Le Vallée des Éclusiere or The Valley of the Locks, and What's Left of the Seventeen Locks Replaced by the Arzviller Inclined Plane, France

 

Rabelo:  our home while we're in France

The Canal de la Marne au Rhin is 314 kilometers long. Originally it had 181 locks, and went from the Marne River to the Rhine...from Paris to Strasbourg.  The canal was a vital transportation artery for coal, iron ore, cereals, Alsace potash, wood, oil, and wine.

It took fifteen years to build the  Marne au Rhin Canal from 1838 to 1853.  The canal allowed barges to transport goods through the Vosges Mountains, which included climbing up the eastern slope through the Teigelbach Valley.  This was resolved by what was called a ladder of seventeen locks, and a level change of 44.55 meters over a distance of 4 kilometers.  In 1953 these seventeen locks were replaced by the Saint-Louis Arzviller inclined plane.  

This old photo can give you an idea of what it was like in the 1800's as the canals were dug out and sides reinforced.

Before barges had engines, they were hauled by two to four horses or mules, then tractors first on railways then on tires.  Men, women and children also pulled the barges.  It took one whole day to traverse the seventeen locks.  Another issue they faced was the fact that this section of the canal was so narrow that it was extremely difficult for barges traveling in opposite directions to cross.

One person was needed to man each lock.  These seventeen lock-keepers had to take care of the locks seven days a week for twelve hours a day.  Their responsibilities included the maintenance and functioning of their lock.  Some of the lock keepers kept cattle, goats, sheep, hens or rabbits.  Others had gardens with fresh vegetables, etc. The bargemen would barter with coal, or cereal or even wine for fresh provisions as they passed through the valley.  Sometimes the baker from Arzviller would pass by selling fresh bread.

Some of the old lock houses have a magnificent backdrop.

These locks wasted a great deal of water plus they leaked.  During the summer they needed more water than could be compensated by the surrounding small river and ponds.

A pound used for supplying water to the canal system.

Today this area of seventeen locks is a tourist attraction.  A lovely walking path has been created for people to appreciate what once was while going through a forest, passing by the ponds, and admiring the dramatic backdrop.

A little art for our viewing entertainment while we walked along the closed canal.

The stunning views as we walked through the valley.

The old lock houses are lived in, many with additions and improvements.  Meanwhile the dried up old canal and locks with their broken doors seem rather forlorn.

Some parts of the canal and locks have water sitting in them.  They look like mosquito breeding grounds to me.

The remains of old lock doors.

The lock houses are still occupied

Someone built their own log cabin?

More art

Using old metal parts for art

Areas of the old canal have plants growing in the stagnant water as well as down the walls.

Parts of the old canal still have some water.

Rotting old lock doors.

A mound of material left over from the days when these old locks were still functioning before they were replaced by the Arzviller Inclined Plane.

T

The Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane

 Here is a tourist boat plus a holiday boat.  It takes approximately 4 minutes to cover what originally took a whole day.