Welcome to EuroCanals Guides 2007

Updated: December 1, 2006

This e-book of waterways guides is intended to offer readers located
in countries around the world a resource for planning cruises on the
canals and rivers of Europe at the helm of their own vessel.

I suggest that you start with an overview of the European waterways

in “ A Grand Tour of Europe by Private Barge”. This is a slide show of
photos and maps showing a suggested route of contiguous waterways
that includes all of the primary countries of Europe which can be
reached by inland waterway (Netherlands, Belgium, France, Luxembourg
& Germany) and also a brief coverage of England (requiring a cross-
channel trip.) It gives an overview of where it is possible to go
on your own vessel, a beginning of the planning process.

If you prefer to go directly to a guide for a specific waterway, use the

Bookmarks panel at the left of this screen; point to your choice and
click on it to go there. To begin the Grand Tour slideshow, use the arrow
below to go to the next page.
.....Tom Sommers
 A Grand Tour of Europe by Private Barge
The Plan: Travel through as
much of the European waterway
system as possible, and as many
England countries as possible, without
NL
Germany leaving protected inland waters.
Belgium
Luxembourg
We visit five countries:
The Netherlands
Belgium
France France
Luxembourg
Germany

..and perhaps a cross-channel

trip to England
Our tour starts in Harlingen, a seaport in Friesland, northern Netherlands;
an excellent place to purchase a vessel for the trip.
DeHaan & Broese is one of the top brokers of barges in NL,
located on the town harbor; window-shoppers welcome.
On the top end of the barge scale, consider a 30 meter Dutch Barge;
suitable for a group of 6 to 8 people.
Or a more manageable 18 meter barge, with plenty of space
for a couple plus occasional guests.
It is even possible to be comfortable on a 9 meter canal cruiser.
It’s common to find quite a few vessels marked with a sign “Te Koop”
meaning For Sale By Owner; the Catharina was one of these.
 The dark line shows a
suggested route through NL
which includes:

• Countryside, narrow canals

& small towns in Friesland,
Overijssel, Flevoland,
Utrecht and Zuid Holland

• Interesting Cities:
Amsterdam, Utrecht,
Gouda, Maastricht

• Peaceful, slow river: Vecht

• Busy thru-route river: Maas

• Broad commercial canal:

Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal
 Many barge
buyers find that they spend an
entire season visiting the small towns
of Friesland, Overijssel & Flevoland
before heading south to
France..

Some towns will have a free quay

available, or there are many marinas
along the canals, with full services.
 Friesland and
Overijssel are the
“Land of Lakes”,
especially in the
popular area
around the town
of Sneek.
A typical scene in The Netherlands: cruising alongside a farm with sheep
and a windmill, with modern office buildings visible behind the fields.
Winter days can be rainy, or clear, cold and breezy as seen here.
Sneek

The route to
Amsterdam can include
a day to either bypass
or traverse a “polder”,
an area reclaimed from
the sea and kept dry by
pumps.
AMSTERDAM

When visiting Amsterdam it’s best to moor at Sixhaven Marina

and use the free ferry for a short ride to Centraal Station.
Water taxis such as the Museumboot are a good way to
tour the canals of the city.
 Sixhaven Marina

Amstel river Another marina is located

south on the Amstel river
 The canals of Amsterdam offer
great walking for viewing barges.

It’s possible to cruise on the canals

of the city on your own boat,
with some restrictions on size
and time of travel.
 East of Amsterdam, the Vecht river route from Muiden
south to Utrecht is one of the most beautiful in Europe.
The hotel barge “Golden Odyssey”
cruising on the Vecht
 An enjoyable side trip from
Utrecht is through the small
canals, lakes and natural
areas of the “Green Heart”
of Holland.

Follow the Oude Rijn river west to

Woerden and Bodegraven;
Return through Gouda and Oudewater
along the Hollandse Ijssel river.
 In Holland the bridges are operated by the
local government; some will charge a small toll.
 Many of the passages on the small canals
are one boat at a time, mind the traffic lights.
 The Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal is a broad straight line southeast from
Amsterdam & Utrecht, connecting to the Rhine river near Nijmegen.
 At Nijmegen a short canal
connects the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal
to the Maas river, which our route
follows upstream through the
Limburg province, with the German
and Belgian borders close alongside.

Just south of Maastricht, at the

border of Belgium, the river is
known by its French name, the
Meuse.

Maastricht
has been called
“The Paris of Holland.”
 Belgium
The river Maas enters the
French-speaking Wallonie
province of Belgium for a trip
to France in two parts:
first busy and modern, then
peaceful and beautiful.

The section from Liège to

Namur is a busy industrial area
with heavy barge traffic.

South of Namur the river twists

and turns through the wooded
cliffs of the Ardennes forest.
The Belgian city of Liège is a commercial and industrial center;
it’s not a favorite stop for barge travelers.
The Meuse at Huy, between Liege & Namur
Namur, located at the junction of the Meuse & Sambre rivers, is the
capital of Wallonie. Its most important feature is the hilltop Citadel.
 Dinant, on the Meuse, has its own citadel atop a 100-meter cliff.
Cathedral Notre Dame is surrounded by waterfront houses and restaurants.
Scenery like this is prevalent south of Dinant and
along the many turns of the river into France
 France ...in four legs:
A. From the Belgian border to
Paris via Champagne country.

B. Through Burgundy to
A
St-Jean-de-Losne, the “center
B
D of the French waterways”.

C. Down the Rhone to

southwestern France; Midi,
Bordeaux & return.
C
D. Across Franche-Comté to
Strasbourg, west to Nancy,
then north on the Moselle
river to Germany.
Waterways of France EuroCanals Guides
for France:
1. Grand Gabarit canals,
rivers Lys, Deule, Scarpe,
& Escaut
2. Rivers Oise & Sambre
3. Meuse river, Canal de l’Est
4. Canal de la Marne au Rhin
5. Alsace & Lorraine-Est
6. Canal du Rhone au Rhin
7. Canal de Bourgogne
8. Canal du Nivernais
9. Canaux du Centre
10. Marne river,
Champagne region
11. River Seine
12. Canal de la Somme
13. Canals of Brittany
14. Rivers Garonne, Baise, Lot,
Canal lateral a la Garonne
15. Canal du Midi
16. River Lot Amont
17. Camargue,
Canal du Rhone a Sete
18. Canals & rivers of Paris
 Leg A: Givet to Paris
This leg includes two very
beautiful rivers, the Meuse and
the Marne, as well as several
opportunities to visit the
towns and vineyards of the
Champagne region.
On the river Meuse

Champagne
region
A favorite stop soon after entering
France on the twisting Meuse is at
the town of Revin.
 The city of Reims is an excellent midway
stop on this leg, for a tour of the cathedral
and visits to the Champagne Caves of
Mumm, Taittinger, Piper Heidsieck,
Veuve Clicquot and others.
The route then joins the Marne river,
which passes through the heart of the
Champagne vineyards and wineries from
Reims cathedral Epernay to Chateau Thierry.
Entering Paris on the Seine, at Ile St Louis
 Private barges are welcome in the center of Paris, where
moorings are available on the Seine or in the Arsenal marina.
Seine
The “Halte Concorde” right in
the center of Paris
The Halte Grenelle is also well-located, a short walk from the Eiffel Tower
The best way to see Paris by boat is to circle the city on the
Seine, Canal St Martin and Canal St Denis.
Arsenal Marina, Bastille Metro Station
Entrance of the 2-kilometer tunnel of the Canal St Martin,
under Place de la Bastille
Northern end of the tunnel, near Place de la Republique
The beautiful arched footbridges over Canal St Martin
are frequently used as a movie set.
Leg B: Loire/Burgundy

The rivers and canals south of

Paris in the Loire valley and
Burgundy are the most
popular in France
(along with the Canal du Midi)
for pleasure cruising, especially
the Canal du Nivernais and the
Canal de Bourgogne.

Our destination is St Jean de

Losne, the base for the next
two legs of the voyage.
 The route shown has been selected to
visit the best of the area, not for the
fastest passage to southern France.
For that purpose, continue south from
Nevers directly to St Jean de Losne
via the Canal du Centre and
the Saone river.

Burgundy

Loire Valley
Hotel Barge on the Canal de Briare
Chanterelle’s cocktail cruise at dusk on the
canal bridge over the Loire at Briare
Crossing the 343-meter canal bridge over the river Allier
A “ville fleurie” on the Loire side of the Canal du Nivernais
The old swing-beam lock gates on the Yonne side of the Canal du Nivernais
A couple of 8 to 12 passenger hire boats on the Nivernais
Early morning at Marcilly-sur-Yonne
Following another boat into a lock
In the lock at Chatel Censoir
Auxerre, northern end of the Canal du Nivernais
St Vinnemer, on the Canal de Bourgogne
The port of Dijon, in walking distance of the city center.
Between Dijon & St Jean de Losne
the canal is straight and flat.
St Jean de Losne is widely known as “the center of the French waterways”:
Saone river, Canal de Bourgogne & Canal du Rhone au Rhin intersect here.
St Jean de Losne is the home of the three major brokers of barges and canal
cruisers in France: H2O, Bourgogne Marine & Luxemotor Club.
There are several harbors available for wintering of foreign-owned vessels.
This one, operated by H2O, is a disused canal and lock.
 Leg C: To southwestern France
& return

Although it requires a trip

down the Saone & Rhone
rivers (and return), the
Canaux des Deux Mers
connecting the Atlantic Ocean
to the Med is an essential part
Saone of our cruise through Europe.
river

Rhone
river
High seasonal flow rates on the
Rhone river require careful planning
and/or waiting in port.
 “Home Sweet Home”
at Verdun-sur-le-Doubs, just off the river Saone
Waterways of Southwestern France
Beaucaire port, Canal du Rhone a Sete
The hotel barge Sherborne moored for the winter
on the Canal de la Robine.
Village of Poilhes, Canal du Midi
Le Somail, a very popular stop
on the Midi
 Capestang port,
a good wintering port but always full
Oval locks are common on
the Midi but rare elsewhere
 Traveling back to the north on the Rhone & Saone
rivers is against the current. Careful planning is required to avoid
high water periods; August-September is often the best time.
 Leg B: Eastern France

Moselle river
Canal de la Marne
au Rhin

Rhine river

Canal du Rhone au Rhin

...the canalized river Doubs
Exiting a lock on the river Doubs
A lock and weir on the river Doubs
The Bargee’s Chapel on the Canal
du Rhone au Rhin, branche nord,
a short distance south of
Strasbourg.

Traveling boats can tie up on

the canal’s east bank for a
visit to a very peaceful and
beautiful place.
La Petite France, Strasbourg
Winter mooring near Lutzelbourg, Canal de la Marne au Rhin
Rental boat entering the Niderviller tunnel,
Canal de la Marne au Rhin
The Crown Blue Line rental boat base at Hesse,
on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin
A large river barge on the river Moselle,
headed south towards Nancy
 Germany ...a quick taste or a longer tour:
A. From the French border to The
Netherlands via the Mosel & Rhine
rivers or other canals.
D

D
C B. Across Germany to Berlin via the
A
Mittelland Kanal.
B
B C. Cruises into Berlin and through
A the lakes of Mecklenburg &
Brandenburg.

A D. A choice on the Elbe river:

northwest to Hamburg and the
North Sea or south to return via the
E
Mittelland Kanal.

E. An alternate entry from France:

down the Rhine from Strasbourg.
 Waterways of
Germany

The inland waterways of

Germany are dominated
by rivers, with a few
canals in the northwest
and a major connecting
canal across the north
of the country to Berlin.
An alternate route continues north on
canals into the northeastern corner
of NL, the Drenthe province.

Leg A: Mosel & Rhine rivers

Our route leaves France on the
Moselle river, which becomes the
Mosel as it forms the border of
Luxembourg and Germany.
This beautiful river twists between
steep hillsides covered with
vineyards through Rheinland to a
junction with the Rhine at Koblenz.
The Rhine flows north into central
Netherlands.
There are no waterways into Luxembourg,
and none directly connecting Belgium and
Germany.
The hilltop castle at Cochem, on the river Mosel.
A large commercial barge entering a lock on the Mosel.
 Leg B: Across northern Germany to Berlin

Mittelland Kanal

East of the Elbe the waterway is

A canal bridge (completed in 2003)
the Elbe-Havel Kanal, passing
carries traffic over the river Elbe near
through the cities of Brandenburg,
Magdeburg.
Potsdam and Berlin.
 Glienicker Bridge, looking north on the Havel, where during
the Cold War the East and the West exchanged agents and spies.
 Leg C: Berlin and
Mecklenburg-
Brandenburg

The northeastern corner

of Germany is a vast
network of canals, rivers and
lakes both large and small.

Framed by two long north-flowing rivers, the Elbe on the western side and the
Oder on the east, the regional rivers that twist through Mecklenburg-
Brandenburg-Berlin often begin at a lake and then widen into many more
interlinked small lakes and river sections along the way. There are a few major
routes with commercial barge traffic, but it is easy to find a waterway for leisure
cruising and quiet, pleasant moorings.
A “real steamer” and a modern tour boat in the center of Berlin.
 Leg D: Return to
The Netherlands

The inland route to

NL from the
Mecklenburg lakes is
to travel south then
west on the Mittelland
Kanal then into the
The Netherlands via
the Rhine or canals.

Vessels that are suitable for coastal travel can stop at Hamburg and then on to
the North Sea. And then what? West along the coast to NL or east through
the Kiel Canal into the Baltic Sea for a cruise to Copenhagen, across the
peninsula of Sweden on the Gota Canal and even into the lakes of Finland!
Leg E: Down the Rhine from Strasbourg

An alternate, more direct route from

eastern France to The Netherlands
would be to enter the Rhine at
Strasbourg and travel north down
the river. The last lock is at
Iffezheim; north from that point
there is only open river.

However, depending on the flow of

the river, it can be a stressful trip. The
section between Mainz and Koblenz
includes the Rhine Gorge, the site of
the Lorelei rock. This route will
usually require the services of an
experienced and properly licensed
skipper.
 In the Rhine Gorge, near the Lorelei rock

The unladen barge (black) is traveling downstream very fast while the
heavily loaded (white) barge is pushing slowly against the current.
 After returning to
The Netherlands, another
pleasant season of cruising
then what?

How about crossing the channel

to England?
From central Holland, the next important visit is the city of Antwerp.
Most travelers stopover a day or more at Willemstad & Tholen.
Several days can be reserved for visits to the old cities of Gent & Brugge.
Brugge is a city of canals, although you cannot cruise them on your own
boat; small guided tour boats are a pleasant alternative.
Some liveaboard barges moor on the Kanal Gent-
Oostende, which loops around the east of Brugge.
Visitors can tie up on the Coupure, a disused canal which ends very near
the center of Brugge, a convenient location and pleasant stopover place.
 Crossing to England
To Thames Estuary Nearly any vessel can cross to England,
& London
if careful planning is done and you are
willing to wait for suitable weather
conditions. Several port pairs are available.

Nieuwpoort or Oostende,
Belgium
 Waterways of England
Visiting boaters can travel most
of the Thames river and across to
Bristol via canal, but the Grand
Union Canal to the Midlands is
restricted at Birmingham &
Northampton by narrow (7 ft
wide) locks
The entrance to London... Tower Bridge
 Thames River

The Thames river from London to Oxford offers an excellent cruising area.
A visiting Dutch Barge moored near Tower Bridge
Narrowboat near Oxford
 The London Ring

It’s possible to cruise a circular ring around and through London,

a very interesting way to visit the city
Narrowboats moored
in central London,
on the London Ring
Ready to go? Details of all of the waterways mentioned in this tour are included in the
EuroCanals Guides which follow. Use the Bookmarks panel at left as an index, just click on
a subject of interest to go to that page.
The first chapters discuss the various ways to travel on the European waterways:
• Self-Skippered Cruising for one week or more at the helm of a rented boat.
• Hotel & Charter Barges, again for one week or more, with a full-service crew.
• River Cruise Ships, again for one week or more, for long-distance travel with full services.
• Your Own Vessel in Europe, for long-term travel or live-aboard on a vessel that you purchase.
The next section, “Waterways of Europe”, includes maps of the waterways in 19 countries,
useful for laying out a multi-country trip, along with details of the types of vessels and how to
use the waterways.
The heart of the e-book is in the guides for individual countries and for the major waterways
within each country. Go first to the overall guide for each country: “Waterways of ...” France,
Belgium, Netherlands, England, Germany, Italy. These guides give sufficient detail to enable
you to put together a cruising plan and estimate the time, distance and fuel requirements.
Then you can read about many of the specific waterways along the route, locating them by
name from the index: “Canal du Nivernais”, “Canal du Midi”, etc.
The balance of the e-book is a series of articles about buying and owning a vessel in Europe,
then Glossaries of related terms, finally Links to other waterway-related websites.
Don’t hesitate to write to me with questions: [email protected]
CRUISING IN EUROPE
CRUISING IN EUROPE
The waterways of Europe can be enjoyed in many ways. Whether you are planning a holiday, an
extensive cruise or a complete live-aboard lifestyle, traveling on the canals and rivers of Europe
offers a relaxing, comfortable means to enjoy the cities and beautiful rural areas.

EuroCanals Guides can help you plan your adventure in one or more of these ways:

• Self-Skippered Cruising
• Hotel Barges
• Full-Boat Charter Barges
• River Cruise Ships
• Your Own Vessel
• Walking
• Bicycling
• Canoeing or Kayaking

These options are briefly described on the next few pages. Suggestions regarding places to stay
while on an extended walking, biking or canoeing trip will be added to future updates.

To view a map, at any time, of the waterways in a particular country of interest, select it from the
Bookmarks index at left.
Cost Comparison
It is difficult to compare the costs of these various ways to enjoy the waterways because there are so
many variables involved. However, the following comments (based on a one-week cruise) may help:

Self-Skippered: The advantage here is that you pay one price for the boat and can bring as many
guests as will conveniently fit aboard. $500 to $2,500, no meals, activities or transfers included.

Hotel Barge: Rates are per person, double occupancy. Meals, activities and transfers are included.
$1,490 to $4,150.

Full-Boat Charter Barge: Again, one price pays for everybody. Meals, activities and transfers are
included. $10,000 to $50,000.

River Cruise Ship: Rates are per person, double occupancy. Meals are included, activities and
transfers extra. $685 to $4,700.

Your Own Vessel: Initial prices can be as low as $15,000 for a small cruiser suitable for a couple to
over $1 million for a lavish refit of a commercial barge. The cost of maintenance is variable,
depending on whether the owners do most of their work or use boatyards. Actual travel costs are
reasonable, since the slow speeds mean very low fuel usage; license and docking fees will be
charged relative to the size of the vessel.
Self-Skippered Cruising
In the Caribbean, this would be called bareboating; the British call it hire boats. We have decided to
use self -skippered, as used by many companies that rent boats without captain or crew. In France, this
is advertised as sans permis, meaning that the skipper will not need to be licensed (and that the rental
operator has paid the necessary fees for use of the canals.) A brief lesson at the base, perhaps followed
by accompaniment for a short portion of the trip, will acquaint the skipper and crew with the operation
of the boat and the “rules of the road” for the waterway to be traveled.

Once underway, the skipper is in full control of the itinerary. Each day’s travel can be as short or as
long as desired, with stops for sightseeing, dining and overnight stays usually decided as you go. The
only limits are the schedule of locks that must be passed through and the need to return the boat at the
agreed place and time. In some locations, the rental operator will limit the waterways that can be used,
to prevent travel in hazardous areas (this includes the major rivers.)

Going ashore for dining, provisioning or sightseeing is done on foot, on bicycles (which can usually be
rented at the start of the cruise) or by taxi (not generally available in rural areas.) In most areas, the
boat can be moored anywhere along the banks of the waterway. Many towns and cities offer a quai
(stone or concrete bank) or a port, sometimes with water, electricity, showers and laundromat available.
Boats are available for families or groups of 2 to 10 passengers. At least one person will need to be
physically able to go ashore easily for the handling of lines during mooring or locking. Initial or
complete provisioning can usually be ordered in advance from the base, however a major part of the
enjoyment of the trip is shopping at local stores or at the many regional market days. The boats will be
fitted with toilets and showers (some with bathtubs), often one per cabin.

Navigation is not difficult, since the trip is usually in a confined waterway. The base will supply a chart
and guide that will give detailed information for navigation, restaurants, shopping, sightseeing and
mooring. The better rental bases will send you a chart with the contract, for pre-planning your cruise.
What is a Self-Skippered Cruise?
A family or group can rent a boat that they will operate themselves, traveling at their own speed and
agenda. The rental base staff will provide a full checkout of the details of the particular boat, followed
by a brief lesson and, in some cases will accompany you for a short portion of the trip. After that, your
cruise is entirely on your own.
Do I need a license to operate the boat?
No, operator’s license requirements are waived for a certified rental boat. The rental base has paid the
fees charged for use of the waterway.
Do I need previous boating experience?
No. Even first-timers will find that the boats are remarkably easy to handle. Travel will be in canals
and controlled waterways, so navigation skills are unnecessary. The rental base staff will provide a
chart of the area and they should review it with you to explain your cruising and mooring options.
How big are the boats?
Boats are available for 2 to 10 passengers. The length varies from 9 to 15 meters (30 to 50 feet.) The
classic style is long and narrow, a beam of 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet.) Motorcruisers may have a
beam approaching 5 meters (16 feet.)

Where can I dock the boat?

You can usually moor the boat anywhere you like (some short areas are restricted because of the
narrow waterway.) The boat can be tied-up along the banks of the waterway using stakes furnished
on the boat. There are often mooring facilities in towns and villages, usually free. Water and
electricity are sometimes available; there may be a charge for their use. In large cities, marinas offer
docking facilities at reasonable fees.
Is it difficult to get through the locks?
While the skipper needs to be alert and plan the approach into the lock, it is not difficult and becomes
quite enjoyable with a little experience. It is best if at least one member of the crew is physically able
to handle the lines that will hold the boat in place while the lock is filling or draining. Often the lock
keeper or other bystanders will offer to take the line and pass it around a bollard.

How fast does the boat go?

Most canals and waterways have speed limits and most rental boats are designed to operate within the
limit, usually no more than 4 to 8 miles per hour. Walkers on the towpath can keep up with the travel
of the boat.

What happens if I have a problem with the boat?

The rental base staff is always available by telephone and can be contacted for immediate assistance.
A mechanic will be sent if necessary. Because the length of the trip is not far from the base,
assistance can arrive by road very quickly.

Where can we get provisions?

Initial provisioning is available by an advance order to the rental base. Shopping along the way at
local outdoor markets and stores is part of the enjoyment of the trip. Many towns and villages have
shopping available within a short walk of the canal, but in some places a bicycle or taxi may be
necessary.
How can we travel on land?
Bicycles can usually be rented from the base at the beginning of the trip. In larger towns and sometimes
at small villages taxis can be called; often there will be a sign with the telephone number at locks and
ports. Rail and bus transportation may be located near the beginning and end of the route.
What are the cabin facilities like?
Single and double berths are often quite comfortable in the sleeping cabins. To reach the full
advertised passenger capacity of the boat, it will be necessary to convert the dinette or lounges into
temporary berths. Look for the statement in brochures “Sleeps 8, comfort 6”; that will most likely
mean three double-berth cabins and the other two berths will be on the converted dinette. Be aware of
the potential inconvenience of this arrangement.
What about bathrooms?
All boats will have at least one toilet, sink and shower; large boats will have two or more of each.
Check the layout before you rent, by looking carefully at the diagram in the brochure or questioning
the booking agent. Many boats will utilize a hand-held shower in the same compartment as the sink
and toilet. The more comfortable arrangement will have the shower in a separate cabin, so that two
people can be using the facility at the same time. A separate shower stall is the most convenient, so
that the bathroom compartment does not become wet and a sometimes-unwieldy wraparound shower
curtain is not needed.
How much baggage can I bring?
Most boats have substantial storage space; it is not always in rectangular spaces, so soft luggage is
best. There are no laundry facilities onboard except hand-wash and clothesline. Laundromats will be
difficult if not impossible to find, so plan enough clothing for the length of the cruise.
Can we swim or fish?
Generally, the canals and rivers are not recommended for swimming, although it can be enjoyed in
some specific locations. Fishing will usually require a license. Consult the rental base staff for advice.
Is there electricity onboard?
All boats will have adequate lighting from the onboard 12-volt system. Power for computers and
other devices may sometimes be available onboard from the boat’s system, but more commonly it is
only available when moored at a port with shore-based connections; it will be 220 volts.
Links to Self-Skippered (Hire Boat) Companies

http://www.kuhnle-tours.de/
http://www.crownblueline.com/

http://www.locaboat.com/

http://www.franceafloat.com/
http://www.connoisseurafloat.com/

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Hotel Barges
These floating hotels offer private staterooms (singles or doubles), some with ensuite bathrooms;
others may share a bathroom. A very popular way to cruise remote country regions in a relaxed,
leisurely manner while in the company of others, a trip will cover very few actual miles but will give
frequent opportunities for tours of nearby historic sites, vineyards, museums and other interesting
waterside activities, with transportation and guides included.

Activities that are available on either type of barge cruise include golf, tennis, riding, ballooning,
hiking, cultural excursions, wine tasting and special events such as tulip season, gardens, antiques,
opera, etc. Onboard features will vary from barge to barge, but may include air conditioning, central
heat, sauna and hot tub. Bicycles are usually provided for the use of guests.

Gourmet meals, wine and open bar are usually included. Transfer by van or rail from, and return to, a
central meeting point such as a Paris hotel is included in the price.

Full-Boat Charter Barges

For families or groups of 2 to 24 that want to travel the waterways in comfort and leave the operation
of the vessel to others, barges can be chartered for your exclusive use. The captain and crew, often a
family themselves, will steer and handle the boat, furnish all meals and will tailor sightseeing and
activities to your desires.
What is a Hotel Barge?
Hotel barges are much smaller versions of a cruise ship, accommodating from 6 to 50 passengers in
single or double staterooms. Bathrooms may be ensuite or shared. Most hotel barge trips include all
gourmet meals with wine, all shore excursions (land transportation is provided), open bar, bicycles
for guest use and other amenities such as hot tub and exercise equipment.

What is a Full-Boat Charter Cruise?

Hotel Barges may be booked exclusively by a single family or group; some barges accept only full-
boat charters. Activities and excursions will be tailored to the desires of the group.

How long are the trips and how fast does the barge travel?
One-week trips are the most common, traveling 60 to 120 kilometers (37 to 74 miles) at a rate of
speed equivalent to a brisk walking pace. The barges do not travel at night, nor do they usually travel
throughout the day; daytime stops are planned for shore excursions. Frequently passengers will
disembark and walk along the towpath when locks are close together, re-boarding at the next lock.

What activities and excursions are available?

Activities may include golf, tennis, horseback riding, ballooning, bicycling and hiking. Excursions
often are to cultural sites, vineyards, museums and chateaux. Special events are planned for the season,
such as tulip cruises in Holland; garden visits in France and England, antique fairs, opera and others.

How do we travel when on land?

A guide will meet guests at a major city; in France, this is usually a Paris hotel, or at another city such
as Lyon. From there, you will be escorted by private van or motor coach or, in some case travel by rail,
to the location of the barge. Guided shore excursions may be walking tours or by private van or motor
coach.
Is physical agility required?
A significant feature of hotel barge travel is that the level of activity is entirely up to the individual
guest. Those who wish to simply sit back and relax are welcome to stay aboard the barge and enjoy
the passing scene. More active types can take off on village walks, longer hikes, bicycling or any of
the activities listed above. Physically impaired persons should discuss their needs with the booking
agent to be sure that the facilities of a particular barge will be suitable.

Will I get seasick?

No, there is no significant rocking of the barge. Barges cruise on canals or other controlled
waterways where there is little or no movement of the water. The gentle motions of the barge when
anchored at night are pleasant and sleep inducing.

Do the cabins have private bathrooms?

Many barges have ensuite bathrooms directly connected to the cabins, with showers and sometimes a
bathtub. Some cabins may utilize shared bathrooms and require access from a hallway. Ask for detail
when booking.
Are there telephones and TV onboard?
Some barges offer satellite TV, but usually telephones and TV are not available because they defeat
the purpose of a relaxing, tranquil cruise. The crew will have a cellular phone for emergencies and
public phones may be found at almost every stop. Of course you may bring your own cellular phone.

Will all dining be on the barge?

Definitely not, most barge trips plan at least one gourmet meal at a highly rated restaurant (the cost is
included in the booked price), often not located directly adjacent to the canal (land transportation is
provided.) Lunch can be on your own in one of the towns along the way.
What clothes should I bring?
Dress is never formal and ties are rare, although most guests enjoy a little “dress-up” for some
dinners. Comfortable, casual attire with sneakers or docksiders onboard is recommended. You should,
of course, dress for the season; evenings will often be cool.

Are children welcome?

In keeping with the relaxed atmosphere on board, children under 17 are usually accepted only on
full-boat charters.

What is the best season for cruising?

Cruises operate spring, summer & fall; the best rates are available in early spring and late fall.
Some barges follow the European custom of closing in July or August.
Is tipping required?
Tipping is at your own discretion; some booking agencies will provide suggested guidelines.

What about the language?

There will always be at least one member of the crew that speaks English; usually most of the crew
is multi-lingual. Guides on excursions will provide commentary in English. During visits to rural
areas, the local people will probably speak only their own dialect but they are often very willing to
communicate with visitors who make an effort to speak at least some of their language.
Links to Hotel Barges

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http://www.bargeluciole.com/

http://www.midicruises.com/

http://www.bargeburgundy.com/
River Cruise Ships
Much larger than the barges used for canal cruising, river cruise ships will accommodate 60 to 250
passengers in single or double staterooms. They cover more distance, more quickly and travel the
major rivers of Europe. The emphasis is on sightseeing tours away from the vessel, with the ship itself
serving as a means of transport and a portable hotel.

The advantages as compared to rail or automobile travel include a relaxed way to view scenery that is
frequently beautiful, while unpacking only once and traveling the entire trip in the equivalent of a
pleasant hotel with full services. These ships travel on rivers such as the Danube, Seine, Rhine, Rhone,
Main, Elbe, Po and Mosel, as well as the larger canals of Holland and Belgium.

Grand Canal d’Alsace

(Rhine river)
 Seine

Links to River Cruises

Rhine

http://www.rivercruisetours.com/

http://www.vrcruises.com/

http://eurorivercruises.com/

http://www.maupintour.com/maupin/maupinwaterways/waterways.html
Walking
There are thousands of great spots to
tie-up and go for a walk along the canal,
or into nearby fields and woods.

Canal du Nivernais
Bicycling
The well-maintained towpaths on many canals are perfect for biking along with a boat,
or for an extended excursion by bicycle from inn-to-inn.

Canal de Nantes
à Brest

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Your Own Vessel in Europe

Traveling on your own vessel is an ideal way to visit Europe and experience the culture
and customs of life in many countries. Cities, villages and countryside are often
very accessible by natural or man-made waterways. Cruisers can travel at their own
speed and on their own route, stopping almost anywhere to spend a night or a week.
You can bring your own affordable hotel right into the center of many major cities,
or find a secluded anchorage amidst peaceful surroundings. If you will use your vessel
for only part of the year, you will be able to find marinas and boatyards that will
provide safe storage (as well as maintenance or restoration) at a reasonable cost.

• Where do you want to cruise?

Most people will have a special interest in a specific area of Europe. France
has a vast network of canals and is well known as a prime country for
canal cruising. The adjacent countries of Belgium, Netherlands and
Germany are all linked directly with France; the choice of vessel can be
similar for all countries in this region. In England, many attractive canals
are extremely narrow, thus the Narrowboat is prevalent there, while in
Ireland and Scotland a river cruiser will be more appropriate.

Do you want to cruise in a concentrated area or would you like to range

further, say to the Mediterranean in the winter and north to the Baltic in the
summer? In the latter case, a vessel capable of safely sailing in open water
is needed, while still being of suitable draft and height to easily negotiate
the canals and locks. You will need to research the limiting dimensions for
the intended waterways, listed in detail in the EuroCanals Guides.
• Do you intend to live aboard year-round?

If so, consider whether you will be in colder areas and will need heat onboard and ice-
free docking. Many foreign boat-owners will use the vessel for only part of the year,
making their needs different from the full-time liveaboard. What will the weather
extremes be while you are onboard the vessel?

• What accommodations are needed for yourself, your family and guests?

Give careful thought to sleeping and toilet facilities for those that will be aboard all of
the time, as well as for occasional guests. Many boats that are advertised as “sleeps 6”
means two double cabins with a toilet for each, while the fifth and sixth passengers
will have to sleep on a converted dinette and will not have a private toilet.
Plan your normal and maximum expected passenger load and decide what you will need
regarding beds, toilets and shower/bath facilities.

• How physically fit are you?

While just about everyone can be sufficiently fit to cruise in Europe, the choice of
vessel depends on the capability of the crew to handle it in all conditions. Cruising
inland waterways is not arduous as compared to open-water sailing but a day or two of
many close-together hand-operated locks can be exhausting for some. So choose
areas and specific canals that minimize the frequency of locks, or that offer automatic
locks.
Also consider whether you will look for a “fixer-upper” or a vessel ready for use. Will
you be able to handle the physical work involved, or will you pay a boatyard to
complete it for you?
• Are you a sailor or a motorboater?
Sailboats are fine on the open seas and lakes, however an auxiliary motor will be needed
on the canals and in most cases the mast will need to be unstepped or removed from the
boat for shipment by land. Draft is also a consideration if the boat has a keel that may be
too deep for many canals. Extended cruising on inland waterways is best done on a
motorboat.
But that doesn’t mean that sailboats are totally excluded, just that proper planning needs
to be done. In the Netherlands a Staande-Mastroute is available and is clearly marked on
the ANWB planning chart; it allows traveling the entire north-south length of the
country with the mast stepped (there are bridges, but they are all lifting type and
overhead wires are kept high.) There are similar open canals in Norway and Sweden
that can be traveled by sailboat, with idyllic lakes for sailing between the canalised
sections.
• If it’s to be a motorboat, should it be a barge or a conventional motorboat?
An easy answer to this question relates to speed; due to speed limits and traffic, all vessels
will have to travel at essentially the same (slow) speed, so a fast motorboat is of no
advantage, unless the inland travel is only for the purpose of getting to open seas where
higher speeds can be used. The other answers will be based on your need for space to
accommodate guests, handling of the vessel by the crew, the degree of restoration work
involved and the aesthetics of the look of the vessel.
The primary question, of course, is how big the vessel should be, which depends on the
waterways to be traveled. A suitable vessel to travel all of the French canals has a maximum
length = 24 meters, width = 5.0 meters, height = 2.7 meters and draft = 1.2 meters. There
are regulatory and practical advantages for vessels less than 15m overall length. The next
step is at 20m and again at 24m, where the rules require a greater level of onboard
equipment and stricter construction, as well as mandatory operator licensing.
To maximize the availability of convenient moorings, select a vessel less than 15 meters.
• What is your budget?
There are these categories of costs to consider:
1) Purchase of a vessel; the range is US$50,000 to US$450,000.
2) Maintenance and restoration of the vessel; these costs must be researched for each vessel.
3) Waterways fees; these vary widely, in France they range from 80 euros to 458 euros per
year, depending on the size (length X width) of the vessel.
4) Operating costs; they can be surprisingly low, as fuel usage is generally very low and
moorings can often be found at no cost.
5) Liveaboard expenses; these will vary with the season and the location.
These parameters will affect not only your choice of the size and type of vessel, but also the
area that will be selected for cruising.
• Will you search through a broker or for-sale-by-owner advertisements?
Probably a combination of both; a preliminary search can be done on the Internet or in
various magazines published in Europe. This will turn up vessels of interest that are
advertised for sale by both brokers and private owners. During a personal visit to Europe,
even a drive along certain waterways may result in finding something of the desired type.

Brokers often have their own website with photos and detailed information on vessels for
sale. In magazines they will show photos, descriptions and prices. In the section “Buying a
barge in The Netherlands” and “... in France” we report on individual brokers, regarding the
types of vessels that they offer, their office location and vessels on display, as well as some
judgement of their reliability based on the experiences of past buyers. Brokers will often
assist with surveying, registering and insuring a vessel, as well as the very important step of
researching previous ownership to assure that there are no mortgages or liens.

It is possible to deal directly with an owner when buying a vessel, however some of the
obstacles include language difficulties and the problems of dealing with documentation.
TIPS ON TRAVELING
IN EUROPE
LANGUAGE
English is used throughout Europe as a second language, especially in major cities and tourist areas.
Proficiency in French, German or Dutch will be helpful, and in some cases absolutely necessary,
however it is possible to "get by" with just a smattering of basic terms and a pocket language
guidebook. The most important terms that will be needed constantly are the numbers, in order to
communicate time or money information. In addition, the national and regional terms (and style) of
greetings should be mastered as soon as possible; by and large, "the natives are friendly", especially if
you are friendly in the first place. Don't hesitate to greet people, with at least a small amount of their
own language. You will find that they will be courteous and helpful if you chat a few moments before
getting to your real needs.

In France, this means starting with Bonjour M'sieu or Bonjour Madame, or when greeting a couple use
the more difficult Bonjour M'sieu'dame. The response will usually be a return Bonjour, followed
immediately by Ca va? (How's it going?) The normal response is Ca va! This can be followed by Tres
bien!

