A panorama of the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris taken from a foot bridge which spans the canal. This panoramic picture was taken fairly late in the day. The footbridge is close to Rue de Marseille on the west side of the canal and Avenue Risherand on the east.

Canal Saint-Martin - Paris visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Canal Saint-Martin' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Paris.

Panorama from a bridge over the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, France. This 4.5km canal runs through northern Paris, linking the Bassin de la Villette at the north end to the River Seine (via the Port de Plaisance de Paris Arsenal) at the south end. The ends are also linked by two 'Place de la Bastille's'. At the northern end is the Place de la Bastille de Stalingrad, on which is the Musée d'Archeo, Commissian du Vieux Paris. At the southern end is the more famous Place de la Bastille. Almost half of the length of the Canal Saint-Martin runs underground, from the Place de la Bastille to Rue du Faubourg and Boulevard Jules Ferry.

Canal Saint-Martin opened in 1825, built on the orders of Napoleon to supply Paris with water. By the 1960s river traffic along the canal had almost ceased, and it was almost paved over. Thankfully, Canal Saint-Martin avoided this fate and remains as a pleasant boundary between the 10th and 19th arrondissements of Paris. This area is not has heavily touristed as the center of Paris, and makes for a pleasant place to walk or relax at a café, especially in the evening. Naturally, no canal can exist without there being canal cruises. On the Canal Saint-Martin, Canauxrama offer a number of different cruises that take in not only this canal, but also Canal Saint-Denis and the River Seine. Canauxrama operate 2 boats on the Canal St-Martin, the Arletty and the Michel-Carné. The one-way cruise from the Place de la Bastille to the Parc de Villette takes about 2½ hours.

There are a number of reputable hotels along and close to Canal Saint-Martin. While this is a little further than the city center than many hotels, the area has a more relaxing feel. There is a second panorama taken from a footbridge at the Place des Récollets further north along the canal.

Travel and Getting There:
Metro: Place de la Republique (line 3, 5, 8, 9, 11), Chateau Landon (line 7), Gare de l'Est (line 4, 5, 7), Stalingrad (line 5, 7), Jaures (line 2, 5, 7b)