Canal Saint-Martin (4)

This is the Hôtel du Nord, after the same name novel of Eugène Dabit (1929) then the film of Marcel Carné (1938), Hôtel du Nord still there,  by the Canal Saint-Martin. I had a tea inside just before lunch time …

August 2017.

Canal Saint-Martin (3)

Formerly carrying only commercial traffic, the Canal Saint-Martin presents lovers of the capital with an urban landscape unlike any other. With its nine locks, its two swing bridges, its Eiffel-style footbridges, its mysterious vaulted tunnels and its ancient trees, the canal offers an opportunity for strollers to rediscover the Paris of an earlier age.

A cruise on the Seine River and Canal Saint-Martin will take you directly to Orsay Museum from Bassin de La Villette taking in the Tuileries garden, Louvre, Ile de la Cité and Notre-Dame, then to Canal Saint Martin with a view, among others , of the Hôtel du Nord. (tourisme93)

August 2017.

Canal Saint-Martin (2)

Construction of the canal was ordered by Napoleon I in 1802, in order to create an artificial waterway for supplying Paris with fresh water. The water diverted from the river Ourcq would support a growing population and help avoid diseases such as dysentery and cholera, also supplying fountains and allowing the streets to be cleaned. (Wikipedia)

August 2017.

Canal Saint-Martin (1)

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. (Parisinfo)

August 2017.