It is the parting comment that can be confusing, for there are many variations. Au revoir is universal,
but here are a few others that we hear:
A plus tard - See you later
A bientot - See you soon
A toute à l'heure - See you at the agreed time, See you later
A demain - See you tomorrow
A ce soir - See you tonight
A la semaine prochaine - See you next week
A lundi - See you on Monday
Bonne journée - Have a nice day
Bonne nuit - Good night
TIME AND DATE
The 24-hour time system is used in Europe, rather than the 12-hour AM/PM system. Therefore the
hours after 12:00 noon (midi) are 13:00, 14:00, etc. The hour after midnight (minuit) is 0:00. This
works fine on digital clocks, however 12-hour clocks and watches with hour & minute hands are used
everywhere, so it is common to say á deux heures "at 2 o'clock" or “á sept heures "at 7 o'clock" for
afternoon or evening appointments.

Some of my American friends find it difficult to deal with the 24-hour clock, but I think that it makes it
much easier to know the current time in the USA; I simply subtract six hours for the east coast and
nine hours for west coast time. It is a lot faster to subtract eight hours from 15:00 = 07:00 than trying
to subtract eight hours from 3:00PM: "Let's see, that's 3 hours back to noon, then 5 hours more, 12
minus 5 = 7:00".

Dates are written in the format day/month/year. This causes me continual problems because I also use
the American system of month/day/year every day on the Internet. A two-digit date is no problem, in
France it is 21/10/03, but it is very confusing when the date is 9/8/03; is that Sept 8 or Aug 9? In such
situations I generally write out the complete date in words, just to be clear.
CLOSING HOURS
On our first visits to France we were caught off guard by the closing schedule of shops and restaurants,
to the point of not being able to buy food when we had planned. We were surprised to find this to be
true in Paris, not just in the tiny villages; both the supermarkets and small specialty shops often close
Sunday and Monday. Many shops of all types continue to follow the traditional schedule, closing for a
one or two hour midday break and closing all of one weekday, most commonly Mondays, but it can be
any other day as well. Surprisingly, this is even true of some large supermarkets and other chain stores.

Some towns will be almost totally closed on Mondays. Even most of the cafes are closed. However the
boulangeries (bakeries), because a daily bread is absolutely essential to the French, coordinate their
closing schedule so that at least one is open every day. In smaller villages there will be only one such
shop, so sometimes bread is sold at a nearby café or newsstand on that day, designated as a depot de
pain. La Poste in most towns and cities is open all day Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings,
however they are usually closed for an hour or more at midday.

Because small businesses are operated day after day by the same staff, they close down for several
weeks each year for annual vacations (vacances, congés, fermeture annuelle), usually in August but in
tourist areas it will more likely be in May, June, September or October.

The point is, plan ahead, and don't get caught short of provisions. If you are in one place you will soon
get to know the schedule, but if you are cruising it is even more important to be stocked up and
flexible. And don't forget about the schedule for locks, check the guidebook and back that up by asking
a lock-keeper. Be aware of national holidays; I use a calendar downloaded from www.timeanddate.com
That website offers a "Calendar Generator" for any country, showing their holidays.
MONEY
The primary currency that you will encounter is the Euro, written as the symbol € or as euro and most
commonly pronounced as "oo-ro" rather than "you-ro". It is currently being used in 12 countries of the
European Union: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,
Portugal, Spain, and The Netherlands. EU countries Denmark and Sweden have voted not to enter the
"Euro Zone" and the United Kingdom is still considering a possible referendum. (Switzerland and
Norway are not members of the EU or the Euro Zone.)

The currency is available as printed banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros; a 1-euro note is
proposed and is currently being debated. Coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents as well as 1 and 2 euros
are commonly used. For complete information on the Euro, go to www.euro.ecb.int
The euro is roughly equivalent to one US dollar, however the exchange rate varies significantly. In my
experience since the euro was introduced in 2000, I have been able to obtain 1 euro for as little as 89
cents US and as much as $1.26 US, a variation of almost 42 %! A convenient online currency converter
for determining the current status can be found at www.xe.com/ucc

The best way to obtain the euro currency is to utilize one of the ubiquitous Automatic Teller Machines
(in France, distributeur aux billets.) I have personally obtained all of my daily funds by using the cash-
dispensing machines, even to the point of making several withdrawals to obtain cash that I then
deposited in my French bank account (the fees are substantially less than for an electronic transfer
directly to the account, and the exchange rate is good.)

Note that a decimal comma is used instead of decimal point, while the point (dot) is used to separate
thousands; for example: 1.980,20 € = one thousand nine hundred eighty euros and 20 cents. 4,42€ =
four euros and forty-two cents
CREDIT CARDS
"Foreign" credit cards (that is, from any country other than the one you are in) such as VISA,
MasterCard and American Express are widely (but not universally) accepted at hotels, restaurants and
shops.
Note these cautions:
· Check with your credit card company before traveling to advise them of your itinerary and to be sure
that the issuer will allow charges and cash-machine transactions in those countries.
· Be aware that your card may be "frozen" at any time by suspicions of fraud, triggered by actions that fit
certain security profiles. It will be inconvenient to get this removed while traveling. (One potential
trigger that may freeze your account is to have a charge processed in your own country, say a normal
monthly billing, on the same day that you make a charge in Europe.)
· Shops that will accept a VISA/MC from their own country may not accept foreign cards of the same
brand (for instance, 24-hr self-service fuel stations will accept only local cards.)
BANKING
If you intend to have your own vessel in Europe or will be making frequent trips, financial
transactions will be made much easier by opening a bank account in the country where you expect to
spend most of your time, or even accounts in several countries. Opening an account will be difficult or
impossible unless you have a residence address in each country. If you are buying a vessel through a
broker, perhaps he can help with his banking contacts.

One Dutch bank, ABN-AMRO, offers many services to clients from other countries and comes highly
recommended by those who have purchased vessels in the Netherlands. They have an informative
website at https://www.abnamro.nl/nl/particulier/engels_expats.html

Residents of Ireland or the UK should investigate Britline:

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TAXES
That is, Value-Added Taxes (similar to sales taxes in the USA), not income or property taxes that may be
due in Europe; this report assumes that you are here to spend money, not earn it, and also doesn't cover
residential property that you may purchase.

VAT (in French, TVA) is included in the sales price of all items, so the price shown on a tag is the final
price; it is not added on top of the total at checkout, as is common in the USA. But the tax amount is
shown separately on all receipts, invoices and printed advertisements, by including both the HT and TTC
amounts. HT stands for Hors Taxes meaning "outside of taxes"; TTC stands for Touts Taxes Compris,
meaning "all taxes included".

The tax rate varies by country; in France it is a rather shocking 19.6%, however it applies only at the time
of first sale. All used items (including boats!) are not taxed when resold.
TIPPING
This is a question that arises frequently. The general answer is that most of the time a percentage fee for
service has already been included in the bill. It is common to directly give the server a very small
amount, usually the small change returned by the cashier, if the service warrants it. 5% of the bill is
reasonable, or 10% for good service; 15 or 20% as is common in the USA would be over-tipping.
Sometimes the coins are placed in a jar or box, either by the customer or the clerk, so that the entire
staff shares tips.

When personal services are performed without a specific charge, such as by a lock-keeper or porter, a
small tip is appropriate. "Small" means one or two euros, five euros would be a big tip. Or, of course,
tip with cigarettes, drinks, candies, or other items rather than cash. You will almost never see anyone
waiting for a tip, certainly not with a palm extended. Tips are truly optional and are appreciated but not
expected or demanded.
PASSPORTS, VISAS, BORDER CHECKS
With the exception of a few travelers who choose to cross the English Channel or North Sea between
Britain and the continent, cruising the inland waterways of Europe is most commonly done in, and
among, the countries of France, Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. Crossing the borders between
these countries became much easier in 1995 when the Schengen treaty was signed, eliminating border
checks at the common borders of 15 countries. Visitors can travel freely across these borders after
clearing through Customs and Immigration procedures at the point of first arrival.

For citizens of the United States intending to stay in these countries three months or less, a valid USA
passport is the only requirement; it is not necessary to obtain a visa in advance. Citizens of some
countries may need to apply for the "Schengen Visa".

Technically, the rules state "The stay in the Schengen area should not exceed 90 days in a 6 month
period." For longer stays, a visa may be required. Regardless of which country you first enter, you
should apply for a long-stay visa valid in the country where you will be spending the most time. You do
this by contacting their embassy in your country of residence, BEFORE traveling to Europe.

The name "Schengen" originates from a small town in Luxembourg where the treaty was signed. The
fifteen Schengen countries are: Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy,
Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. All of these countries except
Norway and Iceland are European Union members. Note that the United Kingdom is not included.

Full details, and an application form, are available at www.eurovisa.info/

PASSPORTS, VISAS, BORDER CHECKS
The requirements for a long-stay visa vary slightly by country, however they generally include:

· Passport with a validity date that extends at least 3 months past the end of your intended stay
· Proof of sufficient funds to cover the cost of your intended stay
· Medical Insurance valid in the countries that you will visit
· A return airline ticket
· Police report from your home jurisdiction showing a clean record

It is possible that some of these items may be demanded at the time of entry or in the event of an
incident attracting the attention of an authority, regardless of the length of your intended stay or visa
status. Some visitors, however, enter on their passport and simply "stay over" beyond the 90-day limit.
No authority will be "checking up" on you, your presence will not be officially noted unless there is an
incident that requires interaction with the authorities.

When crossing a border aboard a vessel, it will be necessary in most cases to stop and present the
vessel's documents, including insurance certificate, and pay any waterway-usage fees that may be
appropriate, but your passport/visa (as well as your skipper's license) will not normally be requested.
You should, of course, keep your passport handy, as well as any skipper's license or documents attesting
to your boat-handling skills.
PETS ONBOARD
Or more specifically, DOGS; I have no experience with cats or other types of pets . We have a Tibetan
Terrier, Johnnie, now 13 years old. He has made six transatlantic flights, three entries into France, and
has traveled along with us in countries from The Netherlands through France, Germany, Belgium,
Switzerland and Italy, with absolutely no problems and not a single question, not ever, from any
border authority. We have never been asked for any documentation whatsoever (in Europe), although
we have always been cautious enough to obtain a veterinarian's certificate of good health and he has
always had a current rabies vaccination (which he would have needed in the USA in any case.) On
each of his two return trips to the USA, an inspector has asked to see his rabies certificate; on one trip,
the current certificate was entirely in French but was accepted with only minor delay in locating and
translating the proper words (the inspector accepted my translation.)

The flights have all been on Air France or their partners Delta and Continental; Air France is noted for
being dog friendly, the partners somewhat less so. Continental required that he be shipped as air cargo,
with substantially more paperwork and cost. On other flights, he traveled as "Excess Baggage", an
unpleasant term but one that reduces the hassle and cost. We turn him over to an agent at the ticket
counter at the last possible minute, after paying a fee of about $80, and then collect him at the baggage
pickup area. On arrival in France, an official has never inspected him nor have we had to present our
papers. We simply take over from a baggage handler, with our thanks for their courtesy and assistance.
The airline may refuse to transport a dog, however, if the destination or stopover airport will be too
cold or too hot; inquire with your airline for their rules.

When traveling in Europe, he has been welcome in nearly all hotels, restaurants and shops. When dogs
aren't welcome there is usually a sign posted at the entrance, or a note in the guidebook listing. Many
hotels will charge an extra daily fee of 5 to 10 euros. Most companies that rent self-skippered boats
will allow dogs, again with an extra fee.
PETS ONBOARD
Onboard, the major concerns are the dog's toilet needs and the method of getting the dog on and off
the vessel. Some owners furnish a designated area of Astroturf or carpet onboard, available for the dog
to use at any time, however an advantage of inland waterway cruising is that stops are more frequent
and convenient, allowing the dog to go ashore for relief.

Getting on and off can be a problem, and is dangerous if the dog should fall between the boat and a
wall, or into a lock. You will need to work this out with your dog; perhaps it will have to be restrained
during mooring or locking. Our dog is very well behaved, but is too anxious to leap off when we
approach a dock or wall, so his leash is clipped on at that time. A life jacket made for dogs is a good
item to have, or at least a shoulder harness rather than just a neck collar, so that a boathook can be
used to pluck the dog from the water if it has gone overboard. As much as you may love your pet, it
would be dangerous and unwise to go into the water yourself to rescue it.

If you have a pet that is your constant companion, there is no reason not to let it have the same fun that
you are having while cruising the waterways of Europe.

It is important to note that a quarantine period is ONLY required in the United Kingdom; the countries
on the continent have no such requirement.

For information regarding other animals, consult the websites referenced on the following page.
Check with your airline for details regarding their requirements for documentation and the acceptable
type of crate. Small dogs (less than 5 kg/11 lbs) may be allowed at your seat.
PETS: Entry into Europe
Because the incidence of rabies in Europe has been greatly reduced in recent years, the EU has
issued new regulations regarding the movement of pet dogs and cats into and between member
countries, including the UK. Pet owners should read the documents on the links shown below before
traveling, however a brief summary is as follows:
1. Pets must be identified by a tattoo or implanted microchip, with documents that relate the tatoo or
microchip identification number to the owner's name and address. Beginning in 2012, only
microchips will be accepted.
2. The microchip must meet ISO standard Annex A, 2.1, ISO # 11785 (website: www.iso.ch). The
HomeAgain microchip from AKC Companion Animal Recovery, which is manufactured in
compliance with Annex A, 2.1, ISO # 11785 meets the requirements. (If you are not sure if the chip
complies, then you should purchase and carry with you a scanner that works.)
3. The United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland (along with other
countries) are included in Annex II EC regulation 998/2003, which means that these countries are
considered low risk regions for rabies. Therefore no rabies serological test is required.
4. Rabies shots must now be updated every 1 or 2 years depending on the type of vaccine used
(rather than a blanket 1-year requirement based on previous regulations.)
The above information was taken from the website of the Embassy of The Netherlands in the United
States at www.netherlands-embassy.org/article.asp?articleref=AR00001142EN
Please take note that Pit Bull Terriers (and Pit Bull Terrier cross breeds) are not allowed into NL.

For More Information regarding UK regulations:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm

For More Information regarding USA regulations:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/animal.htm
CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET
First of all, bring a laptop or handheld computer to Europe with you from your home country, and in
your own language. If you purchase a computer in a European country, it will be difficult to find one
that has its keyboard AND its Operating System in English (it is essential that the Operating System,
such as Windows or Mac OS, not just the screen language, be in English; if you install other software,
it will not run unless the language is compatible.)

Second, check with the ISP that you are currently using to learn if they have local telephone numbers
that will connect with their service in each country that you plan to visit. If so, sign up for their
Roaming Service if necessary and bring all telephone numbers with you. If you can't do that with your
current ISP, wait until you are in Europe and locate a suitable ISP then, there are many choices
available. (CompuServe has historically been popular with canal travelers; however they have not
upgraded their software to be compatible with newer computers, so check carefully. AOL is prevalent
in Europe and may be a good choice.)

If your e-mailbox is website-based (rather than on the server of an Internet Service Provider) consider
the fact that it may take a considerable amount of time to download the web page (or pages) before you
can login to access your mail. An ISP-server mailbox will be very fast.

Wireless Hotspots (WiFi) are becoming very prevalent in Europe and are an ideal way to connect to the
internet. Many marinas now offer this service, they will provide you with a password. There are also
many municipal, commercial and private wireless networks that you can access as you travel along the
waterways. Set up your computer to search for them, or purchase one of the several gadgets that will
search for hotspots without turning on your computer.
MOBILE PHONES
Unless you already have a mobile telephone that includes both the 900 mhz and 1800 mhz bands, don't
buy a phone before you arrive in Europe, do that in the first country in which you will spending time.
Take your laptop with you when you go to buy a phone, which should be done at the most complete
and most professional mobile phone store that you can find, there will be many such choices in a
medium or large city. And in that store try to locate a competent, experienced clerk with good English.
Explain to the clerk that you wish to purchase a telephone and a phone-service contract that will allow
you to use your computer and the new phone to download e-mail. Don't let them sell you a phone-
based service that will not easily and quickly connect to your own e-mailbox; for instance, WAP is an
Internet service for mobile phones but it is very limited and may not allow you to reach your usual e-
mail service, nor is it suitable for broad use of the Internet. Buy a telephone with a built-in modem; the
modem in your computer is intended for a landline connection, not a mobile phone connection.

The easiest way to get telephone service is by buying a Pre-Paid SIM card, which will allow you to
connect immediately and will include a preset amount of usage. You can later add "Recharge" time as
necessary with a credit card or by purchasing the appropriate recharge card from a variety of shops
(newsstands, tobacco shops or supermarkets.) You can then buy a similar SIM card in each new
country, if your current card doesn't work there or is too expensive because of "Roaming" charges.
Instead of a pre-paid SIM card, you can sign up for a monthly-billed account with roaming service
throughout Europe through major companies such as Vodaphone or Orange. However, it will be
difficult to arrange a monthly-service telephone contract without a local residence address (confirmed
with utility-bill receipts in your name) and/or a local bank account. A pre-paid SIM card in each
country is quick and easy, and may be cheaper than roaming service throughout Europe from a single
provider. Some services will give a substantial discount for calls to a single pre-selected number, so it
may be a good idea to use the number of your ISP dial-up. You will need only one dial-up number to
use throughout the coverage area of your SIM card or account; charges are not based on distance.
 AUSTRIA CZECH REPUBLIC

SLOVAKIA
GERMANY Linz
VIENNA
Donau/Danube

HUNGARY
SWIT
ZERL
AND

ITALY
SLOVENIA CROATIA
 NETHERLANDS
BELGIUM

GERMANY
Zeebrugge Terneuzen
Turnhout
Oostende Schoten Dessel
Brugge Antwerpen Bocholt
Nieuwpoort
Gent

Roeselare Deinze
Vlaanderen
Ieper Kortrijk Brussel Leuven
(Flanders)

Tournai Ath
Wallonie
(Wallonia) Liege

Namur Huy
Mons
Charleroi
Dinant
Canals
Rivers

FRANCE
LUXEM-
BOURG

Copyright 2006 EuroCanals

 CZECH REPUBLIC
Elb
e
Dresden POLAND
GERMANY

Lab
e
Melnik
La
be
PRAHA
Pardubice
ava
Vtl

Brno Bata
Canal

GERMANY
SLOVAKIA
AUSTRIA
 Narrow Canals (Locks are 7 ft wide)
SCOTLAND Broad Canals (Locks are over 7 ft wide)
Rivers

Newcastle

ENGLAND
& WALES York

Preston Leeds
Hull

Liverpool
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on-Trent Boston
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Cambridge Ipswich

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Bristol
Reading
LONDON

Bridgwater
 NL
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Calais
BELGIUM
GERMANY
FRANCE
Canals
LX
Rivers Le Havre

Reims

Epernay Nancy
Brest PARIS Strasbourg
St Malo

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de Losne SWITZER
LAND
Roanne

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SPAIN © Copyright 2006 EuroCanals

 DENMARK
Baltic Sea
Rügen

GERMANY Kiel
Stralsund

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Swinoujscie (PL)

Rivers North Sea Brunsbüttel Lubeck Malchin

Szczecin (PL)
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Wilhelmshaven Müritz
Geesthacht
Bremerhaven
Emden
Bremervorde
Lauenburg POLAND
Papenburg Oldenburg Bremen Mescherin

S
ND
Verden
Berlin
LA Haren Celle
ER

Hannover Wolfsburg Brandenburg

TH

Magdeburg Eisenhüttenstadt
NE

Osnabrück Minden Salzgitter

Hildesheim
Münster
Datteln Junction
Emmerich Hamm
Halle
Hannoversch-Münden
Duisburg Dortmund Freyburg
Essen Kassel

Dusseldorf Dresden

Koln

Limburg
M

Koblenz CZECH
IU

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REPUBLIC
LG

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BE

LUX. Trier
Konz Nurnberg
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Regensburg
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FRANCE Ulm

Breisach AUSTRIA

Rheinfelden
Basel (CH)
SWITZERLAND © Copyright 2006 EuroCanals
 Low igatio
Na
IRELAND

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ann
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Limerick

Waterford

© Copyright EuroCanals 2006

 AUSTRIA
SWITZERLAND

mo SLOVENIA

e
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R Ga CROATIA
Milano Padova
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C Po Ferrara
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BOSNIA &
HERZEGOVINA

Mare
Adriatico

CORSICA
(FR)
ROME

SARDINIA Mare Tirrenico

(IT)

Canals
Rivers

SICILY
(IT)

ITALY
 Delfzijl

Leeuwarden
Franaker Groningen
Harlingen

NETHERLANDS Bolsward
Sneek
Grouw

Den Helder Heerenveen Assen

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Staveren
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Antwerpen GERMANY

BELGIUM Roermond

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© Copyright 2006 EuroCanals
 Rivers
Canals
LI
TH
POLAND RUSSIA U
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Gdansk IA
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Lakes
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REPUBLIC R
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SLOVAKIA E
AUSTRIA © Copyright EuroCanals 2006
 roCana Cruising the Canals & Rivers of Europe
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Waterways of Scandinavia
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Paijan
NORWAY SWEDEN Lappeenranta Lake
Saimaa Ladoga
Canal
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Helsinki
Oslo St Petersburg
Stromsholms
Filipstad- Kanal
Notodden Bergslags
Dalen Halden Kanal Stockholm
Kanal Saffle
Telem Kanal Hjalmare
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Limfjorden LATVIA
Alborg
Kattegat
North Sea
Baltic Sea LITHUANIA
DENMARK
Kobenhavn

Odense

RUSSIA

Kiel
Lubeck POLAND
GERMANY
SCOTLAND

Loch Inverness
Ness

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NORTHERN ENGLAND
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© COPYRIGHT 2006 EUROCANALS
 Bay of
Biscay
FRANCE

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ad
Gu

Atlantic
Ocean
ALGERIA
MOROCCO
© Copyright 2006 EuroCanals
 GERMANY
Schaffhausen
Rhein Bod
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SWITZERLAND Basel
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Zurich
Zur Linth
Biel Soloturn iche
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FR

Neu
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Lac Leman

ITALY
FRANCE
ITALY © Copyright EuroCanals 2006
 BARGE TYPES

Canal St Martin,
Paris
FRENCH PENICHE
(Commercial Freight-Hauling Barge)
The working peniche Cabourg is traveling upstream on the river Oise. These barges were built to
completely fill a standard French Freycinet-scale lock, at 38.5 meters long by 5.1 meters wide. The bow
and stern are both blunt and broad-shouldered, so as not to waste any of the available lock space.
 Canal de Briare

Some peniche have been converted into spacious hotel barges, such as Joie de Vivre, and many are
permanently moored as live-aboard homes. They are not common as a private cruising barge because
of their large size and not-so-elegant lines.
 Vecht river,
Utrecht, Netherlands

The rental-boat company Locaboat Plaisance manufactures the Penichettes, a design based on the
working peniche in overall appearance but constructed of fiberglass in various sizes and models. They
are based at rental locations throughout Europe and also sold as private cruising boats.
 Canal du Nivernais

DUTCH BARGES: Luxemotor

A sharp bow, an upswept stern and a gently arcing sheer line are the marks of a Luxemotor, a very
popular style for conversion to both hotel barges and private cruising vessels.
 DUTCH BARGES: Tjalks
Meuse river, The tjalk (pronounced “chalk”) is another
Belgium very popular Dutch design. Like the French
peniche, it has broad, blunt bow and stern
shapes, maximizing internal volume for a
given length and beam. They are generally
available as 16 to 24 meter vessels.
 Canal du Nivernais

Along with the hull shape, like a Dutch wooden shoe,

DUTCH BARGES: Tjalks note that the rudder usually rises to the top of the stern
rail, probably a tradition dating from tiller steering.
 Canal de Bourgogne

Aak
A pointed bow and swept-back stem usually mean that the vessel is one of the many regional
designs of Aak built in The Netherlands.
DUTCH BARGES: Platbodem

Sailing barges for the inland waterways and lakes of The Netherlands have flat bottoms and lee boards.
English Narrowboats
Although only 7 feet wide, narrowboats can be as long as 72 feet.
They are steered by a tiller on an open rear deck.
 LOCKS
Canal St Martin, Paris
River navigation for the transport of people or goods is thousands of years old, but until locks came
into use (in the 14th century) it was limited to sections of the rivers with adequate depth and no
impassable barriers such as rocky ledges which formed natural weirs.

Lateral canals are those which follow alongside a river; locks are used to change the elevation of
the waterway in steps and to allow vessels to bypass obstacles.

Locks back up a stretch of water at a certain surface level; when the depth becomes too shallow or
a ledge of rock is encountered, then another lock is installed. The waterway proceeds up the slope
in steps. If the canal crosses over a summit between two watersheds, then it is called a summit
canal, and there will be a series of locks stepping down the other side.

An example of a summit canal is shown below, taken from the EuroCanals guide “Waterways of
Brittany”. The horizontal sections show the distance between locks; the vertical steps are the rise or
fall at each lock. On both sides of the summit the locks are very close together, so the steps are
obscured on this graph.

80
70 Summit Pound

60 6 locks
12 locks
50
40
30
20
10
0
Redon Rennes Hede Dinan
The Invention of Locks
The first “pound lock”, a basin of water impounded between two gates, was invented in China in
984 AD. The practical details that make locks work as they do today was developed by Leonardo
da Vinci, who in 1495 introduced in France the apparatus L’écluse à sas à deux paires de portes
busquées, “A lock chamber with two pairs of gates attached”. Leonardo’s sketch still exists and is
much more artistic than this one (with his notes translated):

Pivoting gates hinged Level, rigid chamber floor Leonardo da Vinci’s

to sidewalls, with sketch is labeled
valves built-in and “Sa”. The French
operated from above word is Sas, for
Sa
Flow “lock chamber”.

Masonry sidewalls
(rather than dirt)

The key to the design is the mitered gates

which close tightly and are held in place by
the pressure of water due to different water
levels. The photo shows the miter angle of the
mating gates.
When you are in a lock that is filling or
emptying, the first sign that the cycle is complete
will be the slight opening between the mitered
ends, indicating that the water levels have
equalized, allowing the gates to open.
 How Locks Work:

Step 1: A vessel bound upstream enters the lock and the crew secures lines to bollards.

Side View Rise, typically 2-4 meters

Upstream valves closed Downstream valves open

Upstream Downstream
gates gates
closed open

Top View

The vessel should be immediately secured to bollards with a line

from the bow and the stern, and held tightly against the lock wall.
 How Locks Work:

Step 2: Downstream gates and valves are closed after all vessels have entered.
The lock fills with water through the open upstream valves, lifting the vessel.

Upstream valves open Downstream valves closed

All gates closed

As the vessel rises the crew must “take up slack “ on the bow
& stern lines to hold the vessel tightly against the lock wall.
How Locks Work:

Step 3: When the level in the lock equals the level upstream,
the upstream gates are opened, allowing the vessel to exit and proceed.

Downstream valves closed

Upstream Downstream
gates gates
open closed
 How Locks Work:
The process is reversed when headed downstream.

As the vessel descends the crew must “let out “ on the bow & stern lines
while holding the vessel tightly against the lock wall.

Upstream valves closed Downstream valves open

A Note of Caution:
Many locks will have a sill that extends 1 to 2 meters inside the lock
from the upstream gate. Be sure that the stern of the vessel does not
settle onto this sill.
 Most locks, like the one at left, will have walls that are
straight, both horizontally and vertically. But on some
canals, notably the Canal du Midi, the sidewalls are
curved, resulting in an oval lock. This was done for
reasons of strength; when the lock is empty there is
substantial inward pressure on the long sidewalls. An arc
is inherently stronger than a straight wall and was suited
to 17th-century construction techniques. The design is
not used on later locks, although some are built with
straight sidewalls that slope inward toward the bottom,
for the same reason of inherent strength.

Abbeville lock, Canal de la Somme

Raonel lock,
Canal de la Robine
(a branch of the Canal
du Midi)
The oval locks are attractive but are inconvenient
for all but the smallest boats. Large boats must
enter in a straight line through a narrow passage,
then "go sideways" to secure to the wall.

The trick is to steer slowly toward the wall while

watching the stern. Then a crewman at the bow
throws a line, one end secured at the bow, around
the bollard.

He then takes that line to the stern and pulls the

stern to the wall, with help from the helmsman
using reverse power, if necessary.

In the photo the line has been secured to a

midships cleat. When the lock begins to fill, crew
needs to be ready to loosen the line and take up
slack while holding the line taut, keeping the stern
tight against the wall.
On the narrow canals of Britain, a single swinging "top gate" is
sometimes used, with a mitered pair at the bottom, or downstream
end, of the lock. A narrow lock is seven feet wide.

Cropredy lock,
Oxford Canal
How Locks Work:
Operating a manual lock

Narrowboat travelers
approaching a lock on the
Oxford Canal. The previous
lock is just around the curve
behind, so it is convenient to
simply walk ahead on the
towpath.

It is not unusual that the lady

of the boat is the steerer,
while men walk ahead to
operate the valves and gates,
both of which sometimes
require good strength.

The lady at the bow and the

gentleman are each holding a
“lock key” used to crank the
valves open. It is carried
along on the boat; forgetting
it may mean a long walk
back to the previous lock,
and for heaven's sake don't
drop it in the canal.
 The lock is full of water, as the previous boat has completed its passage
and has tied up in the distance for lunch.

Craydon lock
The first step is to drain the
lock by cranking open the
valves in each of the
downstream gates.

He has already opened the

valve in the gate at right; note
the shaft extending above the
gearbox.

The water level in the lock has

already dropped about one
foot.
Both valves are now open and the lock is draining.
The beams are swung to open the gates.
The lady is closing the valve on her gate.
Only the locks are 7’ wide; the canal is more than twice that.
Note the bollards for use by waiting boats.
The boat is aligned with the lock wall.
It is only necessary to watch one side,
as the narrowboat will “just fit”.
The nose of the boat begins to
enter the lock.

Note the position of the valve

shaft at right, fully down
(closed) while the gentlemen is
preparing to lower the valve
shaft on his side.

The bow line is left handy on

the deck. The skipper will stop
the forward progress of the
boat by reversing the engine,
however there is a braided
rope fender tied at the bow just
in case contact is made with
the lock gate or another boat.
He’s afraid to watch!
Not really, he was speaking to a British Waterways
maintenance crew which has just arrived.
Ready to close the gates.
 When the gates are closed
the lock is filled by opening the
valves alongside the upstream gate.
 The lock is filling
and the boat is rising.
 Note the towpath which continues along the entire canal,
convenient for the crew but also great for hikers and bikers.
In France the crank handles are most often permanently attached. The one atop the pedestal will swing
the gate closed. The handle at right, on the gate catwalk, is used to raise or lower the valve in the gate,
opening or closing it. Although it is possible to release a cog and allow the mechanism to free-fall, this
may be harmful to the valve (or to your hand!); it should be cranked in both directions.
A crew of six is traveling aboard this
rental boat on the Canal du Nivernais;
everyone has a job to do.
In France and Belgium a lock-keeper is usually present, but the boat crew (in red and white above) often
helps with the cranking as a courtesy and to speed things along. On some canals the lock mechanisms are
now fully automated; the operation of the lock may be initiated by a photocell, a remote control box or a
canal-side pole which activates a switch. (Water is overflowing the top of the gates in this photo; the valves
are just beginning to open, under the lower water level.)
Here the skipper is holding the boat against
the wall with a line from the bow, around a
bollard, to the stern. This is a small boat
(9m) so a single line is sufficient; larger
boats will require a separate bow & stern
line, with a crewperson on each line. The
line should be ready before entering the
lock; be sure that it is outside the bow rail.

Do not secure the line to a stern cleat, it

must be ready to be tightened in a filling
lock or slackened in an emptying lock.
Careful attention should be paid to this task,
as it is much easier to keep the boat under
control while firmly against the wall than to
try and recover after the boat has
drifted away.

When ascending, it is difficult to locate the

bollards from the boat, so the crew has gone
ashore at the grassy bank in the background
and placed the line around the bollard,
before taking this photo.
 The Problem:
How to get a line over the
bollards

A sure solution:
Throw a line to a crewman,
lock-keeper or passerby on
the lock wall, who will
pass the line behind the
bollard and return the loose
end to the boat.

The hard way:

Throw a line from the boat
over the bollard. Easy
enough if the lock is not
deep and you can see the
bollard. Not very easy if
you cannot see the bollard
or if the lock is unusually
deep.
Crossing the line around the bollard is not recommended. If the boat is descending in the lock the line
may not slacken easily, and it will be difficult or impossible to remove it when finished.
This lock was fitted with only a single bollard on this wall, requiring the use of the single bow-to-stern-
line technique. If several bollards are available use two lines, bow and stern. In that case, secure to the
stern bollard first; otherwise the stern will tend to swing out when the bow line is tightened.
An excellent lock layout, plenty of bollards on both sides
and vertical poles inset in the lock walls for smaller boats.

Canal St Martin, Paris

 Canal St Martin, Paris

Here is an example of the reason for securing the boat tightly to the wall
in a turbulent filling lock. Note the stern line around a pole.
 Canal du Nivernais

Approaching an open lock. This lock is operated by a lock-keeper, who has just waved us ahead.
Whenever a lock-keeper is present watch for his instructions or for a green light. The crew of the boat
ahead will help us by taking our line around a bollard, so in this case it isn't necessary to put a
crewperson ashore.
For the skipper, the important thing here is to not hit the stern of the other boat while watching to see if
the stern has cleared the gates behind him. There is more space than it seems; trust the lock-keeper.
 River Doubs, Canal du Rhone au Rhin

Another type of lock approach, a lock as part of a weir across the river. These are often not easy to spot.
When headed upstream the waterfall over the weir is apparent, but headed downstream it will not be
and is obviously dangerous. This points out the need for the use of canal charts, so that the skipper
knows what to anticipate. The red and white column marks the lock location. The locks on this canal are
fully automatic, operated by the skipper using a remote control; no lock-keeper is present.
Most canal cruisers will utilize
a row of fenders to protect the
boat in locks, as seen on this
rental boat. But note also the
rub-rails on the stern corners;
this part of the boat often hits
the lock wall as the skipper
starts to exit a lock.

If space is available, use a boat

pole to push both the bow and
the stern away from the wall
before starting ahead. A
measure of the skipper's skill
is a smooth, uneventful
departure, with very little
steering adjustments. An
unskilled steerer will try to
turn away from the wall but
cannot do so because the stern
is in tight contact, until the end
of the lock; then anything can
happen, such as an unexpected
sharp turn into the canal bank.
Lutzelbourg, Canal de la Marne au Rhin
Gabarit Freycinet

You will see this term frequently in articles, guidebooks and charts describing the French canal
network. It means the Freycinet Gauge, the standard dimensions for most canals in France north and
east of a line from Le Havre to Lyon. (Not all of the northern canals use this standard, and none in the
south or west.)

The dimensions refer to the maximum size of a barge that can utilize the locks:
38.50 meters longeur (length)
5.06 meters largeur (width)
1.80 meters tirant d’eau (depth)
The actual dimensions of the lock are slightly larger, of course, to leave room for anchors and rudders,
as well as a small clearance on the sides. In fact, there are slight differences in the dimensions
published for various Freycinet canals. These dimensions result in a lock basin volume of 450 cubic
meters, suitable for one barge displacing 300 tons of water.

Charles-Louis Freycinet was an engineer and politician who became Minister of Public Works in
1877. He recognized the problems of a waterway network that had been built over the previous three
centuries with a variety of lock dimensions, and immediately set out to begin a rebuilding project that
lasted from 1879 to 1913, resulting in 1,519 kilometers of canals being refitted to this gauge.
M. Freycinet saw this project completed before his death, at 95, in 1923. He selected as a standard
vessel size the péniche flamande, the Flemish barges. Many thousands of these barges have traveled
these waterways, although quite a few are now retired from service due to competition from rail and
highway transportation, as well as the introduction of much larger barges and locks on the major
routes. On the next page is an example; this barge is traveling empty and shows the volume of the
lock space quite well, as very little of the flat-bottomed hull remains underwater.
This French peniche is designed to fully occupy a Freycinet-gauge lock.
The barge is empty and floating very high, with less than one meter draft.
When full and operating on a deep river the barge will be submerged to
the brown waterline. The bottom of the barge is completely flat.
This photo shows a peniche in a Freycinet lock. The lock is automatic, note the lack of crank
handles as seen in earlier slides. (Don’t ask about the dinghy floating in a tank of water
inside the barge, I don’t know! Perhaps an exercise program for the skipper?)
 St Gilles lock, Canal de Rhone a Sete

This large lock is 195 X 12 meters, over four times as long and twice as wide as a Freycinet lock. Give
way to the commercial barges, who have priority, and watch for red/green traffic lights before entering.
The bollards in this lock are embedded in the sidewalls; move the line to the next higher (or lower)
bollard as necessary. There are ladders in the wall here, but it is recommended to avoid the use of
ladders in all locks unless absolutely necessary, as they are usually very slippery.
A "staircase" is a series of
directly-connected locks; the
top gate of one lock is the
bottom gate of the next. The
famous Fonserannes staircase
on the Canal du Midi is
heavily used in season (this
photo was taken in March)
and is a tourist attraction for
non-boaters, so be ready for
plenty of action and also lots
of spectators and potential
helpers who may be unskilled.

