Boucle de Nancy

Why Boucle de Nancy 🇫🇷

This route is inspired by talking to Virginia en John, who told us that another of their wishes is to do almost the same trip as the Meuse - Mosel -Rhine route, but then at Toul head for Strasbourg 🇫🇷 and from there a small stretch Rhine to Mannheim and then head on the Neckar 🇩🇪 river to Heidelberg.

But busy as they are with making more surprises, they aren't planning anything yet and we looked at the map and thought: This isn't too much extra work, so we decided to document the route from Toul 🇫🇷 towards Strasbourg 🇫🇷 for them, so they have already a good basis to start with.

But besides that, it is also a very good detour route when the Moselle towards Frouard is blocked

And, yes, we did underestimate a bit the amount of work.....

What is Boucle de Nancy 🇫🇷

This is a cirle (loop) of a couple of waterways. From Ecluse n°27 bis de Toul in clockwise direction:

• Moselle Canalisee
• Moselle
• Canal de Marne au Rhin
• Canal de jonction de Nancy
• Canal de Vosges
• Moselle Canalise

The Boucle de Nancy offers a unique cruising experience where the grandeur of the canalized Moselle River meets the intimate atmosphere of the French canals. In a loop of approximately 80 kilometers, boaters discover the sharp contrasts between the massive locks of Villey-le-Sec and the historic charm of the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, culminating in a visit to the heart of monumental Nancy.

A technical highlight of the loop is the Canal de Jonction de Nancy. This 10-kilometer waterway features 18 locks, bridging a significant elevation change between the Meurthe and the Moselle rivers. It is a feat of hydraulic engineering where the classic Freycinet dimensions (38.5m x 5.1m) are the standard, providing a fascinating contrast to the nearby river locks that can handle vessels up to 187 meters long. NOTICE: On this 10 km stretch there are hardly any mooring places, besides those at the locks! You have to be aware of this, taking your fuel and food in consideration!

Starting from the zero point in Toul, where the Moselle and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin converge, navigators travel through a landscape steeped in history. From Vauban’s fortifications in Toul to the UNESCO-listed Place Stanislas in Nancy, the route offers a perfect balance between relaxed river cruising and active lock navigation, supported by a modern network of marinas like Port de France and Nancy-Saint-Georges. Those are the only larger marina's. The others along the route are truly just bare mooring places.

What are the options of this loop?

This loop is just fun to do, but can also serve as a detour route. When the route from Toul, downstream towards Frouard is blocked, or between Frouard and Nancy, you can still take this route counter-clockwise and continue towards Strasbourg. So it is not only just a loop but it also provides additional function.

Navigate the Boucle de Nancy (Nancy Loop)

What about KM?

Attention! This section uses it's own KM counter. In the notes of each object will be the name of the original waterway and the official PK of that object in that waterway. We only used this to be able to document the circle as one single "route"

The route of today

On this route, you will pass the objects:

The route of today

On this route, you will pass the objects:

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Our upgrade plans.