Canal de la Marne au Rhin walks

Discover the Lutzelbourg region as you walk along the valley of the lock keepers and then up to the heights on the rocky path to reach the ruins of Lutzelbourg Castle

A beautiful hike with numerous castle ruins, including Haut Barr, known as the "eye of Alsace", and a trail through a forest with stunning autumn colours. The trails are very well marked and maintained by the Club Vosgien.The elevation gain is significant, so take this into account to fully appreciate all the charms of this hike.

A beautiful walk on the slopes of the Zorn Valley, where you will discover breathtaking landscapes, the ruins of Greifenstein Castle, the Saint-Vit cave and the Gallo-Roman site of Wasserwald. Actual elevation gain: 534 m.

Route starting from Gondreville, one of the oldest towns in Lorraine, with beautiful views of the canalised Moselle.

An easy family walk around Dombasle-sur-Meurthe with varied landscapes and views.

Route of hiking in the Sarrebourg region's lake district: discover the Gondrexange Lake.

This hike takes you to Lutzelbourg Castle with its view of the village of Lutzelbourg and its "Canal de la Marne au Rhin". A mixture of forest paths, trails through the woods and across fields. There is a little tarmac, however, for crossing the villages.

It's a fairly long route of just over 20 km, which can be done on foot or by trail running.These 20 km offer a wealth of diversity, including trails, an abandoned canal, landscapes, rocks, tunnels and a castle.A route that is well worth exploring. If it is too long, it is quite easy to split it into two parts.Although the route is long, it is fairly easy to follow. Most of the paths used are marked by the Club Vosgien.

Varangéville is the last town in France with an active mine. This mine extracts rock salt. This hike offers views of the mine facilities and the Basilica of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port.

Discover the Château de Greifenstein, where two beautiful towers can still be seen. Visit the Grotte Saint-Vit, a vast natural excavation in sandstone, overlooking a plateau where a magnificent alpine garden has been laid out. An astonishing view of the Château de Hohbarr awaits you!

A pleasant walk around Fléville and Laneuveville in front of Nancy, combining the countryside with panoramic views of the surrounding towns, and returning along the Marne-Rhine Canal with its junctions, locks and birds.

A lovely walk around the Plan Incliné, featuring the Rocher du Calice, a passage under the Marne-Rhine Canal (bring a torch), the Passerelle Patou, the abandoned canal, the Maison Forestière Bodenmarck, the Rocher du Corbeau with views over the canal, the Sentier des Roches, and finally a walk past the Plan Incliné.

This hike starts next to the Schweizerhof forest house, located 5 km from the Saverne exit, in the direction of Lutzelbourg. There are two superb viewpoints to discover, at the Rappenfels rock and the Saint-Vit cave.

Climb up to the rocky outcrop where the castles of Haut-Barr and the two Geroldseck castles stand, overlooking the Zorn valley. Then climb up to Brotschberg with its tower, rock and cave. Next, descend towards the Zorn via the Krappenfels rocks and climb up to the Rappenfels to reach the Saint-Vit Cave, the Marienfels and Greifenstein Castle.

A pleasant walk with no particular difficulties between the villages of Crévic and Maixe and along the Canal de l'Est.

Here is a route starting from the football stadium in Schwindratzheim, continuing to the Waltenheim bridge before following the Marne-Rhine Canal back to the Schwindratzheim bridge once more.

On the Moselle circular route, along the Meurthe between Jarville-la-Malgrange and Malzéville. A hike mainly on cycle paths or specially designed trails to discover the meanders of the tranquil Meurthe with its birds, passing by the Old Mills of Nancy and the historic monument "La Douera" in Malzéville.

The Réchicourt-le-Château Lake occupies a rather unusual position. The Marne-Rhine Canal has crossed it since 1965. In fact, it was decided at that time to build the “Grand Écluse”, which made it possible to bypass nearly six locks on the old canal. As a result, a section of the route is a path flanked on either side by part of the lake. Another major attraction is the Grand Écluse itself, which features numerous facilities for tourists.

A peaceful walk around the Meuse and Troussey, with the added bonus of crossing the Mazagran Canal Bridge.

A circular walk starting from the Orée du Bois housing estate in Fléville-devant-Nancy, heading to the hamlet of Clos Cardinal via the connecting canal, the Roman bridge and the hamlet of Gerardcourt, and returning via the plain.

A short walk offering a glimpse of the Solvay factory, the port which once received barges for the factory, a pond and the Notre-Dame de Grâce Chapel in Dombasle-sur-Meurthe.

Meurthe-et-Moselle in all its splendour: water, meadows, farmland and forest!

A walk where you’ll have the chance to see the Rappenfels, the Saint-Vit Cave and its beautiful garden, and the Greifenstein.

Start at the L’Orée du Bois housing estate, walk a short distance along the diversion canal, then take a short climb towards the Bois des Convers for the view of Nancy, and descend into Laneuveville-devant-Nancy to reach the Marne-Rhine Canal. Return via the cycle path along the diversion canal.

