Howdy, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
If you’ve been following along on the blog, you know that Tom, Dagny, my in-laws and I headed east last month to the Alsace region of France for a canal cruise. We rented a boat and set out on the canal for a week full of locks, relaxation and nature. You can get all the details here along with info on going through a lock. Today’s post is all about the destinations. Be sure to scroll to the end for the highlight of the post — a video I put together giving you an overview of the whole trip!
GO!
Photo tour of our canal cruise destinations (VIDEO)
So first, check out the map below and continue on to see some photos of places we stopped. Many of the little towns were off the beaten track, and if we didn’t access them by boat, we’d have never discovered them otherwise.
Saverne
The Nicols base in Saverne is where we started our trip. We took a walk around town to stretch our legs after a long drive, then picked up our groceries for the week. Saverne is in the Bas-Rhin department and right on the Rhine-Marne canal. Here’s what it looks like in town:
A local woman was selling regional wine at a stand in town:
Lutzelbourg
On Sunday, we spent the day cruising and getting our bearings on the boat. We docked in Lutzelbourg for the night and this petite commune has a population of under 1,000 people! But small doesn’t mean boring. The misty walk along the canal was beautiful and you can also hike up a huge hill and take in the view from above.
Sarreguemines
Midweek, we headed north to Sarreguemines where we spent two nights. The Port de Plaisance has modern facilities where we did some laundry, showered and took full advantage of the beautiful port.
Sarreguemines is also known for its faience pottery which is popular with collectors all over the world. The store we stopped in said people come from all over looking for specific pieces to add to their collection. Their wares are colorful and excellent quality and as you’d expect, quite expensive. Each cereal bowl pictured on the right below was 16 euros. You can find earthenware, vases, decorative pieces and more. Sadly, the Sarregumeines faience factory is no longer in existence and the company was liquidated in 2007. Lunéville-Saint-Clément, the company that bought the factory, still makes several models today.
Germany!
On Thursday, we took the tram to Saarbrucken, Germany, and it was my first time there. It was a no brainer since we were so close. The lively town had a bustling center and we couldn’t have lucked out with better weather. Many years ago, the lively town was the industrial and transport center for the Saar coal basin. Now it’s home to about 180,000 people.
Harskirchen
On Friday we headed toward the Nicols base in Harskirchen and spent the night since our cruise was coming to an end on Saturday morning.
Thanks for taking us on a tour of your beautiful trip Diane. Even if we didn’t know you were on the other side of France it is obvious in the different style of architecture. Have you planned your next trip yet?
Thanks for taking the time to read/watch! Next trip is just home for Thanksgiving — first Turkey Day stateside in 6 years (and Tom’s first ever), so looking forward to it! Will you be spending Christmas in France? Hope all is well!
Sadly no, I have to work over xmas, anyway I think it would be too cold in my place, hope to be back out in the spring. Bet you are looking forward to seeing your family, shopping, and that Thanksgiving dinner. All well here thanks. x
Gorgeous pictures. You give very thorough explanations, too. Bon voyage to the U.S.
Thank you!
What a beautiful record of your canaling adventures! I’m ready to check out Sarreguemines for future reference. We split our September trip this year between Alsace and the Black Forest–in Colmar at a winemaker’s house and in Staufen, Germany at a beautiful farm. So glad you got to see Germany–we absolutely loved it. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving here in the US.
Thanks very much, Penny! Your trip sounds fantastic too! What an interesting way to vacation. Did you like the winemaker’s house or farm experience better?
Thank you I like seeing photos of places I will never get to visit, makes me feel a little like I have been there
You’re very welcome. Glad I could share it with you!
Awesome! You definitely have my dreaming of a relaxing canal cruise through France now.
:-))))