On the canal, between the Marne and the Rhine, the port of Saverne is one of those stops that mark a lock-breaker! First, there is the large basin that you approach by a right angle bend, then immediately on the right, the beautiful pink sandstone façade of the Rohan castle that takes on marvelous hues in the morning light. But the stay in Saverne has many other nice surprises, such as a warmly animated model port, just like this Alsatian city which is as invigorating as it is pleasant to visit.
Under the sign of the unicorn
At the western entrance to the city, the full lock offers a glimpse of the statue of a unicorn, the city's emblem, in the middle of a busy square. A scene soon masked by a 5.43 meter drop. When the doors open, the boat passes along the high pink sandstone facades, then enters the basin dug between the monumental Rohan castle and the lower town. The first two pontoons are open to visitors, while the following ones are occupied by the Nicols rental fleet.
Home and model services
Some ports are technical stopovers, the one in Saverne is dedicated to welcoming you! As soon as you dock, the captain or his assistant will come and take your moorings. It is to help you and not to claim the parking tax... Both of them do everything to make your stay pleasant: personalized welcome, loan of shopping carts, petanque balls, electric shuttle to cross the basin, access to the shared vegetable garden, laundry, rental of electric bikes or pedal boats...
The port, a hub of life near the city
The port of Saverne is also a real place of urban life, animated by a guinguette, an ice-cream parlour, but also by musical scenes on Thursdays, petanque on Fridays and events throughout the summer. Some are artistic, such as the Rives de l'Art, in June, or Le port eau'trement, in July; others are fun, such as fishing, races of unidentified floating objects, a festival of amateur brewers, or the Faites de la brouette, in August... If Saverne honors the wheelbarrow in this way, it is because Haemmerlin, an emblematic manufacturer, is involved in the city and provides free of charge the famous carts that allow boaters to carry their food to the boat.
A city to see and taste
On the opposite bank, the castle delimits the beautiful General de Gaulle square, with its lively cafés, its merry-go-round, but also the Unicorn fountain. Going up towards the old quarters, one discovers the other castle, that of Oberhof, also called old castle and which was an episcopal palace. Nearby, the façade of the church bears an engraved mark Dis ist di holtz dan which means: this is the measure of the wood. The city authorities used to display the regulation size of the timber on the river Zorn. Going back down the main street, you should not miss a stop at the emblematic Taverne de Katz where they serve pantagruelian sauerkraut!
There is too much to see and taste in Saverne to just pass by! The most courageous will climb the 458 meters of forest path to the castle of Haut Barr, the eye of Alsace. From the top of this fortress, the view on the city and the canal is breathtaking! This section of the canal was the first in France to be equipped with charging stations for electric boats. One more reason to linger in this place where you feel at home, and where human warmth is not an empty word!
