02 LOIRE - CENTRE | Breil inland waterways guide

inland waterways guide

The Canal du Loing, the Canal de Briare, the Loire lateral Canal and the Canal du Centre.

In this guide, we follow the "Bourbonnais route", the shortest and southernmost waterways link between the Seine and Rhône valleys.

The journey begins with the Canal du Loing leading to the town of Montargis. After Montargis, we join the Canal de Briare, the oldest junction canal in Europe. On the maps we identify all the vestiges of the 17th century navigation structures including the famous scale of 7 locks at Rogny.

Then comes the Loire lateral canal with its long pounds following the gentle slope of the Loire river. Here the navigation is easy as the locks are few and far between.

The voyage ends with the Canal du Centre, until recent times a busy commercial waterway but now almost exclusively dedicated to leisure traffic. It is attractive, well maintained and well worth discovering.

Small scale maps of the disused Canal de Berry and the Canal d'Orléans are also included. Both these historic waterways have been partially restored for navigation.