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Alsace:
The best-known cruising-ground in Alsace is the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, connecting Nancy in the west with the Rhine near Strasbourg in the east, a distance of some 200 miles, but there are several other possibilities too – for example from Gondrexange to the German frontier at Grosbliederstroff via the Canal des Houilleres and the River Sarre, or indeed from Strasbourg to Boofzeim via the Canal du Rhone au Rhin, or indeed even from Nancy to Metz via the Moselle river..

The Canal de la Marne au Rhin from Nancy heads south-east passing the towers of the basilica at St.Nicolas du Port before turning east to run through the villages of Einville-au-Jard and Lagarde, the latter being a typical Lorraine village.

The next place, Rechicourt-le-Chateau, marks the start of the impressive climb towards the Vosges summit and the Etang de Gondrexange, following which there’s a junction with the Canal des Houillieres just before you reach the town of Gondrexange itself, but for a quiet mooring you’ll be better off continuing to the next, and very pretty, village of Xouaxange.

Continuing east the village of Hesse has useful moorings and an 11th century Benedictine Abbey, and at Niderviller you can visit a porcelain factory, where you might like to take a break before going through the two tunnels and an  inclined slope to reach the summit level. The Niderviller Tunnel is 475 metres and the Arzviller Tunnel is 2300 metres long, but the most unusual feature is the impressive St Louis-Arzviller Slope, (a sort of boat-lift!)

The canal continues more or less along the summit to  Lutzelbourg , a really very attractive village where there is a ruined 10th century chateau, and from where the canal is  accompanied for the rest of the way to Strasbourg by a bicycle trail.

There’s another chateau near the imposing entrance to the magnificent Alsatian city of Saverne (a popular hire-cruiser base, where there are moorings, and a good place to stop and explore)

Rohan Castle in Savenne

Moving on you pass through several typically Alsatian villages such as Dettwiller, and Hochfelden where a brewery was (allegedly) first established in 870 AD, and which is now the HQ of a family brewing concern (visits possible)

There’s couple more villages along the canal before you reach the last port before Strasbourg at Souffelweyersheim, from where there are buses into the centre of Strasbourg city which, again, is well worth exploring.

From Strasbourg it’s possible to continue your cruise by turning south on to the Canal du Rhone au Rhin. This crosses a wetland and passes the Chapel of Notre Dame at Plobsheim before reaching Boofzheim and the Rhinau Ferry. Here there is a tourist office providing much information about the area, and also from here there is a range of excursions by boat, horse-drawn vehicles, bird watching trips etc.

The Canal des Houilleres and the River Sarre -  This canal, and canalised river,  runs for some 50 miles almost due north from a junction with the Canal de la Marne au Rhin at Gondrexange to the German border at Grosbliederstroff.

Originally constructed in the 19th century for the transport of coal by the 1930’s it was carrying over a million tons of freight each year, but nowadays freight has almost disappeared from it.

Leaving the canel de la Marne au Rhin near Gondexrange the Canal des Houilleres runs first through thickly wooded countryside to the attractive villages of Rhodes, with its riverside chuch and then to the popular little resort of Mittersheim

Small Town of SarralbeA little further north a the small town of Sarralbe the canal becomes the River Sarre which continues northward through Herbitzheim, Wittring and Remelfing to the head of navigation on the French side at Sarreguemines It’s possible to continue further into Germany and on to the Saar at Saabrucken and thence on to the Moselle.

Fully detailed Navigation & Tourist Guides (The Guides Fluvial) to these waters are available from Boating-in-France – see appendix 1 for details of how to order the Guides Fluvial

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