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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Port guide
Hesse — at a glance
71 boats are available to book in Hesse from Hesse. The most common models are Caprice (4), Magnifique (4), Calypso (4), Crusader (4), Horizon 1 (4) — 27 models in all. Built 1983–2025, 8.8–15 m long, 1–5 cabins, up to 12 guests.
Hesse is a village on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin in Lorraine, near Sarrebourg, and its port is the main hire base for the canal between Nancy and Strasbourg: licence-free cruisers east through the Vosges by the Arzviller inclined plane and the Niderviller tunnels to Lutzelbourg and Saverne, or west along the Sarre and the lakes of the Lorraine plateau. It is the classic Alsace–Lorraine cruise, two hours from Strasbourg airport.
Getting there
By air. Strasbourg Airport (SXB) is about 75 km — an hour by taxi; Basel-Mulhouse and Luxembourg are two hours. By rail. Sarrebourg station has TGVs from Paris (under two hours); the base is 10 minutes by taxi. By road. The A4 motorway exit Sarrebourg; free parking at the base.
Hesse before you cast off
The Arzviller inclined plane, a boat lift that replaced 17 locks, is the sight of the canal and an hour east of the base; Sarrebourg has the Chagall window in its chapel. Saverne’s Rohan palace and Strasbourg’s cathedral are the far end of the week.
A supermarket in Sarrebourg, 10 minutes away; the base has a shop, water and fuel.
A week from Hesse
Day 1 — Hesse → Niderviller (8 km, 2 locks). A short first afternoon east to the pottery village of Niderviller.
Day 2 — Niderviller → Lutzelbourg (14 km, the two tunnels and the Arzviller lift). Through the tunnels, down the inclined plane and into the wooded Zorn valley to Lutzelbourg under its castle.
Day 3 — Lutzelbourg → Saverne (12 km, 4 locks). Down the valley to Saverne and the Rohan palace on the canal.
Day 4 — Saverne → Hochfelden or Brumath (20 km, 8 locks). Onto the Alsace plain through the hop fields.
Day 5 — Brumath → Strasbourg (25 km, 6 locks). Into the city: moorings near the Petite France quarter.
Day 6 — Strasbourg → Saverne (45 km, 14 locks). The long day back up to Saverne (or turn around at Saverne on day 3 for an easier week).
Day 7 — Saverne → Hesse (34 km, the lift and the tunnels). Up the inclined plane and home to the base.
Every boat on the Alsace & Lorraine
Ports near Hesse
Niderviller (5 boats · 5 km) · Lutzelbourg (23 boats · 16 km) · Mittersheim (6 boats · 21 km) · Saverne (30 boats · 24 km) · Scey-sur-Saone-et-Saint-Albin (27 boats · 140 km) · Savoyeux (12 boats · 159 km) · Pont a Bar (6 boats · 195 km) · Dole (28 boats · 212 km) · All boats in France
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of boats can I charter in Hesse?
71 boats are available to book in Hesse: 71 motor boats. The most common models are Caprice, Magnifique, Calypso, Crusader.
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 71 boats here accept a single-day booking. A day rate is quoted for the specific boat and date, so pick your day on the boat’s own page and the price comes back live.
What is not in the price?
The figure is for the boat. Transit log, tourist tax and the APA are mandatory, set per boat, and paid at the base. Skipper, hostess, extra equipment and other services are optional and also settled at the base.
Why do some boats show no price?
71 of the 71 boats in Hesse are on request — usually larger or crewed yachts, where the rate depends on the week and the crew. They are left out of every figure above.
How far is the airport from Hesse?
The nearest airport is Zurich Airport (ZRH), about 175 km away as the crow flies. Transfer times by road are longer; most charter companies arrange a transfer to the base on request.
Do I need a licence for a canal boat in France?
No. Licence-free river cruisers can be hired by anyone over 18 on the French waterways; the base gives an hour’s instruction on steering, mooring and the locks before you leave.
How do the locks work?
Most locks on the Canal du Midi and the Burgundy waterways are worked by a lock-keeper or are automatic; the crew handles the ropes. Locks are closed at lunchtime and overnight, so a day’s cruising is about six hours.
What day do charters start?
Weekly hires usually run Saturday to Saturday or Friday to Friday, with handover in the afternoon and return by mid-morning; shorter breaks of three or four days are common — the exact times are on each boat’s page.
What is the Arzviller inclined plane?
A boat lift that carries the boat in a water-filled tank up or down a 44-metre slope in a few minutes, replacing a chain of 17 locks; hire boats use it like a lock, with the operator’s instructions.