Packages and Rates - Full day

First part of the itinerary:

Maison Rouge-Illhaeusern / 5 km (1 hour)

• Pass through the meanders of Maison Rouge and admire the very characteristic landscape of the Ill.
• Gravel beach inside the meader where wagtails normally nest.
  Important: Avoid landing on these beaches during the nesting period (April-May).
• The meander has steep soil banks where kingfishers and swans nest – you should avoid approaching them  during the nesting period (April-May-June) as the male swans are aggressive; they do however give you fair warning by spitting and fluffing themselves up…

Second part of the itinerary:

Illhaeusern-Illwald Forest

• You can stop at Illhaeusern to get something to eat in one of our partner restaurants.
• Pass through the picturesque village of Illhaeusern, with its typical Alsatian architecture.
• After Illhaeusern, stay on the Ill. The large river (straight ahead) will carry you right up to the Canoës du Ried nautical base.
• Once you pass the sand river, you will enter into Sélestat’s voluntary nature reserve (Illwald forest), where the Ill winds its way through an unspoilt natural setting, now and again shaded by the forest. There are two to three isles which are ideal stopping places for contemplating the surrounding natural environment.

Third part of the itinerary:

Illwald Forest- Canoës du Ried nautical base in Sélestat

• After Illwald forest, the your route continues through the meadows of the Ried.
• You can stop at Hollockgraben bridge (sporty exit, high steps to get out) to go for a short walk in the Rohrmatten, a zone of wetland around Sélestat which has a bird observatory (fragile site, only for nature and bird-watching!).
• At level B10 you will have the choice between passing small doors in whitewater (quite technical) or to carry your canoe and reach the river after the obstacles
• The stretch of water (the Grossschlucht) which takes you to the Canoës du Ried nautical base is quite shallow.

First part of the itinerary:

Colmar-Maison Rouge / 10 km (2 hours) on a stretch of the Ill which flows through a canal.

Four weirs to get past:

• The first one at the launch site is a large toboggan (B0).
• You can get past the second one by taking the cascade to the right of the weir (B1).
• The third one requires a 10 m portage in the centre of the weir (B2).
• The fourth one, at Maison Rouge, must be portaged over a meadow to the left of the weir (B3, it is possible to slide the boats).

Second part of the itinerary:

Maison Rouge-Illhaeusern-Sélestat / 15 km (3 hours) on the untamed section of the Ill

• Enter the meanders of Maison Rouge, characterised by gravel beaches (wagtails’ nesting ground) and steep soil banks (kingfishers’ nesting ground).
• The next section of the route takes you through Illhaeusern where you can stop for lunch at one of our partner restaurants: «La Truite» or “Auberge de l’Ill”.
• There’s a short stretch through the Illwald (a forest in the Ried’s voluntary nature reserve, in Sélestat).
• The unspoilt meadows of the Ried provide the scenic backdrop for this stretch of the route, where you have the possibility of landing at Hollockgraben bridge (P4) and going for a walk at the Rohrmatten (a zone of wetland in Sélestat’s nature reserve).
• At level B10 you will have the choice between passing small doors in whitewater (quite technical) or to carry your canoe and reach the river after the obstacles
• Landing site: Canoës du Ried nautical base in Sélestat.