The Canal de Bourgogne

Connecting the Yonne valley to the Saône valley, the Canal de Bourgogne runs through many fascinating regions and landscapes, including the Tonnerrois with its princely châteaux of Tanlay and Ancy-le-Franc, the Auxois with the marvellous Cistercian abbey of Fontenay, the site of the battle of Alesia, the medieval town of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, and Dijon, capital of the Dukes of Burgundy.The architectural treasures and the beauty of the regions it crosses make a cruise on the Canal de Bourgogne a never-ending delight.

The Yonne

From Auxerre to Montereau, the river Yonne flows through the gentle scenery of lower Burgundy and the Ile de France, passing through a number of attractive towns: Auxerre with its handsome urban landscape; Joigny with its narrow, winding streets and half-timbered houses; Villeneuve-sur-Yonne created in the 12th century by the King of France; Sens, with its cathedral dedicated to St Stephen and fine museums; Pont-sur-Yonne.

The Canal du Nivernais

The idea of a canal connecting the Loire to the Seine was first mooted in the reign of Henri IV, only to disappear then reappear a number of times. 200 years later it was the very hard winter of 1783 that finally confirmed the project. The people of Paris were cold and the forest of the Ile de France and the Morvan were no longer able to provide enough firewood to heat the capital. If the two rivers could be joined than firewood could also be shipped from the Bazois. And so began the age of the Canal. It nevertheless took 60 years for the work to be completed, during which time there was much debate as to the use to which the canal should be put (floating wood or shipping) and construction was abandoned and resumed a number of times. Its finished length was 180 kilometres with 110 locks. When coal took over from wood, the canal was used for pleasure boating, a waterway shared by the Yonne and Nièvre departments.

The Canal du Centre

Of all the Burgundian canals, this is the one that has remained the most commercial, especially at the Saône end, between Montceau-les-Mines and Chalon-sur-Saône where there are automatic locks. But it still runs through some lovely scenery - Burgundian vineyards, the region around Le Creusot, the Charolais – on its way to Digoin, passing through Paray-le-Monial, a famous place of pilgrimage noted for its Romanesque architecture.

The Saône valley and the river Seille

The Saône is one of the loveliest rivers in France. Its upper reaches flow through a number of little fortified towns, such as Auxonne, Verdun-sur-le-Doubs and Saint-Jean-de-Losne. The lower Saône runs past the foot of the Chalonnais, Mâconnais and Beaujolais hills, with their famous vineyards. The Seille flows through the Bresse region, from Tournus to Louhans, 39 km of lush, leafy scenery with only 4 locks, before joining the Saône.The Canal de la Marne à la Saône, nicknamed the “canal Bourgogne – Champagne” is just as interesting! The southern section runs through part of the Côte d’Or department, the Vingeanne valley with its elegant châteaux: Talmay, Beaumont-sur-Vingeanne, Fontaine-Française.

Loire valley

it comprises :

- the Canal from Roanne to Digoin a southward extension of the Canal du Centre and the Canal latéral à la Loire which crosses the Brionnais famous for its Romanesque churches.

- the Canal latéral à la Loire, constructed along the left (southern) bank of the Loire which it crosses at Digoin via a canal bridge, effectively doubling the river course. It is a peaceful canal with few locks, running by Decize, Nevers and La Charité-sur-Loire which are all worth an extended visit.

- the Canal de Briare and the Canal du Loing : the first, constructed between 1604 and 1642, is the forerunner and prototype of all French canals. It was Sully, that great minister at the court of Henri IV, who was responsible for its construction. The second was built a century later. Both of these canals, still used today by barges loaded with cereals, run through the peaceful landscapes of the Gâtinais. There are two major sites: the canal bridge at Briare and the seven 17th century locks at Rogny, no longer in use but listed as ancient monuments.

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