Canal of Burgundy
Encyclopedia
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
in Burgundy in central eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. There are two river entrances; to the north the Yonne River
Yonne River
The Yonne is a river in France, left tributary of the Seine. It is 292 km long. The river gives its name to the Yonne département. Its source is in the Nièvre département, in the Morvan hills near Château-Chinon...
allows access in the town of Migennes
Migennes
Migennes is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France....
, and in the south the Saône
Saône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
allows access in the town Saint-Jean-de-Losne
Saint-Jean-de-Losne
Saint-Jean-de-Losne is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is about southeast of Dijon.-Population:-References:*...
. The construction began in 1775 and was completed in 1832. The canal connects the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
via the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
and the Yonne to the Saône and Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
.
The canal is 242 km (150.4 mi) long, with 189 locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
. There were originally 191 lock basins but the double-basin locks at Migennes (114-115Y) and Germigny
Germigny, Yonne
Germigny is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France....
(106-107Y) have had the uppermost set of gates removed and now operate as single locks, though twice as deep as a standard lock (5m13 and 5m14 instead of the usual 2m50 - 3m)
It passes through the departments of Yonne
Yonne
Yonne is a French department named after the Yonne River. It is one of the four constituent departments of Burgundy in eastern France and its prefecture is Auxerre. Its official number is 89....
and Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
. The highest point of the canal is the "partition" at Pouilly-en-Auxois
Pouilly-en-Auxois
Pouilly-en-Auxois is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.It is best known as the start of the Canal of Burgundy, which passes in a tunnel underneath the town.-Geography:...
, which is 378m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. At this point the canal passes through a tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
which is 3,333 metres long. The lowest point is at the junction with the Yonne at 79 m (259.2 ft) above sea level.
Canal
The canal begins at Migennes with access via a former double-basin lock. For the next 100 km the canal follows the valley of the ArmançonArmançon
The River Armançon drains part of north-western Burgundy in France. It rises in the département of Côte-d'Or and flows into the River Yonne at Migennes...
river. This is a centuries-old route towards the south-east and it is for this reason that the canal is closely followed by road and railway. The first lock after leaving Migennes, Cheny
Cheny, Yonne
Cheny is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France....
(113Y), is one of the few electric locks to be found on the canal. After 9 km the canal arrives in Brienon-sur-Armançon
Brienon-sur-Armançon
Brienon-sur-Armançon is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
with its recently built grain silos which permit the loading of barges and trains. The canal then heads off towards St Florentin
Saint-Florentin, Yonne
Saint-Florentin is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Twin towns:Saint-Florentin is twinned with Zeltingen-Rachtig, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-References:*...
with its aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
over the Armance river and the impressive church overlooking the lower town.
After the former double lock at Germigny(107-106Y) and Egrevin lock (105Y) the canal runs alongside the D905 (formerly N5) road. This pound suffered exceptional damage with almost all of the trees being blown down during the great storm
Lothar (storm)
Lothar is the name of a low-pressure system that resulted in a violent extratropical cyclone sweeping across Central Europe on December 26, 1999, causing major damage in France, southern Germany, and Switzerland. Wind speeds reached around 150 km/h in lower areas and more than 250 km/h on...
of 26 December 1999. It then continues through Flogny-la-Chapelle
Flogny-la-Chapelle
Flogny-la-Chapelle is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
, somewhat surprisingly leaves Burgundy for a short stretch (1.5 km) as it passes through Charrey in the Aube
Aube
Aube is a department in the northeastern part of France named after the Aube River. In 1995, its population was 293,100 inhabitants.- History :Aube is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
department (Champagne-Ardenne
Champagne-Ardenne
Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium, and consists of four departments: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. The region is famous for its sparkling white wine . Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the...
region) and heads to the town of Tonnerre
Tonnerre
Tonnerre is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Twin town:* Nenagh, North Tipperary, Ireland-References:*...
, famous for the Fosse Dionne
Tonnerre
Tonnerre is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Twin town:* Nenagh, North Tipperary, Ireland-References:*...
spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
and the birthplace of the Chevalier d'Eon
Chevalier d'Eon
Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée d'Éon de Beaumont , usually known as the Chevalier d'Éon, was a French diplomat, spy, soldier and Freemason whose first 49 years were spent as a man, and whose last 33 years were spent as a woman...
