Paris Canal St Martin

One of our  trips to Paris found us wandering the Paris Canal-St Martin on a Sunday afternoon. After a relaxing morning at one of our favorite places (and one that you don’t particularly associate with tourism), the Hammam Spa where we enjoyed the pool, stone spa, massages and steam bath we were ready to continue our relaxation mode with a leisurely stroll down the canal. However, the idea of doing a Velib bike rental next time is a really appealing thought as the bike path is nice a shady.

 

Architects designed the Canal originally to provide the city with a source of fresh water. This canal connected the Seine and the Canal de l’Ourcq, thus providing a means for transporting goods via boat. The canal was covered over from Rue du Faubourg du Temple to the Place de la Bastille because of dwindling boat traffic in the 1960s

Today, the visible part of the canal is approximately 4.5km long, covered with delightful iron pedestrian bridges at frequent intervals. Locals enjoy the canal along with tourists as it is a great place to enjoy a peaceful vacation afternoon.

On Sundays two streets, Quai de Valmy and Quai de Jemmapes,  are reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. These streets run parallel to the Canal St-Martin. We spent the afternoon wandering the length of the canal, people watching, eating ice cream and soaking up the sun and quiet. It was hard to believe we were still in the city.

 

Above, tourists experience going through the locks with Paris Canals boat tours.

Below is a close up of the lock. It releases the water to lower the water level for so the boat can pass through.

 

Tall trees provide a respite from the summer sun! It is fascinating to watch the canal boats navigate through the locks on Paris Canal St-Martin.

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