Sarrebourg / Saverne

Wending its way beside the Canal de la Marne au Rhin for most of the way, this stage offers a truly bucolic getaway, going via typical villages, wooded parts and historic heritage spots. Having crossed a string of villages leading up to Arzviller, the rest of the stage is entirely on greenway along the picturesque Vallée des Éclusiers. This so-called ‘‘Lock-keepers’ Valley’’ closed to navigation in 1969, the year a truly remarkable piece of canal engineering opened to lift barges up the steep incline here – the Plan Incliné de Saint-Louis Arzviller. At Lutzelbourg, the last stop in Lorraine before entering the region of Alsace, you pass close to the Château de Lutzelbourg, perched 322m up on its rocky promontory. This stage finishes at Saverne, a town nestling at the foot of the Parc Naturel Régional des Vosges du Nord, and renowned for its majestic Château des Rohan, the castle located close to the marina.

The Route

Option 1:
From Sarrebourg, cyclists get back on the cycle route, but going the opposite way, in the direction of Hesse, to join the EuroVelo 5 route. Follow the waymarking in place. From Hesse to Arzviller, you’re guided along quiet roads before you can join the picturesque Vallée des Éclusiers greenway with ease. From Hofmuhl, continue along the greenway beside the Canal de la Marne au Rhin up to Saverne.

Option 2:
From Sarrebourg Station (gare), this option mainly follows quiet streets before joining the larger D96 road in the direction of Buhl - Walscheid. A safe cycle lane running beside the road leads as far as Buhl-Lorraine. Follow waymarking for the Voie Verte Vallée de la Bièvre up to Schneckenbusch, where the cycle route joins the EuroVelo 5 cycle route. Up to Arzviller, this option follows further quiet roads before you reach the picturesque Vallée des Éclusiers greenway with ease. From Hofmuhl, continue along the greenway beside the Canal de la Marne au Rhin up to Saverne.

Don't miss

• Vallée des éclusiers: a valley marked by enchanting lock-keepers’ cottages in a country setting 
• Saint-Louis-Arzviller: the Plan Incliné, an extraordinary lift for boats, the site open to visitors 
  Garrebourg (close to the Plan Incliné): Cristallerie Lehrer, a large shop presenting many regionally manufactured glass objects
  Lutzelbourg: an appealing village with some shops, dominated by the dramatic vestiges of an 11th-century castle.
• Saverne: the Château des Rohan; the Cloître des Récollets; the Port de Plaisance or marina; the town’s shopping streets.