“Imagine yourself gliding along a 19th century waterway through the breathtaking French countryside. Dappled sunlight filters through the trees as you pass picturesque farm houses and fields of sunflowers.”
From the large alfresco deck with sun canopy, enjoy the colours, textures, fragrances and bird songs of South West France.
Originally built in Holland in 1923, the Saint Louis has been expertly converted into a hotel barge, providing superb luxurious accommodation while retaining her delightful lines. Recently, she was fully re-styled and re-fitted to meet today’s discerning tastes.
Husband and wife, Peter and Wendy are responsible for the cuisine and comfort. Peter has over 25 years’ experience and coupled with Wendy’s eye for detail and background in design and presentation, dining and living on board is a truly memorable experience.
Cabin
- Three spacious, light and airy cabins (11.7 m² each)
- Beds can be configured as Queen or Twin
- En-suite shower facilities
- 220V hairdryers
- Retractable clothes lines
- Heated towel rails
- Bath robes
- Luxury toiletries
- Ample 220V power points
- Full length mirrors
- Good wardrobe space
Public area
Lounge & Dining area
- Fully stock open bar
- Nespresso coffee maker
- 10GBs Wi-Fi per week*
- Dining space for six
- Soft seating area
- Small library and board games
- Music system
- Selection of CDs
Sun Deck
- Resplendent with flowers and mini-conifers
- Teak dining table and chairs for 6
- Three reclining teak sun-loungers
- Ample sun umbrellas to provide perfect shade
- Easily accessed by wide stairs directly from the salon
Other
- 6 quality off-road bicycles
- Mercedes Class-V minivan for transfers & excursion
- Barge dimensions: 30 m x 5 m
Example route: Bordeaux Cruise Serignac to Castets en Dorthe
A Saint Louis crew member will meet guests at the agreed point of arrival and all transfers and tours are in our fully air-conditioned Mercedes V Series people carrier.
Pick-up locations
Agen train station or alternatively Toulouse or Bordeaux (airports or city)
Departure locations
Bordeaux City or Airport (Merignac)
Cooking with the Chefs!
We can arrange for some cook’s tips with Martin our chef and Peter.
Generally this would be based around preparation of say fish, oysters or a stuffed filet mignon. How to select the right cut of meat for a specific dish, how to cook different meats etc. We can also engage the guests with pairing of wine with food, what to look for and how to do it successfully without having an encyclopaedic knowledge of wines.
Please note
Cycling and walking is always available along our route on level, well maintained tow paths. Each evening we tell the guests about the next day’s agenda, the cruise distances and times between locks. At the beginning of the week we leave the week’s schedule day by day in the salon with a canal map for them to refer to.
Saturday
Collection from agreed pick-up point 15.30hrs to arrive at barge around 17.00hrs and champagne reception.
On our way to the barge we stop to see the famous Aqueduct, the second largest aqueduct in France which opened in 1849. It carries the Canal de Garonne over the Garonne river and is an engineering marvel.
Day to day
Sunday
Tour: The Lily Gardens at Temple sur Lot that were founded in 1875 and inspired Monet. We depart Boé Port at 9.00am and enjoy our first cruise through Agen and across the magnificent aquaduct. Leaving the barge we drive to the gardens in time for lunch overlooking the lake. After lunch, enjoy a leisurely stroll around the ponds and gardens before returning to the barge which will have moved on to our evening mooring at Serignac.
Monday
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast followed by our visit to a 4th generation Armagnac producer to learn about and taste this traditional local spirit. Armagnac pre-dates Cognac by approx. 200 years and is still produced in the time honoured way. During the visit guests have the opportunity if they wish to choose a year (perhaps of their wedding, birth of a child etc), select a bottle size and then watch the armagnac being drawn from their chosen barrel, corked and the wax seal applied.
A unique memento of their visit and it tastes great as well! Later guests will learn the secrets of our signature cocktail, the Saint Louis Sundowner from hostess Julia featuring Armagnac from their visit.
