European Waterways is offering four, all-inclusive 'World War One Commemorative Cruises' in April 2015 aboard its 12-passenger hotel barge La Belle Epoque, on a cruise route that passes right through the battlefields of Northern France.

These special cruises, departing April 5, 12, 19 and 26, will be along the Canal du Nord, between Lille and Compiègne and on the Canal de la Somme between Villers-Bretonneux and Compiègne. Both these waterways were at the centre of battles during the conflict and the cruises will feature excursions to some of the most significant sites and memorials in Flanders and the Somme, such as:

• The Menin Gate in Ypres for the very moving Last Post ceremony.
• Vimy Ridge, site of the Canadian National Memorial, Canada's largest overseas memorial.
• The Thiepval memorial, a heart-rending monument to 75,000 missing soldiers who fell during the Battle of the Somme.
• The forest clearing at Compiègne where the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918.
• The Anzac Dawn Service at 5am on April 25 at the Australian National War Memorial.

Each cruise has a carefully planned itinerary and is led by a knowledgeable tour guide. The excursion programmes will have some flexibility built in to allow, where possible, guests of different nationalities to visit sites of particular significance to their own countries.

In addition, there will be interesting cruising through the Picardy countryside, with highlights such as passing through the historic city of Lille and negotiating the 3-mile-long Ruyaulcourt Tunnel.

Each fully-crewed, 6-night cruise includes all gourmet meals prepared by the onboard chef, fine wines, an open bar, daily escorted excursions, admissions and local transfers.

Fares lead in at £3,150 per person, including: accommodation (based on 2 people sharing), all gourmet meals, fine wines, an open bar, daily escorted excursions, local transfers and admissions. Full boat charter (12 people) leads in at £31,500.

Note: European Waterways are also currently offering 10% off the charter price for the April 12 departure and 10% off per cabin on the April 26 departure.

Full details: www.gobarging.com  Tel: +44(0) 1753 598555

About European Waterways
The hotel barging experience is different from large vessel river cruising. It offers a slower paced, “gentle voyage of discovery” along the more intimate canals and waterways of Europe, allowing a small number of guests to become more fully immersed in the culture, history and gastronomy of the region. European Waterways is Europe's largest all-inclusive luxury hotel barging group, offering vacations in nine countries and carrying over 2,000 passengers a year. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, today it owns and operates a fleet of luxury barges and market cruises in France, Italy, Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. Pioneers in hotel barging, it was the first company to offer a cruise on the Canal du Nivernais in Burgundy, and through the “chateau region” of the Loire Valley. It is also the only cruise company offering barge cruises in Scotland and in the Venetian lagoon and River Po valley.