Day 1: Nancy
Individual arrival and boarding after 2 p.m. Tryout bike ride in the surrounding countryside. (Guided) walk in town in the evening. Nancy is situated on the left bank of the river Meurthe, about 10 km upstream from its confluence with the Moselle. The Marne–Rhine Canal runs through the city, parallel to the Meurthe. The oldest part of Nancy is the quarter Vieille Ville – Léopold, which contains the 14th century Porte de la Craffe, the Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, the Porte Désilles and the 19th century St-Epvre basilica. Adjacent to its south is the quarter Charles III – Centre Ville, which is the 16th–18th century “new town”. This quarter contains the famous Place Stanislas, the Nancy Cathedral and the Opéra national de Lorraine. Place Stanislas, a large square built between March 1752 and November 1755 by Stanislaus I of Poland to link the medieval old town of Nancy and the new town built under Charles III in the 17th century, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 2: Nancy – Hénaménil – Lagarde, approx. 50 km
We ride along the Meurthe river to St-Nicolas-Port where the cathedral is worth a visit. You ride on to the city of Lunéville with its castle. At Lunéville we pass the front line of the Great War. This city was heavily fought over in 1914 and has an impressive French cemetery and necropolis. We can also visit the local museum on the Battle of Leomont Hill nearby. After a leisurely ride we arrive in Hénaménil where the Clair de Lune is waiting for us and on board we sail to Lagarde.
Day 3: Lagarde – Gondrexage – Niderviller, approx. 40 km
You start the day with a ride along the canal on the traffic free bike path to Bataville. Bata is a well-known brand of shoes. The industrial complex in Bataville is built in the Bauhaus style of the Twenties. The factory closed in 2001 and is now a historical monument for industrial architecture and can be visited. After Bataville we make tranquil and easy flat ride ride through the nearby wetlands. Time for an afternoon cruise along the Rhine-Marne Canal. In about 4 hours the Clair de Lune sails from Gondrexange to Niderviller.
Day 4: Niderviller – Saverne , approx. 30 km
Niderviller was very famous for its porcelain pottery. Although the factory is no longer there the village still has a Niderviller porcelain shop. In Arzviller you can see the incline/elevator for ships that transports ships to the next level. Before a series of locks was needed for this. After this magnificent piece of engineering we ride mainly through the woods and through the Vallée des Eclusiers on the bike path along the canal to Saverne. An afternoon visit to the Haut Barr castle near Saverne is a must. This can be done by bike, on foot (1,5 hours) or you can get a taxi.
Day 5: Saverne – Dettwiller, approx. 40 km
The mooring place is in the middle or town in Saverne. From the ship there is a great view of the Vosges hills. Today we ride through the hilly area of Parc Regional Vosges du Nord. On the way up from Saverne we pass by Graufthal with its mediaeval cave houses. Along nice quiet roads you ride on towards la-Petite-Pierre, a picture perfect village with beautiful castle. From this pearl in the Alsace you ride down to Dettwiller. If you do not want to ride in the hills with a total altitude gain of about 600 meters today there is always the possibility to ride the shorter flat road along the canal.
Day 6: Dettwiller – Wingersheim, approx. 40 km
We ride through typical countryside to Bouxwiller, once of the nicest villages in the North Alsace. It boasts a centre with Tudor style buildings, museums churches and a synagogue. Later we visit the old Jewish cemetery in Ettendorf en after that Hochfelden where the famous Meteor brewery (since 1640!) can be found and visited. To top it off there is a ride along the canal to the village of Wingersheim where the barge will wait for you.
Day 7: Wingersheim - Strasbourg, approx 35 km
The last day of the week we visit villages like La Wantzenau and Hoerdt where you can see your last Tudor style buildings. We end the week with a leisurely and flat ride through the Parc Pourtalés and find the mooring place of the Clair de Lune near Strasbourg. In the afternoon there should be plenty of time to visits the town on the broder with Germany. You might cross over the Rhine for a short moment in Germany. Strasbourg’s historic city centre, the Grande Île (Grand Island), was classified a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988, the first time such an honour was placed on an entire city centre. Strasbourg is immersed in Franco-German culture and although violently disputed throughout history, has been a cultural bridge between France and Germany for centuries.
Day 8: Strasbourg
After breakfast, end of services. Disembarkation before 10 a.m.
