The Canal d'Orléans connects the Loire River at Orléans

Orléans

-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...

 to a junction with the Canal du Loing

Canal du Loing

The Canal du Loing is a 49.4 km long canal which connects the Seine to the Briare Canal , in France. It runs through the Loiret and Seine-et-Marne departments....

 and the Canal de Briare in the village of Buges

Buges

Buges is a village in the Loiret department in north-central France. It is near Montargis and Châlette-sur-Loing. This is the location of the joining of the three canals, Canal d'Orléans, Canal du Loing, and Canal de Briare....

 near Montargis

Montargis

Montargis is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. The town is located about south of Paris and east of Orléans in the Gâtinais....

. It is entirely within the department of Loiret

Loiret

Loiret is a department in north-central FranceThe department is named after the river Loiret, a tributary of the Loire. The Loiret is located wholly within the department.- History :...

.

The canal was begun in 1676 by Robert Mahieux, a timber merchant, when he was authorized to dig a 28 km canal for the shipping of his timber to Montargis. He conceded his canal to the Duke of Orléans who expanded it to connect the Loire River at Combleux

Combleux

Combleux is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....

 and the Loing River

Loing

The Loing is a 142 km long river in central France, a left tributary of the Seine. Its source is in Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing, in the south of the Yonne département.The Loing flows into the Seine in Saint-Mammès, near Moret-sur-Loing...

. This was completed in 1692 with a length of 74 km and with 27 locks. In 1921, it was extended 5 km from Combleux to Orléans. The canal service was terminated in 1954.

Though the canal is disused today, it is kept in a good state with its tow path being used as a cycle trail. Along the trail, you will see some of the original locks and gates and the pumping stations used to fill the canal with water from the Loire.

Locks No. 4 (Pont-aux-Moines) and No. 5 (Donnery) have been restored. In 2007, lock No. 1 in Orléans was restored. Locks No. 24 through 28 have been restored and are in use, but there is no connection with the Canal du Loing. On the Orléans end, there are 19 km with three locks. On the other, there are 14 km with four locks working.

En route

PK

Point kilométrique

Point kilométrique is a French acronym used to measure distances for boundary mileage used mainly in France, on railways, highways, canals, and freeways to help locate a specific location. For example, locations on the Canal du Midi are marked in PK values....

 numbers are not available. Villages are shown here in order from Orléans to Buges.

• Orléans
  Orléans
  -Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
  
  
• Combleux
  Combleux
  Combleux is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
  
  
• Chécy
  Chécy
  Chécy is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
  
  
• Mardié
  Mardié
  Mardié is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...
  
  
• Donnery
  Donnery
  Donnery is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
  
  
• Fay-aux-Loges
  Fay-aux-Loges
  Fay-aux-Loges is a commune the Loiret department in Centre region in north-central France and about southwest of Paris.-Geography:Fay-aux-Loges is located in the septentrional bend of the Loire, which crosses from east to west...
  
  
• Vitry-aux-Loges
  Vitry-aux-Loges
  Vitry-aux-Loges is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...
  
  
• Combreux
  Combreux
  Combreux is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
  
  
• Châtenoy
  Châtenoy, Loiret
  Châtenoy, Loiret is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...
  
  
• Grignon
• Coudroy
  Coudroy
  Coudroy is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
  
  
• Chailly
  Chailly-en-Gâtinais
  Chailly-en-Gâtinais is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...
  
  
• Presnoy
  Presnoy
  Presnoy is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
  
  
• Chevillon
  Chevillon-sur-Huillard
  Chevillon-sur-Huillard is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...
  
  
• Buges
  Buges
  Buges is a village in the Loiret department in north-central France. It is near Montargis and Châlette-sur-Loing. This is the location of the joining of the three canals, Canal d'Orléans, Canal du Loing, and Canal de Briare....
  
  

External links

• Translated French Wiki article
• French Wiki article