When it comes to choosing a river destination, the finger does not spontaneously rest here on theeuros map. No important city or emblematic name that would attract attention... Yet the Saar Canal is a natural wonder that crosses ponds ideal for fishing and water sports. It is also forests dotted with colorful and welcoming villages. All in all, it is a gently undulating countryside that offers a perfect harmony of water, forest, hedgerow and green fields.
The lights of the pond
At its junction with the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, the Canal de la Sarre is only separated from the pond of Gondrexange by a dam. It soon runs alongside the Stock pond lined with small flowered cottages. This vast expanse of water of more than 700 hectares is magnificent: the fishing boats nestle in the rushes and the wooden booms stretch their silhouettes towards the open sea. Built on a peninsula, Rhodes is entirely turned towards the pond and even the church has its feet practically in the water.
Fingertip lock control!
At the first lock, the yachtsman receives the remote control that will allow him to maneuver the following locks without disembarking. The left bank is embellished by the loans the water level in the reaches does not vary too much during the pooling of the water. These bodies of water, separated from the canal by small stone bridges, form biotopes rich in flora and fauna.
A music of childhood
The canal is built on an elevated roadway that crosses the pond, which can be seen intermittently through the curtain of trees. The forest that one crosses is ghostly with its trees with apparent roots typical of wetlands. The locks are modern, but their music remains from another time. No artificial beep to warn of the opening of the gates, but a big bell similar to the one of the old guard posts.
The bright colors of Alsace-Lorraine
The port of Mittersheim is equipped with welcoming pontoons. On the shore, an old shed remains. It used to house the tractors that pulled the boats before the motorization. Each doorway, each garden is decorated, flowered, decorated ... Colorful compositions, sometimes loaded but always touching as we perceive the care that each one put to conceive and maintain this space that he shares with the passer-by.
A strong identity!
This region, which only became part of France in 1793, has its own identity, which can be felt even in the language: while most Alsatian dialects have Alemannic origins, the language spoken here comes from the Franconian language, just like Luxembourgish. The locals spontaneously engage in conversation in this language. The older ones sometimes have obvious difficulties to switch to French, which does not prevent warm exchanges.
Water to the mill
Long before docking, Harskirchen offers the delightful sight of a small bell tower emerging from the red roofs above the thickets in a meander of the canal. The port of Bissert is home to the fleet of a Nicols base. Several rivers bathe this small charming city with flowered balconies. They animate several mills. One of the millers bakes the flour that he serves in the form of pastries and tarts in the small adjacent restaurant.
Aquatic defense
The bridge-canal spans the Albe. It is difficult not to stop and discover the high spires of the church of Sarralbe, which can be seen from miles away, as well as the Albe Gate, a 12th century tower facing it. With its small garden crossed by a river made of blue crushed glass, the lock 21 of Herbitzheim seems a monument raised to the glory of kitsch! Just after, a blockhouse remains from the aquatic Maginot line that was supposed to drown the Saar valley by blasting the bridges and dams. In Wittring, ships come to take advantage of the dry dock for their careening work.
The oven and the casino are on fire!
From the bridge, a few meters from lock 25, the view extends over the valley of the Sarre river which bathes the small village of Sarreinsming, its bell tower and a magnificent water mill! In Sarreguemines, the canal runs alongside the restaurant installed in the former casino of the faience factory. This activity made the prosperity of the city and it is in the shade of the old brick kilns that one can taste the inevitable flamenkuche, just a few steps away from the large Wilkommen signs that mark the border with Germany, on the opposite bank of the navigable Saar.
Local tips and tricks
Fall is by far the best time of the year. The colors are superb and the leafless trees offer an extensive view.
At the first lock, the boater receives a remote control that allows him to operate the following locks.
Upstream of lock 2, the farm of Albeschaux is a farm adjoined by the Sainte Anne chapel patiently restored by a team of volunteers.
The Stock pond is well worth a visit. Whether on foot, by bike or by canoe, the small village of Rhodes is an amazing destination!
In Mittersheim, you can see many chimeras, unicorns and other zinc nesting boxes which are the work of Stéphane Clauss, a local artist.
In the curve upstream of lock 16, a small stop allows access to the restaurant established in a pretty red brick building.
In the port of Sarreguemines, one will not fail to measure the amount of passion that was required for a local boilermaker, the 10th replica of the liner Majesty of the sea!
