My summary

Video summary

Cycling on an old railroad line

Have you heard of the velorail? The idea is to travel along an old railroad line on large carts equipped with wheels and pedals: you can pedal along disused railroad lines. It’s a great way to make the most of existing infrastructure, which has been decommissioned by the SNCF so that it doesn’t fall into disuse! I’d already had a chance to try out the concept at Vélorail Sud Alsace and Vélorail de la Vallée du Spin, in neighboring Moselle.

The Vélorail du Pays Secret is located in Drulingen, Alsace Bossue. It’s located on a railroad line that has been little used: it hasn’t carried passengers since 1945, and goods since 2014. The cycle-friendly line is 13.4km long (round trip) and runs from Durlingen to Schallbach. It takes around 1h45.

On the railroad track, there’s no crossing: so the velorails depart at precise times, so that everyone leaves one behind the other. At the end of the line, everyone has to turn around (you’ll be shown how to do this beforehand, so it’s not rocket science) and head off in the other direction. The last become first, and off we go again!

A family activity

The velorail is a really fun activity to do with the whole family, since everyone can take part, even the kids! Pedaling a velorail isn’t hard, and it’s even easier if you opt for an electric-assist velorail. A velorail can accommodate 4 adults or 3 adults and 2 children. Two people can pedal at the same time, while the others can relax in the back seat.

In any case, it’s great fun, and you get to enjoy the Alsace Bossue countryside along the way! The only drawback of the velorails, in my opinion, is their noise: it’s hard to talk because the friction of the wheels against the rails is so loud! Let’s just say it’s part of the atmosphere 😛

Things to do nearby

You can easily combine your boat trip with other activities in Alsace Bossue: a boat trip on the Saar, a bike tour, or a visit to the Villa.