Wonder how Paris could be connected to Germany by water? The Marne-Rhine Canal stands before us. It is a testament to engineering ambition.
This canal is more than just a waterway. It is a historical artery. The Marne-Rhine Canal connects the Marne River to the Rhine. It links Vitry-le-François with Strasbourg. The original goal was to connect Paris to Alsace and Lorraine. It would also connect to the Rhine and Germany.
Imagine the barges slowly making their way along this canal. The Marne-Rhine Canal stretches 313 km. That’s 194 miles. It was once the longest canal in France when opened in 1853.
Small barges called péniches are suited for this canal. They can be up to 38.50 meters long. That is 126.3 feet. They can also be 5.05 meters wide which equates to 16.6 feet.
The Marne-Rhine Canal has 154 locks. Originally, it had 178. There are also four tunnels. The Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane is remarkable. It replaced 17 locks between Arzviller and Saint-Louis.
In 1979, a 23-kilometer section was closed. That’s about 14 miles. It was along the Moselle valley. This followed the Moselle canalisation works. These works were between Frouard and Neuves-Maisons.
The route is now made up of three sections. First is the western section of the Marne-Rhine Canal. It connects to the Canal de la Meuse at Troussey. Second is the navigable Moselle river. It runs from Toul to Pompey and the Frouard branch. Third is the eastern section from Frouard to Strasbourg. It connects with the Canal de la Sarre at Gondrexange. It also connects with the river Ill in Strasbourg.
The western section stretches 131.4 km. That’s 81.6 miles. It features 97 locks. Seventy locks rise to the summit level. Twenty-seven descend to the Moselle at Toul. The Moselle section has three locks. They are of high-capacity Rhine dimensions. There is one on the Frouard branch. Another Freycinet size lock connects to the original canal in Frouard.
The eastern section covers 159 km which equals 99 miles. It has 56 locks. Twenty-one rise to the summit level crossing the Vosges watershed. Thirty-five descend to Strasbourg.
The Marne-Rhine Canal passes through several départements and towns. These include Vitry-le-François in Marne and Bar-le-Duc in Meuse. It goes through Toul and Nancy in Meurthe-et-Moselle. Also, Gondrexange and Sarrebourg in Moselle. Finally, Saverne and Strasbourg in Bas-Rhin.
Imagine cycling along the Marne-Rhine Canal. A bicycle path starts in Strasbourg. It follows the canal for about 80 kilometers. That’s almost 50 miles. You can pick it up in Saverne. At one point, the canal disappears into a tunnel. The bike path and road go over the mountain.
What’s particularly interesting are the lock keepers’ cottages. They stand on the now unused parts of the canal. Many are being converted into homes. They stood empty for many years.
The Marne-Rhine Canal has seen much traffic over the years. Statistics were kept at Schiltigheim’s lock no 51. In 1856, the total tonnage was 231,094. By 1960, it had risen to 1,400,635.
The Marne-Rhine Canal, a vital link between regions stands before us. It connects waterways and enabled trade. Its history is long. It has transformed over time. The Marne-Rhine Canal remains an important part of France’s infrastructure.