MERGANSER
CRUISE ITINERARY FRANCE 2008
Fontenoy le Château to Gray: June 28th
CHARMES to FONTENOY LE CHATEAU
On your arrival at the Barge you will have time to
settle in before dinner. There will be an opportunity to visit Charmes, a
small market town mostly remembered nowadays for its pivotal role in the Battle
of the Marne during the First World War. Our cruise on the Canal des Vosges
starts next morning and as we climb towards its summit level we pass through a
wooded and pastoral landscape beside the infant Moselle to reach Epinal.
In the old town, one can see the rich architectural influence of neighbouring
regions, particularly in the the 11th and 15th C Church
of St. Maurice. Epinal lies at the end of a branch of the canal and,
following our stay there, we return to the main line to climb a flight of
fourteen locks which bring us to the summit level. At this point we are more
than 1200 ft. above sea level and our cruise towards Fontenoy le Château, marked
by numerous locks, takes us down
the beautiful wooded valley of the River Coney. There is time to visit this
charming small town before our farewell dinner aboard Merganser.
On your arrival at the Barge you will have time to settle in before dinner. The following morning we set out on our cruise along the Canal des Vosges as it accompanies the River Coney on its journey to the River Saône. The canal follows the river closely, and as it winds its way down the valley presents beautiful views of the wooded and pastoral scenery of the Vosges foothills. At Corre the canal joins the River Saône and we turn downstream towards Gray, Corre was an important centre of resistance during the Second World War; interesting relics remain of this period. Now, as we follow the course of the river we enter the remote and tranquil reaches of Haute Saône. continuing through attractive countryside, often wooded, past pretty villages such as Scey-sur-Saône and Ray-sur-Saône, which features a well restored castle close to the river, until we reach the town of Gray where the old town with its eighteenth century buildings is of considerable interest.We have time to visit the town before our farewell dinner aboard Merganser.
Gray
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