Lorraine
Barging in Alsace-Lorraine

Passengers: 22
Size: 128 feet long
Rating: First Class, A/C

2008 Prices

Whole Boat Charter
$44,300 - Low Season
$48,300 - High Season
Individuals
$2,215 - Low Season
$2,415 - High Season
$500 - Single Supplement
Low Season Dates: March 22 to May 2 and October 25 to November 8, 2008
High Season Dates: May 3 to October 24, 2008
Prices do not include train fare to and from Paris and the route in Alsace, or open bar.
As of 10/1/07, all prices include a $125 per person Currency Surcharge.

Lorraine holds down a fascinating route in Alsace - Lorraine, where French and German cultures intertwine. (The villages look German, the wines taste French! ) This beautiful route contains some of the most interesting and varied sightseeing in all of barging, including a barge "lift" that hauls Lorraine up 150 feet from the River Marne to the Rhine Canal! Other excursions include Strasbourg, a wonderful city with great shopping; Colmar, renowned for Renaissance and Medieval architecture; wine tasting in typical village; and the Chapel of Cordeliers, with its famed Chagal window.

As on other Canal and Company vessels, the young and enthusiastic crew keeps the ambiance festive and a French chef rules the kitchen. A great choice for 11 couples on a whole-boat charter, as the cabins are identical. Highly praised by our guests!

Lorraine Barge Cruise Itinerary

krafft to xouxange

In the Alsace - Lorraine

Saturday
KRAFFT (Coach transfer from Strasbourg)
Transfer with us from Paris via first-class train service or meet us in Strasbourg and transfer to Lorraine, moored in the village of Krafft. Sip an aperitif as we welcome you on board and introduce you to the crew. (Meanwhile your luggage is taken quietly to your cabin.) Enjoy your first gourmet dinner on board this evening.

Sunday
KRAFFT/STRASBOURG
After cruising the peaceful Canal du Rhône au Rhin, drive to Colmar, renowned for its magnificent medieval and Renaissance buildings, 13th-century collegiate church, and Little Venice district. Enjoy a guided tour and free time to explore. Stop at the Unterlinden Museum, famous for its Renaissance art and home to the "Issenheim Altarpiece." Return to the barge through the famous vineyards of Alsace. Pause in picturesque Riquewihr for a tasting of local vintages before returning to Lorraine, moored in Strasbourg.

Monday
STRASBOURG/WALTENHEIM
Cruise past the European Parliament before disembarking for a walking tour of Strasbourg, including the picturesque Petite France riverside district and the remarkable cathedral of Notre Dame. Afterward, explore on your own. Visit a museum, take advantage of the excellent shopping or simply stroll the cobbled streets. Return to the Lorraine in the nearby village of Hochfelden.

Tuesday
WALTENHEIM/SAVERNE/LUTZELBOURG
After breakfast and a short cruise, we will visit a small local brewery, all the best French beers are brewed in the Alsace region. Afterwards we return to Lorraine for lunch and a cruise through Saverne and the Zorne valley to the fairytale town of Lutzelbourg, nestled in the Vosges mountains.

Wednesday
LUTZELBOURG/HESS
After breakfast, visit a crystal workshop and see how some of the most famous products of this area are still individually fashioned by hand. Back on board cruise into Lorraine, where the canal follows the steep-sided, tree-lined valley of the river Zorn to the famous inclined plane of Arzviller. Here a counterbalanced barge lift hauls us up nearly 150 feet to the summit level of the Marne to Rhine canal. We then cruise through a cutting and two tunnels under the peak of the Vosges Mountains before mooring for the evening at a quiet spot near the village of Hess.

Thursday
HESS/XOUXANGE
Cruise along the summit pound, or highest section, of the Marne to Rhine canal, passing through the regional park of Lorraine, a nature reserve with vast woodlands and lakes. After lunch drive to Sarrebourg and visit the chapel of the Cordelieres, with its famed Chagall window. We return to Lorraine, moored in Xouxange for our farewell gala dinner.

Friday
XOUXANGE (Coach transfer to Nancy)
After breakfast, transfer to Nancy railroad station. Those taking our transfers take the first-class TGV train back to Paris.

Please note: this is a sample itinerary which may be subject to change depending on local conditions. The route will run in reverse on alternate weeks.  Contact The Barge Lady for reservations and more information about Barging and river cruises in France Or call us toll free at (800) 880-0071.

Lorraine

Guest Book

"Great Trip, can't wait to do another next year!"
-Doug and Paula Groseclose, 2008

"Fellow passengers were lots of fun and interacted very well with six in our Seattle group.  The entire staff was always friendly and helpful.  Helen, cruise manager, made special accomodation for Jane's allergy to "oaked" wines."
-Louis and Jane Lambert, 2008

"The most FABULOUS vacation ever!!! Did you hand pick the other voyagers, we were the most delicious group of people ever. . . hugs and kisses and e-mail exchanges at the end. The level of activity for the teens, the 50 year olds and the "oldsters," was terrific. The food, the excursions, the bikes, the crew were wonderful. Neil, the bus driver and guide was outstanding, easily one of us, but with a wealth of knowledge about the sights. What's to say. . . we will barge again and again."
- Florence Michelson, 2007
Thanks, Florence - we loved working with you!

"The trip was fascinating. The highlight is a lifting of the barge from the River Zorn up nearly 150 feet to the Mame to Rhine Canal. I have barged at least a dozen times and never have I been so captivated. Hard to believe a 128 foot barge can be lifted like that. The wine tasting, beer tasting and crystal factories were most enjoyable. It's a wonderful cruise through the Alsace and Strasbourg is a beautiful city to visit. The crew was a delight and I would like to have them all serve me again."
- Ada Paulsen, 2007

"Especially, we loved cruising the canals and meeting our companions, many of them had barged before. One thing we've noted on all our barge cruises is that barge travelers "get it." That means they know the benefits of such travel and plan to return again and again."
-Don and Elaine Smith, 2007

Lorraine Floor Plan

128 feet long
-11 Cabins 110 sq ft, all with twin beds and large windows.
-Lounge/bar and separate dining room with modern decor and large windows.
-Sundeck with canopy.