The Canal de la Marne au Rhin.

Locations from Storm Keep

The locations in Storm Keep come from our trip along the canal running through the Alsace Region of France. We saw the area from a rented boat, starting in Boofzheim and ending in Hesse

The Marne au Rhin runs 195 miles from Vitry-le-Francois to Strasbourg, passing through the amazing Arzviller transversal inclined plane completed in 1968. It replaced 17 locks and raises boats 147 feet. Along the way were many locks, which we operated ourselves, and several tunnels.

Navigation was straightforward, except for an area around Strasbourg where the canal interacts with the Rhine and Ill Rivers. This area is featured in the opening chapter.

Several castles, one in particular that I used for a location, were within an easy hike from the canal. Using anchor pins, we were able to secure the boat by the trailheads and hike up (always up).

With the exception of Strasbourg, the towns were all small, scenic, and friendly. Say what you like about the French, the food was indescribable—and I’m no foodie. A simple hamburger is a gourmet meal. Many great restaurants were within an easy walk from the towns we passed.

The trip was a great experience, and I got some really good stuff for John and Mako Storm to explore in Storm Keep.