The Loire is a wild river, that is to say that its course is not canalized and is directly affected by seasonal variations. Floods and droughts have always made navigation uncertain, which is why a lateral canal was dug. It follows the Loire valley and allows navigation all year round. In the continuation of the Loing, Briare and Centre canals, it is one of the privileged axes between the Rhône and Seine valleys. It is a canal with long reaches, pleasant and easy to navigate.
Digoin at the crossroads of history
The small town of Digoin is located at a river crossroads from where one can reach Châlon-sur-Saône, Roanne or Paris. It became one of the ceramic capitals when the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine by Germany cut Sarreguemine and its earthenware factories off from France. Around 1900, the "factory" employed up to 1700 people! Located on the right bank of the Loire, the port of Digoin is officially on the Canal du Centre. This river marina is all the more important since the Canalous rental company has set up its headquarters and construction site there.
A bridge-canal on the Loire
The real attraction of Digoin, if not its emblem, is the canal-bridge whose 11 arches carry the canal some 12 m above the Loire. A monument whose crossing can be enjoyed in slow motion! At the first lock, the operator asks about the experience level of each person before starting the maneuver. The lock keepers manage several locks, which allows to find them at the next one and to continue the conversation. They willingly accommodate the pace of the boaters and their stops for sightseeing or refueling.
The charm of the shores
The banks are pleasant and the curtain of trees sometimes offers a view on the Loire or on the silhouette of a manor or a castle, as in Coulange or Pierrefitte-sur-Loire. Dompierre-sur-Besbre is located at the end of a two-kilometer-long branch road. The harbor is perfectly equipped but the services are only available on the days and hours when the harbor is open - that's silly! On the way to the refreshment area, don't miss the Gougeon-Lallemand hardware store, which has been open since 1919 and whose marquee is a masterpiece of ironwork.
Trappist cosmetics
The next stop is for the Sept-Fons abbey, which stands near the canal. The Trappist monks offer food supplements and cosmetics produced by the congregation. Each village along the canal has its own attractions and charm, as in Beaulon where a beautiful half-timbered house houses a restaurant. This tourism of opportunity offered by the rhythm of the river navigation is bewitching: the stops are modelled on the closing times of the locks and are an opportunity to linger in beautiful corners of France, including for boats in transit.
The tree with the half-timberings!
The crane of the Entente Marine shipyard announces the stopover in Gannay-sur-Loire from afar. Signs indicate a remarkable tree of which only a stump remains! On the other hand, one can admire from the outside the old inn where the bargemen came to quench their thirst when the navigation was done on the Loire. The house and its superb half-timbered barn have been patiently restored by André Pillard, a 78 year old retired man, who is also the former priest of Dompierre-sur-Besbre.
A sometimes sportive crossing!
Like Digoin, Decize is at a river crossing. The Canal Latéral à la Loire continues its descent towards Briare but a lock opens onto the Jonction basin. From there, a passage in the Loire allows to join the Canal du Nivernais. The locks of descent are actuated by a rope which one draws from the boat. The passage in the Loire is a pleasant ballad when the conditions are good, but can be clearly more "tonic" when the current is sharp. That's why, in the past, the passage was ensured by a toueur, a boat that pulled the trains of boats on a chain placed on the bottom and that you can see on the bank, at the junction of the canal du Nivernais.
Down to earth
Along the Vieille Loire, the Promenade des Halles forms a real green cathedral. In this overgrown arm, some traditional boats are moored. With their flat bottom, only they can go up here without risking to run aground! As much as Decize is a joy to cross by water, it is a nightmare to try to cross it by bike! It is better to walk, following the marked out discovery circuit which offers to discover the vestiges of the fortifications of this city with 5 waterways and as many bridges.
The setting sun gilds the banks of the Loire and the beautiful structure where the boats were placed waiting for their towing. It is from there that we can admire the most beautiful perspective on the city. It is also from there that we take the measure of the river that we have skirted and crossed until here.
Local tips and tricks
In Digoin, an associative museum allows to go back into the history of the "factory" and to find graphics and decorations which decorated the tables of our grandmothers.
The faience factory has reopened and you can visit the factory store located near the port.
Beautiful terraces open on the quays of the Loire, in particular those of the hotel-restaurant Les Diligences and the Dock café.
The Parot house offers an excellent epogne aux grattons, a brioche with bacon perfect for an aperitif!
Conceived as a terrace with a view on the bridge-canal, Observaloire is a space of discovery of the fauna, the flora and the inland navigation of the Loire.
At the stop of Gannay-sur-Loire, a guinguette la Vacancière offers to eat.
Nearby, at the Fontaine Saint Jean pottery, Yannick Boucard and his daughter Tania work with local clay and homemade enamels.
In Decize, the Marché du p'tit Léo, a local organic grocery store, offers to deliver on board.
The Canal in brief
- Length 64 km from Digoin to Decize
- 15 locks
- Speed: 8 km/h for less than 20 meters and 6 km/h beyond
- Vignette and navigation tax: yes
- Managing establishments: VNF
- Template: 38.5 x 5.10 m
- Minimum air draft : 3,50 m
- Minimum draught : 1,80 m
- Renters : Canalous (Digoin), Locaboat (Dompierre-sur-Besbre), Le Boat (Decize)
- Navigation guide : Editions du Breil N°2 euros Loire-Nivernais
