Bouillon Castle & Kayaking (cancelled)

Overview

AFTER THREE TIMES POSTPONED, WE HAVE NOW DECIDED TO FULLY CANCEL THIS TRIP. EVERYONE ON THE LIST WILL BE CONTACTED OVER THE NEXT DAYS.

Join us on a medieval-themed visit to the picturesque city Bouillon in the South Ardennes. Known for its impressive medieval Bouillon Castle, once home to Lord Godfrey, the first ruler of Jerusalem, is a true must-see destination in Belgium. We enjoy a guided tour here as well as a show with stunning birds. Afterwards we walk down to the village for some tourist shopping and lunch, followed by the boarding of our kayaks to paddle 14-km down the Semois river. You can do so alone or with another person, and Expat Club can introduce you to others if you prefer to share a kayak.

NOTE: If you don’t like kayaking you can stay longer in Bouillon and visit the Museum and Godfrey de Bouillon Experience, or take more time for lunch and go for a walk in the area. After that we’ll take the bus to the arrival point for the kayakers, so you still have nice day out! You will get a discount of €25. A handful of people have decided to stay in town, so you’re not alone. Send an email to info@expatclub.org.

Program

As with any Expat Club trip, our schedule today is carefully designed so you can enjoy all the places and have enough time for lunch, a coffee and some free time. Still, all times below are tentative and depend also on external circumstances, such as weather and traffic conditions. Together with the bus driver, guide and welcoming destinations we will do our best to give you the most optimal experience. FYI, Expat Club loves being on time and we are very often spot on when it comes to keeping track of the schedule.

08h00 – Departure Place Schuman (La Chasse, Delta, Hermann-Debroux)
10h15 – Arrival Bouillon
11h15 – End tour
11h30 – Falconry show
12h00 – Free time / lunch in town
14h00 – Boarding of the kayaks
18h00 – Arrival Poupehan
19h00 – Departure to Brussels
21h00 – Return to Brussels

Bouillon Castle

Bouillon is a municipality located in the Southern Walloon Region just a few kilometres from the French border. It is a beautiful small town situated around a curve in the Semois river. Due to its strategic location the town was crucial in having control of the Ardennes region. No wonder well over 1.000 years ago this unique spot was chosen to build the majestic Bouillon castle.

The town of Bouillon was actually located in France until the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte and was handed over to the Netherlands during the 1815 Treaty of Paris, and subsequently it became part of Belgium after the separation from the Northern parts of the Netherlands in 1831. One of the most famous Lords of Bouillon was Godfrey of Bouillon. He sold the castle to finance the First Crusade where he went on to be the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

This will be our first stop of the day. We start with a 1-hour guided tour in the castle. An official guide from the castle will take us through the various parts of this incredible structure that was build in the 10th century. Our visit leads us through 1.000+ years of history. After the tour you have a little bit of free time to explore the castle yourself, but you are also invited to attend the really cool falconry presentation, with beautiful falcons, owls and other birds of prey. After our visit to the castle you will have some free time to explore the town itself and find a nice place for lunch.

Kayaking

Kayaking is one of the nicest activities you can do in Belgium. With various rivers in the Ardennes, you can paddle for hundreds of kilometers through the Ardennes landscape. For this trip we choose to go to the South of the Ardennes, very close to the French border (but not going into France!). We begin our 14-km trip in Bouillon on the Semois river. Meandering through the lush green hills, here and there we can see a few landmarks, while the rest it’s just enjoying the silence.

Kayak choic

For this kayaking trip you can choose between a solo or a duo kayak. If you prefer to go down the river alone, i.e. sitting alone in a kayak, the we always have one available for you. If you and a friend want to team up, or maybe a parent and child, then we have a duo kayak for you. Finally, for those traveling alone who are not ready to take a solo kayak, we can introduce you to all the others in the same position. Upon making your reservation, simply indicate you would like to share a kayak and we make sure that you won’t have to kayak alone. All kayak spots have the same price, so there is no difference between a single or a duo kayak spot.

Transportation

We will be travelling with a comfortable 4* luxury coach from Lauwers Reizen. The seats are configured in Princess Class, which means you will have extra leg space and can recline your seat. This way you can get some extra rest. All seats have footrests as well. There is a (small) toilet on-board and a DVD system with three flat screens, so we can show you a nice movie or documentary outbound and/or inbound journey. Btw we depart from Place Schuman, followed by La Chasse, Delta, and Hermann-Debroux.