Note the single tiny bollard at

the center of the lock
sidewalls. The steps make it
convenient for a crewperson to
follow along with the lines to
the next lock.
Follow the instructions of the lock-keeper, who may open two locks at once for uphill traffic, creating a
strong flow of turbulent water. Keep the lines taut and use engine power as needed to maintain position.
Locks on rivers are usually located at one end of a dam

Moselle river
 There is often a wall or
row of pilings provided
for waiting boats,
however on the major
waterways the pilings
are spaced for large
barges. Small boats
must tie-up with care.

Mosel river, Trier, Germany

L’alimentation en eau
“Feeding the canal with water” was a major problem to be solved by the canal builders and in some
cases continues to be a major headache for the canal operators. It may seem to be a subject of only mild
interest to canal users, but it becomes a problem for them when the canal must be closed due to lack of
water to operate the locks.

In several recent seasons Canal de Bourgogne was forced to close at the summit tunnel early in
the summer. The nearby Canal de Centre has also been closed before its regularly scheduled seasonal
date, or boats have been required to operate in convoys to reduce the frequency of locking cycles.

Planning for such a possibility can be started by researching the canal routes at an early stage in trip
planning. When selecting a route, check to see if any of the canals along the way include a summit
section. If so, make inquiries in advance regarding the outlook for the current season.

When the route for a canal was being laid out, the planners had to consider where they would have a
continuous source of water to operate the locks. If the waterway was to be a canalized river or a lateral
canal (one which closely parallels a river), then the river itself is the obvious source of water. But on a
summit canal, a new waterway is dug across the high ground between two watersheds and there is no
natural river. So water sources had to be located, reservoirs created and aqueducts built.

Why is this such a problem? Because locks use a great deal of water with each cycle. A typical
Freycinet lock will send 400 cubic meters of water downstream, about half a million gallons; in Britain,
narrow locks are used in The Midlands because they save water, using about 50 cubic meters (60, 000
gallons) per cycle.
Where the water comes from
The water to operate locks must come Toulouse
Montagne Noire
from somewhere; the Canal du Midi is a
Rigole
classic example. A canal to connect the de la
Bassin de
Plaine
Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterannean St-FerrÈol
Castelnaudary Argens
Sea was first described by the Romans Naurouze
Trebes
and was wanted by the early kings of
Bief de partage Carcassonne
France; Leonardo da Vinci did some (summit pound)
planning in 1516. But construction Elevation, meters
wasn't possible without a steady year- 200
round supply of water to feed the canal.
150
The canal was begun in the mid-1660s Toulouse
when Pierre Paul Riquet devised a plan All locks between Toulouse
Carcassonne
to bring water from the Black Mountains 100 and Carcasonne are supplied from
Naurouze*
to the summit of the canal at Naurouze,
by means of a 42 kilometer trench, 50
Rigole de la Plaine. From Naurouze the
water could be used to supply the locks
both to the east and to the west. A 70 0
hectare (170 acre) reservoir, the Bassin
de St-Ferréol, was built to store the Where does the water go? It passes downstream into each
mountain water. This was such an successive lock, perhaps after being held in a side pond for
uncertain venture at the time that Riquet a short period in order to smooth out the downstream flow.
was forced to finance this part of the Eventually it flows into the sea, as does the entire water
canal project himself. flow of all canals and rivers.
 Chatel Censoir,
Canal du Nivernais
LOCKING PROCEDURE & TIPS
LOCKING PROCEDURE & TIPS
The next few pages will present a broad range of comments and suggestions for lock users. But
there are far too many variations to discuss every possibility, nor could anyone remember all of
them when traveling the waterways. So here are three primary rules to apply to all cases: Listen,
Observe & Read. But also don’t forget these other rules: Relax, stay calm and have fun!

Listen If you are renting a boat for a holiday trip, the rental base operator will provide a short
course of instruction about the boat and the waterway, especially locking techniques. Since the
operator will be thoroughly familiar with the boat and the locks that you will encounter, listen to
their advice and use their recommended technique. If you are traveling on your own vessel, listen
to the comments of other boaters traveling that waterway, and solicit advice from the lock-keeper
or other authorities that you encounter at the first lock on a new waterway.

Observe As you pass through locks, observe how the lock operates and what other boaters are
doing, both good and bad. Before entering the first lock in a new waterway or a section of locks
that are different, moor the vessel and walk to the lock to observe everything that can be learned
about the operation and techniques. Adjust your standard technique to fit the situation.

Read Charts and guidebooks for European waterways will show the location of all locks, as well
as details such as the rise/fall, VHF channel number or lock-keeper's telephone number. But don’t
ignore the general instructions in the front pages of the book. They will present information
specific to the waterway in that book and offer useful advice regarding how the locks operate.
Operating a Lock
On the European continent a majority of the waterways are served by lock-keepers who will direct
boats into the lock and will operate the lock controls. But some canals use automatic or user-operated
mechanisms. As you enter each new waterway, be sure to find out what to expect and how the locks
are operated.

The skipper should always remain aboard the vessel. You should have a standard technique agreed
with your crew, but also be ready to adjust with the situation. Establish a system of hand signals and
voice communication.

Crewpersons ashore will first assist the skipper with signals (such as which side of the lock tie-up
on), then handle the lines to secure the boat. After the skipper has confirmed that the vessel is secure,
the crew then operates the lock mechanism or assists the lock-keeper.

But first let’s define the word “secure”. That means that one or more lines have been looped behind a
bollard and are under the control of the skipper or a crewperson; it does not mean that the lines have
been tied-off, to be left unattended. In a lock “secure” also means “attended”. When the vessel
descends in a lock, the line must be free to be slackened as necessary. A tied-off or even accidentally
bound line cannot be undone and the results may be damage or injury. And if the vessel is ascending,
the line must be continually tightened to keep the vessel under control.

Protecting your boat (and others)

When the skipper is maneuvering the vessel in a lock and communicating with the crew, lock-keeper,
other boaters and sometimes spectators, it is easy to be distracted and allow the vessel to drift too far
ahead or astern. Before starting a trip, check on whatever may “stick out” at the bow and stern,
potentially causing injury or damage. It may be necessary to install a bumper of rubber, rope or fender.
Approaching the lock
This should be smooth, steady and precise. It can’t be done too slowly, for the vessel can only be
properly controlled with adequate headway. Line up your approach as early as possible so that
maneuvering near the lock won’t be necessary. One method that works well on a long barge with
rear wheelhouse is to sight down the centerline of the boat, lining up the bow of the vessel with the
center of the lock by sighting on the vertical line between the two gates at the far end.

Another technique is to watch along the side toward the wall where you intend to moor; you
already know that the beam of the boat will fit through the gates, so don’t worry about the other
side. Watch the gate on the near side on the way in, and then along that wall to your target bollard,
steering parallel to the wall and gently bringing the vessel into contact with the wall at the target
spot. Combine these sighting methods to get a feel for where you are in the lock, and where you
intend to be when you stop.

Binoculars will be useful, to scan the lock as early as possible in the approach. The first question to
be answered is which side of the lock has bollards or other means of securing the boat. Usually it
will be the towpath side, but not always. Spot the bollards with the binoculars if you can, or if crew
has gone ahead to the lock, they should signal back to the skipper. Two things to watch out for:
there may be a flow of water entering the channel from the side; this will be marked on the charts,
so you should be aware of it in advance. And check for a crosswind that may push the boat
sideways.

Who goes in first? Follow the instructions of the lock-keeper; look for red/green lights as well as
hand signals or voice instructions. Commercial vessels have legal priority, then the general rule is
that larger vessels go first. But in most cases you will be traveling in company with other pleasure
boats of similar size, so it is simply a matter of following the boat ahead.
Types of Lock Mechanisms
Manual: The gates and valves are operated by cranking a gear mechanism. If no lock-keeper is
present, all operations are done by the crew.
Fully Automatic (sensor control): Locks of this type perform all functions automatically, thus
the skipper and crew need only secure the vessel and watch the signal lights. A locking cycle starts
when the vessel passes through a radar or photocell beam across the canal, a short distance before
the lock. After hitting the beam, maintain position in the canal until a green light indicates that it is
safe to enter the lock. Other beams will sense when the vessel has passed the open gates at entry
and exit. The main thing to do in this type of lock is to observe and act only on the red/green
lights. An obvious thing not to do is to moor so as to obstruct the sensor beams. And when you get
the green light to exit, do so promptly or the gates may close.
Fully Automatic (remote control): Similar to above, except that the cycle is initiated from a
hand-held remote control furnished to the skipper at the first lock in the canal.
Fully Automatic (twist-pole): Similar to above, except that the cycle is initiated by twisting a
pole that is suspended from a cable across the canal or from a structure at one bank.
Fully Automatic (remote lock-keeper): Similar to above, except that all lock operations are
controlled by a lock-keeper located elsewhere, in a booth with a video and computer link to each
lock in a series. This type of locking is very fast and efficient because the lock-keeper adjusts the
cycle at each lock to match the traffic; often a open lock will be ready ahead. Unless you can spot
the lock-keeper's booth, you may wonder how this is all happening.
Semi-automatic (blue/red lift bars): In some locks, after the first gate has automatically opened
and the vessel has entered the lock, the cycle is on hold until the crew lifts a blue bar located near
the center of the lock, closing the gates and starting the fill or drain cycle. An adjacent red bar
stops the operation if necessary. A similar style is to use a card, similar to a credit card, which is
inserted into a slot in a control box on the lock wall. Or in a few cases, simply push a “start”
button located inside a booth.
Securing the vessel
Unless you are instructed otherwise by a lock-keeper or are locking with other vessels, choose a
location at the center of the lock wall. There may be turbulence from the inrush of water at the top
end, or a possibly unexpected strong backwash from the bottom end. But your location will be
controlled by the location of bollards or other means of attaching lines to the wall. A good technique is
to use lines from both the stern and the bow, each to a separate bollard. It is common for someone to
be put ashore ahead of the lock so that they can locate the bollards and take a line passed or thrown
from the boat. Attach the stern line first, otherwise the forward motion of the vessel will tend to swing
the stern out and may result in getting the vessel crosswise in the lock.

If a single bollard is to be used, attach a line that is longer than the length of the boat to a cleat near
the bow (preferably a cleat about one-third of the way back from the bow, if available.) Pass that line
behind the bollard and to a person near the stern of the boat. Pulling on the line will draw the stern
against the wall. But with either of these techniques, do not try to stop the vessel by pulling on a line.
It must be stopped by engine power in reverse, then the line can be drawn taut.

On commercial barges and other large vessels, the crew most often work from the barge to the
shore; that is, they throw an eye of line around a bollard rather than get off of the vessel. The line is
pulled back around a pair of bollards at the bow of the barge. Only a bow line is used, and forward
engine power is used against the “spring” of that line to hold the stern against the wall. These
techniques are for professionals and are recommended only for large pleasure vessels with a trained
and experienced crew.

Shut off the engine only after lines are secured. Remember, each line must be tended by a
crewperson or the skipper; do not tie-off the line, as it must be constantly tightened while ascending or
slackened while descending, and must be free to slide off the bollard when finished.
Bollards
There are a variety of bollard types and locations. On previous pages it was suggested that many
cruising boats will put someone ashore to walk ahead to the lock; the primary reason for this is so
that they can locate the bollards and signal to the skipper. Bollards that are atop the lock wall may
exist on both sides of the lock, but on many canals they are on one side only. They are frequently set
back from the edge of the wall, making it difficult to see them from water level or to catch one with a
thrown line.

In large locks used by commercial barges bollards that are set into the lock wall are common, as the
crew of these vessels always works from the deck of the barge rather than going ashore. These
bollards may be a series of vertical poles, or a tier of bollards at several levels embedded in the wall.
The most convenient are floating bollards, which rise or fall along with the water level and stay
adjacent to the deck of the vessel.

Uphill vs. Downhill

It is commonly agreed that descending in a lock is easier than ascending. Going uphill, bollards atop
the wall often can’t be seen from the boat and there will sometimes be severe turbulence from the
inrush of water. Going downhill, the top of the lock wall is right alongside the deck and the draining
of water is more calm.

However, be aware of the underwater sill at the top end of the lock, stay at least two meters away
from the gate to prevent dropping the stern of the boat onto the sill. Also, never tie off the lines, they
must be slackened under control as the vessel descends. It is best to have an axe or knife handy in
case a line should become hung up and need to be cut loose quickly.
Safety in Locks
Just as with driving a car, most locking operations are routine and even become boring after days of
multiple locks, but can suddenly become dangerous and cause injury or death. Multi-ton vessels are
floating inside a closed chamber with masonry walls and thick steel or wooden gates; improper
handling of a vessel can cause personal injury or damage to other vessels or the lock structure. In recent
years there has been one highly-experienced boater who was killed when he fell into a lock and another
who was severely injured when her leg was caught by a coil of rope. Pets can be a problem, keep them
tied up or closed inside a cabin.

Know what to expect: If possible, moor before you get to the first lock on a new waterway and walk
ahead to inspect the lock and perhaps watch a cycle of the lock in operation. Discuss this with your
crew so that everyone aboard will be able to anticipate what must be done.
Don’t Fall In: This is the obvious and most primary rule, don’t fall off the wall or the vessel; you could
easily be crushed as the vessel moves against the wall or other boats. Even though the danger is
obvious, conscious steps should be taken to avoid it:
1. Don’t use lock ladders. They are often slippery, rusty or may have rungs missing.
2. Don’t reach for a line that wasn’t thrown well; wait for the thrower to retrieve the line.
3. Everyone on board should either have an assigned task and position, or else a place to
remain out of danger; it isn’t uncommon to see a large party with people all over the boat.
Don’t get between the vessel and the wall: Again this is an obvious potential danger that can be
avoided by awareness; do not allow hands or feet to get between the side of the boat and the wall, or
other vessels. There is a natural tendency to “push off” from the wall or other boats; this can be helpful
if done with a boathook, but do it with great care, and don’t expect to stop a moving vessel; it weighs
far too much and will have too much inertia.
Don’t get all wrapped up in your work: That is, be aware of the ropes. Don’t stand on or inside a coil
of rope. Keep the rope in your hands and watch where it lays on the deck or lock wall. Very severe
injuries can result, or you could be pulled into a bollard or overboard.
Some General Locking Tips
First, a tip about tips: On most canals, particularly in France & Belgium, tips to lock-keepers are
welcomed but definitely not required. They should be small, one or two Euros, unless a lock-keeper has
performed extra duty or has traveled along with you through several locks. It is even better if you can
offer a small gift rather than cash; chocolates, cookies, cigarettes or beverages. These comments apply
to people with whom you have had direct contact; you don’t need to search out an operator in a booth.

In Holland tips are not common, although the very efficient Dutch will sometimes post a sign
suggesting a tip, including the amount!

You will have to pay a fee in Holland for the opening of bridges or locks that are controlled by the local
municipality; this is often collected in a wooden shoe lowered on a line.

Tell the lock-keeper of your plans; often they will ask, especially if the midday break or the closing
hour is approaching. They want to know when to expect you at the next lock, which may be in their
zone or they will call ahead to the next lock-keeper. And they will commonly ask at what time you
expect to start in the morning.

The midday break is never ignored, or even stretched; you may even be refused entry into a lock if the
break time is approaching, as the lock-keeper may prefer that you not wait out the break inside his lock.
Even automatic locks may not operate during that period, probably because they are being monitored
remotely and that person will leave for the break. The operating schedule for the locks will be shown in
the chartbook; check with a lock-keeper or other authority to be sure that the information is current.

Holidays are especially important, check the calendar for any closed day that is coming up, it may be
one that is not familiar to you. When closed for the holiday, locks will not open and you are stopped!
Some General Locking Tips

VHF radio is not generally required (although a new rule now requires it on all pleasure boats
passing through Paris on the Seine) but can be useful, even if just for monitoring of commercial
barge traffic. On some waterways the VHF channel number for the locks is posted on canal-side
signs, as well as on the charts.

Mobile phones are also useful for calling ahead to a lock-keeper, port or other authority; their
telephone numbers are shown on charts. In a few cases where locking is infrequent, a lock-keeper
may have to be called to come from another location.

On the VHF and telephone, use the local language if possible, if not use English.

Keep an axe or heavy knife handy to cut a rope quickly if necessary.

The best overall advice is simple: be patient, don't rush, enjoy the time spent in company with
lock-keepers and other boaters from many countries.
 BOATLIFTS

Arzviller plan incliné,

Canal de la Marne au Rhin
Boatlifts replace multiple locks

Staircase locks and "ladders" of repetitive locks which are not connected but are in a close series
have in some places been replaced by mechanized boatlifts, which transport a basin of water
along a plan incliné (inclined plane) or straight up and down in an ascenseur (elevator).

Using one of these is not much different from using a lock, except that the water level will not
change. Enter and leave the basin at the direction of the operator and tie up securely to a bollard.
Then just watch the scenery and wonder at this strange way to cruise a canal.

Because the boats will displace their weight in water, the total weight of a basin will remain the
same no matter the number or size of boats in the basin (so said Archimedes.)

The Arzviller inclined plane replaces an older section of the canal with seventeen locks in 4
kilometers, turning several hours of work into just a few minutes of sightseeing. The vertical
height of the lift is 45 meters.

You can visit the Arzviller lift without a boat, seeing the sights from a tourist train or a tour boat
that makes the journey down and up, with a short cruise on the canal included.
A boat has just entered the tank from the upper canal,
passing under the yellow frame; the black gate
will be lowered from the frame, sealing the tank.
The gate is in place and the tank
is ready for the trip down.
 The tank is counterbalanced
by a weight and cable system.
The gate is lifted from the exit end of the tank
and the boat cruises into the lower canal.
 Strepy-Thieu ascenseur
Canal de Centre, Belgium
Bypasses 1 lock & 4 aged boatlifts
 There are two tanks, however
each tank works independently.
These boats are entering the
west tank.
Boats enter and tie up in the tank,
then the overhead gate
is lowered to seal the tank.
 The tank is lifted by multiple cables
attached to counterweights.

Counterweights
 Looking southwest from the top.

Looking back, exiting

northeast bound.
 Ronquières plan incliné
Charleroi-Brussels Canal, Belgium
Replaced 14 locks

The distinctive tower column is for

operators and tourists only, it has
nothing to do with the mechanism.
Recreational boats waiting to enter one of the
two tanks, as a 1350-ton barge exits.
 The tank rides on railroad wheels
down a 1.5 km slope.
It is counterbalanced by sliding weights.
The vertical descent is 70 meters.
The tank begins its trip down the slope.
Text
 For complete details on both the Strepy-Thieu and Ronquiéres boatlifts, go to:

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Alongside the Fonserannes staircase of locks (on the Canal du Midi) there is probably the
most bizarre boatlift; large barges are floated in a wedge of water that is pushed up a long
inclined plane, without a tank. The water is contained in a concrete trench and pushed
along by a sealing plate.
A tractor draws
the sealing plate
up the sloping
trench, forcing a
wedge of water
ahead of it.
 The Canal du Midi at Fonserannes, near Béziers;
Directly below is the boatlift trench; the fork at left leads to the staircase of locks.
Note also the path of the river Orb (at far left), bypassed by the canal. Just beyond the
rows of cypress trees, the canal crosses the river on a large stone bridge.
Boats enter at the top

The wheel turns

counterclockwise
The Falkirk Wheel replaces eleven locks at the junction of
the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, near
Edinburgh, Scotland.

The boats in the photo above are tour boats offering rides on
the wheel.

Boats exit at the

bottom.
 Waterways of France

Yonne river at Auxerre

 Can
uro
EuroCanals Guide: Waterways of France

als
E
Page 2
The Network of Canals & Rivers

The interconnected waterway network of France covers most of the country, except for those waterways in
Brittany (shown below in green) and the smaller rivers along the Atlantic coast or isolated sections of inland
rivers (shown below in orange).

The majority of waterways are in the northeastern quadrant and form a complete network; vessels can travel to
all parts of the region through the most extensive system of canals and locks in the world. These waterways are
connected to the Mediterranean Sea and the canals of the southwest by the rivers Saone and Rhone.

The Canaux des Deux Mers are a through-route from the Atlantic (at Bordeaux) to the Med.

CALAIS
ENGLISH CHANNEL LILLE

LE HAVRE

NANCY
ST MALO PARIS

STRASBOURG

NANTES
DIJON

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

BORDEAUX LYON

TOULOUSE ARLES

MEDITERRANEAN SEA
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Waterways of France

There are nearly one hundred navigable waterways, totaling 8,000 kilometers, in the French waterways network.
To put them in context, we offer our descriptions and comments organized by REGION and by ROUTE.

FAVORITE TOURIST REGIONS

There are four regions that see the most cruising activity, particularly in the summer months. Portions of the
waterways in these regions may be overcrowded during the prime vacation weeks from July 14 until the end of
August. The regions are ranked on the basis of the number of hotel barges and rental boat bases that operate
along these canals and rivers.

Burgundy
Burgundy is not only the geographical center of the French waterways, it is the most popular area for holiday
cruises or for extended visits by vessels traveling through from North to South. Notice also that the third and
fourth ranked regions directly adjoin Burgundy. Refer to our reports on the Canal Du Nivernais and the Canal
de Bourgogne. On the southern side of Burgundy the Canal de Roanne à Digoin leads to a dead-end near the
source of the river Loire, a popular short cruise.

Southern France
Rivaling Burgundy as the leading region for inland pleasure boating, the Canal du Midi and the waterways of
the Camargue along the southern coast offer a longer cruising season (some facilities are open year-around.)
The landscape is typically Mediterranean, with abundant vineyards, cypresses, pine trees and glorious flowers.
Here cruisers can combine exhilarating natural areas and beaches with visits to historic towns and cities.

Franche-Comté
The canals and rivers passing through this region east of Burgundy often carry through-travelers; the unending
forests and rocky cliffs draw holiday cruisers as well. Rental-boat bases are plentiful. The official name for the
Canal du Rhône au Rhin is descriptive, it does connect the river Rhône to the river Rhine, but for 145 km
between Dole and Montbeliard it mostly follows the course of the river Doubs past wooded slopes and out-
croppings of rocks. Thus this prime cruising area is commonly called "Doubs".

Similarly, if you are to cruise up the Petite Saône from St-Symphorien, you will come to the bureaucratically
named Canal de l'Est - Branche Sud; users call the stretch from Corre to Epinal Canal des Vosges, as it leads
into the foothills of the Vosges mountain region.

Both of these river valleys are attractive natural areas, with just enough towns and small cities to provide services
and interesting stops.

Loiret
The junction of the Canal de Briare with the river Loire, just outside the northwestern corner of Burgundy, is the
center of this region that ranks fourth in cruising interest. It is a popular hotel barge route and excellent for self-
skippered trips. The spectacular canal bridge at Briare is often pictured in books and brochures. Refer to the
guide Canaux du Centre.
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Waterways of France

THROUGH ROUTES
Many vessels pass through France on their way to a destination, often moving from the English Channel or
Belgium/Holland/Germany to the Mediterranean Sea, or vice-versa. (Refer to the table on page 9 for details.)

Bourbonnais:
From the Seine at St. Mammes, the Canal du Loing and the Canal de Briare lead to the Loire Valley and form the
Bourbonnais Route, along with Canal latéral à la Loire and Canal du Centre, as they curve around the western
and southern edge of Burgundy.
Positives: not too many locks, best facilities & moorings, good height; quickest route.
Negative: scenery not as spectacular.

Burgundy:
The River Yonne connects the Seine with the Canal de Bourgogne, an alternative to the Bourbonnais Route.
Positives: spectacular scenery through Burgundy, most enjoyable cruising.
Negative: high density of locks in central Canal de Bourgogne; recently closed in summer due to lack of water.

Marne:
The River Marne provides a route from Paris to the east, connecting with canals and rivers heading south through
endless forests and isolated territory.
Positives: tranquility, scenery, visits to the Champagne region.
Negatives: prone to water shortage in dry summers.

Calais:
The above routes assume an entry at Le Havre, but many vessels enter instead at Calais or Dunkirk.
Positives: closest to England, shortest route.
Negatives: many locks, northern area has a maze of not very attractive canals.

Meuse/Maas:
The River Meuse begins in east-central France and flows to the North Sea through Belgium and Holland, where
it is called the Maas. It is a favored route for vessels headed to France. If you were to buy a vessel in Holland,
this is a recommended route to bring it south.

Brittany:
The Canal d'Ille et Rance connects with the River Vilaine to provide a route south from St. Malo across
the mainland end of the peninsula of Brtittany. Sailboaters in paricular often use this route to travel from the
English Channel to the Bay of Biscay, thus avoiding the difficult and sometimes hazardous rounding of the tip
of the peninsula at Pointe du Raz.
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Waterways of France

OTHER CRUISING REGIONS

Northern France:
Most waterways travelers are here to get somewhere else. It's a major entry point for all types of vessels from the
UK or sea-going yachts from around the world. But there are no hotel barges with regular itineraries here and,
even though they operate thousands of boats from dozens of bases elsewhere, the major rental-boat companies
skip this region almost entirely.

Quoting author Hugh McKnight "It is important to appreciate that this is not among the most attractive regions
of France. Further, widespread canal improvements have introduced much concrete into a fairly bleak area."
The maze of relatively short interconnecting channels and significant commercial traffic mean more attention
must be paid to navigation and boat handling than in other regions (refer to the EuroCanals Guide ratings for
these waterways; all are rated B or C navigation difficulty.)

But all of this does not mean that there are not historic and beautiful towns to visit, or isolated natural areas to
enjoy. If you have reasons to travel in this region, obtain some of the excellent publications now being produced
that offer detailed advice and suggestions to help enjoy your visit. The tourism agencies of Nord-Pas de Calais,
in cooperation with neighboring Flanders (Belgium) and Kent (England) are actively encouraging more pleasure
travel in this region.

Seine:
Cruising on the River Seine, with the exception of vessels that have entered the waterways at Le Havre, usually
means on the section between Paris and to the southeast at the junction with the River Yonne at Montereau.
Here the waterways of the north and east connect with those of Burgundy and Loiret, leading to some of the
most popular cruising in France or on southward to the Med. Here also are moorings right in one of the most
beautiful and interesting of the large cities of the world. (Refer to The Canals & Rivers of Paris.)

But quiet trips upstream on the Petite Seine above Montereau as far as Marcilly are also possible, for a break
from traffic and populated areas. Stops at towns such as Nogent and Bray will provide any needed services; in
between, a cruiser is often the only vessel on the water for many miles.

The Basse Seine downstream of Paris is another story, however, as both current and commercial traffic are
hazardous for smaller vessels. Past Rouen the Seine Maritime is tidal. One or two hotel barges offer trips as far
downstream as Rouen. The River Oise brings traffic from the north into the Seine just at the western edge of
the Paris suburbs. Downstream from this junction, the city and its industry are mostly left behind after
Mantes-la-Jolie; the river becomes wide and white chalk cliffs protrude from forests that line the banks. A few
rental boats are available in this section, for a holiday cruise that combines scenery and historic towns with
passing commercial barges for interest.

Champagne:
Extending northeast from Paris to the Ardennes and Lorraine/Alsace districts, the scenery of the Champagne
region is unexceptional but pleasant along the looping curves of the Marne River. Several hotel barges offer
cruises that begin or end in Paris and feature visits to some of the many well-known vineyards, especially near
Epernay and Reims. A few rental boats are available at Meaux (near Euro Disney) and at Sillery (near Reims),
but otherwise the region is primarily used by privately owned vessels and commercial barges connecting through
between the Seine at Paris and a variety of routes starting at Nancy.
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Waterways of France

LESS WELL KNOWN SCENIC ROUTES

Ardennes:
Again mostly ignored by hotel barges and the large rental-boat companies, the river Meuse offers
some of the finest boating through dense forests to be found anywhere in Europe. Although labeled Canal de
l'Est-Branche Nord, the waterway generally is the river itself, twisting through immense forests and rocky cliffs
that tower above the river. The towns of France and Belgium along the way are often interesting, particularly in
regard to their major importance in the history of the First and Second World Wars.

Passing southbound through the forests of the Ardennes, travelers can connect through Champagne to Paris and
the Burgundy canals or stay on Canal de l'Est to the city of Nancy for connections with Lorraine/Alsace/Rhine
or with the Rivers Saône & Rhône to go south to the Med. (Note that the Canal des Ardennes is actually in the
Champagne region; it does point toward the Ardennes mountains and forests, but does not enjoy their scenery.)
There are a few rental boat bases for holidays in this region, particularly Ardennes Nautisme with a fleet of
pénichettes. This is an area of changeable weather, so frequent rain must be anticipated. But once anticipated,
don't let it be a deterrent or a beautiful and isolated cruise might be missed.

Alsace:
Although it's a small cruising region, Alsace can be an interesting stop for through-travelers or a pleasant week
for a holiday cruise. At the south is Colmar, a city adjacent to the vineyards and mountains of the Vosges.
The Canal du Rhône au Rhin-Branche Nord leads past German-style villages to Strasbourg, where you can moor
right in the middle of this interesting and important city.

Lorraine:
This is a region of forests and mountain scenery, often mentioned as some of the most beautiful canal areas in
France. The inclined-plane boatlift at Arzviller is an amazing experience, visited by non-boating tourists to watch
canal boats being lifted up a hillside structure that replaces 17 locks. At the heart of the mountain area in
Lutzelbourg and Saverne rental boats are available from the major companies.
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Waterways of France

WATERWAYS NOT CONNECTED TO THE NETWORK

Brittany:
Napoleon initiated the construction of a canal to connect Nantes with Brest on the spine of the Breton peninsula,
so that freight could be moved safe from the threat of British warships in the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately a
am built in the 20th Century interrupted the path of the Canal de Nantes à Brest and left two separated sections.
But the canal continues to offer pleasure cruisers a wide variety of pleasant scenery in an area rarely visited by
tourists. It is connected to the sea by the Aulne, Blavet, Vilaine and Loire and the Canal d'Ille et Rance.

Maine/Anjou:
The navigable Rivers Mayenne, Oudon and Sarthe combine to form the River Maine; 11 km further on, the
Maine joins the River Loire at Angers. These rivers, especially the Mayenne, are popular for short cruises on
rental boats. The scenery is unspectacular but the cruising is often remote from towns and main roads. Ancient
rural villages, a working watermill and a river washhouse are found interspersed with castles and manor houses
in this culturally rich region. The city of Le Mans, famous for the 24-hour sports car race every June, is located
at the northern end of navigation on the Sarthe.

Loire Valley:
The River Loire and its tributary the River Cher are often too shallow for navigation and so are mostly ignored
by hotel barges and rental boat companies, with one exception: the hotel barge Nymphea was specially adapted
for shallow waters and carries six passengers on this beautiful waterway that has served cargo and freight barges
since Roman times.

Atlantic Coast - Bay of Biscay:

A significant network in its own right, the river Sèvre-Niortaise and a series of small marshland canals known
as La Venise Verte (Green Venice) is little known but a good destination for trailed boats or inflatables. Even if
you arrive without a boat, local boatmen will take visitors through the maze of channels for a unique experience.

A week aboard a self-skippered boat on the river Charente will confirm the guidebooks' descriptions of
"beautiful, idyllic, luxuriant wildlife, rich diversity of architecture"; at Cognac you will surely want to visit the
cellars and distilleries of the famous liqueur.

Dordogne offers 117 km of tidal waters from the Gironde near the city of Bordeaux. The upper part of the river
is the location of the deep limestone gorges for which the river is best known (canoe and kayak territory only.)

The river Garonne leads from Bordeaux to the Canal latéral à la Garonne, together forming the western half of
the through-route from the Bay of Biscay to the Med, sometimes called the Canal des Deux Mers. Most cruising
activity is centered at the confluence of the Baise, Lot and Garonne rivers near Agen. This is a warm area with
plentiful sunshine and breezes; along the banks are many vineyards and orchards.

The river Baïse has recently been improved for navigation and is an attractive short cruising route into Gascony
and the Armagnac area.

The river Lot is navigable for 50km upstream to Villeneuve, then after a non-navigable section there are rental
boats based on the 64 km section from Luzech to St. Cirq, which includes the city of Cahors and the beautiful
gorges of the Upper Lot.
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Waterways of France

Cruising Guides for French Waterways

These books are written in English, unless noted. Because the authors are British, the style and context is often
intended for UK readers.

Cruising French Waterways, by Hugh McKnight,

3rd Edition. Adlard Coles Nautical, London, 1999. Softbound, 9 ¾" H X 7 ½" W, 303 pages.
Black & white photos. GBP 19.99
This is the classic guide, generally accepted as the standard descriptive work covering all of the waterways in the
extensive French network. The author has personally traveled on every waterway for over thirty years, usually
aboard his canal cruiser Avonbay. Organized by region, each waterway is described in great detail. Included in
the description are comments regarding navigation, history, restaurants, shopping and interesting local features.
Each chapter starts with a paragraph or two that summarize the waterway, followed by a Brief History that can
often cover several centuries of activities in constructing and using the canal or river. Photos and hand-drawn
maps supplement some chapters. Although there is a worthwhile, but brief, discussion of selecting a vessel and
preparing for a cruise, the author notes that "The intention of this book is to describe the waterways themselves."
He then goes on to do just that in a very enjoyable, though somewhat dense style. This is a book that should be
read first at home before beginning the journey, then on board each night before the next day's travel. Even at
the slow speed of canal cruising, it is not suitable for the helmsman to be looking at this book as the boat
approaches a lock or mooring. However, be aware that new editions do not necessarily mean up-to-date
information; many of the sections are dated and inaccurate.

Inland Waterways of France, by David Edwards-May ISBN 085288 472 9

7th Edition, 2001 Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson, London. Hardbound, 9 ¾" H X 7 ½" W, 300 pages. GBP30.
The publisher states that this book is "The standard guide to the French canals and navigable rivers, including
maps and distance tables for each waterway, giving the user a general view of the geography of each waterway
as well as a detailed cockpit reference." And I agree, this is an excellent and useful book, much more recently
updated than those above.

