Le château de Sierck-les-Bains
Guillaume Robert Famy
Guillaume Robert Famy
Sierck-les-Bains, son château et la Moselle au couché de soleil
Guillaume Robert Famy

Sierck-les-Bains

Overseen by one of the most impressive fortresses in Eastern France

Sierck-les-Bains, nestling in its green setting, is an enchanting place not to be missed. 

The fortified castle of Sierck-les-Bains is a very rare fort for Eastern France, not only dating back to the 9th century, but also having retained its surrounding walls, pillboxes, massive towers provided with arrow slits and underground levels, and its protective side-bastions, all still in a very impressive state of repair.

Standing atop an enormous rock against which houses were built, creating narrow quarters served by steep, picturesque streets, the château, in its strategic position, offers visitors an unforgettable view.

From on high, the castle guards on watch would have been able to command the widest possible views of the surrounding valleys: Apach, Montenach and in the distance, the Moselle. The restored castle walkway allows you to enjoy, without ever getting wet, the whole circuit of the tour, which proves extremely interesting and entertaining, as you follow in the footsteps of the dukes of Lorraine.

Map

Map

Sierck-les-Bains / Thionville

1 Sierck-les-Bains / Thionville

30 km
3 h 20 min
I cycle often
On this first stage along La Voie Bleue in France, leave Sierck-les-Bains and its château built for the Dukes of Lorraine by following the meandering Moselle. Towards Contz-les-Bains, at a bend in the river, vine-covered slopes suddenly appear. The cycle route continues beside the waterway, crossing typical Lorraine villages. The inauguration of the extra-wide lock at Kœnigsmacker in 1956 enabled riverboats from the Rhine Basin to transfer to the Moselle. Reaching Thionville, Basse-Ham Base Nautique, a boating and water-sports centre set in green surrounds, provides cyclists, campers and sailors with all the facilities they could need.