Golf Cruise in the South of France

Your golf cruise commences in Lyon, where you embark in the afternoon. You will have time to explore your floating hotel before the delectable Welcome Dinner on board. You will also be briefed on the golf clubs you will be visiting during your cruise.

Mâcon, with its romantic, pastel-colored buildings, lies in the southern Burgundy wine region where some of the world’s finest and most expensive wines are produced. In the morning, you will be transferred to the Golf de la Bresse club near Bourg-en-Bresse, a charming little commune in the Rhône-Alpes region. Players will be able to test themselves on La Bresse’s 18-hole course while absorbing the tranquility of the rural surroundings. The highlights of this course are the 405 meter 6th hole and the 194 meter 8th hole, where a large bunker guards the front left side of the green. In the evening, you will be welcomed back on board with a delicious dinner while your vessel makes its way to the next destination.

Golf de la Bresse

The Golf de la Bresse club is located just an hour from Lyon and Geneva, close to Bourg-en-Bresse, a small, charming commune in the Rhône-Alpes region. Its 18-hole course stretches across more than 90 hectares of unspoiled nature. Designed by the renowned French architect Jeremy Pern, one of Europe’s leading golf course architects, the La Bresse golf course is set in a tranquil rural setting, surrounded by forest and agricultural land. The relatively flat course makes good use of the natural terrain, with alternating open and wooded areas and various water hazards, particularly at the 11th and 12th holes. Trees increase the challenges on the second nine-hole loop, particularly on the par-5 18th with its lovely avenue of large oaks. Golfers visiting Golf de la Bresse will be beguiled by its tranquil rural charm, while at the same time meeting with many surprises and challenges despite the course’s apparently straightforward nature.

In the morning, your vessel docks in Chalon-sur-Saône with its historic old town where half-timbered houses overlook a square teeming with art galleries and specialty shops. After breakfast, a visit to the golf club Golf de Beaune Levernois is on the cards. While you are out playing an exciting round of golf, your vessel will make its way to Tournus, where you will rejoin your fellow passengers in the late afternoon. As you unwind at dinner, your ship will leave Tournus and head back downstream toward Lyon.

Golf de Beaune Levernois

A course full of character, sufficiently long in the middle of the beautiful wine region of Burgundy. The course features nine lakes and numerous snow-white large bunkers and offers a challenge for golfers of all levels. Players should not miss this quality course with its exquisite natural beauty, technical challenges and beautiful views of the surrounding Burgundy landscape.

Your AMADEUS ship docks in Lyon before breakfast, allowing you ample time to enjoy the included morning guided tour of Lyon. This UNESCO World Heritage city, situated at the confluence of the Saône and Rhône rivers, is known as the gastronomic capital of France. In addition, it boasts a wide array of beautiful sights and famous landmarks, including the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and charming Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon), a Renaissance district and UNESCO World Heritage Site stretching along the banks of the Saône. After exploring Lyon both by bus and on foot, you will be welcomed back on board in time for lunch. Relax in one of the many luxurious communal spaces in the afternoon, enjoying the rural charm of the passing landscape as your vessel heads south.

The next stop on your cruise is the Provençal city of Avignon. From here, you will visit the famous Bastide de la Salette Golf Club, ideally located on the outskirts of Marseille.  Enjoy a course full of surprises. Its design blends into Provence-style gardens, where you can play surrounded by 50-year-old pine trees, 300-year-old oak trees and 100-year-old olive trees. In the evening, enjoy a well-deserved rest and a delicious dinner while your cruise ship remains in Avignon until midnight.

Bastide de la Salette Golf Club (included)

The Bastide de la Salette Golf Club is located in a natural paradise on the outskirts of Marseille, near the Vieux Port (old port). The club features an undulating 18-hole course situated in a Provençal landscape with beautiful views of the Marseille basin and the Garlaban mountains. Before 1989, when the course officially opened, large sections of the grounds were private property. Michel Gayon expertly designed the 18-hole golf course, the pitch-and-putt course, and the driving range in this ever-changing landscape, blending them seamlessly into the natural surroundings. The traditional Provençal clubhouse is situated in what used to be the Château Vaudran farmhouse. Not only does the course present an invigorating challenge for golfers but it is also a haven of natural diversity. Due to its proximity to the Calanques National Park, the golf course attracts birdlife and other visitors such as foxes. The hundreds of magnificent trees scattered throughout the park, including the two-hundred-year-old cedars, are sure to delight both golfers and nature lovers alike.

Early in the morning, your vessel will reach Arles. After breakfast you will be transferred to the Golf de Servanes club. This spectacular golf club, which is considered one of the finest in the region, snakes around the white foothills of the Alpilles and is redolent with the perfume of Provencal thyme and lavender. Designed by Thierry Sprecher and Gery Watine, the club has been operating since 1989. Golfers of all handicap levels will appreciate the technical aspects of this course with its hilly fairways, olive groves, lakes, and two huge island greens. In the evening, join your fellow guests at the Champions Cocktail and celebrate your achievements in style while your vessel continues its journey.

Golf de Servanes
At the foothill of the Alpilles mountains in southern France, the Golf de Servanes club, which opened in 1989, nestles against white cliffs and is redolent with the perfume of Provencal thyme and lavender. It is located only 10 minutes away from the Medieval village Les Baux-de-Provence, built around a fortified rocky site, and Saint Remy-de-Provence, where Van Gogh painted his “Starry Night”. Golf architects Thierry Sprecher and Gery Watine took full advantage of the natural features of the region to create a scenic golf course snaking around the rocky hills of the Alpilles with a mix of parkland and woodland areas. The 18-hole course features hilly fairways, olive groves, lakes, and two huge island greens. Considered one of the finest golf courses of the region, this golfing jewel of the Provence will delight and challenge players of all handicap levels. Golfers should not miss out on this sunshine-drenched course with its unforgettable scenery and the song of the cicadas in the background!

Your AMADEUS cruise ship will stop in Châteauneuf-du-Rhône in the early hours of the morning. From here, you can choose to take part in the included excursion to the Ardèche Gorge, which departs in the morning. Known as the “Grand Canyon of Europe,” the Ardèche Gorge is an area of unmatched natural beauty where spectacular limestone cliffs tower over the meandering river below. In the meantime, your vessel will make its way to Le Pouzin, where you will rejoin it for lunch. Alternatively, you can take part in an optional golf course visit. Relax on board in the afternoon and admire the passing Provençal scenery as your cruise ship heads back upstream. The festive Captain’s Gala Dinner awaits you in the evening – the perfect finish to an unforgettable cruise!

Domaine de la Valdaine golf club (optional)

The Domaine de la Valdaine golf club enjoys an idyllic location in the heart of the Drôme Provençale region with its famous lavender fields, only 5km from the town of Montélimar, the “home of nougat.” The Valdaine estate, which extends over more than 76 hectares of lush greenery, has been landscaped around the two towers of the Château du Monard, which is now a hotel. The 18-hole course was designed by the English golf course architect Tom McAuley and opened in 1989. A stream and other water hazards have been cunningly integrated into the course, along with relatively small greens, requiring dexterity and precise shots from golfers. In addition, Domaine de la Valdaine offers its guests the opportunity to sharpen their skills on the driving range (22 tees, 12 of which are covered), as well as on the putting greens and practice bunkers. Players of all levels will be able to test themselves on the immaculately maintained course while drinking in the Provençal sunshine and the delicate perfume of lavender.

Indulge in one more breakfast on board before disembarking. The crew of the AMADEUS Provence bids you farewell and hopes to welcome you again soon!