Canal Saint-Martin, Historic canal in 10th and 11th arrondissements, Paris, France.
The Canal Saint-Martin is a waterway through the 10th and 11th arrondissements of Paris that connects the Canal de l'Ourcq to the Seine. Nine locks raise and lower boats through the city, and iron footbridges span the green water.
Napoleon ordered the canal to be built in the early 1800s to bring fresh water to Paris. Work took decades and was not completed until the 1820s.
Residents gather along the banks to play cards, strum guitars, or simply watch the water. Small independent bookshops and secondhand stores line the streets around the basin.
You can reach the canal through several metro stations, including République and Jaurès. Most sections remain accessible throughout the day and allow you to follow the course of the water on foot.
Part of the canal disappears into a vaulted tunnel beneath the streets of Paris and flows underground for about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). This subterranean section reopens at the Place de la Bastille.
Location: 10th arrondissement of Paris
Location: 11th arrondissement of Paris
Inception: January 1, 1825
Official opening: 1825
Address: Canal Saint-Martin, Paris, France
GPS coordinates: 48.84722,2.36667
Latest update: December 12, 2025 18:06
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Bataclan
1.8 km
Place des Vosges
931 m
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
3.9 km
Place de la République
2.2 km
Canal de l'Ourcq
309 m
Opéra Bastille
598 m
July Column
675 m
Monument to the Republic
2.3 km
Coulée verte René-Dumont
417 m
Hôpital Saint-Louis
3.1 km
Centquatre-Paris
4.8 km
Palais de la Femme
1.4 km
Rue Crémieux
325 m
Hôtel de Sully
846 m
Cirque d'hiver
1.8 km
Maison de Victor Hugo
844 m
Saint-Antoine Hospital
1.2 km
Le Génie de la Liberté
686 m
Villa Zilveli
3.4 km
Temple du Marais
681 m
Théâtre Déjazet
2.1 km
Parc de Belleville
2.9 km
Brasserie Bofinger
751 m
Brasserie Bofinger
751 m
Orgues de Flandre
4.8 km
Aligre Greenmarket
874 m
Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal
411 m
Quai de la Seine
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