The canal with its 180 km, at the junction of the Loire and the Seine basins, includes 110 locks from the town of Saint-Léger-des-Vignes in Nièvre to Auxerre at the centre of the Yonne. Today the Nivernais Canal is mainly used for boating, cycling and walking along the canal towpaths and is no doubt one of the most beautiful canals in Europe.

Paris region forests were no longer able to meet the city’s needs in wood for heating. The search turned towards the Morvan and Bazois regions. Enormous quantities of wood were transported to Paris by water, and the Yonne river in particular, from the XVIth century through the 1920’s. The Canal du Nivernais was created from this wood industry. It has 100 locks, with 32 on the Loire side and 78 on the Seine side, and joins the Loire and Seine basins. A cruise on the Canal du Nivernais will show you its enchanting landscapes. Its preserved environment is part of Nièvre’s countryside, amidst meadow, forest, and village. This witness to the past will offer you a unique architectural heritage: locks from another time, tunnels, arches, lock operators’ omes, etc. It is not just a work of art, but a living environment with its own distinctive flora and fauna: lined poplar plantations, ash trees, sycamores, willows, etc.; bird species (kingfishers, grey wagtail, grey heron) and fish (pikeperch, pike, perch, etc.)

Baye and Vaux Lakes
The Baye (75 ha) and Vaux (198 ha) Lakes
are closely related to the Canal du Nivernais.
Created at the end of the XVIIIth century to
supply the canal with water, they are in
use once again due to increasing river
tourism. Their ecological wealth comes
from many sources. Vaux is the largest
and most peaceful lake.
The climate, situated between the Atlantic
Ocean’s influence and a continental climate,
also encourages development of remarkable
flora. The lakes are known for their
ornithological interest as well.
Migrant, nesting, and over wintering
birds succeed one another throughout
the year on these lakes, making it one
of Nièvre’s most interesting sites in this field.
Because of these features,
the County Council decided to create two
nature discovery trails along the Vaux Lake.
The Kingfisher and Grey Heron trails invite
the public to discover the lakes’
ecological aspects.

Literature is available in local
tourist information areas.