Le Canal du Nivernais

The Canal du Nivernais was built to float timber from Paris. Comprising 110 locks, including 32 on the Loire side and 78 on the Seine side, it links the two basins of the Loire and the Seine. It is 180 km long, starting at the town of Saint-Léger-des-Vignes in the Nièvre department and ending at Auxerre in the centre of the Yonne department. Today, it is used for pleasure boating and cycling, and is certainly one of the most beautiful canals in Europe. It is distinguished from the canals of Burgundy by the presence of numerous engineering structures, such as the Mingot canal bridge and the Dirol movable bridge.