Saint Martin Canal – Canal Saint-Martin

(Last Update: 04.09.2024) It is located in the middle of well-known Paris, which is neglected by many people but is actually a wonderful sightseeing and walking trail. Canal Saint-Martin – Saint Martin CanalI want to tell you about in this article. Regardless of summer or autumn, the Saint Martin Canal offers you a very pleasant Paris atmosphere with the relaxing effect of the water, the reflections of the trees in the water, and the life flowing around the canal.

If you wish before Pariste.Net TV I prepared for my YouTube channel Saint Martin Canal video You can get an idea about this region by watching and then continue reading the article:

The construction of the Saint Martin Canal, planned in 1802 during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, started in 1822 during the reign of Louis XVIII and the canal was opened. 1825'also Charles It was built during the period. Seine River As if that wasn't enough, the French also 4,5 Mileage They opened the Saint Martin Canal and created an additional route for waterway transportation, and over time, this waterway transformed into a completely different socio-cultural environment where life flows and took its current shape.

Saint Martin Canal Seine River on the coast, BastilleStarting from and towards the northeast La Villette basinIt continues to , and then to the intersection of Canal de l'Ourcq and Canal de Saint-Dennis.

ideal walking route There are several options. First choice Bastille Squarefrom, second option République Squarefrom, third option is to start from Stalingrad. BastilleChapter starting in Port de l'Arsenal passed as a small harbour. M1, M5 or M8 metro with one of your lines Bastille When you arrive, you reach the starting point in the south.

Bastille here Seine RiverIt connects to . Although the boats in the harbor make you feel like you are living in a seaside town, unfortunately Paris is not a city blended with water culture like Stockholm; For example, in Stockholm, one in every three people owns a boat and the boats are actively used, but here it is as if “as an exampleIt looks like they put ”.

I don't think those boats are in this canal or Seine RiverFrankly, I have not seen them moving and navigating much; They rarely move, and on the river they almost never move. That's why this canal is mostly used by commercial boats; also tour boats.

From this starting point Bastille If you walk towards the direction of the channel, it immediately goes underground and this It is impossible to walk through the tunnel. Already this part of the trip boat tour You have to do it with, which is another pleasure. I will write about this subject in detail in a separate title, but in summary, it is a different pleasure to pass by boat for a long time through the canal made by forming a curve with bricks, and to watch the light filtering through the battlements from time to time and dive into the dream world.

For now, we will be traveling on a walking route, so we will continue our journey by walking. Bastille SquareWe continue by going up to Boulevard Richard Lenoir. The giant battlements that you will see here and there while walking through the middle of this boulevard were built to ventilate the channel below. Some days on this road again brocante There are so-called flea markets, which means that if you come across something like that, it's your lucky day. The bottom of the road you walk on is the canal, but unfortunately you cannot see the canal in this part; You need to walk a little more.

Of course, this first part of the trip is more like a park-garden tour than a canal tour. For that reason If you don't like long walks Or if you think you will get tired quickly, you can skip this part of the track and start your trip directly. M3, M5, M8, M9 or M11 metro You can reach via lines République SquareYou can start from . When you enter the street right behind the statue in the square, we reach the actual place where the canal resurfaces. Your trip along the Saint Martin Canal An ideal point to start a walk we can say.

The rest of the road is a different pleasure. Buildings left and right, various shops, cafes, restaurants; the color of the leaves of the trees according to the season and their reflections on the water; They all offer us a festival of life. Right at the beginning of the canal, a little ahead on the right, is a cafe-bar that I think might interest you with its different decoration. The Comptoir GénéralDon't forget to take a look at .

I can't get enough of watching the pool systems built to eliminate the elevation difference along the canal. If you are lucky, a boat will arrive first. lock (eqluz) enters the special floor pool, then the covers close; As water fills in, the boat rises or falls, and when it reaches the next level, the other hatch opens, allowing the boat to continue on its way. Time-lapse of this moment from this link You can watch:

Experiencing this event, which was described about the Panama Canal in the World Encyclopedia I read as a child, in Paris years later, even if on a very small scale, is always a very important moment for me. It is very difficult to describe the happiness I felt when I witnessed this event, both from outside and inside a boat. I don't know if you will like it the same way, but people take a childish pleasure in what they see and experience.

As you continue on your way from here, you come across steel-wood bridges here and there, and one feels like crossing from side to side just for the fun of it. Sometimes you find yourself in an old movie frame, or even Amélie You feel like you're living in a scene from the movie.