These two books can be ordered directly from the publisher at www.imray.com

Through the French Canals, by Philip Bristow

Revised by David Jefferson, 9th Edition. Adlard Coles Nautical, London, 1999.
Softbound, 8 ¼" H X 5 ¾" W, 198 pages. Black & white photos. About $20.
This is a book for through-route travelers, providing useful information on how to get from here to there. It
begins with descriptions of four routes from the English Channel to the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the book is
devoted to 43 suggested routes to get from Point A to Point B along various waterways. For each
section of navigation, the distance and number of locks are shown, along with a very brief (less than one full
sentence) mention of the features of the villages and other sites. At the front of the book is the sole map, locating
most of the routes on a map of France.
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Waterways of France

NL
Dunkerque
87 88
Calais
86
89
90
BELGIUM
84 83
GERMANY
FRANCE
82
85
81
80
78
61 79
Canals 60 77 LX
Rivers Le Havre 55 59
76 65

58 62 63 Reims 66
54 6 64 69
10
5756 70
68
9 11 67 Nancy
Brest PARIS 8 Strasbourg
72
St Malo 7
71
13
46 49 5 12
0
45 52 Colmar 73
47 74
51 53 14 75
48 4 1
44
50 Tours 2
43 75
42 40 3
Nantes 41
St Jean
Nevers
16 de Losne SWITZER
39
38
37
18
LAND
15
36 17

Roanne 21
35
Lyon

34
ITALY
Bordeaux 19
33
28 29
30
Cahors 20
Buzet
31 27
Avignon
Montpelier 24
32 19
23 22
Toulouse 26
25

SPAIN © Copyright 2006 EuroCanals

 uroCana EuroCanals Guide: Waterways of France
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NAME OF WATERWAY MAP FROM TO LENGTH LOCKS DRAFT HEIGHT LOCK SIZE NAV
River Yonne + 0 Montereau Auxerre 108 km 26 1.80 m 4.40 m 90 m x 8 m B
Canal de Bourgogne + + + 1 Migennes St-Jean-de-Losne 242 189 1.80 3.40 38 x 5.0 A
Canal du Nivernais + + + 2 Auxerre Decize 174 110 1.20 2.70 30.5 x 5.2 A
Canal lateral a la Loire 3 Briare Digoin 196 37 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.05 B
Canal de Briare + 4 Buges Briare 54 32 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.2 B
Canal du Loing + 5 St Mammes Buges 49 19 1.80 3.50 39.1 x 5.2 B
River Seine (Aval or Basse) + 6 Paris Rouen 242 6 3.50 6.00 180 x 11.4 C
River Seine (Maritime) + 6 Rouen Tancarville 96 0 n/a n.a n/a C
River Seine (Amont or Haute) + 7 Paris Montereau 101 8 2.80 5.50 180 x 11.4 B
River Seine (Petite) + 8 Montereau Marcilly 68 11 1.40 3.40 38.5 x 5.05 B
River Marne + 9 Charenton Epernay 182 18 1.80 4.40 45 x 7.6 B
Canal de l'Ourcq + + 10 Paris Port-aux-Perches 108 10 0.80 2.50 59 x 3.1 B
Canal lateral a la Marne 11 Epernay Vitry-le-Francois 66.5 15 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.2 B
Canal de la Marne a la Saone + + 12 Vitry-le-Francois Heuilley-sur-Saone 224 114 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.0 B
Canal de l'Est-Sud (Vosges) + + 13 Neuves-Maisons Corre 123 93 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.05 B
River Saone (Petite) + + 14 Corre St-Symphorien 158 19 1.80 3.50 40 x 5.2 B
River Saone (Basse) + + 15 St-Symphorien Lyon 213 5 2.00 6.00 185 x 12 B
Canal du Centre + 16 Digoin Chalon-sur-Saone 112 61 1.80 3.50 39.5 x 5.1 B
Canal de Roanne a Digoin + 17 Digoin Roanne 55.6 10 1.80 3.50 39.5 x 5.1 B
River Seille + + 18 Louhans River Saone 39 4 1.30 3.50 30.5 x 5.0 A
River Rhone + + 19 Lyon Port-St-Louis 310 12 3.00 7.00 190 x 11.5 B
Chute de Donzere/Mondragon 20 Donzere Mondragon 28 1 3.00 7.00 195 x 12 B
Haut Rhone & C. de Savieres + + 21 Sault-Brenaz Aix-les-Bains 79 3 2.00 5.50 9.0 x 3.4 B
Canal du Rhone a Bouc 22 River Rhone Port-de-Bouc 27 1 2.50 6.00 90 x 10 C
Petit Rhone + + 23 Fourques St-Gilles 57 1 2.20 5.70 195 x 12 B
Canal du Rhone a Sete + 24 Beaucaire Sete 100 1 1.80 5.00 70 x 8 B
C. de la Robine (or Nouvelle) + + 25 Salleles Port-la-Nouvelle 37 13 1.80 3.00 30 x 5.5 A
Canal du Midi + + + 26 Agde Toulouse 240 64 1.60 3.00 30 x 5.5 A
River Herault + 26 Med @ Agde Bessan 12 1 1.60 3.70 40.5 x 5.6 B
Canal lateral a la Garonne + 27 Toulouse Castets 193 53 1.80 3.50 38 x 5.8 B
River Garonne 28 Castets Bec d'Ambes 79 0 1.80 3.60 n/a C
River Lot + + 29 Luzec St Cirq 64 14 0.80 3.70 30 x 5.0 A
River Lot + + 30 Nicole Villeneuve 50 4 1.50 3.50 30 x 5.2 B
River Baise + + 31 St-Leger Valence 55 19 1.00 3.00 30 x 4.2 B
River Adour 32 Pouy Bayonne 72 0 1.90 4.00 n/a B
River Dordogne 33 St-Pierre-d'Eyraud Bec d'Ambes 117 0 1.40 8.00 n/a C
River Isle 34 Sablons Libourne 31 0 1.00 3.80 n/a C
River Charente + + 35 Angouleme Atlantic Ocean 167 21 0.70 3.0/3.5 34 x 6.0 B
Canal du Mignon 36 Mauze-le-Mignon Bazoin 18 4 0.90 2.80 30 x 4.15 A
R. Sevre Niortaise + + 37 Niort Atlantic Ocean 72 9 1.00 2.20 30 x 4.15 A
Canal de la Vielle Autize + + 38 Coudault Bazoin 10 1 0.90 2.15 26 x 4.15 A
Canal de la Jeune Autize + + 39 Souil Maille 9 1 0.50 1.60 6 x 2.8 A
River Cher + 40 Noyers Vallet 41 12 0.70 4.00 34 x 5.0 A
River Sevre Nantaise + 41 Nantges Monnieres 21 1 1.20 5.50 31.5 x 5.5 A
River Loire 42 Bouchemaine Nantes 85 0 n/a 4.50 n/a C
Loire Maritime 43 Nantes St. Nazaire 53 0 n/a n.a n/a C

Waterway Notes:
1) Waterways can be located on the map by the index number, which generally spiral clockwise from 0 in the center.
2) Plus-marks following the name indicate a scenic and pleasure rating:
+ Pleasant, some picturesque sections
++ Pleasant, picturesque, recommended
+++ Pleasant, picturesque, a must-do cruise
3) NAV column indicates the relative difficulty of navigation:
A Easiest; little or no commercial traffic, slow currents
B Some sections have intense traffic, current and/or shallow places
C Heavy commercial traffic, strong currents; experience required
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NAME OF WATERWAY MAP FROM TO LENGTH LOCKS DRAFT HEIGHT LOCK SIZE NAV
Canal de Nantes a Brest + + 44 Nantes Redon 95 15 0.80 2.40 26 x 4.60 A
Canal de Nantes a Brest + + 45 Redon Pontivy 110 90 0.80 2.40 26 x 4.60 A
Canal de Nantes a Brest + + 46 Chateaulin Carhaix Plouger 76 34 1.10 3.00 25 x 4.30 A
Canal du Blavet + 47 Pontivy Lorient 70 28 1.40 2.60 26 x 4.60 B
River Vilaine + 48 Penestin Rennes 137 13 1.20 2.50 26 x 4.5 A
Canal d'Ille et Rance + + + 49 Le Chatelier Rennes 85 48 1.10 2.50 26.5 x 4.50 A
River Maine 50 Angers Bouchemaine 11 1 1.60 4.00 10 x n/a A
River Oudon 51 Segre Mayenne 18 3 1.40 4.10 30 x 5.0 A
River Mayenne + 52 Mayenne Angers 123 45 1.40 2.80 30 x 5.0 A
River Sarthe 53 Le Mans Angers 134 km 20 1.10 m 3.90 m 30 x 5.0 A
Canal Maritime de l'Orne 54 Ouistreham Caen 14 1 4.20 33.00 225 x 28.5 C
Canal de Tancarville 55 Tancarville Le Havre 25 2 3.50 7.00 185 x 23.0 C
Canal St. Martin + + 56 Paris Paris 5 9 1.90 4.30 40.7 x 7.70 A
Canal St. Denis 57 Paris Paris 7 7 2.60 4.44 61.5 x 8.0 B
River Oise 58 Janville River Seine 104 7 2.20 5.25 180 x 11.4 B
Canal lateral a l'Oise 59 Abbecourt Janville 34 4 2.20 3.50 39 x 6.0 B
Canal du Nord 60 Arleux Pont l'Eveque 95 19 2.20 3.70 91 x 5.7 B
Canal de la Somme + 61 St Simon St Valery 136 23 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.1 B
River Aisne 62 Compiegne Celles 57 7 2.00 4.20 46 x 7.95 B
Canal lateral a la Aisne 63 Celles Vieux-les-Asfeld 51 8 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.0 B
Canal de l'Aisne a la Marne 64 Berry-au-Bac Conde-sur-Marne 58 24 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.0 B
Canal des Ardennes 65 Vieux-les-Asfeld Pont a Bar 88 44 1.80 3.50 38.5 5.0 B
Canal de l'Est branche Nord + + 66 Troussey Givet 272 59 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.05 B
C. de la Marne au Rhin (Ouest) 67 Vitry-le-Francois Toul 132 98 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.05 B
C. de la Marne au Rhin (Est) + + + 68 Frouard Strasbourg 160 56 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.05 B
River Moselle + 69 Neuves-Maisons Apach 150 16 2.50 4.25 176 x 12.0 C
Canal des Houilleres de la Sarre + 70 Gondrexange Sarreguemines 64 27 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.0 B
Canal du Rhone au Rhin (Nord) 71 Rhinau Strasbourg 36 12 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.0 B
River Rhin 72 Basel Lauterbourg 184 10 2.10 6.75 185 x 23.0 C
Canal de Colmar 73 Breisach Colmar 23 3 1.80 3.65 38.7 x 5.10 A
Grand Canal d'Alsace 74 Basel Breisach 52 4 3.10 6.75 180 x 22.8 C
Canal du Rhone au Rhin + + 75 St-Symphorien Niffer 236 114 1.80 3.50 38.7 x 5.10 B
Canal de l'Oise a l'Aisne 76 Abbecourt Bourg-et-Comin 48 13 2.00 3.60 40 x 6.0 B
Canal de la Sambre a l'Oise 77 Fargnieres Landrecies 71 38 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.0 B
River Sambre 78 Landrecies Jeumont 52 9 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.05 B
Canal de St. Quentin 79 Chauny Cambrai 92 35 2.20 3.50 38.5 x 5.60 B
River Escaut 80 Cambrai Montagne-du-Nord 58 11 2.20 3.50 38.5 x 5.60 C
River Scarpe 81 Arras Montagne-du-Nord 60 15 1.80 3.70 38.5 x 5.05 B
Canal de la Deule 82 Bauvin Deulemont 36 4 2.50 3.90 38.5 x 5.0 C
Canal de Roubaix 83 Marquette Roubaix 20 12 2.00 3.60 38.5 x 5.0 B
River Lys 84 Aire-sur-la-Lys Menin 65 8 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.0 B
Liaison Dunkerque Escaut 85 Dunkerque Pont-Mailn 143 8 3.00 4.48 143 x 11.4 C
Canal de Calais 86 Calais River Aa 29 1 2.00 3.47 92 x 8.0 B
River Aa 87 Gravelines Watten 26 1 1.80 4.50 38.5 x 5.05 B
Canal de Bourbourg 88 Dunkerque River Aa 21 3 1.80 3.50 B B
Canal de Bergues 89 Dunkerque Bergues 8 0 1.80 3.50 n/a B
Canal de Furnes 90 Dunkerque Belgium 13 1 1.80 3.50 38.5 x 5.05 B

CHARTS & GUIDES

This table has been compiled from data included in the charts listed below; it should be used for overall planning purposes only, fol-
lowed by a detailed study of specific charts and guidebooks for the intended trip.
Bienvenue sur le réseau de Voies navigables de France (Welcome to the navigable waterways of France) published by VNF, 175
rue Ludovic Boutleux, BP 820, 62408 BETHUNE Cedex, France
Navicarte #21, France Itineraires Fluviaux, published by Éditions Grafocarte, 125 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, BP 40, 92132
ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX Cedex, France
Les Voies Navigables de France, published by Éditions du Breil, Domaine de Fitou, Le Breil, 11400 CASTELNAUDARY, France
Carte Vagnon #1, Carte de France des Voies Navigables, published by Les Éditions du Plaisancier, BP 27, 69641 CALUIRE, France
Map of the Inland Waterways of France, K. Nussbaum, published by Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd., Wych House, The
Broadway, St Ives Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE17 4BT, England
 Waterways of Northern France

Douai
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Overview Map, showing the connecting waterways; see page 8 for details.

London
ENGLAND FRANCE
Oostende
Dover Nieuwpoort
Dunkerque Brugge/Bruges
Gravelines Antwerpen/Anvers
Calais Gent/Gand
Leie Brussel/Bruxelles
English Channel Lys
Bovenschelde
BELGIUM
Deule
(la Manche) Lille

Scarpe
Escaut

Le Havre
FRANCE

Canal de la Somme
Seine Canal de St Quentin
Canal du Nord
Oise/C lat a l'Oise/Sambre
Liaisons a Grand Gabarit
Paris

Copyright EuroCanals 2002

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Waterways of Northern France

Canal Network and 4 Rivers: Lys/Leie, Deûle, Scarpe, Escaut/Bovenschelde

by Tom Sommers October 2002

The region of France named Nord-Pas-de-Calais is often not treated well in publications; it is ignored by
most tourist guides and cut off on maps (it is more efficient to print the northern tip of France as an inset.)
But it does rate its own waterway guidebook, as there are many canals and rivers that are important routes
for travelers arriving in or departing from France, either by sea or via the Belgian waterways. Crowded
into an area that is only four percent of the landmass of the country are 27% of the named navigable
waterways.

It is difficult to plan a route through this region when using a waterway chart of all of France, and not
much easier when going page-by-page through the guidebook. The purpose of this report is to help in
planning by depicting these canals and rivers on maps and a datasheet, showing their major characteristics
and how they interconnect with each other.

There are three main features of the region (refer to the map on page 2):

1. The seaports on the English Channel and the canals that connect these ports with each other and with
ports in Belgium. The waterways are mostly straightline manmade canals.

2. The liaisons au grand gabarit, a main route that crosses the region, rises slowly and connects with
waterways further inland.

3. The four major canalized rivers of Northern France. Not all rivers in northern France lead to Gent,
Belgium, but if you follow them downstream these four navigable rivers certainly do. From there you can
continue inland to Antwerp and The Netherlands, or exit to the North Sea at Terneuzen. These rivers all
flow northward and are crossed at their southern portion by the liaisons au grand gabarit.
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Major Waterways

Liaisons au grand gabarit (also called the Dunkerque - Escaut Liaison)

The term “grand gabarit” means large gauge in French; the liaisons au grand gabarit are a series of
individual canals connected end-to-end across northern France, providing heavy-tonnage commercial
barges a route to seaports from the industrial cities of northern France and southern Belgium.

The “grand gabarit” barges are much larger than the “peniche” which are seen throughout France and
Belgium; the latter were built to the “Freycinet” gauge, introduced in the 19th century by M. Freycinet, the
minister of transport. Here is a comparison of the two gauges (all of the waterways in this report are at
least Freycinet gauge; many are of the larger gauge, refer to the detailed descriptions of each):

Dimension grand gabarit Freycinet (peniche)

Length (of locks) 144.6 meters 38.5 meters
Width (of locks) 12.0 5.0
Depth (water draft, minimum) 3.0 1.8
Height (air draft, minimum) 4.5 3.5

Although the liaisons au grand gabarit consists of nine named waterways, including several natural
rivers, for all practical purposes it is a single canal, staightline, manmade and concrete-walled. Heading
inland to the southeast from Dunkerque on the North Sea, the route includes parts of Canal de Bourbourg,
Canal de la Haute Colme and the river Aa. In this section the canal remains very close to sea level; there
is but one lock, at Watten, and that lock rises less than one meter. The land here is generally low, flat and
marshy; it includes the parc naturel regional de l’Audomarois, an extensive area crisscrossed by small
watercourses and fields of vegetables.

Near St Omer the canal rises to another level through two locks (4 m and 13 m), then continues for 78 km
along the Canal de Neuffossé and Canal d’Aire with only one lock (2 m rise.) It is in the middle of this
section, at the town of Aire, that the river Lys heads off to the north, climbing into Belgium.

At the town of Douai the land rises once again (14 m in three locks) as it follows the Canal de la Deûle, a
section of the river Scarpe and Canal de la Sensée. The surrounding land is now the plateau named Plaine
de Scarpe et l’Escaut. The canal connects with the river Escaut at bassin rond near the town of Estrun and
turns north toward Belgium at PK 0, 143 kilometers from Dunkerque.

The final portion of the liaisons au grand gabarit is the river Escaut, which follows its natural bed past
the city of Valenciennes and continues the last 45 kilometers to the border at Mortagne-du-Nord, with
connections into central and eastern Belgium via the Canal du Centre at Condé.
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The Four Major Rivers

la Lys/Leie
The navigable Lys begins at Aire-sur-la-Lys on the liaisons au grand gabarit and flows northeast to a
junction with the Deûle near the Belgian border, then into Belgium where the name becomes the Leie.
From Aire to Armentières the river winds across flat agricultural land, dropping slowly through six locks;
in this section it is a Freycinet-gauge waterway.

At Armentières there is a full-service port in the small city. For the next 24 km to Menen the border
follows along the canal; this section is known as the Lys Mitoyenne (middle Lys); on the Belgian side, it is
the Grensleie. Six kilometers northeast of Armentières, at Deûlemont, the river is joined by the Canal de
la Deûle and becomes a larger-scale waterway, with locks 115 X 12.50 meters, part of a main through-
route from central France to Gent. There are two popular fuel stations with red diesel here within a few
kilometres of each other, at Comines and Menen, both in Belgium; the price of diesel fuel is substantially
less in Belgium than in France.

Southwest of Gent (Gand is the local name), the large-scale canal route bypasses the city as the
Afleidingskanaal, and the river winds on a twisting route into the center of the city. From Gent, the
Kanaal Gent-Terneuzen is a straight line north into the North Sea at Terneuzen.
la Deûle/Canal de le Deûle
The canal begins at Douai as a part of the liaisons au grand gabarit, then at Bauvin it turns north through
the city of Lille and continues 12 kilometers northwest to end at a junction with the Lys at Deûlemont. It
is a large-scale canal route that serves the industrial area around Lille and connects northbound traffic to
the Lys. There is a connection to the dead-end Canal de Roubaix.

Although this canal shouldn’t be considered a scenic pleasure-cruising route, Lille has an old quarter with
several interesting landmarks that can be visited from a mooring near the citadel. Otherwise, it mainly
serves as a useful connector for traffic from Paris to Gent.

la Scarpe
Beginning as la Scarpe supérieure at Arras, the river flows through the center of Douai and continues
northeast as la Scarpe inférieure to a junction with the Escaut at Mortagne-du-Nord near the Belgian
border. Although it is a picturesque waterway with old locks and liftbridges in Douai, it is not navigable
within the city; there is a 9 km bypass along the liaisons au grand gabarit.

Between Douai and the border, the river is a Freycinet-gauge waterway. It follows a winding path through
the parc naturel régional de la plaine de la Scarpe et de l’Escaut, avoiding most of the industry prevalent
in northern France. There are small villages and hiking trails in wooded areas. As opposed to the Deûle,
this is not busy through-route; it can be an enjoyable cruise through pleasant countryside.

l’Escaut/Bovenschelde
The river Escaut begins in France as the northern portion of the Canal de St Quentin; it flows northward
through Cambrai, Valenciennes and Condé and is joined by the Scarpe near Montagne-du-Nord, where it
flows into Belgium. Called the Haut Escaut (Upper Escaut) within the Belgian province of Hainaut, it
flows through Tournai/Doornik and into the province of East Flanders, becoming the Bovenschelde
(Upper Schelde) and continuing north through Gand/Gent inland to Antwerp and The Netherlands.
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Dead-End Waterways

Canal de Bergues
This canal is very short (8 kilometers), there are no locks and it dead-ends at the fortified town of
Bergues. There is a very pleasant mooring with both electricity and water available and the town has two
superb restaurants, au Cornet d'Or and le Berguenard. This is a quieter, more secure mooring than at the
seaports, while only an hour or two away.

Canal de Roubaix
The industrial Roubaix is not navigable beyond the second lock above Lille, at Wasquehal. When the
canal was in service, it was a useful connector from Lille to the Escaut/Bovenschelde in Belgium.

Canal de Lens
Only 8 km long and terminating at the uninteresting town of Lens, this canal serves a few commercial
barges and offers little to attract cruising boaters.

La Scarpe supérieure
A short dead-end cruise upstream from Douai on la Scarpe supérieure to Arras, a town of outstanding
architectural beauty, can be a good place for a rest from travel along the busier waterways.

Through Routes

Entering from the sea, destination coastal/central Belgium or Holland: enter at Dunkerque, follow the
Canal de Furnes then Belgian canals to Brugge and Gent.

Entering from the sea, destination France or Germany: enter at Calais, Gravelines or Dunkerque, follow
the liaisons au grand gabarit into northern France.

The fastest route from Paris to western Belgium follows the Canal du Nord onto the liaisons au grand
gabarit at Arleux then connecting via the Deûle to the Lys, then the Leie into Belgium.

Chartbook/Waterway Guide
Only one of the three publishers of chartbooks for French waterways offers books for this area:
“navicarte”, published by Éditions Grafocarte, 125, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau – BP 40, 92132 ISSY-
LES-MOULINEAUX CEDEX, France http://www.grafocarte.fr
The pertinent guides include: #14 Voies Navigables Nord-Pas-de-Calais; #24 Voies Navigable Picardie;
#23 Itinéraires Fluviaux de Belgique.

A more detailed guide for Belgium is TOERISTISCHE VAARGIDS (Guide Touristique Fluvial) in
Dutch and French. This 272 page book covers West-Flanderen, Oost-Flanderen, Vlaams-Brabant,
Brussel, Brabant Wallon, Hainaut and Nord-Pas de Calais, i.e. west Belgium as far east as Antwerp,
Brussels and Charleroi in the east, and includes the French canals from Calais to Cambrai. It is available
from the West Flandres offices in Bruges. Address: West-Vlaamse Vereniging Vrije Tijd, Provinciehuis
Abdijbeke, Abdijbekestraat 9, 8200 Sint-Andries, Belgium. Email: [email protected]
Tel: +32 (0) 50 40 70 43.
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Oostende Page 7

Nieuwpoort 31
Dunkerque 32
30 Brugge/Bruges
Gravelines 7 Veurne/Furnes
Calais 4
6 30
2
1 Bergues 29
Gent/Gand
5

Watten BELGIUM 16a

3
FR BE Leie
St Omer
16
23
8 Menen/Menin

FRANCE Armentieres Bovenschelde

15 13

Aire Lys 14
Wasquehal
Lille
Code Waterway
1 Canal de Calais
From
Calais
To
river Aa
Deule 12
Bleharies
9 Mortagne-du-Nord
2 river Aa Gravelines Watten Bauvin
27
3 river Aa Watten St Omer
4 C de Bourbourg river Aa Dunkerque
11
Scarpe Conde 26 28
5 C Haute Colme Watten Dunkerque Lens 10 19

6 C de Bergues Dunkerque Bergues Corbehem Douai

18 22 Valenciennes
7 C de Furnes Dunkerque Furnes
Arras 17
8 C de Neuffosse St Omer Aire
Arleux 20
Escaut
9 C d'Aire Aire Bauvin bassin rond
10 C de Lens Lens C de la Deule 21 FR BE
24
11 C de la Deule Douai Bauvin
12 C de la Deule Bauvin Lille Cambrai
13 C de la Deule Lille river Lys
25
14 C de Roubaix Lille Wasquehal
15 river Lys Aire Menin
16 river Leie Menen Gent NOTE: Towns/Cities in Belgium show the Belgian name first,
17 river Scarpe Arras Corbehem then the French usage of the name.
18 river Scarpe Corbehem Douai
19 river Scarpe Douai Mortagne Liaisons au grand gabarit route is shown in wider lines. It follows
20 C de la Sensee Corbehem bassin rond these canals from Dunkerque to Mortagne-du-Nord (Belgian border):
21 river Escaut Cambrai bassin rond Code Waterway
22 river Escaut bassin rond Mortagne 4 Canal de Bourbourg
23 Bovenschelde Mortagne Gent 5 Canal de la Haute Colme
Other Adjoining Waterways: 3 river Aa
24 C du Nord 8 Canal de Neuffosse
25 C St Quentin 9 Canal d'Aire
26 C Pommeroeul 11 Canal de la Deule
27 C Nimy 18 river Scarpe
28 C du Centre 20 Canal de la Sensee
29 Afleidingskanaal 22 river Escaut
30 Kanaal Gent-Oostende
31 Kanaal Plassendale-Nieuwpoort
32 Kanaal Nieuwpoort-Dunkerque Copyright EuroCanals 2002
Waterways of Northern France EuroCanals October 2002 Page 8

Map Waterway From To navicarte Distance Locks Draft Height Length/Beam Speed
Code guide # km meters meters meters km/hr
1 Canal de Calais Calais junction with river Aa 14 30 1 1.80 3.47 38.5 X 5.05 8
2 river Aa Gravelines Watten 14 18 1 1.80 5.0 38.5 X 5.05 8
3 river Aa Watten St. Omer 14 9 0 3.00 4.5 144.6 X 12.0 12
4 C. de Bourbourg junction with river Aa Dunkerque 14 21 3 1.80 3.65 38.5 X 5.05 8
5 C. de la Haute Colme Dunkerque Watten 14 23 2 3.00 4.50 144.6 X 12.0 12
6 C. de Bergues Dunkerque Bergues 14 8 0 1.80 3.50 38.5 X 5.05 8
7 C. de Furnes Dunkerque FR/BE border 14 13 1 1.80 3.81 38.5 X 5.05 8
8 C. de Neuffossé St. Omer Aire-sur-la-Lys 14 19 2 3.00 4.50 144.6 X 12.0 12
9 Canal d’Aire Aire-sur-la-Lys Bauvin 14 39 1 3.00 4.50 144.6 X 12.0 12
10 Canal de Lens Lens C. de la Deûle 14 8 0 1.80 3.50 38.5 X 5.00 8
11 C. de la Deûle Douai Bauvin 14 24 0 3.00 4.50 144.6 X 12.0 12
12 C. de la Deûle Bauvin Lille 14 20 2 3.00 4.50 144.6 X 12.0 12
13 C. de la Deûle Lille jct. river Lys at Deûlemont 14 16 1 2.50 3.74 90.0 X 5.75 12
14 C. de Roubaix C. de la Deûle Wasquehal 14 8 2 1.80 3.60 38.5 X 5.00 8
15 river Lys (France) Aire-sur-la-Lys Menin (FR/BE border) 14 65 7 1.80 3.50 38.5 X 5.05 8
16 river Leie (Belgium) Menen BE/FR border Deinze 23 41 2 2.30 4.42 115.0 X 12.50 9
16a river Leie (Belgium) Deinze Gent 23 22 1 1.90 4.19 115.0 X 5.20 9
17 river Scarpe Arras Corbehem 14 33 9 2.20 3.70 38.8 X 5.05 8
(supérieure)
18 river Scarpe Corbehem Douai 14 8 2 3.00 4.75 143.0 X 11.40 12
(canalized)
19 river Scarpe Douai Mortagne-du-Nord, 14 36 6 2.00 3.70 38.8 X 5.05 8
(inférieur) jct river Escaut
20 C. de la Sensée Corbehem bassin rond 24 & 14
21 river Escaut Cambrai bassin rond 24 & 14 13 5 2.20 3.50 38.5 X 6.0 10
22 river Escaut bassin rond Mortagne-du-Nord 14 45 6 2.50 4.50 144.6 X 12.0 12
(FR/BE border)
23 Bovenschelde Bléharies Gent 23 92 6 2.10 5.88 124.45 X 14 8
(FR/BE border)
24 C. du Nord Arleux jct C. de la Somme 24 66 14 2.20 3.70 91.0 X 5.70 10
25 Canal St Quentin Cambrai Chauny 24 92 35 2.20 3.50 38.5 X 5.60 10
4, 5, 3, 8, liaisons au grand Dunkerque Mortagne-du-Nord 14 189 14 3.00 4.50 144.6 X 12.0 12
9, 11, 18, gabarit (FR/BE border)
20,22
Note: navicarte guide # refers to guidebooks published by Éditions Grafocarte, 125, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau – BP 40, 92132 ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX CEDEX, France
http://www.grafocarte.fr Guides include: #14 Voies Navigables Nord-Pas-de-Calais; #24 Voies Navigable Picardie; #23 Itinéraires Fluviaux de Belgique
 Waterways of
Southwestern France

Castelnaudary, Canal du Midi

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Entre Deux Mers - "Between Two Seas"

The canal des deux mers is a through-route from the Atlantic to the Med, but that
is not the main attraction of cruising the waterways of the sud ouest. In fact, some PARIS
who use this route find the area too pleasant to leave and never finish the trip. There
are more than 700 kilometers of waterways to explore, along with charming small villages,
historic towns and two of the largest cities in France.
Canal latéral à la Garonne Rhône
Garonne Petit Rhône
Dordogne Canal du Rhône à Sète
Baïse Canal du Midi
Lot (Aval & Amont) Canal de la Robine

Saô
ne
Royan LYON
la

Massif
Gi
ron

e
cean

rr èz
de

Co

re Central
Atlantic O

zè
Isle Vé
Libourne
Lac de Lanau
Dordogne Lac de Sarrans
BORDEAUX

Villeneuve- Luzech Lot

Castets-en- sur-Lot
Dorthe Cregols
Lot Cahors
Buzet
Aveyron
Agen

Nerac
Moissac Tarn
Montauban Le
Ta z Beaucaire
rn
Montech
Albi
rs

Condom
Ge

Montpellier
ult

TOULOUSE
ra

ne Partage de l'eau rb
Hé

o O
im (Divide between
G Etang
ve the seas) Sète
Sa Béziers de Thau
se
Baï

Agde
Ar
ièg

n e
ron Carcassonne
e

Narbonne
Ga
e
Mediterranean
d
Au
Sea
Pyrenees
Elevation, 200
meters Toulouse
150

100

50 Bordeaux Agde
0
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Cruising in the southwest of France

It seems a safe statement to say that, with just a few exceptions, the majority of long-term canal cruiers begin
their travels in the north of the main waterway network, in Holland, Belgium or northern France. After a season
or two, many will then make the relatively long trip down the Saône and Rhône rivers to the Camargue and the
Canal du Midi. But more than a few will stop there, at a semi-permanent mooring (if one can be found) or to
return to the north. There are good reasons to continue on to the western end of the Midi and visit the regions of
Aqutaine and Gascogne in the far southwest of France.

One obvious reason is the longer cruising year, a full three seasons of generally good weather (in winter it does
occasionally snow in the Midi, but snow is very uncommon at the lower elevations to the west.) In cool
weather it is easy to find the warming rays of the sun on the relatively wide waters of the river Lot or along the
serpentine ribbon of the Baïse. If the sun becomes too much on hot summer days, there are always places near
the banks that are well shaded by poplar, cypress and plane trees.

A second reason is the variety of choices of cruising routes; if you were to arrive at Buzet-sur-Baïse by land, you
could choose to travel north,east, south or west, or a combination of all of these directions. In each direction
there are sights and experiences that would not be found on the other choices.

For those readers who enjoy holidays aboard self-skippered rental boats, the southwest offers hundreds of boats
at dozens of bases throughout the area, providing the possibility of one-way or roundtrip cruises on every portion
of the waterway network.

A few travelers will be "just passing through" on their way between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, as an
alternative to the long and possibly dangerous route around the Iberian peninsula.

For everyone, there is the attraction of visiting the vineyards of Bordeaux and the adjacent Sud-Ouest wine
regions. Although the mission of EuroCanals is to describe the waterways (and leave the complex world of
wines to other experts), this report includes a map and listing of the locations of the wine "Apellations" to be
found in the southwest, and in the Midi and Camargue as well. Some of these names are world famous, others
are less well known but perhaps may be a favorite of some readers. The map shows the proximity of most of the
vineyards to the waterways; in previous centuries, barges were the means of transportation for the wine. That
means that there are many good places to tie up for an excursion to explore the vineyards, by rental car or tour
bus, or in some cases even by bicycle.

It is not all vineyards, of course. There are other important agricultural products, particularly the plums of the
Agen area and the vegetables of Aquitaine. The bastides (fortified villages) and larger towns of the southwest
include beautiful and historic chateaux, mills and ancient stone buildings which now house restaurants, shops
and residences.

This report is intended as an overview of the entire region, and also includes information regarding the
connecting waterways at the eastern end. For details of each waterway, refer to existing and future EuroCanals
Guides.
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Rivers of the Sud-Ouest

The Waterways of Southwestern France are based on the river Garonne and its major tributaries, which together
flow to the Atlantic at Bordeaux. Transport of goods on these rivers began in the 13th century, when small boats
brought the agricultural products of the Armagnac region down the river Baïse, wine from Cahors down the river
Lot and later coal and timber down the river Tarn, all to be shipped to Great Britain or the French colonies from
the quais of the city of Bordeaux.

The Garonne flows 575 kilometers from its source high in the Pyrenees (in Spain, at 1,870 meters, 6,171 feet
elevation), first on a northeasterly path to Toulouse and then northwest past Bordeaux to the sea. Along the way
it is enhanced by the flows of over a dozen significant tributaries coming north from the Pyrenees or south from
the Massif Central. This of course makes the Garonne susceptible to large changes in water level and current,
and was one of the reasons for the construction of the Canal latèral à la Garonne. Commercial traffic required
a reliable and easily-navigated route between Toulouse, Bordeaux and the sea. Completed in 1856, this canal
joined the Canal du Midi (which was opened almost two centuries earlier) to form the route canal des deux mers,
linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Now the Garonne river is navigable only in its tidal range, the final
150 kilometers that flow into the Atlantic.

For the record, the navigable waterways of the "Sud-Ouest" should include only those west of the watershed
divide at Col de Naurouze on the Canal du Midi, 54 kilometers east of Toulouse. The lands on the Mediterranean
side are in the region of Languedoc, and so the waterways there are in the South of France. They have been
included on the maps in this report because they directly connect to the southwestern waterways from the main
network of France, and may be part of a cruise in this area. 1

For those arriving in the southwest via the Canal du Midi, the waterways begin at Toulouse, in the Port de
l'Embouchure ("mouth of the river".) Here the flow of water which has come down the Canal du Midi is
enhanced by the waters of the river Garonne. A dam on the Garonne in the center of Toulouse maintains a level
which supplies the Canal de Brienne, a 1.57 km connection from the Garonne to the port. Cruising boats can
enter this canal, but there is no reason to do so as the lock at the Garonne end is restricted to passenger excursion
boats only.

From Toulouse the Canal latèral à la Garonne begins its 193 km route toward Bordeaux. The first 43 km are a
series of straight-line sections, with only a few small angles and curves. Then the waterway itself becomes more
interesting at the town of Montech.

First there is the entrance to the recently restored 11 km embranchment to the Tarn river at Montauban, a
pleasant side excursion. The canal includes 9 locks within a 5 km stretch, but passes alongside several chateaux
as well as a variety of different types of trees in the Agre forest. The Tarn is now only partially navigable,
although in the mid-1800s it could be traveled 147 kilometers from Albi to its junction with the Garonne at
Moissac; in 1840 the lower section of the river was bypassed after the opening of the Montech-Montauban canal.
This canal had been closed in 1990, but was recently restored and provides access to the port of Montauban.

1 Refer to EuroCanals Guides Camargue and Canal du Midi.

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Rivers of the Sud-Ouest

Montech is the site of a waterway curiousity, the water slope which bypasses a short section of five locks,
unfortunately only for the use of commercial barges or very large private vessels. It is of similar design as the
water slope at Fonserannes on the Canal du Midi, however the Montech pente d'eau was built first, and in fact
was the first in the world to use this design. Motorized tractors pull a sliding panel which forces a wedge of
water to travel up the slope, carrying the barge along. It is a very interesting sight if you should happen to be
there when a barge is passing through.

From Montech to Moissac the straight-line cruising is made pleasant by the trees and greenery that line both
banks of the canal, which follows three short straight sections, then crosses over the Tarn on an aqueduct, then
turns sharply left to follow alongside the river past the town of Moissac to the junction of the Tarn with the river
Garonne. There is access to the Tarn here, through a lock that allows a descent from the lateral canal to the final
five kilometers of the Tarn and into a small lake, Lac de St-Nicolas-de-la-Grave. The lake is a unique opportunity
during canal travel, a place for recreation in small sailing boats, canoes and kayaks and a mooring off the canal,
if only for a view of a somewhat larger expanse of water, or to do some birdwatching at Ile aux Oiseaux.

It may be difficult to find such a peaceful mooring again for the next 40 kilometers, as the main rail line often
runs directly alongside the canal. It is probably best to simply plan on stopping overnight in the next two towns,
Valence d'Agen and Agen, both of which should not be missed in any case. The small town of Valence d'Agen is
a good example of the bastide towns of southwestern France, with a regular grid of streets and spacious squares.
It is a center for markets and fairs throughout the summer. Agen is a medium-size city, famous for its very
successful Rugby team as well the production of Pruneau d'Agen (plums and prunes in varied forms); as is often
the case in France, there is a museum telling all about the production and enjoyment of the fruit.

Agen is approximately midway between Toulouse and Bordeaux, and is the only point where the canal crosses
over the river Garonne. The crossing is notable because it is done on a magnificent stone arch aqueduct, which
rivals the very beautiful canal bridge over the Loire at Briare. While the latter bridge is of delicate and detailed
cast-iron construction, the Agen bridge is a 580-meter series of 23 identical stone arches, each 20 meters wide.
Being aboard a boat during such a crossing is a rare and exciting experience.

Immediately west of the canal bridge are four locks, which descend to a long (22 km) pound with only one lock
of one meter fall, a restful section on the approach to the major waterways junction at Buzet. Shortly before
arriving at that town, the canal crosses another canal bridge, over the river Baïse. This one is not as grand and
interesting as the bridge at Agen, but it is worth taking the time for a view down to the river, especially should
you later cruise on the Baïse and pass under this same bridge. This is one of the few places in Europe where you
can pass over and under the same bridge by boat, perhaps within just an hour or two.

Buzet-sur-Baïse is the center of cruising activity on these waterways, a base from which it is possible to cruise
north, east, south or west (see page for a map and details.) For some travelers it may be simply a pleasant little
town for a stop on the way to Bordeaux. For others it offers the adventure and pleasure of cruising on natural
rivers, the Baïse south toward the Pyrenees or north on the Lot. Either of these routes will take you to historic,
pretty towns by way of scenic surroundings.

The narrow Baïse river winds through the unspoiled landscape of Gascony. The small stone locks (operated
automatically by a smart-card) are often near an old mill. The picturesque beige stone buildings of the mills,
towns and country chateaux display the long history of this area of vineyards, foie gras and Armagnac brandy.
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Page 6
Rivers of the Sud-Ouest

The trip north from Buzet to the Lot is somewhat more adventurous, as it requires a crossing of the Garonne.
For most canal cruisers, this will require the (paid) services of an onboard pilot, or even being towed by a tug
along a 5 km section of the Garonne. Then, after a short run through a very narrow tree-covered channel, the
cruise on the Lot is on a relatively broad river but one with numerous rocky places and disused weirs. The
skipper must navigate carefully in a marked channel. But don't be deterred, as this river passes through a
magnificent valley of lofty cliffs, cultivated terraces and centuries-old mills, castles and toll towers.

