Arzviller is a commune in the Moselle department, in the Grand Est region, 10 km east of Sarrebourg.
Its territory of 5.2 km² belongs to the historic region of Lorraine, within the Sarrebourg region, where strong Germanic influences have been preserved (in particular the practice of the dialect), although the population has always been and remains viscerally attached to France.
The locality has retained a rural and verdant character, covered with arable and cultivated land (64% of its area), but also with forests (23%) and meadows (5%).
The particularity of Arzviller is to be crossed by several streams and especially, since the second part of the 19th century, by the Marne-Rhine canal. At the edge of the Vosges massif, this new means of communication, alongside the development of the railway, has changed the face of the town by requiring the construction of major works (tunnels, locks).
Having belonged under the Old Regime to the bailliage of Lixheim, which suffered greatly during the Thirty Years' War (17th century), Arzviller now highlights its leisure offer linked to the canal and its surroundings, part of the infrastructure having been "neutralized" by the development of the boat lift (also known as the "inclined plane") of Saint-Louis, a few kilometers to the east.
With some 560 inhabitants, Arzviller deserves the attention of lovers of green tourism.
In terms of heritage, the most notable site of the village is its parish church of Saint-Michel. It was raised in the 18th century in a classical style after an earlier building was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War and the Catholics returned to the village after a temporary exile. Remodeled in the 19th century, keeping an organ from the classical period inside, the church was fitted with new bronze bells after the First World War.
We will then appreciate, in the village and the surrounding countryside, some dwellings and farms of character with the typical architecture of Lorraine...
On the cultural side, note that activities (readings, meetings) are regularly offered at the media library (contact on +33 3 87 07 96 16) and that shows or association events are hosted throughout the year at the village hall (information at the town hall on +33 3 87 07 91 01).
Then head for the Marne-Rhine canal and its tourist assets. To the west of the small town, you can see the entrance to the 2.3 km long tunnel-canal dug from 1839 to 1849 to "cross" the first reliefs of the Vosges. The structure has the particularity of having two galleries: one houses the canal itself, the other the railway line. The whole has been recently restored and facilities for the wintering of bats have been fitted out. Information on +33 3 87 07 90 51.
To the north-east of the territory, that is to say on the other side of the tunnel-canal, is the Valley of the lock keepers. Built in 1853, this section allowing to cross the threshold of the massif consisted of 17 locks spread over only 3.8 km to "absorb" a drop of 44 m. It is now a testimony to the difficulty of the work of the skippers of yesteryear and the maneuvers they had to chain because since 1969, the boat lift fitted out in Saint-Louis has made it easier to overcome this obstacle. The old valley of the lock keepers has now been transformed into a greenway to the delight of walkers, cyclists and fishermen. A tourist train also connects it to Saint-Louis. In a bucolic environment, the Valley allows families to combine walks and relaxation activities (fishing, picnics, discovery of the fauna and flora of the wooded areas and nearby ponds, etc.). In addition, information panels explain the history of the places and a natural amphitheater allows you to organize shows in season. Inquire on +33 3 87 07 47 51.
Note also that this greenway is connected to a larger network joining Alsace, and is thus integrated into the route of Eurovélo 5 which connects between London and Brindisi in southern Italy! A delight for lovers of two-wheelers... Other smaller loops are also connected to the track as part of the Circuit des Trois Vallées. Maps and information on +33 3 87 24 42 42.
For walkers, marked routes from the greenway also allow you to reach Saint-Louis and discover the spectacular infrastructure of the boat lift thanks to which barges weighing up to at 350 tons pass from one section of the canal to another! Guided tours and mini-cruises are offered. Contact +33 3 87 25 30 69.
Other hiking trails are available from Arzviller, leading on the one hand to Sarrebourg to the west or heading towards the spectacular Dabo rock, to the south-east, a of the most amazing sites in this small region on the borders of Lorraine, Alsace and Germany. Information from the tourist office on +33 3 87 24 42 42.
