France
French Canal Voyage by Barge: Discover Alsace-Lorraine
Program No. 21158RJ
Immerse yourself in culture as you sail the Marne-Rhine Canal on a modern river barge, discovering grand châteaux, picturesque vineyards, cathedrals and world-class cuisine.
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11 days
10 nights
23 meals
9B 7L 7D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
3
Boat ride, Strasbourg Walking Field Trip
Strasbourg
6
Lagarde to Xouaxange, Sarrebourg
Xouaxange
7
Xouaxange to Lutzelbourg, Inclined Plane
Lutzelbourg
10
Waltenheim to Strasbourg, Free Time
Strasbourg
11
Program Concludes
In Flight
At a Glance
The region of Grand-Est, formerly Alsace- Lorraine, borders Germany and the proximity shows in its culture. But this area is also deeply, proudly French. Beginning and ending in medieval Strasbourg, this voyage on the Marne-Rhine Canal introduces you to Alsace-Lorraine’s spectacular landscapes, magnificent castles and unique customs and cuisine.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles per day; uneven terrain and cobblestones common. Embark and disembark the ship via ramp. Please note on day three there will be walking up to three miles in the morning in Strasbourg in addition to the afternoon activities.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Navigate the Marne-Rhine Canal’s tunnels and watch as your ship is lifted 144 feet by the Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane.
- Learn about the arts of wine and beer making in Alsace.
- Explore medieval Strasbourg including its famed Romanesque and high Gothic cathedral and the Palais Rohan.
Suggested Reading List
(11 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
French Canal Voyage by Barge: Discover Alsace-Lorraine
Program Number: 21158
The Food of France
An evocative and beautifully written survey of French food. First published in 1958 and revised in the mid-1970s, the book covers the important regions of French cuisine by dividing them into domains of Butter (northern France), Fat (Alsace) and Oil (the south).
Corkscrewed, Adventures in the New French Wine Country
An American journalist living in the south of France, Camuto travels far afield from Bordeaux visiting new winemakers from the Alsace to Mayonnaise, Corsica and Burgundy for this celebration of the culture and diversity of French wine.
Adventures on the Wine Route, A Wine Buyer's Tour of France
A delightful and warmly anecdotal book, highly recommended for anyone touring the wine regions of France. Lynch brings the domains and appellations of French wine to full-blown life, and his portraits of the grand personalities who make the wine are priceless.
Cathedrals and Castles, The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages
This pocket-size encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages features hundreds of drawings, color illustrations and a brief chronology.
Strasbourg Map
A city map of Strasbourg at a scale of 1:10,000.
Alsace, Lorraine Map 516
An up-to-date regional map at the very good scale of 1:200,000 published by Michelin.
Michelin Green Guide Alsace, Lorraine, Champagne
A guide to Alsace, Champagne and Vosges in the classic Michelin style.
The Age of the Cathedrals, Art and Society 980-1420
French scholar Duby, writing very accessibly, describes both the great cathedrals and the philosophical, religious, and political climate that enabled them to be built in this classic.
A World Lit Only By Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance, Portrait of an Age
Organized into sections on the Renaissance, Reformation and Discovery, Manchester's popular history evokes in vivid detail the great figures and daily life of the 16th century, including Henry VIII, Magellan, Borgia, da Vinci and Martin Luther.
A Traveller's History of France
This fast-moving survey covers the conquests of ancient Gaul through the heady days of revolution to modern times.
Wine and War, The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure
This thrilling account of how the vintners of France saved their crops -- and their bottles -- as the Nazis approached, focuses on the activities of five winemaking families in Burgundy, Alsace, Champagne, Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.
