Extending over 4.5 km, of which 2 are underground, the canal has linked the Port de l’Arsenal to the La Villette canal basin since 1825. Its course across working class areas punctuated with locks, swing bridges, Venetian-style footbridges, and lined with chestnut trees and squares inspired Georges Simenon, Léo Malet and Marcel Carné in the film Hôtel du Nord. Not surprisingly, serenades by the water and supper under the stars have become an institution here, as have brunches, delightful retro bistros and colourful eateries on both sides of the canal banks.