.
Leaving Tonnerre the canal closely follows the Armançon and meanders due to hills situated between Tonnerre and Ancy-le-Franc. The canal passes through the village of Commissey before arriving in Tanlay
Tanlay
Tanlay is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
with its impressive Renaissance château http://www.chateaudetanlay.fr/. At Lézinnes
Lézinnes
Lézinnes is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
boats meet a series of six electrified locks, taking them past a cement works and more grain silos at Pacy-sur-Armançon
Pacy-sur-Armançon
Pacy-sur-Armançon is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
and on to Ancy-le-Franc
Ancy-le-Franc
Ancy-le-Franc is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
. Here the tourist can visit the famous 16th century château set in its vast grounds http://www.chateau-ancy.com/.
Leaving Ravières
Ravières
Ravières is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
there is an extremely difficult pound
Canal pound
A canal pound, aka reach, is the stretch of level water impounded between two canal locks. Canal pounds can vary in length from the non-existent, where two or more immediately adjacent locks form a lock staircase, to many miles....
which suffers from intense growth of aquatic weeds
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
and which can cause fouling of the propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
. Immediately after is situated the small village of Cry-sur-Armançon
Cry, Yonne
Cry is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Demography:Its current population is about 170....
, site of the Acrobatix Adventure Park http://fr.wrs.yahoo.com/_ylt=A1f4cfgR7e5KeQcAAftjAQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTBybWpoN25zBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA2lyZAR2dGlkAw--/SIG=11va7sg3k/EXP=1257258641/**http%3a//www.3btourisme.com/parcaventure.html.
After passing through Aisy
Aisy-sur-Armançon
Aisy-sur-Armançon is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
the canal enters the Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
department. It then runs through Buffon
Buffon, Côte-d'Or
Buffon is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-Personalities:* Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon established ironworks there .-References:*...
past the great ironwork
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
forge built by the Comte de Buffon
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon was a French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist, and encyclopedic author.His works influenced the next two generations of naturalists, including Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Georges Cuvier...
in the 18th century. It is then merely a short trip until arrival in the town of Montbard
Montbard
Montbard is a commune and subprefecture of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne region in eastern France.Montbard is a small industrial town on the river Brenne. The Forges de Buffon, ironworks established by Buffon, are located in the nearby village of Buffon...
. Nearby is the Abbey of Fontenay
Abbey of Fontenay
The Abbey of Fontenay is a former Cistercian abbey located in the commune of Marmagne, near Montbard, in the département of Côte-d'Or in France. It was founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118, and built in the Romanesque style...
. The canal is now running through the wide, flat plain of the river Brenne. Eight locks and 13 km after Montbard the canal arrives in Venarey-les-Laumes
Venarey-les-Laumes
Venarey-les-Laumes is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
situated close to the village of Alise-Sainte-Reine
Alise-Sainte-Reine
Alise-Sainte-Reine is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in Bourgogne in eastern France.It is thought to be the site of the ancient city of Alesia, where Caesar defeated the Gauls under Vercingetorix in the Battle of Alesia...
thought to be the site of the Battle of Alesia
Battle of Alesia
The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia took place in September, 52 BC around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, a major town centre and hill fort of the Mandubii tribe...
.
At this point the geography changes dramatically. The railway carries on straight towards Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, climbing the steep "Burgundy Threshold" which it crosses by means of a 4.1 km (2.5 mi) long tunnel at Blaisy-Bas
Blaisy-Bas
Blaisy-Bas is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
. The canal on the other hand has to divert southwards passing through 40 locks in the space of 14 km (8.7 mi). It then reaches more friendly ground before the final approach to the summit at Pouilly-en-Auxois
Pouilly-en-Auxois
Pouilly-en-Auxois is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.It is best known as the start of the Canal of Burgundy, which passes in a tunnel underneath the town.-Geography:...
. Here there is a large, fully equipped port close to the centre of town.
