Canal Saint-Martin

On a suuny morning, I took the Metro to Bastille and the nearby Port de l'Arsenal to catch the boat for a cruise along the Canal Saint-Martin. The first two kilometres were in a tunnel under the Place de Bastille built in the 19th century. The boat went through eight locks which raised the boat 24 metres. There were also two surviving pedestrian swing bridges. There were apartments on the streets either side of the Canal.
After the final lock, the boat entered the Bassin de la Villette with its deckchairs on a Paris Plage, a cinema and restaurants, and a swimming pool in a roped-off section of the Bassin, before entering the Canal Ourcq which passed through the Parc de la Villette on either side, which is where I disembarked after the two-hour cruise.
The Canal Ourcq connects with the Canal St Denis which, in turn, connects with the Seine.Read more