Vineyards, water structures, Scenic Nature

From the charter base in Niderviller to Nancy it takes about 2.5 days by houseboat. The Rhine-Marne Canal meanders along the villages of Heming and Gondrexange to the Réchicourt lock. The lock takes you 15 metres down into the nature reserve around the Rixinger Weiher (Étang de Rèchicourt). 
Behind the Réchicourt lock, several automatic locks, an aqueduct and small Lorraine villages await your boat crew. Via the Meurthe you will then continue to Nancy.

In Nancy it is worthwhile mooring in the old town. Here you will find some interesting buildings, such as the former ducal palace or the neo-Gothic church Saint-Epvre. You can moor your houseboat directly in the town harbour, where there is a chocolate factory right next to it. 

Shortly after Nancy, you will leave Pompey on the Moselle and travel downstream to Konz (approx. 5 days). The Moselle, as it is called in the French part, is a wide river with some canal sections until Sierck-les-Bains. Along the route, the cities of Pont-à-Mousson (Moselle Bridge), Metz and Thionville are ideal for a stopover. There are good mooring facilities in the centre, which invite you to take a stroll through the old town. 

The Luxembourgish banks are characterized by vineyards, old castles and palaces.  

Wine tasting along the Moselle

The cooperative wineries Les Domaines de Vinsmoselle on the Luxembourg side offer their wines and crémant in their own sales rooms. Wineries such as Caves St. Martin or Caves Bernard Massard also like to open their doors and show impressively how wine and sparkling wine are produced.
In the German wine village Nittel you can taste and buy from one wine tavern to the next the here known Elbling, but also Auxerrois and Riesling.

Above Wormeldange is probably the most expensive wine tavern in Luxembourg, the Koeppchen. A path leads to the small chapel at the top of the vineyard. From here you have a great view over the Moselle.
If you have taken your bike with you on the houseboat, you will find an excellent cycle path along the Moselle. 

On the Saar upstream you will reach the highlight of the Saar after only one day of sailing: the Saar Bend. In addition to the Saar Loop, stops in Saaburg, Merzig and Saarbrücken are well worthwhile. 

Shortly after Saarbrücken, the Saar is canalised until it divides into the Saar Canal and Saar south of Saagemünd. Saar canal and Saar then run parallel to each other for many kilometres until they say goodbye in Harskirchen. The river bed of the Saar is a little lower, so you have a fantastic view of the Saar and nature from your houseboat. 

The Saar Canal is embedded in a varied natural landscape. Besides meadows, forests and small villages, the canal leads you partly right through the middle of the large ponds, which originally served exclusively for water supply, but are now also used for tourism. 

Between Étang de Gondrexange and Le Petit Étang the Saar Canal reaches the Rhine Marne Canal. From here it is still half a day's sailing to the charter base in Niderviller. 

If you still have some time left, we recommend an excursion by houseboat to the Arzviller boat lift, one of the most interesting buildings along the Rhine-Marne Canal.