Waltzing Through the Waterways: Cruising Through the Netherlands & Belgium
Waltzing Through the Waterways: Cruising Through the Netherlands & Belgium
"The journey, not the arrival, matters." – T.S. Eliot
The water whispered secrets beneath our ship as we glided through canals older than time, beneath skies the color of Delft porcelain, past windmills that have stood for centuries like patient sentinels. Cruising the Dutch and Belgian waterways isn't just a vacation — it's a passage through time, art, and culture, wrapped in tulips and laced with golden beer foam.
In April, I boarded one of Europe’s most intimate and culturally rich cruises, setting off from the bustling heart of Amsterdam and floating through a maze of storybook towns, sun-drenched tulip fields, and medieval cityscapes.
Let me take you there.
Amsterdam: A City Built on Water and Wonder
The cruise begins where it should — in Amsterdam, a city as fluid as the canals it rests upon. After boarding, I wandered along the Herengracht in the golden hour, watching the sunlight bounce off 17th-century façades.
Amsterdam is equal parts introspection and delight: Rembrandt’s somber shadows at the Rijksmuseum, the silent weight of history in Anne Frank’s House, and the carefree laughter of bicyclists zipping across canal bridges. Don’t miss a visit to the Bloemenmarkt — the world’s only floating flower market — where tulips smile in every hue known to art.
Highlight: The canal cruise through Amsterdam at night, with the city lights reflecting like stars fallen to earth.
Keukenhof Gardens: A Living Painting
Have you ever walked through a Van Gogh painting, felt the brushstrokes of nature under your feet?
Our ship docked near Lisse, and we visited the Keukenhof Gardens, 80 acres of floral imagination. Over seven million bulbs bloom here each spring, and the air is so thick with the scent of hyacinths and daffodils that you almost forget reality exists elsewhere.
As I stood between fields of flaming orange and royal purple, I remembered the words of Vincent van Gogh:
“I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”
He would have loved this place — and so did I.
Antwerp: Diamonds and Draft Beer
Sailing south into Belgium, the first jewel was Antwerp — a port city that sparkles with both actual diamonds and the polished stones of Flemish art and architecture.
At the Cathedral of Our Lady, I stood beneath Rubens’ masterpieces, breath stolen by the sheer scale and passion etched into the canvas. Later, in a back-alley beer café, I found myself among locals, sipping a Tripel Karmeliet and watching the world pass with the calm confidence of those who know good things take time.
Highlight: Try a traditional Belgian waffle from a street vendor — don’t ask for toppings. Let the sugar do the singing.
Ghent: Where Time Pauses
Ghent is what Bruges thinks it is. Less polished, more authentic. A city that looks medieval because it is medieval.
From the deck of the ship, the Graslei looked like a fairy tale’s waterfront come to life. We explored the Castle of the Counts, where knights once walked, and sampled stoverij — a Flemish beef stew braised in beer — in a family-run bistro tucked behind Saint Bavo’s Cathedral.
I spent an hour just sitting by the canal, pen in hand, heart a little too full. It’s that kind of place.
Brussels: Chocolate, Politics, and Poetry
No cruise through Belgium would be complete without a stop in its enigmatic capital.
Brussels is a contradiction — part chocolate-scented village, part political powerhouse. The Grand Place is simply stunning, especially at sunset, when the gilded facades glow like pages from an illuminated manuscript. Nearby, I paid homage to Magritte, Belgium’s surrealist son, and got lost in a museum filled with umbrellas, bowler hats, and daydreams.
Quote to remember:
“Everything we see hides another thing. We always want to see what is hidden by what we see.” – René Magritte
Let that sink in as you bite into a praline from Neuhaus.
Kinderdijk: Windmills and Whispers of the Past
Back in the Netherlands, our ship docked near Kinderdijk, home to a chain of 19 historic windmills and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I biked along the canals at sunrise, the fog clinging to the reeds like forgotten dreams. These windmills aren’t just postcard pretty; they are the reason much of the Netherlands still exists — a feat of engineering and human stubbornness.
It reminded me of the Dutch saying:
“God created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands.”
Final Toast: Reflections on the Water
As the sun dipped below the horizon on our final evening, I sat with fellow travelers on the sun deck, sharing laughter and memories over crisp white wine and stroopwafels. The cruise was coming to an end, but the journey — as it always does — had changed us.
Water has a way of connecting things: cities, histories, hearts.
If you’ve ever dreamed of stepping into a storybook, of sipping life slowly with a tulip in one hand and a Trappist beer in the other, this is your call.
The Dutch and Belgian Waterways await.
CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS AT A GLANCE:
Start/End Ports: Amsterdam – Brussels (or reverse)
Best Time to Go: April to May (tulip season), September for fewer crowds
Must-Try Foods: Stroopwafels, moules-frites, Belgian beer, cheese wheels the size of your dreams
Hidden Gem: The Beguinage in Bruges – a 13th-century convent garden lost in time
Until next month, keep your compass curious and your heart open. Adventure flows where the water leads.