THE SEINE-NORTH EUROPE CANAL: A PROJECT OF EXCEPTIONAL POTENTIAL

This route will occasion fascinating prospects and potentials for fluvial tourism, by linking 3 great European capitals: Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

With its modern locks and water-provision system, designed to resist the vagaries of weather, this new canal will offer tourist-boat operators (river cruise ships, hotel-barges, etc.) optimal and consistent navigational conditions.

Cruise passengers will pass through territories steeped in history, from the Kingdom of France’s earliest monarchs to the First and Second World Wars (notably the WWI battlefields). Not to mention the great painters who drew inspiration from the landscapes of the Oise River Valley, such as Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise and also Pissarro.

The Seine-North Europe Canal will also allow fluvial travellers, who enjoy a bit of shopping and are keen to bring back some lovely souvenirs, to stroll about the bustling cities typical of northern France, such as Compiègne, Arras, Lille and Amiens.

The canal will itself serve as a tourist attraction with the possibility of visiting three of its giant locks (including that of Noyon) and of admiring the landscapes from the spectacular canal-bridge straddling the Somme River Valley.

In addition to visiting the many museums, towns and historic monuments along the way, the canal’s travellers will also be able to discover the regional gastronomy, including the world-renowned Chantilly cream, Maroilles cheese (‘the cheese of Kings, the king of cheeses’), and artisanal breweries warmly welcoming visitors.

The Seine-North Europe Canal represents the opening of a new fluvial tourism route through France and Europe.

Combining the discovery of historic sites and the savouring of local specialities during relaxing canal cruises, this waterway will represent, within less than 8 years, a unique opportunity to renew and diversify the region’s fluvial tourist itineraries.