The old locks on the Lot were closed to navigation for many years, but they are now being restored to service
because of the interest from recreational cruisers. Currently a canal boat can travel up the Lot Aval (downstream
Lot) for 67 km to Lustrac, where further travel is blocked by a weir. The Lot Amont (upstream Lot) begins 40 km
further on at Luzech; this is one of the best cruising rivers in all of France. Unfortunately it is inaccessible from
the waterway network, however there are several bases for rental of boats.2

Returning from these excursions, travelers along the Canal latèral à la Garonne will continue west along the route
toward Bordeaux. The final 60 km of the canal pass along a broad, flat valley that is one of the primary areas of
France for the growing of fruits and vegetables. The plums of Agen have already been mentioned, ahead are the
tomatoes of Marmande, strawberries, melons and, incongruously, the Gauloises tobacco factories of Tonneins.

The western stopping point for rented boats is at Castets-en-Dorthe, the end of the Canal latèral à la Garonne.
The Garonne maritime is a tidal river from that point to the sea, requiring a river license for the skipper and a
boat with sufficient power to maintain speed against strong currents.

Although there are several possible stopping places on both sides of the Garonne maritime, navigational
difficulties include strong currents, shoals, a channel that may be close to one bank and then the other and few
places for a deepwater mooring. It is recommended that the entire section to Bordeaux be completed in a single
day's run, timed to coincide with the outgoing tide when headed west. When headed upriver, depart Bordeaux 4
to 5 hours before high tide; the trip to Castets can be completed in about six hours. During the equinox periods,
a strong tidal bore may occur; obtain local information for dealing with this phenomenon.

At Bordeaux there are floating pontoons at three ports in the river and an off-river port is available, separated
from the tide by a lock. Bordeaux is a major city, with many historical and cultural sights. For many visitors it
will be used as a base for touring the extensive surrounding vineyards by rental car or on a bus tour.

The final tributary of the Garonne is the river Dordogne. At the point of land named Bec d'Ambès these two
rivers join together and enter a 70 km estuary, the Gironde. The Dordogne and its tributary the Isle cross the
northern portion of the Bordelais wine region. Commercial shipping has long been used to transport wine from
the area; barges regularly operate to Libourne and another 36 km to Chatillon-la-Bataille; small boats can travel
as far upstream as Bergerac. However not many cruising canal travelers visit the Dordogne. The usual stopping
point for a cruise through the Sud Ouest on a private canal cruiser or barge is at Bordeaux.

Properly equipped boats with experienced skippers can venture toward the sea on the Gironde to visit the famous
vineyard ports of Bourg, Blaye and Pauillac or the fishing and recreational ports at Mortagne and Royan. Before
setting out, obtain local information and arrange a suitable mooring by telephone; it is not permitted to anchor in
the estuary and many of the ports are dry at low tide.

2 See the EuroCanals Guide Lot Amont.

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Waterway Dimensions and Details Page 7

Dordogne river Between the Seas; Canal des Deux Mers:

Bec d'Ambès to Libourne, 42 km Garonne, Canal latéral à la Garonne, Canal du Midi
No locks, Draft 4.50m, Height 24.8m Bordeaux (Bec d'Ambes) to Med via C. de la Robine = 451 km, 146 locks
Libourne to Castillon, 36 km Bordeaux (Bec d'Ambes) to Med at Agde = 492 km, 158 locks
No locks, Draft 1.0m, Height 5.0m Bordeaux (Bec d'Ambes) to Rhône at Arles = 626 km, 159 locks
(For experienced boaters only)

Garonne river
Bec d'Ambès to Bordeaux, 25 km
Tidal, No locks, Height 51m
Royan Bordeaux to Castets-en-Dorthe, 54 km
Tidal, No locks, Draft 1.8m, Height 6.5m
(Draft & Height vary with tide)
la
Gi
ron
de

Lot Aval Canal du Rhône à Sète

Nicole to St Sylvestre-sur-Lot, 59 km Sète to Beaucaire, 98 km
Bec d'Ambès 5 locks, 27.5m X 5.2m 1 lock, 80m X 12.0m
Libourne Castillon- Draft 1.20m, Height 3.50m Draft 1.80m, Height 3.50m
la-Bataille Lot Amont
Luzech to Cregols, 64 km le Petit Rhône
BORDEAUX St-Gilles lock to Arles, 21 km
14 locks, 30m X 5.0m
Draft 1.0m, Height 3.70m 1 lock, 195m X 12.0m
Castets-en-Dorthe
St Sylvestre- Draft 1 to 3m, Height 2.50m
Garo onne river, Nicole sur-Lot Luzech
conn nection
n e Lot-Baïse Cregols
Nico oole to St-Lé Buzet St-Léger Canal latéral à la Garonne
No llocks, Draft 1.20m, Agen
Heiigght 3.50m 53 locks 40.5m X 6.0m
Lavardac
(see
eee details, page 8) Nerac Moissac Draft 1.40m, Height 3.50m
Montauban (Locks to the Tarn at Moissac and
Baise at Buzet are 30.5m X 6.0m.) Beaucaire
Arles
Montech Embranchement Montech-Montauban:
Condom
11 km, 11 locks 30.5m X 6.0m St-Gilles
Baïse river
Valence- Draft 1.80m, Height 3.50m
St-L ger to Lavardac, 17 km sur-Baïse TOULOUSE Etang
Etang
4 locks, 30m X 5.20m Sète
Draft 1.50m, Height 3.00m Canal du Midi Port-la-Robine A
Agde
Lavardac to Valence, 46 km Toulouse to Agde, 240 km
17 locks, 30m X 4.20m 92 locks, 30m X 5.5m Carcassonne Narbonne
Draft 1.00m, Height 3.00m
Note: In an exception to the
Draft 1.50m, Height 3.30m Port-la-Nouvellee Mediterranean
(Height at 5.5m width = 2.40m)
usual rule throughout France, Sea
the banks of this river from Canal de Jonction/de la Robine
Lavardac to Valence are Port Robine to Port-la-Nouvelle, 36 km
privately owned and are not 13 locks, 40.5m X 5.85m
available for mooring; stop Draft 1.40m, Height 3.30m
only at public ports, shown
on charts and marked by signs..
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Page 8
Junction of the Garonne, Lot & Baïse

Midway along the Canal latéral à la Villeneuve-sur-Lot

Garonne between Toulouse and Castets-en- Nicole St Sylvestre-sur-Lot
Bordeaux, the junction of three water- Dorthe The Lot is navigable
Le
ways at Buzet offers a variety of er to Lustrac (67 km).

à la latéral
Canalet

nne
iv
cruising opportunities.Travelers on the
otr

Garo
L

ver
canal can take a side-excursion on the

l
Cana

e ri
Lot or the Baïse. Self-skippered rental Aiguillon
5 km

onn
boats from bases at Agen, Buzet,

Gar
St Sylvestre or Mas d'Agenais can use The Garonne river is navigable only between
this junction to expand the range of St-Léger and Nicole; see note at left.
their cruise.
St-Léger
Double lock, 40.50m X 5.20m
Limitations & Cautions

1. Crossing the Garonne, St-Léger to

5 km r
Nicole: rive
ïse
The river may be closed to navigation Ba
at times or high water or low water.
Buzet-sur-Baïse
Rental boats must cross under the
control of a professional pilot, at a fee
of 18 euros each way. A side-canal (see photo below)
connects through a double lock
Privately-owned vessels may be to the Baïse river.
allowed to cross unsupervised if the Locks are 30.65m X 6.00m, Agen
engine has sufficient power and the Draft 1.50m, Height 3.75m. pont canal
operator is licensed for river travel.
Agen
For information, call VNF - Agen at Canal latéral
The Baïse is navigable to
+33 (0)5 53 47 31 15 à la Garonne
Valence-sur-Baïse (58 km).

2. On the Baïse: Lavardac

Normal draft is 1.50m from St-Léger

to Lavardac, then 1.0m above Lavardac.In summer months
the draft may be as low as 1.0m on the entire river.

Note the lock size, reduced from those on the canal:

32.00m X 5.20m from Buzet to Lavardac,
then 30.80m X 4.15m above Lavardac.

The river is subject to rapid rises in water level, usually with

adequate prior warning to boaters.
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Page 9
Self-Skippered Cruises
Opportunities for self-skippered cruising aboard a rented canal boat are widespread in
southwestern France. Shown on the map below are 31 towns and cities with bases for rental
boats; some of them include the bases of several operators. Cruising possibilities shown are
suggestions from the rental companies. Contact information is listed on the following page.

Rental boats are prohibited from cruising

the tidal Dordogne and Garonne rivers.
Limit of navigation
Douelle
Mas d'Agenais Castelmoron
Damazan Cahors Bouzies
Buzet St Sylvestre-
sur-Lot
Agen

Beaucaire
Montech Bellegarde
Condom St-Gilles
Lattes
TOULOUSE Aigues-
Carnon Mortes
Negra Beziers
Homps Le Somail
Le Segala Agde
Argens Port
Castelnaudary
Bram Trebes Cassafieres
Colombiers
Carcassonne Narbonne

Cruising Possibilities (1 week)

Towns (west to east) Companies (see next page) Round trip turnaround point One-way destination
Mas d'Agenais Crown Blue Line Moissac, Nerac or St Sylvestre Condom
Damazan France Passion Plaisance Moissac or Valence-sur-Baise Not available
Buzet Aquitaine Navigation, Nicols Valence-sur-Baise or Montech Condom
Castelmoron Connoisseur Nerac or Agen Not available
Condom Aquitaine Navigation, CBL Buzet Mas d'Agenais
St Sylvestre-sur-Lot Locaboat Plaisance Buzet Agen
Agen Locaboat Plaisance Valence-sur-Baise St Sylvestre-sur-Lot
Douelle Crown Blue Line Luzech & Cregols Not available
Cahors Babou Marine Luzech & Cregols Not available
Bouzies Nicols Luzech & Cregols Not available
Montech Nicols Buzet or Le Segala Bram
Toulouse France Passion Plaisance Carcassonne Homps
Negra Locaboat Plaisance Castelnaudary Argens
Le Segala Rive de France Le Somail Colombiers
Castelnaudary Crown Blue Line Toulouse or Argens or Narbonne Port Cassafieres
Bram Nicols Homps or Toulouse Le Somail
Carcassonne Rive de France, FPP Homps or Toulouse Agde
Trebes Connoisseur Castelnaudary Homps
Argens Locaboat Plaisance Carcassonne or Narbonne Lattes or Negra
Homps Connoisseur, Rive de France, FPP Port Nouvelle (10 nights) Beaucaire
Le Somail Nicols, Minervois Cruisers Bram or Port Nouvelle Bram or Marseillan
Narbonne Connoisseur Carcassonne Trebes
Colombiers Rive de France Carcassonne Le Segala
Port Cassafieres Crown Blue Line Aigues-Mortes or Argens Castelnaudary or St Gilles
Agde Rive de France, FPP Homps Not available
Carnon France Passion Plaisance Capestang Homps
Lattes Locaboat Plaisance Beaucaire or Agde Argens
St Gilles Crown Blue Line Etang de Thau Port Cassafieres
Bellegarde Nicols Etang de Thau Le Somail
Beaucaire Connoisseur Etang de Thau Homps
Aigues-Mortes Rive de France, FPP Beaucaire or Agde Homps
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Page 10
Day Cruises on the Garonne canal & Baïse

While I was researching the variety of self-skippered boats

available in southwestern France, I came across something
that immediately caught my attention: the "gabares" offered
by Aquitaine Navigation from their base at Buzet.

My first canal trips were in an open 17 ft (5 meter) wooden

boat, traveling hundreds of miles and camping in a tent at
locks or town parks, or sometimes an overnight at a hotel.
It is not as convenient as cruising aboard a fully-equipped
vessel, but it is a great way to get close to the surroundings
and enjoy the sounds, smells and feel of nature. It is not as
pleasant during a heavy rain, but with proper foul-weather
gear it can be reasonably comfortable. And it can provide a
feeling of smug satisfaction, as I had when a New York City police patrol boat hailed me in New York harbor
as we circled the Statue of Liberty and a crewmember said to me "You came down from Syracuse in THAT?"
...Tom Sommers

"Gabares" are 5 meter boats powered by a 6 horsepower outboard motor (mounted inside a sound-deadening
enclosure, as can be seen in the photo.) Three models are available, with places for 2/4, 5/7 or 8/12 persons.
(Personally, I would leave the extra persons behind.) A roof covers the seating area, with a "grand plage" at the
bow for sunbathing.

Rental periods can be 1 hour, 2 hours, one-half day or full day (10:00 to 18:00). A rental of more than one day
is possible, opening up the possibility of a cruise along all or a major part of the river Baïse. For instance, the
travel time from the base at Buzet to Nerac is about 4.5 hours. Departing at 10:00 and enjoying sights along the
way, you would arrive at Nerac in mid-afternoon. After touring the town and enjoying the delicious food and
wine of the area, the night could be spent at a hotel or chambres d'hotes, then return to base the next day.

These boats offer a means for traveling the river to those who have come to the region without a boat, such as
visitors whose primary purpose is to visit the vineyards, or for those aboard a barge or other large vessel with
too much beam or draft to navigate the Baïse; moor at Buzet and go sightseeing aboard one of the gabares.

For full information on rates and reservations, go to www.aquitaine-navigation.com/bateau/gabare.asp?num=9

or contact:
AQUITAINE NAVIGATION
Port de Buzet-Val d’Albret
F- 47160 BUZET SUR BAÏSE (France)
Tél : (33) 05 53 84 72 50
Fax : (33) 05 53 84 03 33
Email : [email protected]
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Page 11
Self-Skippered Cruising - Contact Information

Aquitaine Navigation Locaboat Plaisance

Port de Buzet, 47610 Buzet-sur-Baïse BP 150, 89303 Joigny
Tel:+33 (0)4 53 84 72 50 Fax:+33 (0)5 53 84 Tel:+33 (0)3 86 91 72 72 Fax:+33 (0)3 86 62
03 33 42 41
www.aquitaine-navigation.com www.locaboat.com
E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Babou Marine Minervois Cruisers

Port de St Mary, 46000 Cahors base at Le Somail, reservations at UK office
Tel:+33 (0)5 65 30 08 99 Fax:+33 (0)3 65 23 Tel: +44 (0) 1926 811842
92 59 www.minervoiscruisers.com
www.baboulene-jean.fr E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected] This website has an excellent series of route
suggestions
Connoisseur
Le Grand Bassin, BP 1201, 11492 Nicols
Castelnaudary Route du Puy St Bonnet, 49300 Cholet
Tel:+33 (0)4 68 94 09 75 Fax:+33 (0)4 68 94 Tel:+33 (0)2 41 56 46 56 Fax:+33 (0)2 41 56
52 73 46 47
www.connoisseurafloat.com www.nicols.com
E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Crown Blue Line Rive de France

Le Grand Bassin, BP 1201, 11492 55, rue d'Aguesseau
Castelnaudary 92774 Boulogne-Billancourt Cedex
Tel:+33 (0)4 68 94 52 72 Fax:+33 (0)4 68 94 Tel:+33 (0)1 41 86 01 01 Fax:+33 (0)1 41 86
52 73 01 02
www.crownblueline.com www.rive-de-france.tm.fr
E-mail: [email protected] E-mail : [email protected]

France Passion Plaisance

La Maison du Bateau, Port de Plaisance, 71160
Digoin
Tel:+33 (0)3 85 53 76 70 Fax:+33 (0)3 85 53
76 71
www.france-passion-plaisance.fr
E-mail: [email protected]
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Page 12
Regions & Appellations A.O.C.

Bordeaux Sud-Ouest
1 Médoc 12 Barsac 21 Côtes de Bourg 30 Montravel 41 Vins de Lavilledieu
2 St-Estèphe 13 Sauternes 22 Côtes de Blaye 31 Rosette 42 Côtes du Frontonnais
3 Pauillac 14 Bordeaux 23 Fronsac & 32 Pécharmant 43 Gaillac
4 St-Julien 15 Côtes de Bordeaux Canon Fronsac 33 Bergerac
5 Moulis St-Macaire 24 Pomerol & 34 Monbazillac
6 Listrac 16 Ste-Croix du Mont Lalande de Pomerol 35 Saussignac
7 Margaux 17 Loupiac 25 St-Émilion 36 Côtes de Duras
8 Haut-Médoc 18 Premières 26 Côtes de Castillon 37 Côtes du Marmandais
9 Pessac-Léognan Côtes de Bordeaux 27 Côtes de Francs 38 Buzet
10 Graves 19 Graves de Vayres 28 Entre-Deux-Mers 39 Côtes du Brulhois
11 Cérons 20 Bordeaux 29 Ste-Foy Bordeaux 40 Cahors

Saô
n e
Royan LYON

Massif
cean

1
2 22 ze
rrè
3
e Co Central
Atlantic O

4 zèr
5 20 Isle Vé
6 7 2 24
23
8 19 31 32 33 Lac de Lanau
25 Lac de Sarrans
BORDE
EAUX 18
28 29
29 35
35 Dordogne
9 17 3
36
16
10 11 15 37
12 Villeneuve- Luzech Lot
13 sur-Lot
14 40 Cregols
Cah
Cahors
Buzeet
38
38 A
Aveyron
Agen
ge
399
41
Armagnac Nerac
eau-de-vie Montauban
auban Tarn Le
42 z Beaucaire
43 Albi
rs

Condom
Ge

Montpellier
p
ult

TOULOUSE
ra

ne rb
Hé

o O
im
G 500
ve 49 ète
51
Sa Béziers
zier
se
Baï

46
44 Agde Noilly-Prat
Ar
ièg

45 48
nne Carcassonne
rcassonne
n Vermouth
aro
e

Narbonne
G
47
de
Au
Mediterranean
Sea
Pyrenees
y
Note: The boundaries of the regions and the locations of the Languedoc
various A.O.C. shown on this map are not intended to be ès 48 Corbières
specific nor all-inclusive (only those near waterways are shown.) 45 Cô ère 49 St-Chinian
This is a general guide that should be followed-up with a 46 Minervois 50 Faugères
specialized wine map or guidebook. A great deal of vineyard 47 Limoux 51 Coteaux du Languedoc
information is available at the local Offices de Tourisme.
 Waterways of Brittany

Rance river at Dinan

 uroCana EuroCanals Guide: Waterways of Brittany

ls
Page 2

The inland waterways of Brittany include 542 kilometers of rivers & canals BR PARIS
ET
AG
not directly connected to the inland waterway network of France. They NE

must be entered from the sea, or by cruising on a boat that is already there.
Several sections of these waterways are among the finest in France.

Aulne/Hyère Canal d'Ille et Rance

Blavet Vilaine
Canal de Nantes à Brest Erdre

La Manche (English Channel)

Brest St Malo
Dinan
St Brieuc
Landevennec
Port-Launay Port-de-Carhaix
Chateaulin Lac de Guerledan Hédé
Chateauneuf-
du-Faou
Rohan
Pontivy Rennes
Josselin

Lorient
la Gacilly Messac
Malestroit

Atlantic Redon
Ocean
La Roche-
Bernard Nort-sur-Erdre

Sucé-sur-Erdre Quiheix

Nantes
re
Loi

Bay of Biscay

Copyright EuroCanals 2003

Waterways of Brittany By Tom Sommers Page 3

Degemer mat e Breizh! Bienvenue en Bretagne! Welcome to Brittany!

Whether it is in Breton, French or English, your welcome to the region of Brittany will be friendly and
real.1 There are two reasons to cruise in Brittany:
1. To pass through from the English Channel south to the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Biscay without
making the arduous and somewhat dangerous trip around the points of the peninsula.
2. To make cruises within Brittany, discovering the interesting culture and the peaceful, beautiful natural
areas. For many, this will be aboard a rental boat, but Brittany offers access to the sea at several points, an
unusual opportunity when cruising the inland waterways, and can be accessed by coastal cruisers.

The waterways of Brittany are isolated from the French canal and river network, and the primary canal
across the length of the peninsula is even isolated from itself; a dam near Pontivy separates the two
sections of the Canal de Nantes à Brest. These waterways are not controlled by the VNF2 so the national
usage fees do not apply, although in some places the service charges at ports can be a nuisance.

There is no commercial traffic and only a relatively small number of rental boats, so even in high season it
is unusual to wait to pass through locks. Brittany offers a gentle climate and quiet natural countryside, as
well as a gastronomy that is somewhat different from “inland” France, based on crêpes, galettes and
seafood. *Crêperies are ubiquitous in Brittany and offer the best dining value; a galette (buckwheat
pancake) with various combinations of sausages, ham, mushrooms or cheeses, followed by a crêpe
(dessert pancake) with a sweet topping, along with a pitcher of Breton cider, will cost about 10 Euros per
person.* The locks and canal improvements are intended for leisure boating, so they blend rather than
intrude on the surroundings. Lockkeepers are usually friendly and welcoming, and many of them maintain
beautiful flower and vegetable gardens at the locks. Most of the villages and towns are charming, with
simple but beautiful stone houses in the traditional Breton style. Even the smallest cottages have granite
door and window surrounds in walls that are nearly a meter thick, and inside there will usually be a
fireplace two meters wide, often extending from the floor almost to the ceiling.

The river sections of the waterways of Brittany have been used by vessels since the 15th century; some of
the first pound locks in Europe were installed on the river Vilaine in the 16th century. Linking of these
rivers by man-made canals was considered for many years and planning began as early as 1736. Little
progress was made and the revolution delayed actual construction, which began under Napoleon but the
canals did not come into service until the late 1830s. They never enjoyed a great deal of commercial
success and barge traffic dwindled in the face of railroad and highway competition; by the 1960s, the
waterways were largely abandoned and might have disappeared, except for the intervention of regional
committees who promoted leisure use of the canals and worked for the improvement of facilities suitable
for pleasure craft.

1
The English-language term “Brittany” will be used throughout this report.
2
Voies Navigable de France, the national authority for the inland waterways.
Getting your vessel to Brittany: Page 4

It’s not easy, because there is no inland connection to the primary network of French waterways, and
although the northern coast is on the English Channel, it is at the wide end of the channel, a far different
crossing from Great Britain than at Calais. Of course, plenty of vessels do it, just as there are plenty of
vessels now circumnavigating the globe. But not many are flat-bottomed barges; sailboats and
motorcruisers suitable for coastal travel are more common.

From the north, the closest inland waterway is the Seine at Le Havre; Calais and other Channel/North Sea
ports require at least another 200 kilometers of travel down the Channel. (From England, Southampton,
Poole and Plymouth are the closest major ports.) The peninsula of Normandy must be rounded at
Cherbourg, but then on the western side of Normandy are the Channel Islands, with excellent ports. The
arrival port in brittany is St. Malo, at the mouth of the river Rance.

From the south, the inland waterway connection is via the Canal des Deux Mers (Canal du Midi, Canal
latéral à la Garonne, river Garonne) from Bordeaux. Again there is at least 200 kilometers of open sea to
the first port on the waterways of Brittany (St. Nazaire), but there are other ports along the way for coast-
hopping.

As I was traveling by car to research part of this report, I noticed quite a few motorcruisers and sailboats
being transported along the highway, so that is an obvious method but relatively expensive.

Limiting Dimensions:

Before you do make plans to bring a vessel to Brittany, be sure to check the minimum draft, height and
lock dimensions of the potential route (details are shown on the canal maps in this report.) For a trip
cutting across the Breton peninsula on the Rance/Ille/Vilaine route, the limiting dimensions for the vessel
are 25 meters length, 4.50 m beam, 1.20 m draft and 2.50 m height.

The water level on many of these waterways can vary substantially, due to either flooding or drought, so it
is important to check ahead for the conditions. For instance, on the Vilaine the clearance above water
(Height) is 3.20 m at normal conditions but is 2.60 m at times of maximum navigable high water. The
canals of Brittany are subject to closure in some sections due to flooding and high currents, or the other
extreme, lack of water to supply the locks and maintain the required depth.

Suggested Self-Skippered Cruises (one week roundtrip, based on 30 hours travel time):
Redon to Josselin (including La Gacilly) 160 km, 34 locks (recommended trip)
Redon to Rennes 180 km, 24 locks; Redon to Nantes 180 km, 34 locks
Messac or Redon to Malestroit, La Gacilly, La Roche-Bernard & Messac 232 km, 16 locks
Messac to Rennes & La Roche-Bernard 246 km, 24 locks
Dinan (Port Lyvet) to Montreuil-sur-Ille 104 km, 60 locks
Check with rental base operators for many more options and their suggestions, including one-way trips.
 uroCana EuroCanals Guide: Canal de Nantes à Brest/Blavet/Erdre

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Page 5
Descriptions of these waterways are shown on the next page

PARIS
Canal de Nantes à Brest
Blavet
Vilaine
Erdre lac de Guerlédan
Loire summit

Blavet Pontivy Rohan

St-Nicolas- Josselin
des-Eaux Ploërmel
Oust
St-Adrien Montertelot
Lochrist Malestroit
St-Congard Le Guelin
Hennebont La Gacilly
Lorient
Painfaut Vilaine
Redon

Guenrouet
Blain Nort-sur-
Erdre
Quiheix (Lock#2)
Erdre
Sucé-sur-Erdre

ATLANTIC OCEAN Nantes

Loire

Elevation, meters
150

120

90
Lorient Pontivy
St Nicolas Rohan
60 St Adrien Josselin
Hennebont Malestroit
30 Painfaut Blain Quiheix Nantes
Redon Guenrouet Sucé
0
PK 67 59 31 18 0/206 194 182 158 132 105 95 73 50 22 15 1
Lock# 28 16 9 1/107 78 52 36 25 19 18 11 2 1
PK marker zero for the Blavet is at Pontivy; PK markers and lock numbers count southward to Lorient.
PK marker zero for Canal de Nantes à Brest is at Nantes; PK markers and lock numbers count westward to Pontivy.

Copyright EuroCanals 2003

 uroCana EuroCanals Guide: Canal de Nantes à Brest/Blavet/Erdre

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Page 6

Canal de Nantes à Brest

Tour Rating: Pleasant, picturesque, recommended;
the section from Redon to Rohan is a must-do cruise.
Navigation Difficulty: Easiest, no commercial traffic, slow currents.
Overall: 184.2 km, 106 locks 25X4.3 m
Quiheix to Redon: 73 km, 18 locks 25X4.3 m, Draft 1.10 m, Height 2.40 m, Speed 8 km/hr
Contact: Service Navigation, 2 rue Marcel Sembat, 44100 Nantes Tel: 02 40 71 02 00
Redon to Rohan: 87 km, 34 locks 25X4.3 m, Draft 1.30 m, Height 2.40 m, Speed 8 km/hr
Rohan to Pontivy: 24 km, 54 locks 25X4.3 m, Draft 0.80 m, Height 2.40 m, Speed 8 km/hr
Contact: Service Navigation, 116 route de Vannes, 35601 Redon Cedex Tel: +33(0)2 99 71 03 78

Blavet
Tour Rating: Pleasant, some picturesque sections.
Navigation Difficulty: Easiest, no commercial traffic, slow currents.
Overall: 70 km, 28 locks 26X4.6 m, Draft 1.40 m, Height 2.60 m, Speed 6 km/hr
Pontivy to Hennebont: 59.8 km, 28 locks 26X4.6 m, Draft 1.20 m, Height 2.60 m, Speed 6 km/hr
Hennebont to Lorient: 10.2 km, tidal (obtain local information)
Contact: Service Navigation, 1 rue Henri Dunant, 56306 Pontivy Tel: +33(0)2 97 25 55 21

Erdre
Tour Rating: Pleasant, some picturesque sections.
Navigation Difficulty: Easiest, no commercial traffic, slow currents.
Overall, Loire to Nort-sur-Erdre: 28 km, 1 lock 40X6.2 m, Draft 1.45 m, Height 3.80 m, Speed 10 km/hr
Nantes to Quiheix lock: 22 km, no locks, Draft 1.45 m, Height 2.40 m, Speed 10 km/hr
Contact: Service Navigation, 2 rue Marcel Sembat, 44100 Nantes Tel: +33(0)2 40 71 02 00

Loire Maritime
The Loire is not included in this report; information on the maritime section follows:
Nantes to St Nazaire (Atlantic Ocean): 52.5 km, tidal
Contact: Port Autonome de Nantes, 18 quai Ernest Renaud-BP 18609, 44186 Nantes Cedex4
Tel: +33(0)2 40 44 20 20
Affaires Maritimes, 9 bd de Verdun, St Nazaire Tel: +33(0)2 40 22 46 32

Charts:
Navicarte #12
Guide Vagnon #10
Guide Fluviaux EDB #1
Maps:
Michelin # 230
Season: Open March through October.
Lock schedules vary, check with boat rental operator or contact:above offices.
Canal de Nantes à Brest – Blavet – Erdre Page 7

Napoleon decided in about 1804-1806 that this route would be necessary to avoid the blockade of the sea
routes by the English; he wanted to have an inland route to connect Nantes (on the river Loire) with the
seaports of Lorient and Brest. The English threat was gone well before construction began, but the plan
was continued as a commercial venture and eventually opened in the mid-19th century. At 365 kilometers
original length and 238 locks, it was the longest canal in France.

It begins in Nantes, where the river Erdre empties into the Loire.3 The first 22 km are to the north in the
lakes of the Erdre, heavily used in season by sailboats, motorboats, windsurfers and tourist cruises. At the
Quiheix lock the man-made canal begins, heading west over a low summit to join with the river Isac and
then the Vilaine into the city of Redon. The intersection at Redon is an important crossroads, allowing
travel north to Rennes, Dinan, St Malo and the English Channel, or south to the Atlantic. The Nantes-
Brest route leaves Redon alongside the river Oust and mostly follows the natural bed of the river, with
occasional straightened canal sections. At the headwaters of the Oust above Rohan, the canal climbs as
steep a staircase of locks as can be found anywhere in Europe then descends steeply again to the city of
Pontivy and a junction with the canalized Blavet river.

The current canal route ends at Pontivy, after traversing 206 kilometers and 106 locks from Nantes. But
prior to 1923, this was only about half of the way to Brest. The original canal followed the Blavet
upstream, due north into the center of the Breton peninsula, then a canal was dug in a westerly direction
that eventually joined the rivers Hyère and Aulne to reach the sea near Brest. The construction of the
Guerlédan hydroelectric dam interrupted the canal, and although a large lock or boatlift was promised by
the dam(n) builders, nothing has happened in the 73 years since the dam officially opened. Thus there is a
gap of 80 kilometers that has been cut from the canal. This portion remains marked on Michelin and other
maps as “Canal de Nantes à Brest” but it is not navigable, although well-used by canoeists, hikers and
bicyclists.

The western end of the canal is usually navigable from the junction of the old canal with the Hyère at
Port-de-Carhaix, although in the 2002 season this portion was not available due to work on the canal
infrastructure. Following in the natural bed of first the Hyère and then the Aulne, the route passes the
current limit of navigation at Penn-ar-Pont and stays in the riverbed until reaching the tidal waters and
access to the sea or the port of Brest.

Loire Maritime, Nantes and Erdre:

Nantes is one of the largest cities in Brittany, with over a half-million inhabitants, and in the 18th century
was the primary port in France. It is located sixty kilometers from the ocean on the maritime section of the
river Loire. The river Erdre flows into the Loire directly through the center of Nantes, separated from the
tidal Loire by the Saint-Félix lock; shortly above the lock, an 800-meter tunnel passes under the plazas of
3
Because the administrative borders have been changed, this portion of the canal is no longer in Bretagne; Nantes is now the
capital of the Pays de la Loire region. The eastern border of Bretagne is now at Redon.
 Page 8
the Château des ducs de Bretagne and the Cathedrale St-Pierre. The pleasure-boat port is located just
north of the tunnel exit. From there it is a short walk or tram ride to the narrow streets of the medieval
quarter and the interesting historical sites of both the 18th and the 19th-century quarters.

The Erdre, officially acclaimed as one of the most beautiful rivers in France, is navigable for 27.5 km to
Nort-sur-Erdre, not a long distance but the feature that makes the river interesting is its extraordinary
width. This is thanks the the bishop St Félix, who ordered a dam to be constructed in the 6th century,
flooding the marshes in the interest of public health. This has formed a succession of basins and
waterways and a lake, lac de Mazerolles, favored by participants in all sorts of watersports activities.
Charming small villages along the river, especially la Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Sucé-sur-Erdre and Nort-sur-
Erdre, are part of the greenbelt that stretches north along the river from Nantes. Numerous châteaux and
manor houses can be seen along both banks of the river from Nantes to just north of Sucé.

Quiheix to Redon:

This portion of the canal passes quietly and easily through pleasant countryside. There are several
mooring places along the 73 km route and ports at the towns of Blain and Guenrouët, each with
restaurants and shops, suitable for an overnight stop. But in truth there is not much in the way of
interesting sites. (Don’t tell the Tourist Office that I said this; they will point out the swimming pool with
waterslide and the mini-golf at Guenrouët!) The summit pound of the canal at Bout-de-Bois is fed with
water from a lake 22 km away by means of four aqueducts, each with eight to ten stone arches, and a 600
meter tunnel. This may be an interesting excursion by bicycle, although I have not investigated it. Another
potential visit is the canal museum in Fégréac.

Seven kilometers south of Redon, the original canal paralled the river Vilaine and then crossed that river
by means of locks on each side to enter Redon from the east. That section is now closed and replaced by
navigation in the Vilaine itself for a similar distance. Approaching the city from the south, a fork in the
river separates the route north to Rennes from the large pleasure-boat port on the western arm of the fork.
There are restaurants near the port, although it is not far to the centre ville (and the rail station), dominated
by the handsome roman/gothic Saint-Saveur abbey. The eastside quay of the port is lined with 19th-
century houses and it is also the location of the Western Inland Water Transport Museum, with interesting
presentations of the life of bargemen.

Redon to Rohan:

This section of the canal is highly recommended by experienced cruisers as the most enjoyable trip in
Brittany, if not in all of France. It passes through the heart of the Breton countryside and includes various
types of natural areas, quaint villages and historic towns, and even a majestic castle right on the
waterfront at Josselin.
 Page 9
Although the canal leaves Redon in an artificial waterway, after only seven kilometers it joins the natural
bed of the Oust in the finest part of that river. The river is several hundred meters wide, with pine-covered
slopes and cliffs on both sides. You should begin to see herons standing at the banks and magpies flying
in the trees, and will very quickly forget that you had only recently left a city. At the northern end of the
broad waters, try to stop at Ile aux Pies (Island of Magpies), a simple but wonderful natural site. Here the
canal turns west in an artificial channel and follows alongside the Oust, but straight ahead lies the
delightful stream named the Aff, a not-to-be-missed excursion off the canal route.

Follow the marked channel into a deserted marsh; here you might consider renaming your boat the
African Queen, for that is the feeling you will get from the quiet green surroundings, with only the
fishermen’s piers to show that other people come here occasionally. The channel turns sharply right into a
twisting 9-km stretch toward the village of La Gacilly, but first you may want to continue straight ahead
to a dead-end with a mooring pontoon for a visit to the tiny village of Glénac.

La Gacilly certainly fits the description “quaint” and, although it is a tourist-oriented destination,
shouldn’t be missed (you can feel smug about arriving by boat rather than tour bus.) It is a village of craft
shops (glass, pottery, leather, stone & metalworking) with a basket-making museum, and is also the home
of Yves Rocher beauty products; the laboratory and production facilities include a museum for visitors.
The town has been classified as an eco-district and features a botanical garden named Végétarium.

Returning to the main route, you must use the artificial canal rather than the river for six kilometers but
then the waterway lies in the meandering Oust, another beautiful section, until the next must-do stop at
Malestroit. But if there is no need to hurry, stops first at Le Guelin and St-Congard can provide
restaurants and shops in typical waterside villages. In an example of the French style in naming places,
the settlement across the bridge from St-Congard is called le Bout-de-Pont, the “end of the bridge”.

Malestroit calls itself Perle de l’Oust and has been designated as one of the Petite Cité de Caractère,
official “small cities of character” scattered throughout Brittany. It is located in the middle of green
pastures and nearby forests. Half-timbered houses with upper stories that overhang the street are a part of
the mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture; some of the houses are decorated with sculptures of
animals in wood or granite, in designs evoking the fables of the Middle Ages. On Thursday mornings
there is a market of natural products grown and produced in the area. It is a lively town, with frequent
festivals, cultural activities, guided tours and recreational options (hiking, canoeing, kayaking, bicycling.)
A very complete museum of the Breton resistance in World War II and a Water & Fishing museum are
both well-done facilities. This town is worth a prolonged visit.
 Page 10
Arrival at the next town, Le Roc-St-André, is announced by the magnificent eleven-arch stone bridge,
built in 1760. If you left Malestroit early in the morning, this village has a boulanger near the pontoon
mooring for the day’s bread.4 A short distance beyond are the twin towers of Château Crevy. The next
town, Montertelot, doesn’t have much to offer, especially since it is located between the rail line and the
autoroute, but it can be used as a mooring for some pleasant bicycling along the small roads in the valley
ahead, or for a trip into the historical (and full services) city of Ploërmel, 7 km north.