Alternative route if it has rained heavily in the previous days, if the footbridge over the pond is under water and therefore impassable.

A hilly route around the pretty village of Lutzelbourg, following the circular castle walk, the Marne-Rhine Canal and the Gustave Hentz Circular, featuring beautiful forest paths lined with rocks including Pulsfels Bellevue and the Krappenfels (Corbeau Rock).

An easy route around Hesse that follows the canal, then the Voie Verte and finally the irrigation channel on the way back. The first part is fairly straight but, from Hermelange onwards, it becomes more rural and natural.

A tour of Nancy city centre, starting from the famous Place Stanislas.

A beautiful circular route offering the chance to discover the Saint-Louis-Artzwiller Inclined Plane, the Rocher du Calice and the Vallée des Éclusiers. Part of the walk takes place in the forest along forest tracks and beautiful paths, where you’ll discover fantastic and unique rock formations, a magnificent rocky outcrop, a typical Moselle village, and a picturesque stretch of the old canal better known as the ‘Vallée des Éclusiers’ with its old locks, now out of service. The Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane, a boat lift unique in Europe built in 1969, replaced the seventeen locks of the old Marne-Rhine Canal. It forms part of the Marne-Rhine Canal, enabling passage through the Vosges, and is one of the most visited river sites in France.

A delightful walk on the outskirts of the city, allowing you to explore the banks of the Ill and the ponds that lend a wild, natural feel to this urban area. You’ll spot plenty of birds (small passerines, geese and seagulls) as well as signs of beavers. An easy walk to enjoy in any season, though undoubtedly more pleasant in summer and in dry weather (paths can get muddy in places). You can get there and back on the E tram from the city centre.

Circular Vitry-en-Perthois route through fields and woods, via Plichancourt, returning via the towpath of the Marne-Rhine Canal.

Randonnée circulaire vallonnée autour du joli village de Lutzelbourg. Plusieurs points d'intérêts : château, points de vue et jolis sentiers ombragés bordés de gros rochers.

A beautiful hike to Haselbourg/Heller, in the Dabo region, starting from the Plan Incliné car park in Saint-Louis, passing by the Saint-Fridolin Chapel, named after an Irish monk, and its baptistery. Continue on to the cave dwellings of Falkenberg and the Rocher des Faucons, with a beautiful view of Dabo. In Haselbourg, a picturesque village, the main street circles the Roman camp. Return along the Zorn, on the left bank, on the unmarked "CV" path. The path is not difficult, but a map or GPS is recommended. Upon arrival, you can also visit the Lerher crystal factory.

A cycle ride around Strasbourg on flat paths, starting from Place d'Haguenau, which will take you along the Rhône-Rhine Canal, through the Neuhof Forest, up along the Alsace Canal on the French side, then return via the German bank, following the Old Rhine to the Jardin des Deux Rives, straddling the Rhine and the border between Strasbourg and Kehl.

A lovely walk between Lutzelbourg station and Saverne station, taking in the castles of Lutzelbourg, Petit and Grand-Geroldseck, and Haut-Barr, an archaeological site with Gallo-Roman ruins, and passing by the Tour du Brotsch.

An urban walk along a cycle path starting from the Bois de Badonfosse. Starting from Saulxures-lès-Nancy, heading to the Chartreuse de Bosserville via the Bois de Badonfosse, continuing towards the Marne-Rhine Canal at Laneuveville, just outside Nancy, crossing the Meurthe via the Bosserville footbridge. The walk continues along the canal towards the port of Nancy, passing through Jarville-la-Malgrange and the outskirts of Nancy. Junction with the Meurthe at Saint-Max, followed by a walk along the Meurthe. Return via Avenue Eugène Pottier and Rue Salvador Allende.

The V50 cycle route (Luxembourg - Lyon) crosses the Messine conurbation, running alongside the Moselle from La Maxe to Augny. Like the author, who set off from Lorry-lès-Metz, it is easy to join the route and follow it to Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson, between ponds and wetlands, riding mostly on dedicated cycle paths. Then you cross "Little Lorraine Switzerland" on quiet roads to rejoin the Moselle at Liverdun, nestled in one of its beautiful meanders. Following the river along the V533 greenway, you soon come into view of Toul Cathedral, the first stop on the journey.

A hundred-kilometre circular starting from Saverne, passing along the old Saverne–Romanwiller–Molsheim railway line, then following the Bruche Canal to Strasbourg, before returning via the Marne-Rhine Canal.

This short walk has two highlights: the Étang de Parroy and the Marne-Rhine Canal. The site is superb and offers some lovely views as you climb the hills after leaving the lake. During the tourist season, you can see sailing boats from the water sports centre and numerous boats belonging to river tourism enthusiasts. We are in the Sânon region, right in the heart of the countryside, and the peace and quiet of the area is much appreciated.