Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The inclined plan of Saint-Louis-Arzviller is a boat elevator designed to replace 17 locks in the Marne Canal at the Rhine, which took a day to cross. Launched in 1969, it allows you to cross the Vosges by drastically reducing navigation time and water consumption, a major issue for this canal inaugurated in 1853. Its principle is based on a basket balanced by counterweights, inspired by the laws of Archimedes, and requires only a low motor power to function.

The work, unique in Europe, was designed by engineer Robert Vadot, specialist in the pipeline of the Moselle. It replaces a scale of 17 locks built in the 19th century, which required constant maintenance by 17 lockers working more than 11 hours a day. These locks, full of water and time (10 hours of crossing), became unusable during drought, disrupting river traffic between Paris and Strasbourg. The inclined plane, with its 41% slope and 900-tonne ferry, now allows a 4 minute climb.

The site, managed by Voies navigable de France (VNF), today attracts 150,000 visitors annually thanks to its guided tours, its tourist boat and its small train. Although freight traffic has declined, there remains a key crossing for 10,000 pleasure craft per year. Incidents, such as the closure from 2013 to 2014 after a ferry stall, led to security enhancements, including the installation of a shut-off valve in 2023.

The Canal de la Marne au Rhin, whose project dates back to the 18th century under Louis XVI, was finally realized in the 19th century by engineers Barnabé Brisson and Charles-Étienne Collignon. Its construction involved local workers and bagards, while the haulage of barges evolved from horses to electric locotractors. The houses of the lockmen, now rehabilitated, bear witness to this industrial and technical history.

The inclined plan symbolizes both a modern engineering feat and a legacy of the French river heritage. Its role in reducing travel times (from 25 days to a few hours for the section) and its adaptation to tourism make it an emblematic site of the Great East, classified among the major sites of Moselle.

External links