Napoleon ordered this canal built in 1802 to bring fresh drinking water to a Paris ravaged by cholera and dysentery. It took twenty years to finish, and by then Napoleon was long dead on Saint Helena. The canal runs 4.5 kilometers from the Seine to the Bassin de la Villette, crossing through the 10th arrondissement via a series of iron footbridges, locks, and tree-lined quays that are impossibly photogenic.
For most of the 20th century, this was a gritty working-class area of warehouses and workshops. The canal itself was almost destroyed in the 1960s when Georges Pompidou proposed paving it over to build a highway — a plan that would have ripped the heart out of the neighborhood. Community opposition killed the project, and the canal was classified as a historic monument in 1993.
The neighborhood exploded in popularity after the 2001 film Amélie — much of it was filmed here, and suddenly half of Paris wanted to live in the 10th arrondissement. Today it's the epicenter of young, creative Paris: independent boutiques, specialty coffee roasters, natural wine bars, and some of the city's best contemporary restaurants line the quays. On Sundays, the roads are closed to traffic, and the entire canal becomes a promenade.
The best stretch is between the Rue du Faubourg du Temple and the Avenue Richerand, where the locks still operate, raising and lowering boats between levels. Sit on the iron railings with a bottle of wine at sunset, watch the water cascade through the lock gates, and you'll understand why Parisians fight over apartments in this neighborhood.
Verified Facts
Napoleon ordered the Canal Saint-Martin built in 1802 to supply Paris with fresh drinking water
In the 1960s, Georges Pompidou proposed paving over the canal to build a highway, but the plan was defeated by community opposition
The canal was classified as a historic monument in 1993
The 2001 film Amélie was partly filmed along the Canal Saint-Martin, boosting the neighborhood's popularity
Get walking directions
Quai de Jemmapes, 75010 Paris
