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.
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