Canal des houillères de la Sarre

Water in Lorraine

The Saar Canal ( formerly: Sarre Channel, French Canal de la Sarre of Houillères ) is a ship canal, which runs in the French regions of Alsace and Lorraine. It connects the Canal de la Marne au Rhin ( German: Rhein- Marne Canal ) with the river Saar and on about Moselle and Rhine with the industrial centers of the North Sea coast.

  • 3.1 channel and cycling network

Development and technical infrastructure

The canal branches off at Gondrexange from the Canal de la Marne au Rhin at the summit level in the Etang de Gondrexange ( German Gunderchinger ponds, 700 ha ) from. This pond serves both channels as a water reservoir. After passing the Lock No. 1 at Diane -Capelle, the channel crosses on a dam the Etang du Stock ( German stock pool, 750 ha), then it flows west on the Grand Etang de Mittersheim ( German Mittersheim pond, 1,097 ha) over. Both ponds were originally used exclusively for the water supply of the Saar channel, but in addition also used for tourism today. Behind Mittersheim the channel winds in three large arches out of the forest area in the Saar valley down. Before Sarralbe he crossed the Alb river on a 45 -meter-long canal bridge. From the East Melbourne Saar canal runs parallel to the Saar in sight. In Sarreguemines he leads after 65 km in the channeled Saar.

It is located in the top portion by a channel of the type of communication channel after reaching the Saar valley to a side channel. He overcomes a height difference of 73 meters with the help of 27 locks, which are dimensioned for ships of standard size Freycinet.

Coordinates

  • Source of the canal: 48 ° 42 '1 " N, 6 ° 54 ' 35" O48.7002777777786.9097222222222Koordinaten: 48 ° 42 '1 " N, 6 ° 54' 35" E
  • Endpoint of the channel: 49 ° 6 ' 9 " N, 7 ° 4' 37 " O49.10257.0769444444444

By Crossed departments

  • Moselle
  • Bas- Rhin

Places on the canal

  • Diane -Capelle
  • Mittersheim
  • Harskirchen
  • Sarralbe
  • East Melbourne
  • Witt ring
  • Zetting
  • Sarreinsming
  • Rémelfing
  • Sarreguemines

History

The basis for the construction of the Saar channel of the State Treaty of 1861 between Prussia and France to produce a navigable link between the coal mines in the Saarbrücken space and the 1853 finished Rhine - Marne Canal. The channel should be primarily to transport coal from the mines to the Prussian Rhine and into the interior of France, as also facilitate the export of iron ore from Lorraine to the smelters in the Saar. The implementation of the treaty of 1861 was made by channeling the Saar from Sarreguemines to Luis Valley ( later to Ensdorf ) and the construction of an entirely new channel between Sarreguemines and Gondrexange. The construction took place in between 1862 and 1866.

So originally was understood under the " Saar channel " the entire navigable connection from the Rhine - Marne Canal to the former, lying near the Saar coal mines in the area of present-day Saarland.

Economic Importance

In its heyday in the 19th century to the mid 20th century, the canal was mainly used for the transport of coal and iron ore. Since then he has almost completely lost its meaning for freight. But its importance for the marine leisure sports and houseboats has increased significantly since then. Because would be different than the old name " Saar- carbon channel " suggests, the duct passes through the Regional Natural Park of Lorraine and mostly through forest and rural areas. Both routes variants of the so-called small Sauerkrauttour lead over the Saar channel. Since about 2003, the Saar channel is selectively expanded for tourism. So, a new marina was built with fresh water and electricity connections and set up in some places berths for pleasure boats in Mittersheim. Since 2005, the date manually operated locks are working on the automation.

Channel and cycling network

As customary in the French canal network, including the Saar- channel is a prerequisite for a much frequented bike path. The towpath beside the canal has been expanded in recent years with funding from the European Union, the Regional Council and the community to a mostly well-paved bike path. In Sarreguemines has this bike path connecting to the Saarland cycle network:

  • To the north of the Saar Cycle Route, the Saar accompanied up to its confluence with the Moselle,
  • To the northeast of the Glan- Blew - cycle path which the assemblies and the Glan accompanied to mouth in the proximity of Staudernheim.

In Gondrexange there are connections along the Rhine - Marne Canal to Strasbourg and west to the Mosel.

Lorraine (region) Marne–Rhine Canal Diane-Capelle Herbitzheim Bas-Rhin Wittring Ensdorf, Saarland Pleasure craft Glan (Nahe)
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