Various tourist guides have referred to this area as the land of Merlin, and after some research I found that
they mean the Forêt de Paimpont northeast of Ploërmel, which in ancient times was the forest of
Brocéliande and the legendary place where Merlin the Wizard was beguiled by Lady Vyvyan. A visit to
the forest is well within the range of accomplished cyclists, and hikers can arrange for a taxi. There are
numerous panoramic viewpoints throughout the forest; I didn’t try it, but I would like to go back for a
visit to the Val sans retour to see if this is in fact a Valley of No Return!

Josselin is another Petite Cité de Caractère and rightly so. On arrival in the Josselin lock, with a very
beautiful lockkeeper’s house, the view ahead will be dominated by the Château de Josselin, a medieval
fortress with three of its nine towers rising almost from the waters of the river. It was built by the Rohan
family in the 14th century and has suffered through several demolition and rebuilding cycles, such that the
medieval exterior now encloses a granite interior in the Ren-aissance style. The château is still owned by
the same family and is open to the public. The steep narrow streets of the old city are lined with stone and
half-timbered houses, and lead to the basilica of Notre Dame, which draws thousands of pilgrims for the
annual Pardon on September 8. As expected in a tourist town, restaurants and services for visitors are
plentiful. The street market is on Saturday mornings.

For some travelers, those on a fixed round-trip schedule, Josselin is the turnaround point; now the locks
begin to come more frequently as the waterway follows the river back toward its source in the hills. But if
you have the time, continue another 24 km and 16 locks to Rohan. This is another beautiful section of the
river and there are still sights to be seen, such as the Cistercian abbey at Timadeuc. Rohan takes its name
from one of the most famous families in France. The family name itself comes from the castle that was
built here in 1479 by Alain de Rohan on the Roc’Han (“little rock” in the Breton language.) The family’s
castle in Josselin was mentioned above and yet another Château de Rohan is located ahead at the end of
the canal in Pontivy.5

4
A reminder about the schedules of such shops: almost all will close for a lunch break of several hours, sometime between
12:00 to 16:00, and will usually close all day on one weekday. In towns with more than one bakery, butcher or pharmacy, they
will coordinate their closed-day schedule so that a source remains available. It is best to shop in the morning, some shops may
not reopen in the afternoon.
5
The current president of the Bretagne region is M. Josselin de Rohan. Another Château des Rohans in Saverne is mentioned
in the EuroCanals Report Alsace & Lorraine-Est.
 Page 11
Okay, the fun is now over (at least for the next 24 km) for all except those crews that enjoy repetitive
locking. Beyond Rohan, the first stretch of four locks in five kilometers would seem like frequent locking,
except for what lies ahead around the 90-degree left turn: 21 locks in 4.5 km lead up to the summit pound.
Refer to the Elevation graph on Page 6; this is the steepest climb and descent of any waterway yet
researched by EuroCanals, and probably the steepest in Europe. The river Oust has now become just a
stream and its source is away to the northeast of the path to Pontivy, so the canal builders set off cross-
country and straight uphill. Except for the final three locks approaching the summit, each lock has a small
side-pound associated with it to store the water needed for locking.

The Hilvern bief de partage at the summit is a pleasant and isolated 5 km rest area, but with no towns or
services, just a major regional highway passing overhead. The descent into Pontivy comes in four stages:
first, another staircase of 9 locks in just over 1 km, followed by a 2 km pound, then ten locks in 1.5 km,
then an “easy” final section of ten locks in 5 km. Obviously, the boat should be provisioned at Rohan to
see the crew through to Pontivy. It is possible to do the entire section in one long and exhausting day with
adequate crew, especially if some of the crew proceed ahead to help prepare the next locks.

Pontivy is the end of the Canal de Nantes à Brest, which merges with the river Blavet at the northern end
of town. The nearby Château de Rohan attracted the attention of Napoléon, no doubt because of its
military style of architecture but also because of its strategic location here at the junction of his then-
proposed canal with the Blavet. He laid out a grid of new streets alongside the river and ordered the
construction of buildings as a military base. His interest in the town resulted in it being named
Napoléonville for two short periods, first during Napoléon’s reign and then again during the Second
Empire, reverting to Pontivy when there weren’t any “Napoléons” around.

Although the Blavet above Pontivy is closed to navigation, an excursion to the very beautiful Lac de
Guerlédan 20 km north may be of interest to bicyclists or those who may wish to rent a car.

Blavet:

Although in some guidebooks and official charts this waterway is identified as the “Canal du Blavet”, it is
in fact simply a navigable river. There have been improvements made along the banks in some areas and
locks have been installed, but there are no sections that depart from the natural bed of the river. This
makes cruising here all the more enjoyable, meandering between the wooded hillsides and pastures of the
unchanged Breton countryside. Nearly all of the locks are part of a weir, often with water tumbling over
the barricade in intriguing and beautiful patterns. A rail line follows the river valley, but traffic is very
light.

The inland section of the river consists of 28 locks in 58 km from Pontivy to the last lock, located
between Lochrist and Hennebont. From there the final 13 km to Lorient is tidal. Proceed on to Lorient
with great care, as the large tide will dry the riverbed to a surprising degree. Obtain local information on
the conditions.
Pontivy to Lochrist: Page 12

The first stop below Pontivy, and the most beautiful on this waterway, is at St. Nicolas-des-Eaux. Here
the river makes two almost-complete loops in a deep valley, each nearly cutting off the land to form an
island, but leaving just a few meters for the small roads. You can walk or bike to panoramic viewpoints
above the valley.

Another village of great charm that shouldn’t be missed is St Adrien. Along the entire valley there are
almost no mooring pontoons or quays provided, but that shouldn’t stop you from mooring near a lock or
tied to the bank for an overnight stay or a walk uphill to the tiny settlements of stone houses. You won’t
find much in the way of restaurants or shops, but you will have an opportunity to see old Brittany and its
rural lifestyle, although it is common for the houses to be tightly shuttered and appear deserted, even
during the day.

One of these excursions off the canal might be to the restored 1,000 year-old village of Melrand (4.5 km
west from Lock #13, Boterneau, on road D142.) Another restoration of a typical Breton village is Poul-
Fétan, dating from the 16th century (a short walk from the mooring pontoon on the west bank at PK 41,
one kilometer south of Lock #19, Ménazen.)

Lochrist to the sea:

Industry and modern life intrude at Lochrist, and soon you reach the end of the inland waterway.
The Blavet waterway has a history associated with iron and steel, which can be traced in the forges and
canal museums in Lochrist. The nearby city of Hennebont has considerably more historical and cultural
sights; built at the point where the river narrows from the estuary, it was a stronghold surrounded by
ramparts, which now offer a good view up the river valley.

Lorient was the base of the East Indies Company and thus became the “Gateway to the Indies”. It was
first named Lieu d’Orient, later shortened to Lorient. In WWII it was the site of a very large naval base
for submarines and was almost totally destroyed by bombing. The city was rebuilt in modern style and
has become an important fishing harbor and shipping port, with a pleasure-boat port as well.

Coastal-cruising travelers will find an trip up the Blavet to Pontivy to be an pleasant and restful change
from the rugged coast of Brittany.
 uroCana EuroCanals Guide:Canal d'Ille-et-Rance/Vilaine

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Page 13

Tour Rating: Pleasant, picturesque, recommended

Navigation Difficulty: Easiest, no commercial traffic, slow currents; PARIS
except in tidal sections, where careful planning and caution
is required; experience in extremely large tides is helpful.

Rance Maritime
la Manche
St Malo to Le Chatelier
(English Channel)
22.6 km
1 lock 65X13 m St Malo
Draft varies; Tidal Le Chatelier St Suliac
Height 19 m Lock #48
La Vicomté-sur-Rance
Speed 10 km/hr St Samson Lyvet
Dinan Rance
Canal d'Ille et Rance
Evran
Le Chatelier to Rennes Tinténiac Montreuil Charts:
84.8 km Hédé St Germain Navicarte #12
48 locks 26.5X4.5 m Chevaigné
l'Ille Guide Vagnon #10
Draft 1.20 m Betton
Guide Fluviaux EDB #1
Height 2.50 m St Grégoire Maps:
Speed 6 km/hr Rennes Michelin # 230
Vilaine Season:
Pont Réan
Rennes to Arzal Open March through
131.0 km Vilaine October.
12 locks 25.87X4.5 m Guipry
Lock schedules vary,
Draft 1.20 m Messac check with boat rental
At times of maximum St Just
Height 3.20 m (2.60 m) high navigable water level Langon operator or contact:
Speed 10 km/hr Painfaut Service Navigation
Beslé
1, avenue du Mail
Vilaine Maritime Redon 35000 RENNES
Arzal to Atlantic Ocean Foleux Tel:+33(0)2 99 59 20 60
13 km Barrage d'Arzal Canal de Nantes à Brest
La Roche-Bernard
1 lock 85X13 m
Atlantic Arzal-Camoël
Draft varies; Tidal
Height 25 m Ocean
Speed 10 km/hr
Elevation, meters
70
60 Montreuil
50 Hédé
40 Chevaigne
30 Rennes
20 Pont Rean Evran
10 Arzal-Camoël Redon Messac Dinan
0
PK131 Kilometers 89 52 48 34 27 18 11 0 8 18 36 42 52 66 78 85
Lock Number 13 12 10 8 6 4 2 -1 4 8 20 21 36 42 47 48
PK marker zero is at Rennes; Canal d'Ille et Rance is labeled north to PK 86 at Le Chatelier lock, Vilaine is labeled south to PK 130
at barrage d'Arzal. Lock numbers follow the same sytem (there is no Lock #1 on the Vilaine at Rennes; first lock is #2.)

Copyright EuroCanals 2003

Canal d’Ille-et-Rance – Rance – Vilaine Page 14

In French, these rivers and the connecting canal are la liaison fluviale Manche-Océan, the through-route
between the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. It is commonly used by sailboats and motorcruisers
from Great Britain and the Channel Islands to cut across the peninsula of Brittany on their way south to
seacoast ports in France and Spain, or to the Mediterranean Sea on the Midi path.

It wasn’t created all at once. In the north, traffic from St. Malo could reach Dinan, thirty kilometers up the
Rance estuary, only when tides were favorable. In the south, improvements on the Vilaine that would
allow inland waterway transport began in the 16th century, with the construction of ten locks between
Messac and Rennes. “Modern” work on this section was begun in 1784 and completed by the time of the
revolution. The final section, a canal between Dinan and Rennes to link the Rance with the Vilaine, was
not opened until the late 1830’s.

For trip-planning purposes, there are five parts to this 252 km route: 23 km & 1 lock in the Rance estuary,
85 km & 48 locks in the canal to Rennes, 89 km & 12 locks in the Vilaine to the canal intersection at
Redon, then 42 km in the maritime Vilaine with no locks to the dam at Arzal, finally a lock at the dam
then 13 km to the ocean.

Rance Estuary; St Malo to Dinan:

Saint-Malo advertises itself as the home of Les plus grandes marées d’Europe, “The biggest tides in
Europe”. The tidal range can be as much as 12 meters (39.6 feet) in less than seven hours. The old city is
completely surrounded by imposing ramparts; it was originally a fortress city-state independent of
Brittany. In 1944 it was 80% destroyed by Allied bombing; faithfully rebuilt after the war, the narrow
streets and the original architectural style of massive stone buildings, all nearly identical in appearance,
were retained. Surrounded by the sea and five harbor basins, it appears as an island, although it is actually
the point on the eastern mouth of the Rance. It is a major sailing center and starting point for open-ocean
racing; two pleasure-boat harbors accomodate 1,500 yachts (120 spaces are reserved for visitors.)
Unfortunately, it is also a major destination for tourist buses, so the streets may be engulfed with visitors
at times. And for my taste the reconstructed buildings need a few hundred more years to “weather” before
they will look like an ancient city again.

A hydroelectric dam 3 km above St. Malo includes a lock for access to the Rance estuary. Because of the
large tides and the possibility of rapid changes in water level caused by the operations of the dam, it is
essential to obtain local information from the harbormaster before departing St. Malo. It is almost
mandatory to plan on traveling past the Le Chatélier lock (#48) in order to get past the tidal area in one
tide period; as the Navicarte Guide notes “The only possible stopping point without grounding is at
Mordreuc; only the southern side of the jetty can be used (draft 1.50 m.)” But Mordreuc is only 3 km
from the lock, with little to recommend a stop there. Occasional extremely high tides may pass beyond Le
Chatélier and even affect the water level to well beyond Dinan at Pont Perrin, Lock #46.
But when you do pass the tidal lock, everything changes; you are now in the inland waterway, in a
peaceful basin of two ports (St. Samson and Lyvet), surrounded by wooded hillsides and rocky cliffs. You
may find an available slip here, or proceed on another five kilometers to a port in a deep gorge below the
city of Dinan. There the long jetty on the western bank offers moorings at a must-do stop. Charming old
buildings with restaurants, services and even a modern Best Western hotel line both sides of the canalised
river. A beautiful low stone bridge marks the intersection of the port with the narrow street leading up into
the city. Soaring above is a very impressive viaduct of seven tall, narrow and graceful stone arches,
crossing the gorge for the highway into Dinan. The bridge is 75 meters above the water, higher even than
the summit that the canal will later cross on its path southward.

Dinan is one of the best preserved medieval towns in France; half-timbered houses line the cobbled streets
of the old city, often with the second story extending over the sidewalk on wooden columns. Although
there are numerous historical and cultural sights, including Saint-Saveur Basilica and Dutchess Anne’s
Castle, this seems more like a city that people actually live and work in, rather than a tourist center like St.
Malo. A stroll to the English Gardens and the ramparts at the top of the gorge will provide an excellent
view of the port far below and the Rance valley back to the estuary. This is a highly recommended visit.

Dinan to Rennes:

When you leave the port to travel upstream, as you pass under the viaduct the river enters a narrow and
winding ravine with steep cliffs, then soon the path is through dense woodlands and past small villages.
The small town of Evran marks the departure of the waterway from the Rance, which has its source to the
west while the canal turns east and then south toward Rennes. Near the lock at Evran, a small sign on the
wall of a house notes that the canal was closed for eight months in 1921-22 because of a drought.

Tinténiac is a good town to consider for the next overnight. It has full services, a pleasant public quay and
an interesting museum of trades and their tools. There are several châteaux that can be reached by bicycle,
including Combourg, home of the Châteaubriand family, and Montmuran, dating from the 12th century.
Get full information and directions from the tourist office in Tinténiac.

The eleven locks of Hédé are next; they aren’t really the Echelle de Hédés (Hell’s Ladder) as they are
sometimes called. It is a pleasant tree-lined section and should go quickly and easily. After the first three
locks there are quays where you can stop for a visit to the town, 2 km west up a hill, or an overnight stay
(be sure to let the lockkeepers advised of your plans.) Eight more locks and you arrive at the 7 km summit
pound, where the canal curves next to the ponds which store water for the locks.

The descent to Rennes now follows the path of the river Ille, marked by a succession of “-sur-Ille”
villages: Montreuil, Saint-Médard, Saint-Germain. There are moorings at each, as well as the next villages
of Chevaigé and Betton.The riverbed twists about through the unremarkable but very pleasant
countryside, a 34 km stretch with 20 locks.
 Page 16
Arrival at Rennes is announced by the suburb of St. Gregoire and the industrial zone on the north of the
city. Through two more locks, a long underpass below the streets, then suddenly the inersection with the
Vilaine, right in the center of Brittany’s capital and largest city. The non-navigable upper Vilaine flows
into Rennes from the east, under a large plaza. Turn right on the Vilaine and there is a mooring quay;
space should be available, although a number of liveaboard barges are docked here. The interesting part of
the city is on the old streets to the northeast, with shops that range from basic up to luxury and elegant,
numerous restaurants and many historic and modern public buildings.

Rennes to Redon:

Heading out of the city to the south, the first lock is #2 rather than #1, I suppose because they didn’t want
it confused with Lock #1 on the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance just around the corner. The first few kilometers
pass through urban surroundings and then gravel works, but downstream the cruising is back into wooded
riverbanks and green fields, often spotted with dairy cattle. “Vilaine” translates as nasty, bad, unpleasant,
but the name was given to the river long ago and it has now been tamed by the locks and canalisation of
shallow or rocky stretches.

The town of Pont-Rean offers a port and a visit to the gardens at Hospice de la Massaye. The most
spectacular section of the Vilaine is the next S-curve, after passing under the graceful stone arches of the
rail bridge and approaching the lock and mill at Le Böel, Lock #7. Slate cliffs line the curve of the eastern
riverbank. At the end of the curve, in a picture-perfect setting, the river flows over a weir with a stone
millhouse at its center; the lock is at the western bank, connected to a long narrow island that is thick with
woods. There are hiking trails to the top of the cliff, a popular destination on weekends for visitors from
nearby Rennes. Most of the crowds will appear in mid-afternoon on Sundays, after church and the
traditional large dinner meal. If you want solitude, hike between 9:00 and 15:00.

Two kilometers further on there is a group of small rocky islands that must be avoided, but they are well
marked by buoys. Bouëxière is the next lock, again with a weir, mill and lock grouped together; the
millhouse is interesting, being unusually tall and with the upstream wall angled on each corner in the
manner of buttresses protecting the upstream side of bridge columns. After exiting this lock, watch
carefully for rocks under the Glanret bridge and follow the markings for the proper channel (close to the
west bank.) The river then makes a full-circle loop, interrupted by the Gailieu lock. A château is adjacent
to the lock, the first of several to be seen along the riverbanks toward Redon.

Attesting to the popularity of holiday cruising on the Vilaine is the Crown Blue Line rental-boat base at
Messac, established here many years ago. Moorings are available at the CBL base on the north of town, or
at the public quay in the sister town of Guipry. Yet another beautiful millhouse of unusual design is
located on the island between the two towns, between the weir and the lock. Both of these towns have full
services and some excellent restaurants.
 Page 17
Lock #13, the last lock before the tidal section of the river is at Mâlon, with 92 km yet to travel to the
ocean. The lock is 3 km below Guipry, which was the upper limit of navigation before locks were
installed on the river. Obviously this means that the land is quite flat, but that doesn’t mean that the
waterway is not enjoyable. Just ahead is les Corbinières, a section with forests on both sides of the
winding river, Bois de Boeuvre on the east and Bois de Baron on the west. Wildlife is abundant in these
woodlands, a small area but as close to wilderness as can still be found in Brittany. A rail bridge crosses
high above the river on a row of tall stone arches. Rail traffic is light and the old bridge enhances rather
than intrudes on the scene.

Port-de-Roche is the place to spend a full day if you are interested in the ancient stone megaliths scattered
by the thousands across Brittany6. There is an opportunity here to view two sites of menhirs that were
erected 4,500 years BC (the French term for BC is avant J.C.) A striking small alignment consisting of
two lines of stone can be visited at Moulin-de-Cajoux near the village of St. Just, 10 km west of the canal
on road D54. Upon excavation and restoration of these megaliths it was discovered that they had been set
in a base of small stones above very ancient fire pits. Also, 3 km south from Port-de-Roche at Langon,
there is a group of 28 menhirs named Cromlech des Demoiselles. The legend of these standing stones is
that they were young girls, turned to stone for dancing rather than attending church! Langon has a
beautiful Romanesque church built in the 10th century, Église Saint-Pierre, and also Chapelle Sainte-
Agathe, which has a marvelous fresco of Venus coming out of the water. The mooring at Port-de-Roche is
near a handsome cast-iron bridge; if water and other services are needed, proceed on to Beslé.

The scenery is less attractive below Beslé, but in just a couple of hours you will be in Redon, the
crossroad of the Breton waterways. (Redon was described in the section covering the Canal de Nantes à
Brest; that paragraph is repeated below for the reader’s convenience.) The port at Redon is entered by
passing under the open guillotine of the Grand Vannage, a three-gate structure that closes only in times of
flooding. Pass through the sluice (probably holding your breath under the guillotine blade) then turn
sharply back to the right to enter the port as described below:

Approaching the city from the south, a fork in the river separates the route north to Rennes from the large
pleasure-boat port on the western arm of the fork. There are restaurants near the port, although it is not far
to the centre ville (and the rail station), dominated by the handsome Roman/Gothic Saint-Saveur abbey.
The eastside quay of the port is lined with 19th-century houses and it is also the location of the Western
Inland Water Transport Museum, with interesting presentations of the life of bargemen.

6
Menhirs, dolmen, stone circles, passage graves and alignments are one of the defining and mysterious elements of
Brittany. Although the sites mentioned above are in Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan is especially thickly studded with these
megalithic monuments, some of which predate Stonehenge by 1,000 years. The best known of these sites is at Carnac where
the aligned stones number in the thousands. Except for the passage graves, the meaning of the other megalithich arrangements
and the people who built them are shrouded in a mystery that may never be solved.
Redon to the ocean: Page 18

Downstream from Redon, the river widens as it flows through a broad valley. Across from the entrance to
the eastern section of the Canal de Nantes à Brest (Redon to Nantes) are the ruins of the Rieux castle, an
ancient base of Breton noblemen. After the next bridge at Cran, villages are now some distance back from
the river and there isn’t much to see, so the next stop to consider is at the port in Foleux. This village is in
a pretty setting; walk or bike to the Château de Lèhélec. But the more interesting destination is one of the
most popular boating centers in France, La Roche Bernard, 7 km ahead.

It is more of a seaport than an inland-waterway town. The pleasure boat harbors on the eastern shore are a
forest of masts, of sailboats that moor in these protected waters but cruise at the coast 20 km away. A
large modern suspension bridge crosses high above the waterway. The town was founded by the Vikings
and is today classified as another Petite Cité de Caractère, official “small cities of character” scattered
throughout Brittany. There is plenty to see in the old quarter, and a museum of the maritime history of the
Vilaine estuary. View the sights from one of the panoramic rocky outcroppings.

The last stopping-place before the sea is the large dam midway between the towns of Arzal and Camoël.
The dam, named barrage d’Arzal, includes a ladder for migratory fish and a lock on the western bank for
boating access to the final 13 km of the estuary at sea level. It is here that the level of the waterway is
controlled back to Redon and sometimes beyond, allowing the pleasant inland-waterway cruising
described above.
 uroCana EuroCanals Guide: Aulne/Hyère

ls
Tour Rating: Pleasant, picturesque, recommended Page 19
Navigation Difficulty: Easiest, no commercial traffic,
slow currents.
PARIS
The western end of the Canal de Nantes à Brest (closed to navigation
since 1923) descends from the Montagnes Noires in Finistere to join the
canalized Hyère and then the canalized Aulne, which flows into the Rade de Brest
and the Atlantic Ocean. In 2002, the upper limit of navigation was at Penn-ar-Pont,
however work is in progress to reopen the waterway to Port de Carhaix.
Port de Carhaix to Port Launay: 78 km, 33 locks 25.7X4.7 m, Draft 1.10 m,
Height 2.50 m, Speed 6 km/hr
Penn-ar-Pont to Port Launay: 49 km, 18 locks 25.7X4.7 m, Draft 1.10 m,
Height 2.50 m, Speed 6 km/hr

To Brest

14 nautical miles

Landévennec
Auln
eM Hyère
ariti
me
Aulne Carhaix-Plouguer
Landévennec to
Port Launay Port Launay Port de Carhaix Goariva
29.6 km Chateauneuf-du-Faou
Chateaulin Canal de Nantes à Brest
Pont Coblant Pont Triffen (section closed)
Penn-ar-Pont
Elevation, meters
Limit of Navigation
80 (2002 Season)
70 Port de Carhaix

60 Pont Triffen
50
Chateauneuf-du-Faou
40 Penn-ar-Pont
30
Pont Coblant
20 Port Launay
Chateaulin
10
0
PK 365 Kilometers 337 316 297 287
Lock# 236 226 218 210 203
PK markers and Lock number follow the historic system of the Canal de Nantes à Brest, starting at Nantes.
Charts: Season: Open March through October.
Navicarte #12 Lock schedules vary,
Guide Vagnon #10 check with boat rental operator or contact:
Guide Fluviaux EDB #1 Service Navigation
Maps: 1, rue du Stade, 29520 Chateauneuf-du-Faou
Michelin # 230 Tel: +33 (0)2 98 81 76 45

Copyright EuroCanals 2003

Aulne – Hyère – Canal de Nantes à Brest (Western Section) Page 20

The peninsula of Brittany is the thumb of France, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean 250 kilometers beyond
the western shore of Normandy. The westernmost département7 is Finistère, “Land’s End”. At the risk of
being a little fanciful, picture the end of the peninsula as the profile of a dragon’s head, with a jagged
tongue showing. Atop his tongue is the bay named Rade de Brest, which narrows down into his throat as
the river Aulne. This is the western end of the Canal de Nantes à Brest, now generally referred to as the
Aulne & Hyère, since the through-route on the canal no longer exists.

Cruising on this waterway must be a round-trip, as there is no connection to other waterways. Coastal
cruisers can travel upstream from the sea (mindful of the relatively restrictive limitations of 1.10 meters
draft and 2.50 m height.) Or you can rent a boat at Penn-ar-Pont for a trip downstream as far as the tidal
lock at Port Launay. The currently-available length of the river is 49 km and 18 locks, so a 3-day round
trip is possible and a weeklong trip is leisurely. The PK distances and lock numbers shown on charts
retain the system used when the entire canal from Nantes was laid out, so they seem strange now (PK 360,
Lock #236 at Chateaulin, for example.) Although the Aulne and Hyère rivers have been canalised to some
extent, they have not been straightened and thus meander through the low rolling hills of the wooded and
agricultural countryside.

In the 2002 season, the upstream limit of navigation was at Penn-ar-Pont, due to work underway on the
Hyère section to Port de Carhaix. Assuming that this section will be reopened soon, this report includes
information on the Hyère, and begins there.

Port de Carhaix to Penn-ar-Pont:

The ancien Canal de Nantes à Brest joins with the river Hyère fifty kilometers west of the Lac de
Guerlédan at PK 287, near the city of Carhaix-Plouguer, an important agricultural center on the high
plains of western Brittany. It is not a city that is featured, or in fact even mentioned, in the tourist
brochures, but there are historical churches and houses from the 12th century and a Roman aqueduct.

There are not many villages located directly on the waterway, but be on the watch for stone chapels and
calvaires (calvary crosses, some very detailed and with a Jesus figure, other simple but beautiful plain
crosses.) Both can be found almost anywhere, not necessarily in a village or near any kind of settlement.
And you will notice here the many small road signs pointing to Ker... In the Breton language Ker means
village, but the signs may mean anything as small as a single farm. There are literally thousands of Ker...s
in Brittany. If you want to remember the name of a particular one, be sure to write it down, they can be
very confusing (Kergadalen, Kergousven, Kerrouzarc’h, Kergaëric and the descriptive Kerbastard are just
a few examples.)

7
The administrative subdivisions of France include 22 régions, including Bretagne, which is itself divided into 4 départements:
Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan, Côtes d’Armor and Finistère.
 Page 21
The Aulne merges from the north side at Pont Triffen and the Hyère name is no longer used. Twenty
kilometers downstream is Châteauneuf-du-Faou, a large town perched on a rocky promontory directly
across the river from the port at Penn-ar-Pont. There are full services here, and historical sites including
Notre-Dame des Portes church. In the Saint-Julien church are murals painted by Paul Sérusier, a
contemporary of Gaugin and a painter of the Pont-Aven school. Up the hillside behind Penn-ar-Pont is
the Domaine Trévarez, a pink Edwardian castle with extensive gardens of rhododendrons, camellias and
azaleas.

Fifteen kilometers downstream there is a mooring at PK 332, just below Lock #224, Roz Véguen. One of
the well-marked and well-used hiking trails of the region, Grand Randonée 38, crosses the bridge here.
On the north side of the canal, the trail follows the towpath (chemin de halage) downstream for five
kilometers to Pont-Coblant, then heads southward, uphill to the village of Gouézec. From there you can
leave the trail and follow small back roads to Tréguron and pick up the trail again to return to the
mooring, a pleasant and interesting hike of about 15 km. It is also a short walk from the mooring north on
the road to Saint-Nicolas chapel and another chapel at Néréhguen.8

After a section whose twists will bring the sun from all points of the compass, the waterway arrives at
Châteaulin, a pleasant, flower-filled city with a large street market on Thursdays. The stone walls along
the banks of the river are often lined with fishermen. Port Launay is 2 km beyond, near the end of the
inland waterway. The curving quay here is lined with very beautiful houses of shipowners from the period
when Châteaulin was an important port.

At the tidal lock, the estuary continues another 30 km to the final loop before entering the bay, at
Landévennec. Brest, a large city with a major French naval base, is 14 nautical miles across the bay.

8
For serious hikers, GR and lesser trails follow almost the entire length of the river valley; maps can purchased at bookstores,
tourist offices and most supermarkets.
Self-Skippered Boat Rental Bases Tourist Offices
Aulne Loisirs Plaisance Comité de Promotion Touristique des Canaux bretons
Penn-ar-Pont B.P. 76 Place du Parlement, 35600 REDON
29520 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-FAOU Tel: +33 (0)2 99 71 06 04
Tel: +33 (0)2 98 73 28 63 www.tourismebretagne.com

Redon to Nantes:
Bretagne Croisières Comité Départemental de Tourisme (Loire-Atlantique)
71, rue de Vannes 2 Allée Baco, 44000 NANTES
35600 REDON Tel: +33 (0)2 51 72 95 30 Fax: +33 (0)2 40 20 44 54
Tel: +33 (0)2 99 71 08 05 Fax: +33 (0)2 99 72 42 45
www.bretagnecroisieres.com/ Vilaine:
[email protected] Pays d’Acqueil Touristique de Vilaine
Place de la République, 35600 REDON
Bretagne Fluvial/ Nicols Tel: +33 (0)2 99 72 72 11
Quai Cricklade
44240 SUCÉ-SUR-ERDRE Redon to Pontivy & Blavet:
Tel: +33 (0)2 40 77 79 51 Comité Départemental de Tourisme (Morbihan)
www.bretagne-fluviale.com/ Hôtel du Département
BP 400, 56009 VANNES Cedex
Bretagne Plaisance (Locaboat affiliate) Tel: +33 (0)2 97 54 06 56 Fax: +33 (0)2 97 42 71 02
12, quai Jean Bart
35600 REDON Blavet:
Tel: +33 (0)2 99 72 15 80 Fax: +33 (0)2 99 72 29 56 Pays d’Acqueil Touristique de la Vallée du Blavet
[email protected] BP 43, 56150 BAUD
also: Locaboat Holidays Tel: +33 (0)2 07 51 09 37 Fax: +33 (0)2 97 39 07 23
Tel: +33 (0)3 86 91 72 72 Fax: +33 (0)3 86 62 42 41 www.paysdebaud.com/
e-mail: [email protected]
www.locaboat.com/ Hotel Barges
No hotel barges travel on these waterways.
Brittany Cruisers
Les Bateaux Tranq’Ille’O Rail Stations
Ville Neuve TGV from Paris/Montparnasse to Brest, Lorient,
35760 ST GREGOIRE (Rennes) Redon, Rennes & Nantes.
Tel: +33 (0)2 99 68 79 64 Connections to Dinan, St Malo & Carhaix.
Schedules available at www.sncf.fr/

Crown Blue Line, France Hotels

Tel: +33 (0)4 68 94 52 72 Fax: +33 (0)4 68 94 52 73 Dinan: Best Western Hotel Jerzual
e-mail: [email protected] 26 quai des Talards, Dinan Port
www.crownblueline.com/ 22100 LANVALLAY
Tel: +33 (0)2 96 87 02 02 Fax: +33 (0)2 96 87 02 03
[email protected]
www.bestwestern.com/fr/jerzual

CBL port at Messac: Tel: +33 (0)2 99 34 60 11 Redon: Chandouineau

10 ave. de la Gare
A.N.C. Ledoux Evasion 35600 REDON
Port Neuf B.P. 49 Tel: +33 (0)2 99 71 02 04 Fax: +33 (0)2 99 71 08 81
56130 LA ROCHE–BERNARD www.logis-de-france.fr/
Tel: +33 (0)2 99 90 66 77
ateliersnavalsdelacouronne.fr Rennes: Ar Milin (“The Mill”)
30 rue de Paris BP 25
Nicols 35220 CHATEAUBOURG
Route de Saint-Gouvry (20 km east of Rennes on non-navigable Vilaine)
56580 ROHAN Tel: +33 (0)2 99 00 30 91 Fax: +33 (0)2 99 00 37 56
Tel: +33 (0)2 97 38 90 17 [email protected]
www.nicols.com/
Breton – French – English Glossary

Breton, Brehoneg Français English (language)

Breizh La Bretagne Brittany (region)
aber estuaire estuary
amann beurre butter
aod grève, côte beach, strand, coast
Argoad, argoat region boisée, intérieur des terres forest, interior region
Ar mor La mer the sea
Ar vor littoral littoral, seacoast
aval pomme apple
bara pain bread
beg pointe point (of land)
bigorned bigorneaux a type of clam
bihan petit small
bugale enfant child
caer beau beautiful, handsome
c’hastell, kastell chateau castle
c’hoad, coat, koad bois wood, woods
Demat Bonjour Hello, Good Morning, Good Day
dour eau water
du noir black
enez île island
Fest-Deiz Fête du jour festival day
Fest-Noz Fête du nuit festival night
feunteun fontaine fountain
glaz bleu blue
gored barrage dam, weir
groaz croix crossroads
gwazh ruisseau stream, brook, creek
gwenn blanc white
Gwen Ha Du drapeau breton breton flag “Black and White”
gwez arbre tree
gwin vin wine
hent route, chemin road, highway
iliz église church
kafe café cafe, luncheonette
Kenavo Au Revoir Goodbye
Ker ville, village town, village, settlement
kig viande meat
koant joli pretty, pleasing
kouign gâteau cake
kozh vieux old
krampouezh crêpes crepes, pancakes
kreiz ker centre ville town center
kroaz-hent carrefour intersection
lann monastère monastery
mad bon good
maen-hir, peulvan menhir megalithic stone monument
maez grand champ large field
mam mère mother
marc’h cheval horse
Mar plij S’il vous plait Please
Mat eo! C’est bon! That’s good!
menez montagne mountain
meur grand, majestueux large, majestic
milin moulin mill
mor mer sea
Nann Non No
nevez neuf new
Nozvezh vat Bonsoir Good Evening
palud marais marsh
penn tête top, summit
pesked poisson fish
pesketaerezh pêche fishing
plou paroisse parish
porz, porzh port port, harbor
pred repas meal
sistr, jistr cidre cider
stêr rivière river
tad père father
ti, ty maison house
ti-krampouezh crêperie crepes restaurant
traezhen plage beach
traou vallée valley
trez sable sand
Trugarez Merci Thank You
unan, daou, tri, pevar, pemp, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, one, two, three, four, five, six,
c’hwec’h, seizh, eizh, nav, dek sept, huit, neuf, dix seven, eight, nine, ten
Vacansoù mat! Bonnes vacances! Have a good vacation!
vag, bag bateau boat
Ya Oui Yes
Yec’had mat! A la vôtre! Bonne Santé! Cheers! Good Health! (a toast)

Copyright EuroCanals 2003

 Alsace & Lorraine-Est;
Canal de la Marne au Rhin

Zorn river above Lutzelbourg

 Can Alsace -Lorraine Est
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Gondrexange to Niderviller Page 2

NOTE: The following pages, describing a cruise from Xouaxange to Strasbourg, are also published in the
EuroCanals Guide: Canal du Marne au Rhin. They are included here because the the route is the primary
cruising area in Alsace and the neighboring eastern portion of Lorraine.

The western end of the prime cruising territory

of eastern France is at the halte fluviale at
Xouaxange, a charming village with a rather
strange name.

The port at Hesse (below) is a base for Crown

Blue Line rental boats, and offers full services.
Another 4 km leads to a mooring at Niderviller.
The latter is a good stop for a cycling trip to
investigate the faïence and crystal produced here
and in other nearby villages. Another point of
interest in this area is at Sarrebourg, home of the
large and very beautiful stained glass window by
Marc Chagall in the Cordeliers Chapel.

There are two very good restaurants nearby, each awarded one Michelin star:

Ernest Mathis: Michelin describes the cuisine as "inventive".

7 rue Gambetta, Sarrebourg Tel 03 87 03 21 67

Au Soldat de l'An II: cuisine is modern, based on the regional traditions.

