Lorraine
Alsace Lorraine Cruise
The Lorraine is an elegant boat accommodating 22 passengers in great comfort. It is a modern vessel equipped with a sundeck wreathed in flowers, with chairs and parasols, a cozy lounge leading to the bar and a separate dining-room. On the lower deck are 11 comfortable cabins with opening windows. The Lorraine navigates in the very attractive regions of Alsace and Lorraine. A journey through Alsace, perhaps the most picturesque province in France, means an endless string of discoveries - art and architecture, gourmet food and wine, history and heritage.
The Vosges mountains, dotted here and there with turreted castles, and picture-book villages with brilliant displays of petunias and geraniums, make this a most memorable cruise.
Saturday, Day 1 Paris to Lagarde
Meeting point: 9.30am at the Hôtel Régina in Paris. Train transfer to Nancy
(on alternate weeks, to Strasbourg). Coach transfer to the Lorraine moored in the village of
Lagarde. Welcome on board with cocktails. Cruising through the Parc Naturel de Lorraine, a
national nature reserve and an area of outstanding natural beauty, to Gondrexange.
Sunday, Day 2 Lagarde to Niderviller
Excursion to Nancy, the elegant capital of Lorraine with its beautiful Place
Stanislas. Lovely cruise through the rolling meadows of Lorraine to the quiet village of
Niderviller.
Monday, Day 3 Niderviller to Saverne
Excursion to a crystal factory and workshop. Cruising along the higher
level of the canal, followed by transfer by the famous Arzviller barge lift down
the mountainside, bypassing 17 locks in the process. Mooring in the picturesque town of
Saverne in sight of the splendid red sandstone Rohan Palace.
Tuesday, Day 4 Saverne to Hochfelden
Excursion to Sarrebourg to admire the Cordeliers Chapel
and Chagall’s beautiful stained glass window.
Cruising past typical Alsace villages and many locks, with opportunities for cycling and walking.
Mooring at the village of Hochfelden.
Wednesday, Day 5 Hochfelden to Waltenheim
Cruise to the charming village of Waltenheim. Day trip to captivating
Colmar, birthplace of Bartholdi (sculptor of the Statue of Liberty), the Unterlinden
Museum (for Grünewald’s magnificent Isenheim Altarpiece), and the Old Town. Lunch in a
traditional Alsace restaurant, followed by
a drive along the fabled wine road. We call in at Riquewihr, the epitome of an Alsace
wine village, with time to enjoy a wine tasting.
Thursday, Day 6 Waltenheim to Strasbourg
Pleasant morning cruise to Strasbourg where we glide past the European
Parliament. After lunch, we visit Strasbourg, one of the most architecturally compelling of all French
cities: the bewitching Petite France district, the soaring splendor of the pink sandstone
cathedral. Farewell gala dinner on board.
Friday, Day 7 Strasbourg to Paris
After breakfast, coach transfer to Strasbourg for the train to Paris (or
Nancy) for the train to Paris (arriving approx.
1:54pm).
Note : The route is run
in reverse on alternate weeks and excursion days and mooring places may change
