Tour de Grand Est - Stage 3 - Goodbye Vosges

Yesterday I shared the details about the canal, but today we actually experienced it.

The Marne-Rhine Canal was built from 1838 to 1853. The main problem it solved was going through the Vosges Mountains and especially climbing up its eastern side to its lower point, the Col de Saverne. This was first solved by means of a ladder of seventeen locks, allowing an overall level change of 44.55 metres over a distance of 4 kilometres. In 1969, these locks were replaced by the Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane.

We packed up a wet tent after a cold night with some rain showers. That didn't deter the group of 12 year olds on an adventure trip, cycling and camping. They woke up with as much energy as they had last night, even after their 35 k ride from their school. They entertained me as I washed the breakfast dishes and they washed their dishes and sang 🎵

Marc and I cycled to the inclined plane to try to understand it. Fascinating!  An amazing solution to getting boats up and over the final climb of the Vosges. 

It is basically a boat elevator. The boats enter the hold, and the door closes-in the boats and the water, and then the whole box is elevated up to meet the canal / water, to head down the other side.  Start at the bottom photo, of the boats loading, and then notice the elevator style lift, up, up, up.

Now I understand why it would be so fun to rent a canal boats. This is one cool invention. 

But it doesn't take bikes, so we went off to find the bike path and it follows the old canal! Finished in 1853 it is in remarkably good condition. The brick walls all still standing. Somehow it was just so pretty, overgrown and unkept, we cycled by many of the 17 unused locks and lock houses (replaced by the elevator). 

There were old passageways and cool places to stop for a picnic. It was a really fun ride and a nice way to get some of the elevation of the day, the Col de Saverne. 

The sandstone cliffs were gorgeous. Perhaps they were blasted to make way for the canal? Not sure. But the overhangs were beautiful. This is the sandstone used to build the Cathedral in Strasbourg. 

Some of the lock houses are vacant while others are inhabited. This one had a small vegetable garden and goats. 

 

At the end the lock #2 house was a little restaurant and lock #1 house was very fancy and well kept. By then we were on a busier road so no photos. Just the cute flower art. 

Once off the canal the cycling was on open roads with a head wind. We struck out at the first two "bakeries". Google mislead us to the first one, and this second one was an automated bread machine that was out of order. 

We did find more Boulangeries to choose from, and lots of rolling hills today. 

We used the bike path through the forest at one point. A little rough but beautiful, and a very nice break from the head wind. 

In one open stretch of road, these cows all came running. They were definitely running towards Marc. I have a video, if you want to see it, send me a note. My sister thinks they were cheering us on, Allez! Allez! 

Rolling hills, not "easy rollers" like the bike club, these were definitely NOT easy rollers. The surface was mostly "chip-seal", small rocks set into asphalt. It is not as easy to ride on, for sure.  

The chart shows the hills getting smaller through the day. My legs disagree with this analysis. 

We are in a quiet little campground with a couple of stocked ponds for fishermen. We have a peaceful grassy campsite with tiny daisies all around us. No table but we have our thermarest chairs.  The wind has died down, the evening sun is warming our tired bodies and drying our towels. Life is good. 

Good night from our little traveling home.