Briare Aqueduct, Briare
Plan your visit
Briare Canal Bridge
4 attractions · 3h 20min · transit route
Tickets ~€6
Step-by-step route with transport options and cost breakdown
About Briare Aqueduct
The Briare Aqueduct is a 662-meter steel canal bridge that carries the Canal latéral à la Loire over the Loire River, connecting the Loire Valley waterway network to the Seine basin and Paris. Built between 1890 and 1896 by Gustave Eiffel's company, it rests on 14 masonry piers and spans the river in 15 arches of 37 meters each. The structure held the world record as the longest navigable metal aqueduct for 107 years until Germany's Magdeburg Water Bridge surpassed it in 2003.
Briare Aqueduct — Planning Your Visit
Open 24/7
This attraction is accessible at any time, no specific opening hours required.
Combine with 3 nearby attractions for a full day
From €6 / person — all tickets and transport included — transit route with total cost breakdown
Before the aqueduct was built, canal boats had to descend to river level, cross the Loire by boat — a dangerous maneuver subject to floods, ice jams, and strong currents — then re-ascend through locks on the other side. This crossing was so unreliable that it could delay commercial traffic for weeks during bad weather.
Travel Plans for Briare Aqueduct
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