La Bella Vita: From Venice to Mantua by hotel barge

European Waterways has announced that another luxury 20-passenger hotel barge, La Bella Vita, has joined their fleet and will embark on her inaugural voyage on Sunday, September 5, 2010. It will cruise between Venice and the Renaissance city of Mantua.

La Bella Vita joins European Waterways six passenger La Dolce Vita, which until now was the only hotel barge in this region.

La Bella Vita began as a sand dredger and is being refurbished into a luxurious floating hotel. There are two upper-deck suites and eight cabin staterooms. The crew includes a captain, a gourmet chef, hostesses, and a tour guide who handles the excursions to areas of interest along the way.

Barging along the waterways and canals of Europe is one of the most leisurely ways to travel and one of the best ways to experience less visited areas. It is a way to travel smaller waterways in comfort.  Enjoy an ever-changing countryside view or an excursion while your chef prepares elegant meals of Italian specialties and fine wines and the crew tends to your every need.

From the delightful Venetian port of Chioggia by way of  the River Po and the BiancaCanal to the captivating lakeside setting of the Renaissance city of Mantua, this is a diverse region of lagoon islands and colorful houses, wild beach dunes and pine woods, and abundant birdlife.
 

Highlights of the 6 night/7 day cruise include a guided tour of the hidden gardens and Pavilion of the Gondolas in Venice, the renowned red fish market of the colorful port of Chioggia, the opera house and cathedral of ancient Adria, the DucalPalace in Mantua, EstenseCastle in Ferrara, and private tastings in well-known area wine cellars.

Glide along with the comfort of air-conditioned accommodations, en suite cabins, gourmet meals, an open bar, a large sundeck with comfortable lounge chairs, doors opening to side viewing areas, and use of bicycles to ride along the towpaths. Everything is taken care of. Daily excursions, entrance fees, local transfers are all included.

Immerse yourself in  Roman, Etruscan, Istrian, Byzantine, and Renaissance  history, art and architecture, and fine regional food and wine. It's also a chance to sit back, enjoy the scenery at a slow pace, and to take the time to gaze at the stars.

This six night cruise begin at $3490 per person for individual bookings and is priced from $57,000 for a full boat charter.

For more information, call +44 (0) 1784 482439 or visit www.gobarging.com