner.

Spend the morning cruising on the fabulous Canal du Midi towards our final destination of Béziers. Lined with willows, irises and plane trees that tower over the water, the canal’s banks abound in wildlife. After lunch on board, disembark with your guide to visit Fontfroide Abbey. This 11th-century Cistercian monastery, now privately owned, delights with its tranquil chapter hall, refectory, cloister and well-kept rose garden. Return to the barge, where your chef has been busy preparing a farewell gala dinner. Sit out on the balmy deck and share stories as you savour epicurean delicacies.

Enjoy a final breakfast aboard before the crew bids you farewell and you disembark.