Napoleon TourRide from Paris to Tallinn

From charming boutiques to well-deserved comfort, our accommodations are carefully selected to reflect the unique character of each region. We favour places with a true sense of place over big chain hotels, ensuring your stay is as memorable as the ride itself. Depending on the stage, you’ll experience everything from luxurious retreats to functional stays, always selected with care to suit the journey. Below are a range of hotels we use on your tour.

This 19th century castle overlooks the La Meuse river in a 14 hectare landscaped park. With its individually decorated rooms, old-world detail, whirlpool and sauna, it’s a truly grand experience.

The namesake of the castle was Götz von Berlichingen, who was born here in 1480. A famous knight in German history, Götz was romanticized as a kind of Robin Hood, who stole from the rich to give to the poor.

A huge Gothic fortress of knight-monks, a seat of kings, hetmans and starostas, famous for knight tournaments, fierce battles and amazing spectacles, invites you to its Chambers.

An amazing high class Polish lodge with exceptional spa and sauna facilities and one of the best restaurants of the whole tour.

Set in a forest this hotel offers an exquisite dining experience and modern spa, an indoor pool, plus beauty and massage treatments.

The Napoleon Epic is a culinary journey across Europe, with the food changing as noticeably as the landscapes. In France, expect refined regional cooking, excellent cheeses and pastries, accompanied by Champagne and the wines of Lorraine. Crossing into Germany brings hearty specialities such as sausages, schnitzel, dumplings and slow-cooked meats, alongside the distinctive beers and wines of the Rhineland, Franconia and Saxony.

Polish cuisine is generous, comforting and perfectly suited to long days in the saddle. Pierogi, soups, smoked meats, freshwater fish and regional potato dishes feature prominently, while cities such as Poznań, Toruń and Gdańsk offer an increasingly sophisticated restaurant scene. In the countryside, meals remain proudly traditional and often draw on recipes passed down through generations.

Across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the cuisine reflects the forests, farms and lakes of the Baltic region. Expect rye bread, mushrooms, berries, beetroot, pork and locally caught fish, often served with pickled or fermented accompaniments. Vilnius, Tartu and Tallinn bring creative contemporary interpretations of these traditions, completing a fascinating culinary progression from Parisian elegance to the distinctive flavours of northeastern Europe.

At Chalons en Champagne we enjoy a classic French brassiere with wonderful traditional meals, a modern twist and of course brilliant champagne and fine wine to match.

The tiny village of Meisenheim has been left unscathed by Europe’s conflicts and its historic buildings are beautifully preserved. It’s in this hotel, which has been welcoming guests since 1699 and features some of the world’s best vineyards on its doorstep, that we enjoy the best of German cuisine, served with their own wine.

At Palac Wiechlice, we eat like kings, an amazing spread for breakfast and the dinner is a showcase of the best of Polish food.

Refined Polish cuisine in an atmospheric historic setting on Poznań’s Old Market Square. Beautifully presented seasonal dishes that give traditional Polish flavours an elegant, contemporary twist.

The Amandus restaurants is run by Lithuania’s best known chef, Deivydas Praspaliauskas. It’s here in the centre of the old town, with his 12 course degustation menu, that he brings to life probably the best meal of the tour as he socialises with us and explains each course, its local ingredients and its creative journey to your plate.

Our picnics are a highlight of the day. Fresh local produce, plenty of variety, and the freedom to enjoy whatever takes your fancy. While the setting might be a local park, a quiet forest clearing, a hilltop viewpoint, or a scenic roadside stop, it’s always a chance to pause, relax, and refuel. Whether you linger over good food and conversation or grab a quick bite before jumping back on the bike, it’s the perfect mid-ride reset.

Napoleon Bonaparte rose from artillery officer to Emperor of the French, reshaping Europe through military conquest, political reform and extraordinary personal ambition. In 1812, he assembled the Grande Armée, one of the largest military forces Europe had ever seen, and marched east to invade Russia. More than half a million soldiers crossed the frontier, yet the campaign ended in catastrophe. Combat, hunger, disease and the brutal winter destroyed much of the army and marked the beginning of Napoleon’s decline.

Our journey traces the broad direction of that historic advance, travelling almost 3,700 kilometres from Paris across Germany and Poland to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Along the way, the landscapes, rivers and immense distances reveal the scale of Napoleon’s undertaking in a way that no map can convey.

The tour also encounters many other defining chapters of European history. We visit the battlefields of Verdun, medieval castles built by Teutonic Knights, the home city of Nicolaus Copernicus and Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair. Across the Baltic states, we explore lands shaped by shifting borders, imperial rule, Soviet occupation and eventual independence.

The ride ends in Narva, where an imposing fortress faces Russia across the river. It is a powerful conclusion to a journey through centuries of European ambition, conflict and change.