Nymphea
Encyclopedia
The Nymphea was built in 1921 to carry cargo along the canals of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and is a classic Dutch
Dutch barge
Dutch barges are flat bottom boats, originally used for cargo carrying in the Netherlands, many of which have now been converted for pleasure or residential use. Originally made of wood and powered by sail, most of the existing barges are made of iron or steel and powered by diesel engines...
design with shallow draft. She presently serves as a luxury hotel barge
Hotel barge
The Hotel Barge came into being following the decline in commercial and freight carriage on the canals of Europe. Many working barges have been converted into floating hotels of varying degrees of luxury...
, owned and operated by European Waterways
European Waterways
European Waterways is an international company based in Berkshire, England that operates a fleet of 21 river cruising vessels along the rivers and canals of Europe.-Company history:...
.
History
She originally carried hops and barley to a brewery in the north of Holland from RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and returned with bottles and barrels of beer. One round trip per week. The owner had 7 children and lived in the bow cabin with his wife, and at maximum, 5 of them at a time.
She was first converted in 1978 to carry 20 scouts in hammocks. She was converted to a hotel barge
Hotel barge
The Hotel Barge came into being following the decline in commercial and freight carriage on the canals of Europe. Many working barges have been converted into floating hotels of varying degrees of luxury...
in 1985.
The barge has traveled from Holland to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
on most of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
waterways. She pioneered barging on the southern Canal du Nivernais
Canal du Nivernais
The Canal du Nivernais links the Loire basin with the Seine basin following approximately the course of the river Yonne in a south to north direction....
and the River Seille
Seille (Saône)
The Seille is a river originating in the Jura mountains in France. It is a left tributary of the Saône, joining it in the commune of La Truchère, in Saône-et-Loire. It is 100 km long....
. She has also been to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
by sea. When moved in 1990 to the River Cher, she was transported at 82 km/h on an enormous trailer.
In 2005, part of the Rick Stein's French Odyssey
Rick Stein
Christopher Richard "Rick" Stein OBE is an English chef, restaurateur and television presenter. He is currently the head chef and co-owner of "Rick Stein at Bannisters" at Mollymook, New South Wales, Australia, owns four restaurants in Padstow, a fish and chip shop in Falmouth, Cornwall and has...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
was filmed onboard.
She presently plies the River Cher.