Canal Saint Martin links Bassin de la Villette to the Seine
The Canal Saint Martin is one of the most picturesque, unusual, and romantic spots in Paris.
Napoleon I commissioned its construction in 1802 to supply Paris with drinking water and facilitate the transport of goods. The 4.5 kilometres long canal crosses the capital on a north-south axis, connecting the Canal de l’Ourcq and the Bassin de la Villette to the River Seine.
It begins at the Rotonde de la Villette, then flows initially above ground through the 10th arrondissement as far as the Rue du Faubourg-du-Temple.
From there, it continues underground, passing beneath the Boulevard Jules Ferry before reappearing at the Port de l’Arsenal, near the Place de la Bastille.
Grancanal
The Canal Saint Martin enjoyed its heyday from its inauguration in 1825 until the interwar period, although its fate was uncertain during the transport crisis of the 1960s.
Fortunately, a vast rehabilitation program, known as Grancanal, was implemented to revitalise the canal and the surrounding industrial areas.
Thus, while the canal is no longer used for freight transport, it is now used for river cruises between the Bassin de la Villette and the Port de l’Arsenal.
A series of nine locks and two swing bridges were built to compensate for the 25-metre difference in elevation, as the land slopes gently towards the Seine.
As boats glide peacefully between the slightly raised quays, you can stroll along the tree-lined paths laid out on former towpaths.
Picturesque metal footbridges span the canal, while small public gardens offer the perfect spot to watch boats pass through the locks.
The Canal Saint Martin is indeed a haven of peace for those seeking to escape the crowds during the tourist season!
A stroll along its banks takes about an hour, but it can easily be extended by stopping at one of the charming bistros and restaurants lining the Quai de Valmy and Quai de Jemmapes.
Why not have a coffee on the terrace of the famous, albeit modest, Hôtel du Nord, which served as the setting in 1938 for Marcel Carné‘s film, one of the great classics of French cinema, and a loose adaptation of the novel by the writer Eugène Dabit, published in 1929? The hotels’ roof and facade were listed as historical monuments in 1989.
Canal’s maintenance
The Canal Saint Martin requires regular maintenance every 10 to 15 years to ensure the proper functioning of its locks and footbridges.
The penultimate maintenance took place in 2016, but the City of Paris launched a redevelopment project to celebrate the canal’s bicentenary. The work is expected to be completed in 2026.
This project includes improving its infrastructure, combating pollution, developing pedestrian zones and recreational areas, enhancing safety, expanding water and quay cleaning measures, and addressing antisocial behaviour and so on.
The canal was thus gradually drained of its 90,000 cubic metres of water and completely cleaned over the following three months. The fish were collected and placed in special tanks for the duration of the work.
During the cleanup, teams discovered a multitude of miscellaneous objects that had accumulated at the bottom of the canal over the years: supermarket trolleys, bicycles, motorcycles, bottles, road signs, beds, various household appliances, toilet bowls, parking meters, and wheelchairs…
Surprisingly, maintenance operations carried out in previous decades had yielded even more astonishing discoveries, including two 75mm shells dating from the First World War, two empty safes, and even gold coins!
For example, approximately 40 tons of debris and miscellaneous objects were recovered from the bottom of the Canal Saint Martin during the 2001 maintenance work.
Directions: 10th District and 11th District
Metro: Jaurès, République, Goncourt on Lines 2, 3, 5, 7bis, 8, 9, 11
Coordinates open air sections: Lat 48.882194 – Long 2.369624 and Lat 48.870128 – Long 2.366191
