You're far more likely to find Parisians gathering around this waterway for summer apéros and picnics than on the far more touristy banks of the Seine.
The 19th-century waterway draws a trendy crowd to its shabby-chic bars and bistros, with Chez Prune the long-standing magnet for canal-side bière-drinkers.
A Canauxrama cruise glides under swinging bridges and through the historic locks, even into the vaulted Bastille tunnel, with the canal's Napoleonic origins narrated as you drift.
The canal's signature pastime is free: grab wine and bread, claim a ledge at the water's edge, and join the apéro crowd. You'll spend nothing and feel more local than anyone queuing for a river cruise.
As a couple
Skip the Seine's crowds for a slower, scruffier romance — iron footbridges, leafy towpaths and a wine bar at golden hour.
“you're far more likely to find Parisians gathering around this waterway for summer apéros and picnics than on the (far more touristy) banks of the Seine”
Wide towpaths and footbridges make it stroller-friendly, but it's a hangout neighborhood more than a kid-attraction — best paired with the cinemas and open space up at La Villette.
What people say
Straight from the reviews
“you're far more likely to find Parisians gathering around this waterway for summer apéros and picnics than on the (far more touristy) banks of the Seine”