The design bookstore with the red showcase that you will see on your left during your walk. Artazart Design BookstoreI recommend you to also stop by. There are plenty of books and interesting accessories on architecture and design here. The place itself is as interesting as the books inside.

After walking a little, you will see the shops with the colorful showcases you see in the photo above, on the left where the Saint Martin Canal bends to the right. Sometimes you come across the picture created by the reflection of these showcases in the water, it is incredible; It seems like you have to visit this channel just to see this. If the weather is windy, you cannot see the reflections in the water, so you just look at the candy colors of the shop and make your heart happy.

As you continue walking, after a while the texture seems to change and become ordinary. This place is still more than a touristic place. An area preferred by students and Parisians with modest lives Don't expect anything fancy because it's a very nice place, but the atmosphere is so pleasant that please don't be bothered by the homeless people and sometimes the piles of garbage you'll see here and there. Sometimes The Other Paris You may encounter it in the middle of nowhere, but it never casts a shadow on this enjoyable walking track.

This is what I talk about often on the road lockYou come across 's, and you get childish pleasure every time. TOclusterEach section of the 's is tree-lined and there is usually a curved bridge crossing it. It's such a beautiful atmosphere that I can't get enough of standing in front of it and watching, and it gives beautiful photographs.

There are also a few along the way. drawbridge But these are bridges that open and close left and right, not up and down. It is also very enjoyable to watch the opening and closing of these bridges; The traffic stops, the vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists wait, then the bridge closes again after the boat passes and the flow of life continues... One feels AmsterdamIt feels like in.

In fact, it is a phrase that suits everywhere.Venice of the North","Little Venice","like amsterdamI don't know why the "" comparison has not been made for the Saint Martin Canal until now. However, here too Marketing to “like venice","like amsterdamFrom places where it can be said; You know, the ones that are tried to attract attention by comparing them even though they are not like Venice or Amsterdam :)

Whatever the case may be, the Saint Martin Canal certainly has a very pleasant atmosphere. Those who take walks, those who eat lunch, those who sleep on their lover's knees, those who read books alone, the homeless who are eternally lonely, those who walk their dogs, those who run and walk. A wonderful atmosphere…

And towards the end of the track, in the small park on the left, whenever I pass by, like mad exercising with equipment –And somehow he's always half naked– there are young people. Among the sports equipment found in parks in almost every corner of Istanbul, is it only here in Paris? They are always here...

After passing this park, you go up a slight ramp, and if you enter from the street at the beginning of this ramp, from the left, just ahead on the right - I think- My favorite Turkish restaurant in Paris, mainly Aegean cuisine Restaurant Labranda appears before you. If you go here to eat nice Turkish food sister heartSay hello to . If you want to try different examples of French or world cuisine, there are already plenty of them around the canal, I suggest you sit down to whatever you like or have your eye on… In nice weather, especially in the evenings, the canal side turns into an open-air bar.

There is only a small part of the track left after this and it is not that cute. However, on the left side of the last pool/canal you will reach, past the fire station, on the left, a little underground A bar with atmosphere Point Ephérmère is available. This is actually an interesting place. This place, which seems to be quiet during the day, becomes a meeting place for young people at night. Also on your walls street artIt is possible to come across interesting examples of .

Stalingrad, the final point of the Saint Martin Canal walk, is not a very charming place; again The Other Paris It is a region where you will experience the atmosphere, but if you are not tired, if you still have the stamina and want to see beautiful things again, you should continue your walk a little more and La Villette basinI strongly recommend that you also see. Even after that, on the track Parc de la Villette There is, but I don't know if my life can survive it. I am sure that when you click on the links to get information about both places, you will not be able to help yourself and want to see these places too. Shouldn't you click? 🙂

What I refer to as the canal tour route third option From this point on, it was to walk down from Stalingrad anyway; That is, walking the track from top to bottom, rather than from bottom to top. For this M2, M5 or M7 metro It is enough to come to "Stalingrad" with one of the lines, but maybe you can start the trip from the north rather than from here. La Villette basinWould you like to follow a route as a continuation of your walk down from ? I'm sure it will be an enjoyable route no matter where you start.

In my opinion, the Saint Martin Canal is a must-see for everyone who comes to Paris. At least A Week in Paris I think it would be beneficial for those who are going to travel to include it in their travel programs, that's why My book A Week in Paris I added this place to the last day story 😉 If you don't have enough time, you can visit it again next time you come. Paris offers its visitors so many options that they can visit many times…

Pleasant trips, pleasant discoveries.

Address: Canal Saint-Martin, 75010 Paris