1 route Saverne, Phalsbourg Tel 03 87 24 16 16

The restaurants can be reached by bicycle, or call and ask to be picked up.
 Can Alsace -Lorraine Est
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Page 3
Niderviller to Arzviller
After passing through gently rolling countryside,
the canal enters first the relatively short Niderviller
tunnel, and then the 2,306-meter (1.44 miles)
Arzviller tunnel. East of the tunnel, the surroundings
now become steep, densely forested hills. The path
of the canal continues through the forest at the same
level to the top of the famous Arzviller boatlift. The
land falls away on the left side down a narrow gorge
which contains a small, twisting road, a rail line and
the old canal route. The latter is the Ancienne Echelle
de 17 écluses, an abandoned ladder of 17 locks,
each with its own lock keeper's cottage. The basins
of these locks and the pounds between are now filled
with logs that have been cut from the surrounding
A rental cruiser enters the Arzviller tunnel, eastern end forest and are awaiting transport to a mill.
The view from the "new" canal, which curves along
the shoulder at the top of a ridge, is unusual. The
waterway looks out on treetops, the roofs of houses
and the tiny logs far below.
The French are justifiably proud of the spectacular
Arzviller-St Louis inclined-plane boatlift. On this
day it lowers a single cruiser, but it is capable of
transporting a péniche or several cruisers (a total of
900 tons of boats and water, in practice limited
only by the number of boats that will fit in.) Boats
float into a water-filled caisson, and then this
traveling bathtub is sealed by a vertical gate and
lowered transversely down a 41% slope to the canal
45 meters below. The whole process takes less than thirty minutes, eliminating a full day of negotiating the
seventeen locks of the previous route. On busier days, the lift returns uphill with boats traveling westbound.
The lift uses electric motors and cables, but a counter-
weight makes the work fairly easy. It is the principle of
displacement; each boat displaces its own weight of
water, thus a caisson filled only with water weighs the
same as when boats enter and some of the water flows
out of the tank. The mechanism is always moving the
same weight, regardless of the number or size of the
boats in the tank. The ride itself is very smooth, and it's
a perfect time to enjoy the views of the forests and the
valley below. Tourists arriving by car can visit the site
on foot, by tour boat or on a small roadgoing train. There
are fees for all of this, but canal cruisers pay nothing but
their basic canal-usage fee.
A wide pound is provided at the bottom of the lift for the
180-degree turn required and for boats waiting their turn.
 Can
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Alsace -Lorraine Est

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Arzviller to Lutzelbourg Page 4

Just a short distance further on, we saw this very

beautiful black, green, magenta and white barge;
it had spent a peaceful winter at this secluded spot,
adjacent to the lock keeper's house at Écluse #18.
It's worth getting off at this lock for a look at the
vegetable garden and poultry pen behind the house,
and beyond those to a rushing frothy stream. (It all
makes one think that being a lock keeper must be
one of the world's dream jobs!)
The canal descends alongside the river Zorn to the
charming village of Lutzelbourg. The canal is now
deep in a narrow S-shaped gorge, with the ruins of
the 10th-century Lutzelbourg Château on the cliff
high above. This is the view from the chateau:

There are three ports serving this popular stop. The upstream port is operated by Locaboat Plaisance; at this time
of year (late March) there are over twenty of their rental plénichettes moored along the right bank, being serviced
for the coming season. The other two ports are around the curve and beyond the lock that is the center point of
the village. These are all delightful places for a stop overnight or longer, to enjoy the village and get some
exercise with a pleasant walk. A paved road or a hiking path switchback up the southern ridge, making for an
easy climb to the chateau. The ruins are open to the public (with only the obligatory warning signs about the
dangers ahead) and are especially interesting because they are unrestored and do not include any modern food or
souvenir shops. There are several spots that allow unrestricted views of the canal upstream and downstream, and
of the entire village.
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Lutzelbourg to Saverne Page 5

Lutzelbourg is a quaint mountain town right on the

border between the Lorraine and Alsace regions, an
area that was traded back and forth between France
and Germany several times in the 19th and 20th
centuries. Most signs show French and German
versions.

The best one-day canal cruise in France is right

here, from Arzviller to Saverne. That's not just
my opinion; listen to these quotes:

"This stage is without doubt one of the most

beautiful stretches that you could sail along
anywhere on the French network."
Jean Morlot, Guide Vagnon de Tourisme Fluvial

"Given just one day to convert a person to the

delights of French canal cruising, I would choose
to take them along the 20km of Canal de la
Marne au Rhin from Saverne to Niderviller in
northwestern Alsace."
Hugh McKnight, Cruising French Waterways

The highway along this part of the canal is labeled "Route des Chateaux". Several of these pink sandstone
castles are perched on crags atop the hills, above dark pines and green deciduous forests. These are the foothills
at the north end of the Vosges mountain range that extends north to south above the plain of Alsace and the
Rhine valley, a neighbor matching the Black Forest range on the German side.

Château Haut-Barr is a famous viewpoint that overlooks the canal on one side and most of Alsace on the other.
It is 5 km by road from Saverne and can be reached by bus. However, compared to the very serene and spiritual
feeling at Lutzelbourg, Haut-Barr was a little too "touristy" for us. But the view is worth the trip, from up here
you can see across the Alsatian plain to the Rhine.
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Saverne to Strasbourg
Saverne is the site of an excellent port, with a base
for Nicols rental boats. Across the canal from the
docks is the massive Château des Rohans, the
former summer palace of the powerful Rohan
family and now operated by the city as a museum
and government offices. Along the canal to the
west of the old quarter is a public garden with
over 1,000 varieties of roses. In this city of half-
timbered houses, the Taverne Katz stands out
quite literally, its finely carved timbers (dating
from 1605) project over the pedestrian street
below. The picture-postcard style and traditional
Alsatian cuisine and wines make this a very popular and famous restaurant.

Between Saverne and Strasbourg the canal descends through twenty locks and 41 km across the Alsatian Plain.
Some of the history of this area can be understood from French-German variations of the town names; the first
potential stop below Saverne is at Dettwiller, spelled with a "w" as compared to the "v" in Niderviller. Many of
the names end in "-heim"; Waltenheim-sur-Zorn is one such village, a German name with the French suffix "sur
Zorn". The quay here has been used by hotel barges as a base for their tours on the "wine road" south to Colmar.
The canal does not pass directly through vineyard areas, in fact the canal area is more noted for the brewing of
beer, most famouly at Hochfelden, which has been the home of Météor Alsatian beers since 1640!

The steep-sided valley of the Zorn River as it parallels the canal from Saverne down to Waltenheim adds to the
attraction of this agricultural area. But then the last 20 km of the route strikes out straight across the fields for
Strasbourg. While there are moorings to be found closer to the city, many canal travelers prefer to moor four km
northwest at the port of Souffelweyersheim, where bus service into the city is available. There is some risk of
vandalism or theft at the city moorings.
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Strasbourg
Strasbourg is a cosmopolitan city and home of the
European Parliament. The usual destination for
visitors is in the old city; it is very French in the
the cathedral area and at La Petite France, shown
at right. For canal travelers, the first approach to
the city on the canal is directly in front of the
ultra-modern Palais de l'Europe buildings.While
it is possible to turn there onto the river Ill to go
into the center of Strasbourg, rental boats are
prohibited and all private vessels encounter a
one-way prohibition at the Quai des Pêcheurs,
where short-term mooring may be possible.

Sidewalk cafes, restaurants and shops line the narrow,

twisting streets of Petite France and the old quarter
around the Strasbourg Cathedral. The west facade of
the cathedral, with its stunning stained-glass Rose
Window (fifty feet in diameter) dominates the square
below, even though street level is filled with portrait
artists, souvenir vendors and food stands. Inside the
cathedral, watch for the Astronomical Clock to come
to life, with its apostles, angels and astrological
symbols.

The river Ill passes through the sector; it is

difficult to enjoy the sights on your own vessel,
but there are many excursion boats offering tours
and sidewalks are at river level on some channels,
making a walk along the banks very pleasant.

This somewhat confusing intersection of several

waterways is detailed on the next page.
The Canal de la Marne au Rhin ends at a junction
with the river Rhine, on the northeastern corner of
the city of Strasbourg.
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Waterways of Strasbourg

To Saverne Canal de la Marne au Rhin

41 km from Rhin Rhin river
Lock 50 Ill river
P1
Aar river (non-motorized boats only)
Souffelweyersheim
Canal du Rhone au Rhin, br nord
Fossé du Faux
Canal de Jonction
Fossé des Remparts/Canal de Derivation
P2 Bisheim
Lock 51
Schiltigheim

la Robertsau
Lock
Strasbourg
Palais de l'Europe
P3 Nord
(European Parliament)

Gare
Kehl
Cathedral
P5
Petite
France
STRASBOURG
igation
ay Nav
One-W

P4
P6 Lock 86 Bassin
P7 d'Austerlitz
Lock 85

Lock
PORTS: Strasbourg
Sud
P1 Souffelweyersheim
P2 Chemins Nautique d'Alsace Tel 03 88 81 39 39
P3 Quai Jacoutot (no services)
Lock 84
P4 Quai des Belges; Koejac Marine Tel 03 88 61 26 78
P5 Quai des Pecheurs
P6 Bassin de l'Hopital
P7 Marinest Tel 03 88 29 74 93

To Boofzheim & Rhinau,

junction with Rhin river
30 km
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The Rhine Valley Page 9

The Rhine Valley along the portion of the Rhine river that forms the border between France and Germany for
184 kilometers north from Basel, Switzerland, can be compared in terms of size, traffic and economic
significance to both the Panama and the Suez canals. The difference is that, rather than connecting two seas, it
provides connections between three countries.

Because the valley is broad and flat (rather than the narrow Rhine Gorge further north), the original course of the
river was dotted by hundreds of islands and shallow channels. Massive construction projects throughout the 20th
century have installed a series of dams, hydroelectric generating stations and locks along the river. For much of
the distance, the Grand Canal d'Alsace has been created as a lateral canal, offering a controlled and reliable route
for the heavy traffic of commercial barges but resulting in uninteresting and somewhat hazardous travel for
rivate vessels (rental boats may use the Rhine/Grand Canal d'Alsace route only with special permission.)

A better alternative for pleasure cruising is to leave Strasbourg at its southwestern corner via the Canal du Rhône
au Rhin, branche nord. This is a 35 km portion of the canal that originally continued north from Mulhouse
(after bringing canal traffic from Burgundy and the Rhône valley) but became disused with the construction of
the Grand Canal. This waterway is dead straight, with only an occasional slight angle to adjust its direction, but
it is narrow, tree-lined and only occasionally used by small commercial barges. It offers peaceful travel and
everal small ports for visits to the classic Alsatian villages to enjoy the cuisine, wine and strolls among half-
timbered homes laden with bright flowered window boxes.

A favorite stop for many is the beautiful chapel and grounds at Notre Dame du Chêne at Thumenau,
approximately halfway along the route. When commercial traffic was more prevalent this was a regular stop for
the passing bargees; now many more visitors arrive by car, but it is still a peaceful and shady spot to relax.

At Rhinau, the active waterway leaves the original canal and crosses to a junction with the Grand Canal;
the Canal du Rhône au Rhin is closed to traffic south of here, except for a small stretch that is part of the Colmar
embranchment. Rental boats will turn around; private vessels can continue on the busy canal/river to
Volgelsheim, where they can cruise through the fields to Colmar, most likely encountering little or no traffic.

The embranchment ends at the modern Colmar marina; unfortunately the river Lauch, which winds through the
lovely Petite Venise quarter, is too small for navigation, but the area is easily reachable by bus or bike. Scenes of
waterfront cafes with abundant flowers and half-timbered homes, shops and hotels in this sector are often seen
on postcards and in travel guidebooks. The nearby city center is home to enough interesting and historic
buildings for several days' visits, especially the Unterlinden museum and the highly popular medieval art of
Matthias Grünewald.

Mulhouse (pronounced Moolooze) is the southernmost city in Alsace, and the least interesting for tourists. For
canal travelers, it represents the eastern end of the Canal du Rhône au Rhin, connecting to the Rhine 17 km away
at Niffer. Being an industrial city, there are several technological museums and the world-famous collection of
automobiles of the Schlumpf brothers, which was taken over by the government after the family textile mills
were bankrupted due to the excesses of the collection.
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Tour Rating: Pleasant, picturesque, a must-do cruise
Navigation Difficulty: Easiest

"The best one-day canal cruise in France" is the way many experienced canal
PARIS
travelers rate the 20 kilometers between Niderviller and Saverne. At Strasbourg,
waterways pass by the European Parliament buildings, the Cathedral
and La Petite France. South of Strasbourg, the canal is an alternative to the Rhine
and a pleasant short trip through typical Alsatian villages.
Canal de la Marne au Rhin, Gondrexange to Strasbourg:
Length: 85 km; Number of Locks: 35; Lock Size: 38.5 X 5.1 m
Minimum Depth: 2.10 m Minimum Height: 3.50 m

Lutzelbourg Dettwiller Hochfelden

Sarrebourg Waltenheim
Hesse
Arzviller Saverne
Gondrexange Xouaxange Season: Open all year
ALSACE Schiltigheim
LORRAINE Strasbourg Locks operate:
Dec 1 to Jan 31: 0730 to 1730 hours
Canal du Rhone au Rhin Nord Feb 1 to Feb 28: 0700 to 1800
Length: 35 km Krafft GERMANY Mar 1 to Mar 31: 0700 to 1900
Number of Locks: 12 April 1 to Sept 30: 0630 to 1930
Minimum Depth: 2.20 m Oct 1 to Nov 30: 0700 to 1800
Rhinau
Minimum Height: 3.70 m Closed Jan 1, Easter Sunday, May 1, Mon
Lock Size: 38.5 X 5.1 m after Whitsun, July 14, Nov 11 & Dec 25
RHINE
Charts:
Colmar Navicarte #17
Colmar embranchment: Guide Vagnon #12
Length: 23 km Guide Fluviaux EDB #4
Number of Locks: 3 Map:
Minimum Depth: 1.80 m Michelin #242
Minimum Height: 3.65 m Mulhouse
Lock Size: 38.5 X 5.1 m

e
u R hon
al d u Rhin
Can a Basel, Switzerland
Elevation,
meters
Niderviller tunnel
150 475 m Arzviller tunnel
Gondexrange 2306 m
120 Xouaxange Inclined Plane
Boat Lift
Hesse
Niderviller
90 Arzviller
St Louis
Lutzelbourg
60 Saverne
Dettwiller
30 Hochfelden
Krafft
Rhinau
Schiltigheim Strasbourg
0 02 8 13 17 23 27 31 39 50 58 81 85-0 20 35
Lock Number 18 22 31 37 42 50 52 -- 86 80 75
 a
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Useful Addresses ls
VNF – Service Navigation,
4 parc de l’Orangerie,
03 88 45 56 65
ther off the canal than are shown on the
strip chartbooks of the canal, necessarily
46 quai Jacoutot, 67000 STRASBOURG Strasbourg, L’Alsace à Table, limited to just a few kilometers off the canal.
Tel 03 88 61 66 01 8 rue de Franc-Bourgeois,
VNF – Service Navigation, 03 88 32 50 62 Telephones
12 rue de l’Orangerie, 67703 SAVERNE Krafft, L’Auberge à la Station, Public telephones are readily available in
Tel 03 88 91 80 83 9 rue St Quentin, 03 88 98 98 30 towns and at many locks, but they will
Tourist Office, Lutzelbourg Colmar, Le Marechal, not accept coins, and only rarely accept
Tel 03 87 25 30 19 4 Place des Six Montagnes Noires, credit cards. Purchase a prepaid telephone
Office du Tourisme, 03 89 41 60 32 card at La Poste (post office) or at some
17 Place de la Cathédrale, tabacs (bar/tobacco shop.) International
67000 STRASBOURG, Tel 03 88 52 28 28 Hotel Barges calls are surprisingly inexpensive. Mobile
Office du Tourisme, Lorraine & Le Papillon offer weeklong phones are widely used, but make sure
4 rue des Unterlinden, 68000 cruises between Strasbourg and yours is compatible (most US phones are
COLMAR 03 89 20 68 92 Lagarde/Nancy. not) and purchase a prepaid SIM card at a
cell-phone shop in France. This card will
Rail Stations Self-Skippered Boat Rentals come with its own telephone number.
Sarrebourg These companies (telephone) operate
Saverne rental bases at these towns: Sites
Strasbourg Gondexrange Chagall stained glass window, the largest
Colmar Aquavac Plaisance 03 87 25 94 22 in Europe, at the Cordeliers’ Chapel,
Mulhouse Hesse Sarrebourg.
Crown Blue Line 03 87 03 61 74
Hotels Lutzelbourg Météor brewery, Hochfelden.
Heming, Auberge Alsacienne, locaboat plaisance 03 87 25 37 07 Tours: Wednesdays at 1430h.
17 rue de Strasbourg, Saverne Tel 03 88 02 22 22
03 87 25 00 10 Nicols 03 88 91 34 80
Saverne, Boeuf Noir, Schiltigheim Pottery: Faïencerie de Niderviller,
22 Grand Rue, 03 88 91 10 53 Chemins Nautique 03 88 81 39 39 2 rue de la Faïencerie, Niderviller
Strasbourg, Le Gutenberg, Krafft Tel 03 87 23 80 04
31 rue de Serruriers, 03 88 32 17 15 Rive de France 03 87 86 65 01
Colmar, Le Marechal, Boofzheim Crystal: Cristallerie de Vallerysthal,
4 Place des Six Montagnes Noires, Crown Blue Line 03 88 74 89 97 3 rue des Cristalleries, Vallerysthal
03 89 41 60 32 Tel 03 87 25 62 04
Ports (paying ports with services)
Restaurants Hesse Route des Vins d'Alsace:
Xouaxange, L’Auberge du Mesnil, Crown Blue Line 03 87 03 61 74 Visit the vineyards producing Sylvaner,
14 rue de l’École, 03 87 25 03 44 Niderviller Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Muscat, Tokay Pinot
Niderviller, Auberge Altenburger, Mairie 03 87 23 80 02 Gris, Pinot Noir & Gewurztraminer wines
Tel 03 87 07 91 24 Lutzelbourg on a 170 km route along the Vosges.
Lutzelbourg, Hôtel des Vosges, locaboat plaisance 03 87 25 37 07 Brochure; Conseil Interprofossionel des
Tel 03 87 25 30 09 Saverne Vins d’Alsace, 12 ave. de la Foire-aux-Vins,
Saverne, Taverne Katz, 80 Grand Rue, Tel Mairie 03 88 71 52 71 B.P. 1217, 68012 COLMAR CEDEX, France
03 88 71 16 56 Souffelweyersheim
Saverne, Zum Staeffele, Mairie Shopping, Markets
1 rue Poincaré, 03 88 91 63 94 Schiltigheim Shops are generally closed Mondays and
Phalsbourg, Au Soldat de l’An 2, Chemins Nautique 03 88 81 39 39 every day from noon till mid-afternoon
1 route de Saverne, 03 87 24 16 16 Strasbourg (shop early.)
Dettwiller, À la Charrue, Marinest 03 88 29 74 93
Tel 03 88 91 40 65 l’Hôpital 03 88 84 50 54 Street Market Days:
Waltenheim, L’Ancre, Koejac 03 88 61 26 78 TOWN MARKET DAY
Tel 03 88 51 62 37 Sarrebourg Tues & Fri morning
Vendenheim, Maison Rouge, Maps Saverne Thursday
RN63, 03 88 69 51 79 Take along a highway map such as the Hochfelden Tues morning
Strasbourg, Buerehiesel (****), Michelin #242 to check towns and sites fur- Strasbourg Wed & Friday
 Canal de Bourgogne

Canal de Bourgogne, Ouche valley

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Canal de Bourgogne

The Burgundy Canal is widely accepted as one of the most beautiful of the French waterways, as proven by the
number of hotel barges that offer cruises here; of roughly thirty hotel barges that travel the canals of France,
two-thirds of them travel portions of the Canal de Bourgogne during all or part of the cruising season. This
popular route is also ideal for self-skippered cruising in your own vessel or in a boat rented from one of a dozen
locations on the canal. Canal cruisers can enjoy the earthly delights of gourmet food and wine along with
treasures of history and architecture, as well as magnificent natural valleys and plains.

Located in the French départements of YONNE & CÔTE D'OR, the 242 km (150 miles) canal was built to link
the North Sea to the Mediterranean, passing over and through the barrier of the mountains of Burgundy. The
through-route from the north is up the Seine to Montereau, then along the Yonne River to Laroche-Migennes,
the northern entrance to the Canal de Bourgogne. The canal rises a total of 300 meters to the summit tunnel at
Pouilly-en-Auxois, then descends 200 meters to the southern end (St-Jean-de-Losne, 30km below Dijon) where
it intersects with the Saône river, which flows south to the Rhône and thus to the Med.

The Burgundy Route is frequently considered by through-travelers as an alternative to the Bourbonnais Route
along the Canaux du Centre (see Canaux du Centre.) It is usually thought that those canals, along the
western edge of Burgundy, make for more leisurely travel as compared to the many and frequent locks of the
Canal de Bourgogne.

Here are the figures, for a comparison of the two routes between St. Mammès on the Seine to St Jean-de-Losne:

Burgundy Route Bourbonnais Route

Waterways Seine, Yonne, C. du Loing, C. de Briare,

C. de Bourgogne C. lat. à la Loire, C. du Centre, Saône

Distance 342 km 485 km

Number of locks 205 153

Travel time* 101 hours 116.5 hours

The Burgundy route has 52 more locks but 143 less kilometers distance and perhaps two days less travel time.
Another consideration for some vessels is the limited headroom in the tunnel at Pouilly, 3.10 meters. And a
major factor in recent years has been a shortage of water to serve the locks of both routes; the Canal de
Bourgogne has frequently been closed at the summit tunnel for most of the season, while traffic on the Canal du
Centre has been delayed by grouped locking practices and shallow water. Check both routes carefully before
and during the trip, by contacting the waterway authorities and talking with those boaters passing in the opposite
direction.

*Travel time is taken from the estimates shown on Navicarte #41, based on the speed limit and locking time. But
travel time is a highly variable subject and depends on many factors; these times are for full-time travel, with no
allowance for sightseeing or rest stops.
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Canal de Bourgogne

Even though the crew is kept busy at the many locks, they should also take the time to enjoy the beautiful
scenery and visit the charming villages. Most of the way the canal follows the usual practice of following along
near a river on the valley floor and the views are of wooded hills above, but in one section the canal climbs the
flank of the hillside and boaters can look down on green fields dotted with white Charolais cattle.

There are three quite distinct sections of the canal: the Northern, Central and Plain. In the Northern section,
starting from the Yonne river junction at Migennes, the canal follows close to the river Armançon in a broad
agricultural valley, pretty but not spectacular. The stretches of canal between the towns of Migennes, Brienon,
St. Florentin and Tonnerre are straight and flat, so the main attractions are in the towns themselves; each has
churches and historic buildings worthy of a visit. Occasional commercial barge traffic is seen.

A flash of life in the fast lane occurs when the TGV fast train crosses the canal at kilometer post #14 just south
of Brienon. Not far away are the vineyards of the Chablis region and just across the canal from Tonnerre the
Epineul vineyard is being revived. Nearby at lock #96 is the office of the VNF Navigation Service, where
current information regarding lock operating hours and the status of the canal can be obtained.

The canal begins to wind and become more

beautiful beyond Tonnerre. There is a
fascinating stop at Tanlay, a charming
village of stone houses and a very pleasant
port adjacent to the village.

The slightly shabby but still impressive

Château de Tanlay should be visited for its
trompe l'oeil paintings and frescoes as well
as for its remarkable grounds, with wide
moats and a canal (and now even a golf
course!) The chateau is privately owned
and has been in the same family since 1704.
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Canal de Bourgogne

Another pleasant port arrives only 2 km

further on, at St. Vinnemer, a perfect
Burgundian village with houses built of
dry-stacked stones.

More of these villages come with each twist

of the canal: Argentenay, Ancy-le-Libre,
Lézinnes, Pacy, Argenteuil all have no
special claim, just quiet places with their
own charm.

At Ancy-le-Franc visit the chateau in the village,

one of the most beautiful Renaissance houses in
Burgundy. It is only a short walk from another
nice port, about 1 km from town; on the opposite
bank is a large home now used as a chambres
d'hôtes, a rural bed & breakfast.

Another 1½ km south at Chassignelles is a plain but modern hotel and restaurant, the Hotel de l'Ecluse 79, part
of the Logis de France network of lodgings. We had a very good lunch here, served by a family that included a
four-year-old waiter (a garçon in both meanings of the word!)

Around a bend after lock #79, limestone quarries can be seen on the left and also further on at Ravières; in the
villages, cut blocks of limestone wait for transport by barge and truck

Near Montbard, at the end of the Northern section of the canal, the 12th century Cistercian Abbaye de Fontenay
is located in a narrow wooded valley, a 3km bike or walk from lock #62 at Moulin de Nogent. Built in 1118, the
abbey is open for tours of the magnificent cloisters, the water-powered forge and the beautiful gardens.
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Canal de Bourgogne

The Central, hilly section from Venarey-les-Laumes to Dijon is ideal for pleasure cruising, winding through
spectacular scenery. Along the canal there is a wealth of history and art to be discovered. This section passes
through three regions: Tonnerrois, Auxois and Arrière-Côte, among the most attractive in Burgundy. Here is the
end of the relatively flat valley, for at Pouillenoy the canal begins the climb up the hills, twisting and turning
through an isolated valley on its way to the summit.

It is this part of the canal that gives the C. de Bourgogne its reputation as being heavily locked. It's true; there are
56 locks up from Venarey-les-Laumes to Pouilly, then a 3.3km tunnel, then 54 locks down to Dijon, all of this in
a distance of only 98km. But this is also the section with the most spectacular scenery, so plan on several rest
stops to enjoy the sights, or even to leave the canal for a day-trip. Such as at Pouillenay, where a taxi can be hired
for the 10km road to Semur-en-Auxois (or strong-legged bikers can pedal it). The village is tightly packed with
stone houses and narrow streets upon red granite cliffs above a curve in the Armançon river.

Pouillenay is only 4 km since the start of the climb, but

already twenty percent of the locks are behind us. After the
ladder of 18 locks in 6km lies Marigny-le-Cahouët, a good
village for another rest stop far from any highways or
commercial activity.

Now there is a 10km leg of 14 locks to a highway crossing

at Pont Royal. From here there are 13 locks in the 20km
section to the summit at Pouilly, a town that offers full
services before travelers enter the tunnel for a memorable
3,333 meter trip (slightly more than 2 miles) through a dark
low-ceilinged hole in the ground.

The other side of the summit offers more of

the same, lots of locks, but at Vandenesse,
lock #8, look up for a view of Chateauneuf,
a very imposing stone fortress on the hilltop.

Most guidebooks or photo books of the

French canals will include a picture taken
from the canal looking up, or from the
chateau looking back down.

Then climb to visit this village of well-

preserved old houses, tour the castle and
enjoy the wonderful views of the plain and
the valleys of Burgundy.
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Canal de Bourgogne

At le Pont d'Ouche, the canal turns left 90 degrees to join the verdant valley of the Ouche River as it flows down
into Dijon. The river and the canal are secluded in a narrow, twisting valley with densely wooded slopes.
Cruising slowly through here on a boat is a pleasurable visual experience, at least until Pont de Pany, where the
autoroute from Paris is right alongside the canal on its approach into Dijon. But some cruisers complain that the
noise of heavy traffic fills the valley and spoils what could be a wonderful experience.

There are charming villages and good

moorings at la Bussiere, Gissey and
Fleurey, all named in the French style:
...-sur-Ouche to identify their location
as being on the Ouche River.

A full-service port is available at Plombieres-les-Dijon, good for regrouping before arrival at Dijon. Just south of
Plombieres the Ouche flows into lac Kir, named for Canon Kir of Dijon, who also gave his name to the famous
aperitif made from the currants that grow in the area.

The hilly Central section ends abruptly at Dijon, center of the riches of French history. The seat of the Dukes of
Burgundy, mansions and monuments bear witness to its important past. In the present, it is a world-renowned
gastronomic center and the commercial capital of Burgundy. The port is not far from the major historical squares
and buildings of this large city.

The Port du Canal at Dijon is reserved for

pleasure boats; all types are seen here, but it
is especially popular with large barges
because of the space available.

The port is starting point or destination for

several hotel barges. Moored at the quai on
a this cold and rainy Saturday were the
barges Esprit, Caprice, Who Knows?,
Doriance, Niagara, La Reine Pedaque and
Escargot. Motorcoaches bring guests here
after their arrival from Paris on the TGV
(a trip of 1 hour 42 min.)

Dijon is at the northeastern end of the Côte d'Or (the Golden Hillside.) A visit to this area in autumn shows the
reason for the name; terraced vineyards that are many shades of gold cover a long hillside stretching south from
Dijon to Beaune and Chagny. Excursions are available on bus tours, or rental cars can be the best way to visit
the vineyards and sights of this well-known tourist area.
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Canal de Bourgogne

Immediately below Dijon there is a startling

change of scenery, first because of the
commercial and industrial activity near the
port and on to the south in the suburbs.
Then because the canal is a straight line
through the almost perfectly flat Plain
section (there is some slope here, the canal
descends fifty meters between Dijon and
the river Saône.)

At the end of the canal is the area called

"The Center of the French Waterways".

Canal de la Marne
a la Saone to Reims Saone R/Canal de l'Est
or Paris to Nancy, then
Moselle R to Rhine River
Canal de Bourgogne
at Koblenz
to Paris

Canal du Rhone au Rhin The town of St Jean-de-Losne is home of several

Saone River to Rhine River at boatyards and boat brokers, an important place to
Basel or Strasbourg
St-Jean-de-Losne,
search for a barge to buy, to have it renovated and
"Center of the French Waterways" maintained, or to store it for the winter.
Canaux du Centre
to Paris Saone/Rhone
to Lyon & Med

The photo at left shows the halte nautique on the

river Saône at the town waterfront, a good place to
moor for a visit; long-term mooring is available at
sheltered ports.

Here the Canal de Bourgogne connects with

other canals and rivers that lead into the network
of the rest of the waterways of Europe, to the
south, to the north and to the northeast.
 Can
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als
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Tour Rating: Pleasant, picturesque, a must-do cruise
Navigation Difficulty: Easiest

WARNING: In 2002 & 2003 the summit tunnel was closed most of the PARIS
season due to lack of water. Check ahead before traveling.

The Canal de Bourgogne was conceived during the reigns of Louis XII and
Francois 1st as a route to connect the watersheds of the Seine and the Rhone
by crossing the hills of Burgundy. The first steps were taken in 1606 under Henry IV
but it was not until 1833 that the canal was completed and the first barge arrived
from the north into Dijon. The summit is the highest in France (378 meters) and
marks the divide between the Atlantic and Mediterranean river systems.

To River Seine Length: 242 km Season: March 28-Nov 10

& PARIS St Florentin Number of locks: 189 Locks Open: 0800-1200 &
Yonne/Seine side 113 1300-1900 (except close at
Migennes 1800 after Sept 19 & Sundays
Saone/Rhone side 76
Most locks manual, most & holidays)
Yo iver

Locks #55Y-16Y do not open

nn

with lockkeeper present

R

Tanlay
e

AUXERRE Tonnerre until May 2

Ancy-le-Franc except 55Y-1Y automatic
& 2S-12S operated by the Locks Closed: Easter, May 1,
Cana
l July 14, Aug 15, Nov 1 (fee for
Niver du boat crew themselves.
nais opening on holidays, call
Cry 03.80.53.16.38 - Dijon VNF)
Montbard Minimum Depth: 1.80 meters
CHARTS: Minimum Height: 3.40 m,
Navicarte #18 & #31 Abbaye de Fontenay
3.10 m in Pouilly tunnel
Guide Vagnon #3 Min Lock Size: 38.5 m X 5.0 m
Semur-en- Venarey-les-Laumes
Guide Fluvial EDB #3
Auxois Pouillenay
MAP:
Michelin #238 & #243 Marigny-le-Cahouet

Pont Royal Plombieres

Pont-de-Pany
DIJON
Summit Tunnel
3,333 meters long Pouilly-
en-Auxois Gissey
378 m above sea level
1 hour transit time Longecourt
Vandenesse La Bussiere
Pont-d'Ouche St-Jean-de-Losne er
e Riv
n
BEAUNE Sao
Elevation, meters
300 Pouilly- To Rhone River
Pont Royal & LYON
250
200
Venarey
150 Montbard

100 Ancy-le-Franc
Tonnerre
50
St Florentin
0 0 KM 19 45 74 102 115 137 156 173 192 207 213 242 KM
LOCK NUMBERS start at the summit (Pouilly); count north to the Yonne and south toward the Saone.
#115 108 96 80 64 56 13 1Y-1S 20 38 50 55 76
Useful Addresses Hospices de Beaune, a Self-Skippered Boat Rentals
Service Navigation VNF-DDE 21 Medieval hospital with multi- Self-skippered boats are available from
57 rue de Mulhouse, 21000 DIJON colored tile roofs, in BEAUNE. the bases listed below:
Tel +33(0)3.80.29.44.44 Town Base
Hotels Joigny locaboat plaisance
Comité Régional du Tourisme de Abbaye Saint-Michel, Montée de Saint Migennes Connoisseur
Bourgogne, BP 1602, Michel, 89700 Tonnerre tel St. Florentin Rive de France
21035 DIJON Cedex 03.86.55.05.99 fax 03.86. 55.00.10 Tonnerre Canal Concept
Tel +33(0)3.80.50.90.00 Hôtel-RestaurantChâteau de Montbard Rive de France
Fax +33(0)3.80.30.59.45 Malaisy,21500 Montbard Nicols
www.bourgogne-tourisme.com/ tel 03.80.89.46.54 fax 03.80.92.30.16 Venarey-les- Connoisseur
Château la Chassagne, 21410 Pont-de- Laumes
Office du Tourisme St-Jean-de-Losne, Pany tel 03.80.49.76.00 fax Pont Royal locaboat plaisance
Tel/fax +33(0)3.80.29.05.48 03.80.49.76.19 www.chateau-la-
Pont Nicols
chassagne.com
d’Ouche
Sites On or Near the Waterways Hôtel Libertel Philippe le Bon, 18, rue
Plombières- locaboat plaisance
Château de Tanlay; magnificent Sainte-Anne, 21000 Dijon
les-Dijon
chateau and golf course tel 03.80.30.73.52 fax 03.80.30.95.51
St-Jean-de- Crown Blue Line
89430 TANLAY
Losne H2O
Tel/fax +33(0)3.86.75.70.61 Restaurants
Tonnerre, Le Saint-Père,
Château d’Ancy-le-Franc; from the 2, rue Georges Pompidou, Booking Agencies
Burgundian Renaissance ANCY Tel/fax +33(0)3.86.55.12.84 Bateaux de Bourgogne
1-2 Quai de la Republique,
Grande Forge de Buffon; a beautiful Ancy-le-franc, l’Hostellerie du Centre, 89000 AUXERRE
architectural complex and industrial 34, Grande Rue, Tel +33(0)3 86 72 92 10
theatre. BUFFON Tel +33(0)3.86.75.15.11 Fax +33(0)3 86 72 92 14

Abbaye de Fontenay; UNESCO Chassignelles, Hotel de l’Ecluse 79, France Afloat

World Heritage Site. MONTBARD Tel +33(0)3.86.75.18.51 1 Quai du Port, 89270 VERMENTON
Tel +33(0)3.80.92.15.00 Tel/fax +33(0)3 86 81 67 87
Dijon, Thibert, 10, pl. Wilson, www.franceafloat.com/
Semur-en-Auxois; a compact village Tel +33(0)3.80.67.74.64
of small light-colored red-roofed H2O
houses atop a granite cliff, above the St-Jean-de-Losne, Auberge de la Port de Plaisance,
ravine of the Armancon. 10km west Marine, Losne, 21170 ST-JEAN-DE-LOSNE
from the canal at Pouillenay. Tel +33(0)3.80.29.05.11 Tel +33(0)3.80.39.23.00
Fax +33(0)3.80.29.04.67
Château de Commarin; inhabited by Events www.h2ofrance.com/
25 generations of the same family, of Salon Fluvial Pâques Boat,
special interest are the interior Boat Show, late April of odd years
decorations, tapestries, paintings and ST-JEAN-DE-LOSNE
furniture. POUILLY-EN-AUXOIS
Tel +33(0)3.80.49.23.67 Grand Pardon des Mariniers,
Blessing of the barges and the bargees,
Château de Châteauneuf-en-Auxois; June, ST-JEAN-DE-LOSNE
fine example of medieval architecture
surrounded by a hilltop village Rail Stations
POUILLY-EN-AUXOIS SNCF trains stop at these stations:
Tel +33(0)3 80 49 21 89 Laroche-Migennes
St. Florentin
Clos de Vougeot; chateau amidst Tonnerre
vineyards of La Côte d’Or; Nuits-sous-Ravières
headquarters of Confrérie des Montbard (TGV limited schedule)
Chevaliers du Tastevin. VOUGEOT Les Laumes-Alésia
Tel +33(0)3.80.62.86.09 Dijon (TGV full schedule)
 Camargue
Canal du Rhône à Sète

Canal Maritime at Aigues-Mortes

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Tour Rating: Pleasant, some picturesque sections.
Navigation Difficulty: Easiest,
little commercial traffic, slow currents. PARIS

The Canal du Rhône à Sète and le Petit Rhône are the connecting link between
the southwest of France (via the Canal du Midi) and the waterway network of
central and northern France (via the Rhône river.) This area is also a destination, LYON
offering several popular wintering ports as well as access to the natural areas of the
Camargue and to the Mediterranean Sea.

