L'Art de Vivre barge

The L'Art de Vivre barge (translated as "The Art of Living") was built in Deptford, England, in 1917 as a cargo vessel. Today, she serves as a luxury hotel barge owned and operated by European Waterways.

Originally named "Marie Brizzard," the barge was built to transport ammunition to the Normandy beaches in support of the Allied forces during the Battle of the Somme. She was constructed with exceptional strength to withstand the harsh weather of the English Channel and the groundings on the Normandy coast. After World War II, she was used along France’s northern and western coasts before being stationed in Rochefort, at the estuary of the River Charente, where she transported barrels of Cognac from Angoulême to Rochefort.

In 1975, the vessel was converted into a luxury hotel barge by Florian Waleski, who operated her until 1997. She was then acquired by European Waterways, which redesigned the interior, including the galley and passenger cabins. For the next decade, L'Art de Vivre was the only hotel barge navigating the shallow reaches of the upper Nivernais Canal in Burgundy. In 2008, she underwent her third major refit, with over USD 200,000 invested in four new cabins.

Today, L'Art de Vivre accommodates up to 8 passengers in 4 double cabins. She also features separate crew quarters for a team of 4, including a master chef, housekeeper, deckhand, tour guide, captain, and pilot.

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