Time permitting (or if Armagnac is not a preferred visit) we may also visit the 11th Century town of Nérac; which includes the Château Henry IV (built around 15th Century) and home to the King and his wife Queen Margot between 1577 and 1582. There is also the Garenne royal park nearby. The visit is an opportunity to explore this ancient town and learn about the development of this region. We also visit the medieval Bastide town of Vianne. Bastide towns were built across southern France during the 13th and 14th centuries to provide security and safety and to develop trade.
In July and August, a visit to the night market at Damazan can be arranged. A very small local village, about 2o mins from our mooring by car, this is a taste of rural France in full swing. The night market is entirely geared to locals, it features live music, food stalls and is an interesting insight into local festivities. We usually go after the dinner main course on board and return for dessert!
Tuesday
Morning cruise through to Lafalotte and lunch on board. At our mooring point there is a privately owned semi-precious gem museum just a short stroll across their garden where we can visit the museum whilst lunch is being prepared. The owners give us a guided tour through their unique collection of fossils, minerals and semi-precious gems from around the world collected by them over 50 years of travels. A thought provoking visit for those who enjoy natural history.
After lunch we continue our cruise through to La Mas d’Agenais where we take a short walk from our mooring to visit the centre of this quaint and unspoilt 12th Century town and go inside its church where there is an original Rembrandt painting of Christ on the Cross.
We then continue our afternoon cruise to Forques where we moor for the evening.
Wednesday
Morning cruise followed by lunch on board. After lunch guests are driven to a private visit to Chateau d’Arche, one of the top Grand Crus Sauternes Chateaux. The visit includes a guided tour of the production process, their cave and tastings.
We return to the barge which will have moved on a little to our evening mooring at Meilhan. There should be time to go to the superb view point at the port which provides a fantastic vista out over the Garonne river and the canal below. About a 5 minute walk up steps from the mooring point.
Alternatively we can arrange a guided tour of Chateau d’Yquem, the number one Sauterne Chateaux with a global reputation. The tour lasts approx. 1hr 20mins and costs 100Euro per person and must be booked in advance by us.
Thursday
St Émilion. We leave the barge after breakfast for our day visit to this world heritage site, the heart of Bordeaux wines with private wine tastings with our negociant, Patrick, and a 1st Grand Crus Chateaux visit. Guests may also go on a guided tour of the 12th Century underground church.
We return to meet the barge if time permits for a further short cruise into Castets en Dorthe for the evening and dinner on board.
At Castets en Dorthe we can visit The end of the canal before it joins the mighty Garonne river on its way to Bordeaux. Guests may walk with me (or can be driven) to see the huge double lock that was the gateway to the river and the trade route to the Mediterranean via the Canal de Midi in one direction and to the Atlantic ocean in the other. The river is spanned at this point by a bridge designed by Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame!).
For wine lovers we can also organise a full wine experience day with Patrick. He takes the guests from 10.30 to 17.00 and gives the guests a complete run through the region, the classification of St Émilion wines, how to taste wine, pairing wine with food, tasting of fine old wines, a private Chateaux visit, a tour of the 1st Grand Crus estates by car and a Michelin Star lunch.
The price is 450Euro per person, minimum of 4 people, to be paid to us upon arrival as we shall have booked and paid for the day in advance.
Friday
Guests will be transferred to agreed drop off locations leaving the barge around 10:00AM.
Rates 2020
- Private charter – Full board: from USD$5,400 based on 6 passengers
- Single cabin supplement: enquire for more info
Availability is subject to change. Please contact us for current availability.
What is included?
- Six nights accommodation
- All gourmet meals prepared by your private chef
- All wines, bar, and refreshment drinks aboard
- Transfers to and from the barge from the designated meeting point
- Daily excursions with your tour guide in private vehicle
- Use of on-board bicycles, library and sound system