Canal du Rhône à Sète le Petit Rhône

Beaucaire to Sète, 98 km Arles to St-Gilles lock, 21 km
1 Lock (PK7, 4.0 m drop) 80X12.0m Draft 1.80 m, Height 5.00 m
St-Gilles lock (to Petit Rhône) 195X12.0m St-Gilles lock to sea, 38 km
Draft 1.80 m, Height 3.50 m Draft 1 to 3 m, Height 2.50 m Lyon-Arles 270 km
Rhône River (Grand Rhône)
Petit Rhône Avignon
Canal du Rhône à Sète Rhône
Canal d'Arles à Fos
Canal du Rhône à Fos (commercial traffic only) Tarascon
Beaucaire X
Connection to sea (obtain local information)
Nourriguier lock
Le Vidourle les Baux-
Bellegarde de-Provence
Canal Maritime
Lez River St-Gilles Arles
Canal du Midi Gallician St-Gilles
la Grande-Motte lock

Montpellier Lattes Aigues-

Mortes Camargue
margue
Lez Étang
Carnon Grau- Regiona
Regional
Palavas-
Pa de
du-Roi X
Fos
les-Flots Natu
Natural Berre
Frontignan Bouc
Pa
Park Golfe
f
Bouzigues les Saintes-Maries
les Saint
Saintes-Maries dee F
Fos
Mèze de-la-M
-la-Mer
Étang
tangg
Golfe du Lion Port-St.
rt-St. L
Louis-
Lou
Marseillan dee Sète du-Rhône
Tha
hau
au

H raultt
Hé
Agde

Mediterranean Sea
Canal du Rhône à Sète has only one lock, 4.0 meters drop, at PK7. The lock at Beaucaire is out of service, no entry from the Rhône.
The St-Gilles lock separates the canal from the varying levels of the Petit Rhône.
Agde Sète Frontignan Palavas Carnon Aigues-Mortes Gallician St-Gilles Bellegarde Beaucaire
Étang de Thau lock lock
PK 116 98 92 75 71 51 39 29 24 13 7 1

Charts: Maps: Contact:

Navicarte #11 Michelin # 240 Rhône à Sète: VNF, Service de la Navigation
Guide Vagnon #7 Season: pointe Caramus, 34110 FRONTIGNAN
Guide Fluviaux EDB #7 Open all year. Tel:+33 (0)5 57 46 35 90
le Petit Rhône: VNF, Service de la Navigation
quai rive droite du Rhône, 13200 ARLES
Tel: +33 (0)4 90 96 00 85
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Camargue by Tom Sommers

This guide is primarily about the Canal du Rhône à Sète, which to many waterway travelers is simply a
connection to get from the Rhône river to the Canal du Midi. It is that and, because there is only one lock,
a quick trip across the canal can be completed with only one overnight stop. But there is so much more to
see and do in this unique region that the more encompasing title seemed appropriate.

If you have one handy, take a look at a map of the Mediterranean coast of France: on the east, the ports
and beaches from Marseille to Monaco are known throughout the world; on the west, the coastline that
curves northeast for 200 kilometers from the Spanish border is less well known, but it is also lined with
beach resorts. In between is a vast undeveloped triangular area, the delta of the Rhône, known as the
Camargue. The waterways described in this report pass by the Camargue, and also offer access into its
wild and isolated natural areas.

Bouches de Rhône

The Rhône river is one of the major rivers of Europe, the only inland link between the Mediterranean Sea
and the English Channel/North Sea. If you look at map of the waterways of France, you will see a “tree”
of rivers and canals that make up the bulk of the inland waterway network. The dozens of waterways in
the north, from the mouth of the Seine at the left to the Rhine at the right, are the branches; the Rhône is
the straight, solitary trunk that brings boat traffic to the Med. Along the way it collects the flow of rivers
in the long north-south valley between the Massif Central and the Alps, beginning in the north near Dijon,
Burgundy. Twenty kilometers south of Avignon the final tributary, the river Gard, joins the mighty flow.
Just below that junction, at the twin towns of Beaucaire and Tarascon, the plain of the Camargue begins.

This is the top of the delta where the river splits to flow into the Mediterranean Sea. The administrative
département is named Bouches de Rhône, for there is more than one mouth of the river. Over the
centuries the river has changed its route many times, now splitting into two channels, le Grand Rhône and
le Petit Rhône. In the triangle between them is the 750 sq. km. “island” of the Grande Camargue. A
similar landscape west of the Petite Rhône is called la Petite Camargue. In 1970 this area became
protected as the Parc naturel régional de Camargue.

The fringes of the Camargue, along the two river paths, are bordered by rich farmland where corn, grapes
and rice are grown. If you travel into the interior by car, bicycle or horse, you will see the landscape
change dramatically as you move towards the sea. The sandy plain becomes a profusion of reedbeds and
lakes, changing from fresh to salt water as you get closer to the sea. It is a natural fusion of land, river and
sea.
Although you cannot take your boat into the center of the Camargue, and you will not see the landscape well
from the rivers, which are lined by high banks and dense woodlands, there are ports and moorings available
to leave your boat while you explore.
You are likely to see flamingoes by the tens of thousands, as well as hundreds of other species, common
and rare, from all of Europe and North Africa. In the summer you will also encounter plenty of
mosquitoes, be sure to bring a good repellent. Wind is often a significant part of life in the Camargue. The
Mistral wind blows down the Rhône valley to the sea, and at times the hot Scirocco wind blows north
from Africa, upsetting people’s tempers and sometimes bringing with it sand from the Sahara which
comes down as muddy rain.
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The Camargue is a land of colors; the blue waters, green vegetation and white sands are the home for
herds of white horses, black bulls and flocks of pink flamingoes. With the exception of a restricted natural
reserve in the lower center of the triangle, the park is not protected as a wilderness, so tourist
developments and farms have drained some of the land and caused the horses and bulls to be fenced in
behind barbed wire. In earlier times the bulls were managed by les gardians, the cowboys on sturdy white
horses, rather than fences. Now only the birds, foxes and wild boars can roam freely, but you will still see
the bulls and horses on some salt flats, as well as in the farmyards.

The Camargue breed is gentle, even-tempered

and agile, a small horse intended to be ridden.
But above all it is hardy, able to endure bad
weather and go without food, as for centuries
it has thrived largely on its own in a climate
that can be extremely hot, dry and windy. Its
broad hooves are suited for this soft, watery
land. There are many equestrian centers in the
park which offer trail rides on these horses as
the best way for visitors to see the back country.

The "wild" black bulls of the Camargue aren't so

wild anymore, but they remain a significant part
of the culture. The image of their head is often
seen on tourist guides and highway signs, and
bull-chasing events are common in the villages.
Meat from these fine animals is sold as AOC
Taureau de Camargue, a controlled appellation
similar to those used with wines. A popular local
dish is boeuf à la gardiane, a casserole of beef
cooked in red wine.

There is a wide selection of “local” wines, as the Camargue is located between the Languedoc, Provence
and Rhône Valley vineyards. Vineyards along the canal between Aigues-Mortes and Beaucaire are in the
Costières de Nîmes AOC, producing white, rosé and red wines; a small area at Bellgarde produces
Clairettes de Bellgarde white wine.
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Grand Rhône

Although some EuroCanals members have purchased or rented a boat already located in the south, or
have traveled inland from the Med, it is more common to start traveling the waterways of Europe from the
north. So most new visitors to the Camargue will be arriving south along the Rhône. Your first sights in
this region will be the chateaux at Beaucaire on the right bank and at Tarascon on the left bank. But it is
not possible to stop here for a visit, or to turn directly onto the Canal du Rhône à Sète as might look
feasible from a quick glance at the map. The lock that previously brought traffic from the Rhône onto the
canal has been out of service for many years, so it is necessary to travel via the Petit Rhône and through
the St-Gilles lock to return to the port of Beaucaire, which can be done in as little as four hours.

The Petit Rhône forks westward from the main river just above Arles. Unless you are in a hurry to get to
Beaucaire or ports further west, there is much of interest at Arles, one of the main towns of Provence,
with a rich history that extends from the 6th century BC when the Greeks established a port here. Roman
relics include a theatre that seated 7,500 and a huge open amphitheatre. Van Gogh created some of his
most famous works in 1888-89 while living in Arles.

Pleasure-boat ports at Arles are located across the Rhône at Trinquetaillle or beyond the first lock on the
Canal d’Arles à Fos. For a view over the entire Camargue, southwest to Aigues-Mortes and south to Les
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, take an excursion by car or bike 20 km northeast from Arles to Les Baux-de-
Provence, situated at the end of a ridge of hills extending west from the Luberon.

Canal d’ Arles à Fos is a route first cut by the Romans to link Arles with the sea at Fos, bypassing the
often-silted channel complex of the Rhône delta. Today it is only used for excursions, a 31 km dead-end
trip to a dam and sluiceway which prevents the entry of seawater.

The canal is accessed via a lock at Arles;

three kilometers ahead is the Montcalde lock,
which is left open, crossed by the well-known
Van Gogh bridge. The bridge is not used but is
kept in repair for the pleasure of visitors tracing
the footsteps of Van Gogh.

Beyond the bridge lie the bird sanctuary and marshes of Ligagneau. There is a turning basin at the end of
the canal if necessary. However, if you are visiting in the summer, take note of this warning from the
navigational charts: “No Shade between Mas -Thibert and Fos”. This is a wide-open landscape.
Canal de Rhône à Fos is restricted to commercial traffic only. A short connector canal between the
Grand Rhône and the ports of Fos and Bouc, it is a straight line east from the river, then a straight line
southeast from the closed end of the Canal d’Arles à Fos. Pleasure boaters headed for the Med should
continue downriver to Port-St-Louis-du-Rhône, to one of the five ports available there or on into the
Golfe de Fos.
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le Petit Rhône

Depending on your personal point of view, the scenery along the Petit Rhône can be described as stark,
desolate, monotonous or beautiful; probably a combination of all of these best describes it. Thick belts of
trees and reeds line the banks and for most of the distance there are high levees, so little can be seen of the
surrounding landscape. In the upper portion, from the Grand Rhône to the St-Gilles lock, there are no
villages and very few places to stop, in fact not a house can be seen from the water. Overhanging trees
prevent mooring to the bank, and although some mooring pontoons are available, the strong current and
varying water level makes it unwise to moor overnight. There are three highway bridges and one major
autoroute overpass, otherwise the feeling is of total isolation. The channel is clearly marked by red/white
and black/white posts set well out from the banks, avoiding shallows and slanting groins. The kilometer
distance is marked at the top of these poles, measured from Lyon. There is little reason to stop on the
river, as most travelers will be proceeding directly to the Canal du Rhône à Sète. The current in the river
can be significant, getting westbound boats to the lock in less than two hours.

Écluse St-Gilles is large, 195 X 12 meters,

but the change in level can be as little as
50 centimeters or as much as 2.50 meters,
depending on the varying depth of the
Petit Rhône. (Note the water mark on the
canal wall in this photo.) Exiting the lock
will bring you to the Canal du Rhône à Sète
in 300 meters, at a point approximately one-
third of the way along that canal. Turn
sharply back to the east for St-Gilles, Bellgarde
and the dead-end of the canal at Beaucaire.
Heading straight on to the west will lead to
Gallician, Aigues-Mortes and on to the coastal
cities and the Canal du Midi.

Vessels with shallow draft can consider following the Petit Rhône downstream to the sea or to Port
Dromar, 3 km upstream from the sea, for a visit to the town of Les Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer. A cable-
operated ferry crosses the river 8 km upstream from the sea; this is the limit of navigation for rented boats
(some companies may restrict their vessels from using the Petit Rhône altogether; check with the base
before you depart.) The seafront town is both drab and touristy, but is worth visiting to see the bull-
chasing events, the gypsy museum and annual gypsy pilgrimage (for the festival of the black madonna, on
May 23), or as a base for excursions into the Camargue park.

Another potential stop on le Petit Rhône is the dock at Mas des Baumelles, 26 km south of the St-Gilles
lock. From there it is 6 km, an easy flat bike ride to the ornithological park at at Pont de Gau, an excellent
spot to observe some of the birds of found in the Camargue.
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Canal du Rhône à Sète

The very popular port at Beaucaire is the eastern end of the canal, splitting the center of the town; a
footbridge spans the middle of the port above a long row of moored vessels of all types. The narrow
streets, lined with hidden courtyards behind arched gates and doorways, are filled with flowerpots on
nearly every window and terrace. It is a lovely place to spend some time, as well as a convenient base for
travels by car or bus to Arles, Avignon, or the Pont du Gard, an astonishing three-level stone aqueduct
built by the Romans over the ravine of the river Gard. And now you can walk to the two chateaux that
guard the Rhône; the castle ruins at Beaucaire provide a spectacular view over the river to the mighty
fortress at Tarascon. A bridge across the Rhône links the two towns.

Leaving Beaucaire, where there is a great deal to see and do, the traveling now becomes restful as the
canal heads westward in a series of straight-line sections that are featureless but pleasant, passing by
vineyards and agricultural fields. The only lock on the entire canal is 7 km west of the town. It is operated
by the boat crew but is automatic once the instructions are read and the button is pushed. It is a relatively
deep lock, 4 meters drop. The flat coastal plain through which the canal passes is sometimes surprisingly
interrupted by a rocky hill. One of these is at Bellegarde, an attractive small town worth the 1 km walk
uphill from the port.

The next town, St-Gilles, was a pilgrimage stop on the road to Compostela; there is a fine abbey church
with carvings dating from the 12th century and a unique spiral staircase. Crown Blue Line operates a port
and rental boat base here. It is another good location for day trips into Arles by car or bus.
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Gallician is located near several large lakes and marshes of the Camargue; guided trips can be arranged.
The cooperative wine cellar of the Costière de Nîmes vineyards offer tastings and sales of some of the
strong red wines of the region. If you haven’t yet stocked up the wine supply for the next part of the trip,
here is a good chance to do so while learning about the local wine -making process.

From Gallician you will be able to see the Tower of

Constance at Aigues-Mortes. This stretch is probably
the most pleasant of the entire canal; both sides of
the waterway are lined with beautiful marshlands.
The canal builders must have used the tall cylindrical
tower as an aiming point, for it is directly ahead and
seems to rise from the waters of the canal, becoming
more massive as you cruise toward it.
The tower is 33 meters/107 feet high; its walls are
7 meters /23 feet thick.

Aigues-Mortes means “dead waters”, named for the marshpools and lagoons near the medieval fortified
city. It was built in the 13thcentury to provide a Mediterranean port for the Kingdom of France, although
now it sits five kilometers inland due to silting of the coastline. There is a great deal of history to be seen
inside the walls, as well as a great deal of shopping. Unfortunately, far more visitors arrive by tourist bus
than by boat; and there are a lot of visitors that arrive by boat! A rectangle of thick ramparts with a
perimeter of 1.75 km surround the square grid of streets, an unusual plan for a medieval town, where you
would normally expect twisting, rambling streets.

If you can find mooring space at the port,

Aigues-Mortes is a good spot for a visit of
several days (or an entire winter season)
for there is much to be seen in the city
and it is easy to make excursions into the
natural areas of the Camargue.
One long wall of the tall stone ramparts
lines the pleasure boat harbor.
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The port is at the northern end of the Canal Maritime, a 6 km link to the sea at le Grau-du-Roi. The
eastern side of this canal is a large area of salt ponds and factories packaging sea salt. The “grau” is an
opening in the offshore bar that was ordered by King Henry IV, hence the “Roi”. This access to the sea
created a fishing port that thrives as the second largest trawler port in France. The town still has the
charm of a fishing village. You can walk to the old Espiguette lighthouse, and on past to one of the
famous nude beaches of the Med, Les Baronnets (there is plenty of beach available to avoid such sights.)
If you visit by boat, you can dock at one of the many restaurants on the canal, but overnight mooring will
probably not be possible, as the fishing boats dominate the port and pleasure-boat moorings are for year-
around tenants. It is an easy bicycle ride from the port at Aigues-Mortes.

Adjacent to le Grau-du-Roi is Port Camargue, a circular port for pleasure boats on the Med, surrounded
by some of the most fascinating hotel and apartment architecture in Europe. “Fascinating” as in the
fascination of a carnival freak show; built in strange shapes and at odd angles, these buildings sometimes
cause one’s jaw to drop in awe at the audacity of the designer. This port marks the western limit of the
undeveloped Camargue coastline, 75 kilometers from the mouth of the Grand Rhône (with only one point
of vehicle access, at Les Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer.) The coast and beaches of the Golfe d’Aigues-Mortes,
west of le Grau-du-Roi, are the “other Riviera”, a resort playground for the less wealthy.

Westbound small boats (draft 1.10 m, height 2.80 m) can avo id returning to Aigues-Mortes with a left
turn through the guillotine gates at the trawler port in le Grau-du-Roi for the 5 km shortcut up the river
Vidoule to the Canal du Rhône à Sète. This is another pleasant stretch of marshlands, however after
another 5 km on the main canal the scenery becomes that of modern coastal-resort development, in
various stages of completion. This section, with substantial highway traffic alongside, is a major change
from the marshes of the Camargue, but a good place to tie-up for some time spent on a sandy beach (or in
a casino.) Your first mooring might be at the transformer station near PK62 for a 3 km walk or bike ride
to la Grande-Motte. Or proceed further west to one of the several ports at Carnon or Palavas-les-Flots.

The river Lez crosses the canal at Palavas-les-Flots; watch for a strong cross-current here. In times of
high water, stop gates are closed on the canal. On the sea side of this intersection is Port Paul Riquet,
serving canal boaters; you cannot pass through to the sea, however, due to low bridges.

It is possible to travel 6 km upriver on the Lez

to Port Ariane, a new marina and residential
development which is the base for Locaboat
Plaisance rental cruisers. The marina is close by
the busy town of Lattes, which offers shops and
restaurants of all types.
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Port Ariane is 6 km away from the city of Montpellier, a major commercial and university center. There is
much to do and see in this modern, lively city, which can provide any type of service that may be needed,
as well as convenient transportation for crew or guests. The marina lies between the airport and the center
city, where TGV rail service is available to Paris. You can call a taxi to the marina or you can bike into
the city along the banks of the river Lez, arriving at the Esplanade de l’Europe. Walk west from there to
see the fantastic modern architecture of the Antigone residential and shopping complex and then through
the Arc de Triomphe to the Promenade du Peyrou. To paraphrase an old saying, this will be a walk from
the ridiculous to the sublime. The terraced walk at Peyrou is lined with 17th and 18th century mansions
and offers views of the Mediterranean. Montpellier offers many festivals throughout the year, including
music, dance, and ethnic film festivals.

Returning to the westbound route of the canal, the waterway is now a 15 km ribbon from Palavas-les-Flots
to Frontignan across salt marshes and open-water lagoons, however the canal is diked to separate its path
and water level from the surroundings. An unusual sight, at la Maguelonne, is the floating footbridge that
will swing open to allow canal traffic to pass; sound your horn if necessary. There is a mooring just west
of the bridge, near yet another Arc de Triomphe, this one in miniature. There is an abbey that can be
visited, and the beach nearby is more likely to be deserted than those of the towns just passed. Other good
stops for a quiet beach visit are at Mas d’Angouleme and at les Aresquiers; you will find mooring bollards
at both locations.

Just before Frontignan there is a passage to the sea (only for boats equipped and authorized for sea travel);
this is the first link to the sea since that at le Grau-du-Roi. And now you can easily see Sète, the city at the
end of the canal, which sits in front of a pine-covered hill that rises 182 meters (600 feet) above the sand
dunes and lagoons. The approach is past oil refineries, tank farms and other drab industry, but it is only 6
km further into the city.
Entry into Sète is via a well-marked channel that cuts across the corner of the Étang de Thau and makes a
sharp left turn into a passage blocked (for vessels taller than 2.50 meters) by two mobile bridges, the first
for the rail line and the second for a highway. Opening times depend on the current train schedule; check
on this in advance via telephone or VHF radio (the current numbers will be shown on an up-to-date
navigation chart.) Be aware of current or wind from the north that may push the vessel toward the bridge.
Once past these bridges, turn left immediately into Port St. Clair, across from the rail station.

Sète is a true Mediterranean fishing port, the style and even the southern
accent that you will hear is more of a Latin style than French. The spicy charm
of the Old Port, with its honey-colored houses and seafood restaurants serving
the enthusiastic and sometimes noisy locals, will make for an exciting visit. The
main summertime sport here is jousting from large wooden rowing boats. The
boats are elaborately painted and decorated; a crew of ten or twelve rowers propel
the boats toward each other as fast as possible, then the oars on the passing side of
each boat are quickly pulled in as the boats almost sideswipe. The jousters stand
atop a platform that extends high above the stern and use a long pole to knock their
opponent into the water. This is all accompanied by loud cheering from spectators
in grandstands along the quais. The losers look wet & chagrined, the winner gets
the acclamation of the crowd and lots of free drinks afterward.
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Étang de Thau (also called Bassin de Thau)

The Étang de Thau is separated from the sea by a low sandbar connecting Sète and Agde and is
classified as maritime waters, although it it regularly crossed by inland waterways craft. It is 33
km long by 9 km wide; the southeastern side is shallow and the constantly shifting sands must be
avoided, and the north-western side is filled with the steel racks of oyster farms, except for
passages into the three towns. Navigation is possible only in an unmarked channel down the
center of the lagoon, along the oyster beds.

The étang is peaceful most of the time, but strong winds can blow across from either side,
quickly whipping up the shallow waters. Be sure to check the forecasted conditions at a
harbormaster’s office before venturing out onto the open waters. There are no markers other than
a light at each end; do not attempt a crossing at night, however, as the oyster beds are an unlit
hazard. But don’t be frightened off by these warnings, just be cautious. Most of the time you will
wonder why such warnings are even mentioned, as the waters of the lagoon are still and
beautiful. If you are bound for the Canal du Midi, you must cross the lagoon to get there. Or you
may wish to visit the towns on the mainland shore.

Bouzigues is the center of the oyster and mussel breeding industry here with a museum
describing the growing techniques. It is a old and sleepy fishing village of whitewashed stone
houses and several restaurants. If you enjoy oysters, this is the source for this part of the coast.

Mèze is a pretty fishing village with a good port. The style and spirit here is similar to Sète, it is
a lively town of festivals and jousting. Along with the usual French street market, there is a crafts
market on Thursdays and an antiques market on Saturdays.

Marseillan is the largest of these towns, and is noted for its production of Noilly-Prat vermouth,
whose cellars are located right at the end of the port.

The western end of the lagoon, and the entrance to the Canal du Midi, is marked by a white &
red lighthouse at Pointe des Onglous. There is no access to the sea, you must proceed on the
canal to Agde, arriving in 8 kilometers at the unusual round lock with the port at its western side.
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Self-Skippered Boat Rental Bases Market Days
Arolles Marine (Nicols) Beaucaire: Thursday & Sunday
Port de Plaisance, 30127 BELLEGARDE Bellegarde: Friday morning
Tel: +33 (0)4 66 01 75 15 Fax: +33 (0)4 66 01 75 16 St-Gilles: Thursday & Sunday mornings
www.arolles.com/ Aigues-Mortes: Wednesday & Sunday mornings
One-way possible to Bram or Le Somail, Canal du Midi Carnon: Wednesday & Thursday
Palavas: Monday, Wednesday & Friday mornings
Camargue Plaisance Lattes: Sunday morning (near the port)
B.P. 8, 34280 CARNON Frontignan: Thursday & Saturday mornings
Tel: +33 (0)3 85 53 76 77 Fax: +33 (0)3 85 53 76 69 Sète: Wednesday & Friday
[email protected] Marseillan: Tuesday morning
www.camargueplaisance.com/ Agde: Thursday morning
One-way possible to Homps, Canal du Midi
Hotels
Connoisseur Agde: La Tamarissière
Tel: +33 (0)3 84 64 95 20 Fax: +33 (0)3 84 65 26 54 34300 AGDE
e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +33 (0)4 67 94 20 87 Fax: +33(0)4 67 21 38 40
www.connoisseurafloat.com/ [email protected]
Base at Beaucaire Lattes: Mas de Couran
Route de Frejorgues, 34970 LATTES
Crown Blue Line, France Tel: +33 (0)4 67 65 57 57 Fax: +33(0)4 67 65 37 56
Tel: +33 (0)4 68 94 52 72 Fax: +33 (0)4 68 94 52 73 [email protected]
e-mail: [email protected] Arles: Hotel d’Arlatan
www.crownblueline.com/ 26, rue de Sauvage, 13631 ARLES
Tel: +33 (0)4 90 93 56 66 Fax: +33(0)4 90 49 68 45
[email protected]
These hotels are shown at www.chateauxhotels.com/

Bases at St-Gilles and at Port Cassafières (10 km west Tourist Offices

of Agde, Canal du Midi) Arles: Office de Tourisme d’Arles
B.P. 21, 13633 ARLES CEDEX
Locaboat Plaisance Tel: +33 (0)4 90 18 41 20 Fax: +33 (0)4 90 18 41 29
B.P. 150, 89303 JOIGNY CEDEX www.tourisme.ville-arles.fr/
Tel: +33 (0)3 86 91 72 72 Fax: +33 (0)3 86 62 42 41
e-mail: [email protected] Aigues-Mortes: Office de Tourisme d’Aigues-Mortes
www.locaboat.com/ B.P. 32, 30220 AIGUES-MORTES
Base at Port Ariane, Lattes Tel: +33 (0)4 67 20 24 12 Tel: +33 (0)4 66 53 73 00 Fax: +33 (0)4 66 53 65 94
www.ot-aiguesmortes.fr/
Nautic
Bassin de l’Écluse Ronde, 34300 AGDE Beaucaire: Office de Tourisme de Beaucaire
Tel: +33 (0)4 67 94 78 93 Fax: +33 (0)4 67 04 05 41 24, cours Gambetta, B.P. 61, 30301 BEAUCAIRE
www.nautic.fr/ Tel: +33 (0)4 66 59 26 57 Fax: +33 (0)4 66 59 68 51
One-way possible to Aigues-Mortes. www.ot-beaucaire.fr/

Rive de France Sète: Office de Tourisme de Sète

55 rue d’Aguesseau, 92774 BOULOGNE- 60, Grand’rue Mario Roustan, 34200 SÈTE
BILLANCOURT CEDEX Tel: +33 (0)4 67 74 71 71 Fax: +33 (0)4 67 46 17 54
[email protected] www.ville-sete.fr/
Base at Aigues-Mortes Tel: +33 (0)4 66 53 81 21
Agde: Office de Tourisme d’Agde
Hotel Barges 1 Place Molière, 34302 AGDE
Saroche & Avenir Tel: +33 (0)4 67 94 29 68 Fax: +33 (0)4 67 94 03 50
Information at www.bargecompany.com/ www.capdagde.com/

Rail Stations Websites with general information about Camargue:

Frequent TGV trains from Paris/Gare de Lyon or www.camargue.com.fr/ & www.camargue.org/
CDG airport to Avignon & Montpellier (limited TGV
service to Arles.) Connections to Arles, Sète & Agde. Website of the Camargue Regional Natural Park
Schedules available at www.sncf.fr/ www.parcs-naturels-
regionaux.tm.fr/lesparcs/camaa_en.html
Canaux du Centre

Canal de Briare, the port at Coligny

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Canaux du Centre

Whether it's "thru to the Med" from the canals north of Paris or a leisurely holiday cruise, the five canals that are
jointly called the Canaux du Centre make up a well-used network of waterways that can efficiently speed your
north-south travel or offer experiences in history, nature and an open-air art gallery.

Refer to the map and elevation chart on page 8 to see how these canals connect to each other and to the adjoining
rivers. The end-to-end combination of the four major canals begin at a junction with the Seine just 60 km south-
east of Paris. The first leg south is made up of the Canal du Loing (49 km in length) and the Canal de Briare
(54 km) which take travelers from the valley of the Seine over the rolling hills of the Gâtinais region to the Loire
Valley.

The Canal latéral à la Loire (196 km), as its name implies, parallels the wide, sandy River Loire up the gentle
slope of the valley to headwaters south of Digoin. At Digoin the Canal du Centre (112 km), although reaching
to the northeast, continues the southbound route to a junction with the Sâone and then the Rhone rivers.

Also at Digoin, the dead-end Canal de Roanne à Digoin (56 km) branches south for an excursion to Roanne, a
pleasant town with port facilities that are popular for wintering of private vessels.

The reason for the existence of the Canal latéral à la Loire is obvious even from a photo of the Loire River; it is
wide, shallow and has many sandbars, making navigation difficult. The canal offers the controlled water depths
needed for reliable commercial barge transportation. But this route, when combined with the other canals in this
chain, is also a summit level canal, meaning that it allows travel from one watershed to another.

The Canal de Briare and the Canal du Loing were dug in the 17th and 18th centuries to provide a trade link
between the Loire valley and the Seine, connecting directly to Paris. Similarly, the Canal du Centre links the
upper Loire to the Sâone and Rhone valleys.

South From the Seine

The route starts at St. Mammès, where the smaller river Loing flows into the mighty Seine at its widest point.
Because of the mooring space available on the Seine and the central location, this town has long been home to
a fleet of commercial barges (a twin of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a similar place on the northwest of Paris.)
Now, with a reduction in business available to the family-operated barges, many of them are moored here semi-
permanently. A glimpse of life aboard can be seen while walking along the waterfront; across the street there are
several small shops and restaurants, a well stocked fishing store and Bateaux du confluent, a rental-boat base
with a good supply of canal charts, books, posters and assorted nautical "junque".

For a self-skippered cruise, a recommended starting point would be at Valvins, on the Seine about 10 km closer
to Paris, near Fountainebleau and Avon, where Seine et Loing Rivières offers a large fleet of "pénichettes" from
their base at Port Stephane Mallarmé. This location is a short rail trip from Paris.
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Canaux du Centre

Moret-sur-Loing, just south of St. Mammès, has

numerous points of interest to attract visitors; the
town also offers several special events, including
heritage and music festivals, wine, cheese, crafts
and antiques fairs, as well as a sound-and-light
show. Its most famous attraction is its association
with the impressionist Alfred Sisley. Many of the
picturesque sights of the town, including the mill
and the splendid multiple-arched bridge, were the subjects of Sisley's paintings; several of these have been
reproduced in almost billboard size for display on the stone walls of buildings in the town center.
The pretty town of Nemours is next, 18 km south of Moret. Here it is possible to find an excellent mooring in
the center of town, near the historic bridge "pont de Nemours". As in the next city, Montargis, there are numerous
watercourses among the old stone buildings, most of them decorated with bright-colored geraniums.
Montargis is the largest city of the Loing-Briare
route; the canal passes directly through the
middle of the city, making for interesting sights
at locks and pedestrian bridges over the canal.
The photo at left was taken from La Passerelle
Victor Hugo, a steel arch footbridge constructed
by Eiffel in 1891; its elegant design is beautiful
to look at from below and the view from the top
of the arch is a delight; looking south, a lock
and another steel footbridge; looking north, as in
the photo, a lock and a side-canal flowing over a
dam near an ancient stone tower. Many small
non-navigable canals cross the city, thus it has
been called the "Venice of the Gâtinais".

A recommended port is in the small town of

Chatillon-Coligny, 23 km south of Montargis.
The modern docks and a new capitainerie with
full facilities make this a comfortable mooring.
The town is a medieval location surrounded by
ramparts, with a history of activities in the
religious wars of the 16th century. You can see
the beautiful house Le Paradis (Heaven) of the
Catholics and their nemesis across the street,
L'Enfer (Hell), the meeting place of the
Protestants.
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Canaux du Centre

Canal history is prominently featured at Rogny-les-Sept-Ecluses, the seven locks of Rogny. This ladder of locks
was a remarkable feat of engineering when built during the reign of Henry IV and has now been replaced by a
more efficient but much less interesting chain of six non-contiguous locks. The village attracts visitors by canal
and automobile to see the stone construction and walk up the staircase of locks; a major fireworks show at the
end of July celebrates the extraordinary achievement begun by the engineer Hugues Cosnier in 1604. The
completion of this section of the canal in 1642 made the Canal de Briare the first summit-level canal. An
interesting sidelight to a visit to Rogny is to locate the small stone booth among the buildings along the eastern
side of Lock 18 right in the middle of town; inside you will find a gentleman sitting at a bank of modern
computers and communications systems that allow him to monitor the passage of boats through the locks of the
area. He remotely manipulates the valves and gates of the various locks so that each lock is ready for the arrival
of the next boat, greatly speeding the travel and convenience of this section.
The elegant Briare pont canal (canal bridge),
a 662-meter span over the Loire, is a sight
not to be missed, especially on the days
(usually Wednesday & Sunday) that hotel
barges cross just as the sun sets. It's a special
moment as they move very slowly across the
bridge, crossing high above the Loire in the
early evening light. Whether you are aboard
enjoying wine and sharing the moment with
your traveling companions or just watching
from the shore, it is a unique experience as
the big barges glide slowly and silently,
seemingly through the air, as they cross the
aqueduct.

The bridge was completed in 1896 and is a

work of art in its own right. Gustave Eiffel
ad a hand in the bridge's design, but only for
the stonework, including the four prominent
columns that mark the corners. The very
beautiful metal framework, best viewed from
a walk along the levee of the original canal
below, was the work of the waterways engineer Mazoyer; brass plaques at each end of the bridge attest to the
construction of the bridge by the company Daydé et Pillé. The architectural design is similar to the very beautiful
Alexander III bridge across the Seine in Paris

Briare was an important and prosperous town well before the construction of the bridge, as small boats would
make their way along the Loire to begin the transport of food to Paris. Here they would transfer their loads to the
much larger barges used on the canal system. The original system used locks at Briare and Chatillon-sur-Loire to
allow boats to cross at river level, but they were at the mercy of large variations in water levels and long delays
in making the crossing. The opening of the bridge high above eliminated these problems. The commercial port
that was used prior to the time of the bridge is now at very pleasant port de plaisance for private boats located at
the dead-end of the old canal, now a 2.6 km, 3-lock extension from the Canal de Briare.
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Up the Loire Valley

The character of the canal now changes considerably as the route turns south along the broad, flat Loire valley
on the Canal lateral à la Loire. The Loing/Briare section had a definite over-the-summit feel of work to be done
(an elevation change of 148 meters in 51 locks) but now the boat seems to be drifting along through the wide
open spaces of wheat fields and vineyards. The entire 196 km length of the canal rises only 104 meters in 37
evenly spaced locks. There is plenty of time to spot the dozens of species of local and migratory birds that
populate the canal banks. Keep an eye out also for terrapin, deer, rabbits, fox, badger or beaver in the woodlands
between the canal and the river. But don't hesitate to make a landfall and search out the local wines and cheeses.

The series of small towns along the side-by-side path of the canal and the river provide frequent stopping places.
A number of barge owners find this waterway a good place for a permanent mooring, connected to shoreside
water and power at a small piece of property that they have purchased or lease. A typical welcome here is told in
this comment by a member of EuroCanals:
I want to share with the group my recent experience in Beaulieu, an
exceptionally attractive stop. We arrived at the halte nautique designated
on the charts and were pleased to find water and electricity, not noted in
the guide. When we tied up, the young woman responsible for the site was
there to receive us and aid in the hook-up. Judi went up to the tourist
office in town and learned the whereabouts of all the important places and
was accompanied back to the barge by another young woman who was running that
office She offerred her assistance in any way and ended up driving me to a
nearby Walmart-type store. When Judi asked about restaurants, she went back
to her office, made calls, secured a reservation and then drove us to the
restaurant at 8 PM and arranged transportation for our return. She is
coming back to the boat this morning to take me to her office to access the
internet for whatever reason I might have. This is a charming and very
attractive little community that would like very much to attract more barge
traffic and which is doing all the right things to accomplish that. I give
it 5 stars and your readers might like to know that!! Incidentally, the
restaurant, Les Voyagers, was also way above average and properly and very
fairly priced. Jim Gieske "Joli Coeur"
There is an off-canal harbor at St Thibault across the canal from st Satur and the well-known wine and cheese
area at Sancerre. Coteaux du Giennois, Sancerre, and Pouilly wines are the perfect companions for the famous
goat cheese of the area, Crottin de Chavignol. Visitors can contact Aronde Sancerroise (tel 02.48.78.05.72), a
group of wine growers who offer a wine tasting trip to the cellars of members.

The town of Sancerre is prominently located atop a rocky hill; its narrow medieval streets with pottery shops
and art galleries lead to the Tour des Fiefs, where a climb up the 200 steps will open up a breathtaking view
across the vineyards and the valley of the Loire.
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Canaux du Centre

Further south toward the larger city of Nevers, the canal crosses the Allier River on the second of the impressive
canal bridges along the Loire, the 343-meter Guétin bridge. While just slightly more than half as long as the
Briare bridge, the stone arches are an impressive sight as the Allier flows over a weir and rocky outfall below
the bridge. As boats approach the bridge southbound, the double lock at the north end looks somewhat daunting
because of the 9.23-meter (30.5 ft) rise.
The two locks and the one-way traffic
on the bridge can create long delays
during busy seasons.

From the port at Plagny a 5 km trip by foot, bike or taxi across the Loire leads to Nevers, known as the capital of
faïence. A "blue line" leads from the center of Nevers to the quarter where faïence artists create their brightly
colored glazed earthenware. The line then leads to the merchants' quarter, the Renaissance-style Palais Ducal
and on to the cathedral and the Eglise St. Étienne. In a factory beside la Porte du Croux, the Montagnon family
has carried on the tradition of ceramics for the last 350 years, the oldest pottery in France.

Salmon and shad swim up the river Loire as far as Decize to spawn; this is a favorite area for people to enjoy
river bathing as well. Here the Canal lateral à la Loire connects along a short stretch of the river Loire to the
Canal du Nivernais. Self-skippered boats are based here for obvious reasons; cruisers can travel in any of three
directions from Decize or, if time is available, make a complete circle around the western side of Burgundy. A
possible route would be south along the canals described above in this article, then north up the Nivernais, the
river Yonne and a short section of the Seine to return to St. Mammès.

A stop at the village of Garna