Briare Canal, Montargis
Plan your visit
Walk in Montargis
9 attractions · 8h 28min · transit route
Tickets ~€15
Step-by-step route with transport options and cost breakdown
About Briare Canal
The Briare Canal is one of the oldest summit-level canals in Europe, stretching 57 km from Montargis to the Loire River at Briare. Commissioned by King Henry IV in 1604 and completed in 1648, it was the first canal on the continent to use pound locks — a revolutionary engineering technique that influenced canal construction for centuries. " Visitors can walk or cycle freely along the towpath, which forms part of the EuroVelo 3 Scandibérique long-distance cycling route.
Briare Canal — Planning Your Visit
Open 24/7
This attraction is accessible at any time, no specific opening hours required.
Combine with 8 nearby attractions for a full day
From €15 / person — all tickets and transport included — transit route with total cost breakdown
Construction of the canal required 12,000 workers digging by hand and took 44 years to complete (1604-1648), surviving the assassination of King Henry IV in 1610 and the death of the original engineer Hugues Cosnier in 1629. Work was halted for a decade after the king's murder before being resumed.
Travel Plans for Briare Canal
Canals and Castles of Montargis from Orléans
→ Montargis
More Travel Plans in Centre-Val de Loire Region
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