The canal then runs through a tree-lined cutting before entering the
3-kilometre long tunnel. Boats must be fitted with a fixed or hand-held
spotlight to pass through, following a fatal accident a number of years
ago inside the tunnel itself. Emerging near the village of Créancey it
begins to drop, passing close to the A6 autoroute, past the villages of
Vandenesse and Châteauneuf before meeting the River Ouche
Ouche
The Ouche is a river in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Saône, which it joins in Échenon. Its source is in Lusigny-sur-Ouche. The Ouche flows through the following towns: Bligny-sur-Ouche, La Bussière-sur-Ouche, Fleurey-sur-Ouche, Velars-sur-Ouche, Dijon,...
at Pont
d'Ouche where there are moorings for boats wishing to lay up for the
winter. Nearby is the small town of Bligny-sur-Ouche
Bligny-sur-Ouche
Bligny-sur-Ouche is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
where there is
a butterfly museum and a narrow-gauge railway built on the trackbed of
a line leading from the mining town of Epinac
Épinac
Épinac is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.-References:**...
to loading staithes
on the canal. The canal now changes direction from southeast to
NNE running through the very pretty valley of the River Ouche as it makes its way towards Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, the capital of the
Burgundy region. On arrival in Plombières-lès-Dijon the canal turns
South-East passing close to Lac Kir, a man-made lake used for
leisure activities, named after Canon Félix Kir
Félix Kir
Canon Félix Kir was a French Catholic priest, resistance fighter and politician.He was born at Alise-Sainte-Reine on the Côte-d'Or. He entered a small seminary at Plombières-lès-Dijon in 1891 and was ordained 1901. He then worked as a parish priest...
, a former mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Dijon and after whom is named the white wine and crème de cassis
drink known as Kir.
On leaving the port of Dijon and running past the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
depot at
Perrigny and the airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
at Longvic
Longvic
Longvic is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
the canal enters the wide
and relatively flat valley of the Saône. In the final 30 kilometres the
canal is totally straight apart from a slight turn near
Thorey-en-Plaine and the main activity of the area is now farming. Shortly after passing by Brazey-en-Plaine
Brazey-en-Plaine
Brazey-en-Plaine is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
it reaches its end at Saint-Jean-de-Losne
Saint-Jean-de-Losne
Saint-Jean-de-Losne is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is about southeast of Dijon.-Population:-References:*...
, the largest inland pleasure port in France, where it joins the River Saône.
Users
Commercial bargeBarge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
traffic is restricted to the two extremities; between St Jean de Losne and Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
in the south and from Migennes to Brienon
Brienon-sur-Armançon
Brienon-sur-Armançon is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
in the north. Otherwise traffic is restricted to 3 types of user.
- 1)Privately owned boats. Now the most important user group.
- 2)Hire craft. In decline due to the closure of several hire bases in recent years. However this activity was, even at its height, restricted to the 2 extremities.
- 3)Hotel barges. Mainly centred on the Ouche valley in the south as in recent years those in the north have tended towards the Canal du NivernaisCanal du NivernaisThe Canal du Nivernais links the Loire basin with the Seine basin following approximately the course of the river Yonne in a south to north direction....
partly because of maintenance problems on the Burgundy Canal.
En route
- PK 0 Laroche-MigennesMigennesMigennes is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France....
- PK 19 Saint-FlorentinSaint-Florentin, YonneSaint-Florentin is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Twin towns:Saint-Florentin is twinned with Zeltingen-Rachtig, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-References:*...
- PK 45 TonnerreTonnerreTonnerre is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Twin town:* Nenagh, North Tipperary, Ireland-References:*...
- PK 74 Ancy-le-FrancAncy-le-FrancAncy-le-Franc is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
- PK 102 MontbardMontbardMontbard is a commune and subprefecture of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne region in eastern France.Montbard is a small industrial town on the river Brenne. The Forges de Buffon, ironworks established by Buffon, are located in the nearby village of Buffon...
- PK 115 Venarey-les-LaumesVenarey-les-LaumesVenarey-les-Laumes is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
- PK 155 Pouilly-en-AuxoisPouilly-en-AuxoisPouilly-en-Auxois is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.It is best known as the start of the Canal of Burgundy, which passes in a tunnel underneath the town.-Geography:...
- PK 213 DijonDijonDijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
- PK 242 Saint-Jean-de-LosneSaint-Jean-de-LosneSaint-Jean-de-Losne is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is about southeast of Dijon.-Population:-References:*...