What is an Avalon River Cruise Excursion Like?

What is an excursion actually like on a river cruise? More specifically what can you expect when you sail with Avalon Waterways? I am glad you asked as this is a question I get a lot when it comes to river cruises in Europe.

Choosing an Excursion at Each Port of Call

When you cruise with Avalon you get your choice of excursions at every port of call. These excursions are included with your cruise fare. Avalon splits its excursions into three distinct categories: Classic, Discovery, and Active. A Classic tour might be a historic city walking tour, a Discovery tour could involve painting your own Van Gogh masterpiece, and an Active tour could have you kayaking down the river or hiking through a vineyard.

Prior to your cruise, you can select which excursions you want to go on. For our day in Amsterdam, I had three different excursions to choose from.  I ultimately decided on the Windmills, Canals & Cheese which was a half-day excursion. I chose this excursion for two reasons. The first is that I knew I was seeing a different windmill at Kinderdijk twice. Once with Viking and once with Riviera River Cruises and I wanted to see how Museum Mill compared to it. The second was that I really wanted to see a cheese farm in person. I love cheese and there isn’t a cheese farm anywhere near where I live so this excursion would check off a bucket list destination for me.

These sweet goats were part of the cheese farm.

Visiting the Henri Willig Cheese Farm

After breakfast, we split into smaller groups based on the excursion we wanted. After a short motor coach ride to the cheese farm. The entire way there our guide was sharing information about the Netherlands. We arrived at Henri Willig Farms. We got to see their sweet dairy cows and learned all about their daily care. I was amazed by how much advanced technology is used. It is not just for extracting the milk, in taking care of the cows and their barn home. After the barn, we learned about the history of the farm and how cheese is made. I was fascinated to learn how many different flavors of cheese there are. This was followed by a cheese tasting. My favorite was the cumin cheese with fig mustard. It was delicious. And yes, I brought some back home for myself to enjoy.  You can read more details about more details about how cheese is made and more about that part of the excursions here.

Travel Advisor Lindsey Markwood posing in front of the windmill.

Stepping Back in Time at Museum Mill

We were the ONLY group at the Museum Mill which is one of three windmills near the town of Schermerhorn. (About 30-45 minutes from Amsterdam). A polder is a low-lying tract of land which is below sea level. Most of the Netherlands is made up of polders. The Dutch used windmills to literally make land that wasn’t there previously by pumping water out of these areas. There is a famous Dutch saying that sums this up perfectly. “G-d created the earth, but the Dutch created the Netherlands”. We were standing at the Schermerpolder  which was formed 400 years ago by draining the Schermermeer lake. We had a little over an hour to explore the windmill and learn firsthand how it operates. After the introduction video I walked to the mill and climbed the very steep stairs. This was not for the faint of heart to see the innerworkings of the windmill. This was the perfect amount of time.

Travel Advisor Lindsey Markwood strolling through Schermerhorn, Netherlands

Exploring the Town On My Own

Deurrooster is the white decor you see on so many of the homes in the Netherlands.

I decided to wander a bit on my own after exploring the beautiful windmill. At first I wanted to get a few pictures of the surrounding windmills so that is what I did. I stumbled upon a cute little town called Schermerhorn. Less than 1500 people live here. I said a quick hello to several of the locals and all were very friendly.

One thing that really stood out to me was the décor on the front doors. This door grill or Deurrooster, was used as a display of show. You can read more about that here. I wanted to stay here in Schermerhorn longer, but I was worried I would miss my meeting time and I didn’t want to have to find my way back to the ship. Spoiler alert. I am a fast walker and had about 15 minutes to spare before our designated time to leave.

A Ride Through the Countryside Back To Our Ship

I highly recommend sitting next to the window. The views are so relaxing. We stopped for a lovely, included lunch along the way, but my favorite part of the ride was simply watching the traditional Dutch houses go by. Two things really stood out to me. I was obsessed with the cute bridges leading from the road, over the small canal, to the Dutch homes. The second was the Linden trees or as the Dutch call them, Leilinden. The Dutch trim the trees. It reminds me of how neighbors cut crape myrtles way back where I live in Marietta. The Linden trees are often planted in a row and offer shade and a bit of privacy once the leaves grow back on them. Just like on the way up, our guide had great stories to share with our group and would point out historical facts along the way.

Book Your Next European River Cruise

Are you ready to explore the beautiful rivers of Europe without any of the logistical stress? I would love to help. I will match you with the perfect ship, itinerary, and line that matches your travel style. Schedule a complimentary consultation with Markwood Magic right here. I look forward to connecting soon!

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