EDB 19 La Marne

Marne canal latéral à la Marne canal de lAisne à la Marne canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne.

There are several good reasons why you should choose the "Route Marnaise" when travelling between northern France and the Mediterranean:

First of all there is the Marne itself: A quiet and above all low-movement river. Apart from a few pleasure boats and Freyçinet barges loaded with grain that cross your path from time to time you have the river mostly to yourself and can admire the landscape and the vineyards on the banks in peace and quiet.
Apart from the greater Paris area the river offers only a few harbours but now every village has its own pontoon.

The second reason for taking this route is the Marne side canal which you sail along from Epernay. Over the entire length of 60 km the canal runs through the heart of Champagne: discover the capital Châlons-en-Champagne and moor in the small port town of Vitry-le-François.

Continue with the "Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne" (formerly the Marne-Saône Canal) which boasts a multitude of hydraulic structures and the ingenious water supply system from the 19th century. This section is also very little used which is why you should prepare your route well: In contrast to the tourist areas people here are not always prepared for your arrival. This is also what makes the trip so interesting and exciting.

Scale 1:50000/1:25000 2011. Trilingual "Guide fluvial" (frz./engl./dt.) by Editions du Breil. Colour map drawings throughout the text contains nautical and tourist information.