Leaving Saverne, a town known as the ‘Cité des Roses’ and boasting the magnificent Château des Rohan, EuroVelo 5 joins the Véloroute du Canal de la Marne au Rhin, taking you peacefully along the Zorn Valley to the outskirts of Strasbourg. Along the way, enjoy the open landscapes of the Alsace Plain and stop at the Villa Météor at Hochfelden for a beer-themed halt. Strasbourg claims to be France’s leading cycling city and makes for an unmissable stop. Take time to wander around the historic centre, especially the quarter known as Petite France and the stunningly decorated cathedral. You can’t leave without (re-)tasting Alsace’s famous culinary specialities.

At the junction with the V52 heading towards Nancy, EuroVelo 5 leaves the Sarre Canal and follows the towpath beside the Canal de la Marne au Rhin towards Sarrebourg. This town is known for its Chagall Trail, leading visitors from the Chapelle des Cordeliers, where the artist’s stained-glass window entitled ‘Peace’ radiates colour, to the museum where the tapestry of the same name is displayed. The cycle route continues through the Vallée des Eclusiers (Lock-keepers’ Valley), closed to navigation since 1969, the year when the extraordinary Plan Incliné de Saint-Louis Arzviller boat-lift opened. Today, the Vallée des Eclusiers is bucolic, shared by cycling tourists, walkers, anglers, climbers and people passionate about nature and heritage. Lutzelbourg, with its 11th-century château on a promontory, is the last stop on the EV5 in French Moselle before Alsace.

The EuroVelo 5 cycle route leaves Germany at Sarrebruck, entering northeast France. It follows the canalized Sarre, which serves for a time as the border between the two countries. The EV5 arrives at Sarreguemines, a pretty town renowned for its ceramics, then continues along the Sarre Canal. At Sarralbe, the Church of St Martin is known as ‘the cathedral of the Sarre’ for its soaring twin Gothic spires. The town formed part of the Ligne Maginot Aquatique, a water-based defence system. In the Alsace Bossue area, at Harskirchen, discover the unspoilt landscapes of the alluvial plain here, La Honau classified a Natura 2000 Site, home to special flora and fauna. The route crosses woods and beside
lakes (notably Le Stock and Gondrexange), taking you through an exceptional environment.