Écluses des Récollets

The Écluses des Récollets are a lock system on the Canal Saint-Martin that moves boats between different water levels. It consists of green metal gates, a pedestrian bridge, and large trees lining both banks that provide shade in summer.

Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned the canal in the early 19th century to supply Paris with clean drinking water and support navigation. This lock later became part of a network that guided cargo barges through the city before railways and trucks replaced water transport.

The lock appears in films and fashion shoots as a typical Parisian backdrop, and locals gather on warm days for picnics by the water. Many sit on the iron edges while boats pass through the chambers and water rises or falls in the basins.

The best view unfolds from the small bridge directly over the lock chambers, where you can watch the entire mechanism up close. On sunny weekends many people gather on the towpaths, so early mornings or weekdays offer a calmer visit.

The gates no longer open by hand but are operated by a lock keeper who sits in a small house next to the chambers. Sometimes the passage of a single boat takes twenty minutes, and passersby stop to watch the slow rise or fall of the water.