Originally christened as Marie Brizzard, her purpose was to ferry ammunition to the beaches of Normandy to help the Allies fighting in the Somme.

She was built particularly strong to resist the English Channel's harsh weather conditions and groundings on a Normandy beach.

After the end of World War II, she was moved round the north and west coasts of France and into the River Charente estuary to Rochefort.

After an interior refit of the cabins and galley, L'Art de Vivre was for the next 10 years the only hotel barge to navigate the shallow reaches of the upper Nivernais Canal in Burgundy.

[1] The crew consists of the captain and pilot, deck hand, and tour guide, housekeeper, and master chef.