Canal St. Martin, Jardin du Port d'Arsenal | Paris Travel

A restaurant near place de la Bastille.

Our Silver Paris

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where I share our experiences of our special journey to Paris.

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On our way home from la promenade Plantée, we walked along part of canal St. Martin, a canal where houseboats and all kinds of other boats moor.  The canal leads into the Seine River.

Running along the canal is le jardin du Port d'Arsenal, another pretty garden walkway planted with native species.  For all you French speakers (ha!), here's the sign upon entering:

The Arsenal basin, an extension of the canal Saint-Martin, was dug in 1805 at the site of the castle ditches of the royal castle of Charles V.  The garden runs along the marina by a terrace planted with maple trees.  A lawn leads down to the docks.  The garden offers an important collection of climbing plants:  clematis, campsis (as in trumpet vine), goat-leaf (as in honeysuckle), and roses, planted along the wall [along] boulevard de la Bastille.

I didn't take any other pictures here (why ever not, I'm asking myself now), so here's a self-portrait along the walkway.

And, here's another image of the canal, taken after we exited at place de la Bastille and looked back.

Kindly excuse the lack of photos!  I had to share the few that I did take, since this was such a pleasant walk, and the boats--decrepit and old, sleek and modern--were fascinating to look at and to try peering into.

There is a canal cruise on which you can either purchase a meal, or bring your own (check my facts--I read this somewhere but can't find it now!).  The cruises are two to two-and-a-half hours long, and are peaceful and leisurely with beautiful views.  We have a canal cruise on our docket of things to do when we return, and you can be sure I'll take more pictures of this lovely jardin and canal area then.

• Nearest Métro station:  Bastille (lines 1, 5, and 8) at the north end.  Quai de la Rapée (line 5) at the south end.
• Cost:  free.  The 2.5-hour cruise on canal St. Martin costs 16 € (13.50 € if purchased online).
• What to look for:  Plank boardwalk lining the canal, with a huge variety of interesting boats.  The jardin is pretty, with native plants and flowers, and arbors--perfect for a romantic walk!
• Combine with:  Place de la Bastille, or window-shopping along rue du Pont Louis Philippe.  If you want two romantic walks in one day, combine with a walk along the promenade Plantée.

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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