River Cruise - Canal Latéral à la Loire
Canal Latéral à la Loire
Type : Canal featuring several large aqueducts and a circular lock. It passes through the wine region of Sancerre.
Locks : 37 locks in 196 km
Along the way
- 0.0 km - Digoin – Junction with Canal de Centre.
- 0.7 km - Digoin Aqueduct over the River Loire; 240m long.
- 5.0 km - Vouzance Aqueduct.
- 10.8 km - Coulanges – Small village with some shops and a restaurant..
- 15.0 km - Pierrefitte-sur-Loire – Village with basin. 19th century château and a barge based pottery.
- 21.4 km - Diou – Village 0.4 km from basin. Good selection of shops and a choice of restaurants.
- 22.9 km - Roudon Aqueduct.
- 24.9 km - Besbre Aqueduct.
- 25.2 km - Junction with Besbre canal. Use this for access to Dompierre-sur-Besbre.
- 33.7 km - Beaulon – Basin with village 1km on the left bank.
- 36.6 km - Garnat – Village with basin. Restaurant.
- 40.5 km - Paray-le-Frésil – Bridge with village 2km.
- 48.2 km - Gannay – Basin with restaurant and tourist office. Village 1 km on the right bank.
- 55.6 km - Cornats – Basin
- 64.4 km - Junction with Decize branch and Canal de Nivernais. Decize – Town with good selection of shops and several restaurants.
- 64.7 km - Germancy – Small quay with access for Decize 1.4km
- 72.8 km - Avril-sur-Loire – Small village.
- 76.4 km - Fleury-sur-Loire – Small village with a good restaurant.
- 77.9 km - Motte-Farchat – Bridge with basin. Château 1km.
- 89.4 km - Chevenon – Village with a private château.
- 96.2 km - Sermoise-sur-Loire – Bridge with village 1km
- 96.4 km - Junction with the Nevers branch. Nevers is the capital of Nevernais and is noted for its hand-painted enamelled pottery.
- 98.6 km - Plagny – Rental Station – Town with good moorings, shops and restaurants.
- 103.9 km - Colombier Bridge – Castle 0.2 km.
- 104.8 km - Gimouille – Village
- 105.6 km - Gimouilee basin with some moorings.
- 106.0 km - Guétin Aqueduct over river Allier.
- 106.4 km - Guétin double staircase lock with quay and bar/tabac.
- 107.5 km - Junction with the Lorrains branch which is closed to navigation. 3 km on foot or by bicycle to the circular lock which gave access to the river Allier.
- 108.6 km - Cuffy – Village on the left bank.
- 109.7 km - Bresle bridge and castle.
- 116.0 km - Cours-les-Barres – Village with moorings, some shops and a restaurant.
- 120.5 km - Marseilles-les-Aubigny – Small town with basin and moorings.
- 121.4 km - Aubois Aqueduct
- 124.4 km - Beffes – Village with some shops and a restaurant.
- 127.5 km - Saint-Léger-le-Petit – Village.
- 129.5 km - Argenvières – Village with basin.
- 133.1 km - La Chapelle-Montlinard basin – Mooring for access to La Charité-sur-Loire 2km. It is a lovely town featuring a 16th century bridge and an11th century priory ruin.
- 138.9 km - Herry – Village with basin.
- 146.9 km - Grange bridge – Castle 1 km.
- 147.9 km - Moule Aqueduct.
- 152.9 km - Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre – Village with moorings and access to Sancerre 2.5 km.
- 155.4 km - Saint-Satur – Town with moorings. At the heart of the town is a 12th century abbey church.
- 155.5 km - Junction with Saint-Thibault branch.
- 161.3 km - Bannay
- 163.2 km - Bussy – Small village with a silkworm farm that is open to the public (Le Jardin de Tisserand).
- 164.0 km - Les Fouchards Bridge with quay and castle 0.6 km.
- 171.3 km - Léré – Village with basin. This pleasant village was once fortified and has a good range of shops and restaurant.
- 172.8 km - Sury-près-Léré – Village with bakery and a restaurant.
- 175.5 km - Belleville-sur-Loire – Village with good shopping and several restaurants.
- 180.3 km - Beaulieu – Village with basin and moorings by campsite.
- 182.7 km - L’Étang Bridge – moorings.
- 187.5 km - Châtillon-sur-Loire – Rental Base - Village with moorings and barge restaurant. There is a bathing beach on the river.
- 188.1 km - Aqueduct.
- 191.6 km - St. Firmin basin.
- 192.9 km - Briare Aqueduct – 663 metres long. The aqueduct is art-nouveau in style and the ironwork was made by the same firm as built the Eiffel Tower.
- 193.7 km - Briare - Town with boat harbour 0.4km from town centre. Worth seeing are the 19th century church with enamel mosaics and the local history museum.
- 196.0 km - Junction with Canal de Briare.
