The Canal du Nivernais by barge

Châtillon en Bazois, a choice destination for a waterway cruise or family holiday

Before tak­ing pos­ses­sion of your licence-free rental boat, cho­sen in line with your pref­er­ences, take your whole crew on an adven­ture as you lose your­selves in the pic­turesque streets of Châtil­lon en Bazois. You’ll be amazed by the neo-roman style of Eglise Saint Jean Bap­tiste, and even more so by the town’s impos­ing cas­tle, built from the 10th cen­tu­ry on a rocky peak. Vis­it this ves­tige of a bygone era and dis­cov­er the remark­able Gar­dens arranged around this must-see build­ing. It will then be time to embark on your water­way cruise along the calm, tran­quil waters of the Canal du Niver­nais. Act­ing as a junc­tion between the Seine and Loire basins, the water­way you’ll nav­i­gate aboard your licence-free boat will take you through the his­to­ry of this pic­turesque region.

The Canal du Nivernais between Paris and the Morvan — a regal view for an enchanting trip

As you head North on the water­ways, your days of dis­cov­ery and relax­ation will be punc­tu­at­ed by many pic­turesque locks (sure to be one of the high­lights of your cruise). Set off for Chatil­lon-en-Bazois, where Les Canalous have devel­oped anoth­er water­way base. Head­ing South, the tra­di­tion­al town of Decize awaits you at the end of your water­way cruise. It’s in Decize that the Canal du Niver­nais joins the Canal Latéral à la Loire. Stop off to explore the nar­row streets of this his­toric town and vis­it the amaz­ing Eglise Saint Are or the majes­tic Château, for­mer res­i­dence of the Dukes of Nev­ers.

Through­out your cruise, you’ll trav­el along water­ways that were used for cen­turies to trans­port wood from the Mor­van to the cap­i­tal. It’s your turn to nav­i­gate this his­toric canal and enjoy every moment.