Canal Saint Martin Cruise, Paris

After saying goodbye to our friends in Domfront en Poiraie, we headed to Paris where we had reserved an apartment in the 14th arrondissement, not far from Gare Montparnasse. We were looking forward to being in one place for several weeks before returning home. While in Paris, we enjoyed spending time with our dear friends, Shirley, aka, The Paris Correspondent, and her husband Jim, along with French friends, Pascal and Florence who we met when they lived in Seattle.

While in Paris, we took a cruise on Canal Saint-Martin, a 3 mile (4.6 km) canal that traverses through the 10th and 11th arrondissements. It joins Canal de l’Ourcq with the Seine, and is lined on each side with lovely, pedestrian streets.

The cruise starts at Bassin de la Vinette, and within a few minutes, we were under Boulevard Richard-Lenoir. It was a hot day in Paris, so being underground was very refreshing.

It was difficult to get good photos in the tunnel due to the speed of the boat and dim lighting.

We learned from our guide that construction of the canal started in 1805, and was completed in 1825. The main needs of the canal were for transporting goods and as a source of fresh water for Parisians. It wasn’t until 1860 when Baron Haussmann redesigned Paris, that part of the canal was covered. A wine tax was implemented to fund the project.

There are numerous ventilation openings or oculi throughout the covered part of the canal. These were added to provide natural light and fresh air.

During the cruise we passed through nine locks and the two swinging bridges.

At this point in the cruise, several of us were thinking it was dragging on a bit; especially the boy in the photo below.

Freight traffic was mostly non-existent by the 1960s and the canal was nearly paved over, but city officials came to the rescue and preserved the canal for future generations. Today, it is a popular place for strolling, picnicking, fishing and boating.

Shirley, The Paris Correspondent, booked our tour through Canauxrama. Tickets run about 25.00€ per person, and the cruise lasts approximately two and a half hours. We all felt it was a little too long, but interesting.

A word of caution; we sat on the upper deck which is not covered, and at one point about twelve of us were showered with bird poop when a flock of gulls flew overhead. It was disgusting as you can imagine. I heard the person behind us say: Je suis content que les vaches ne puissent pas voler! I’m glad cows can’t fly. Oui, moi aussi!

After the cruise, we went to Carette for a delicious lunch.

I hope you enjoyed this post and seeing a bit of Canal Saint Martin. As always, I would love to hear from you so feel free to leave a message.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia