Le Canal
St-Martin
Metro : République or
Goncourt. 10th
arrondissement.
The Canal St-Martin evokes clearly pre-war Paris, the working-class
accent of the Belleville quarter, the famous black and white film
Hôtel du Nord and its cheeky-voiced actress Arletty. The
Hôtel du Nord still exists, its total renovation leaving
untouched the original white façade. The canal itself was
constructed in 1825 at the behest of Napoleon III, the calm, straight
waterway an effort to alleviate the congestion on the Seine between la
Villette and République, as well as a means of providing
drinking water to residents of the west of Paris. Measuring a little
over 4km, it’s one of the most interesting attractions of the 10th
arrondissement with its many quaint metal bridges and working locks.
These days tourist barges make their way along the canal at
near-walking pace, those aboard gliding through the heart of the
quarter, seemingly at the doorsteps of the bourgeois buildings lining
the route. In the last few years the quarter has become quite
fashionable, a new generation of artists transforming ancient lofts
into luxury apartments. On a sunny day this is truly one of the most
picturesque Parisian locations for a walk or jog.
PARIS
MYSTERIOUS :
Trocadero
and Palais de Chaillot history
Arc-de-Triomphe
Les Champs-Elysées
La Place de la Concorde
L'Opéra Garnier
Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Pigalle
Notre-Dame
Musée d'Orsay
Musée du Louvre
Montmartre
La Madeleine
Buttes-Chaumont
Les Invalides
Ile St-Louis
Bastille
Tuileries Gardens
Saint-Sulpice
Musée
Marmottan
Eiffel Tower
Passages and Galeries
Palais-Royal
