Waterways of France

Voies navigables de France (VNF) is the agency responsible for managing and protecting the navigable canals and waterways created for tourism and commerce- like the canal de Garonne! There are 8500 kilometers of these waterways across France.

You can imagine the complexity of keeping these waterways maintained, with all the changes in weather, water flow. And many of these canals are treasured antiquities now - so incorporating modern management techniques without destroying the ancient qualities must be a unique challenge.

We’ve seen active crews all along the route. Working in the canals, on the trails, with the electronic systems. They are an active organization 😌.

The Garonne River feeds these canals and waterways, and is the source of flow for them. They criss cross each other- and the natural river system, watershed is always present- nearby. Beginning in the Pyrenees and a bit in the southern alps, the Garrone River is 329 miles long. The Canal des Deux Mers links the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.Read more