Joigny - Briare - Sancerre - Nevers - Decize - Dompierre
Destinations / France / Nivernais, Loire, Yonne / Joigny - Briare - Sancerre - Nevers - Decize - Dompierre
Basic information
- Cruise length: 379 km
- Trip duration: 14 days
- Type of cruise: one-way route
- Number of locks: 105
The port of Dompierre-sur-Besbre opens the gateway from the canal bridge in Digoin to the Canal du Centre, dug in the 18th century after Roanne and Châlon/Saône.
This quiet canal, which even briefly flirts with the Loire, cuts through a beautiful region. Charolais, famous for its steak cattle, is also a land of monasteries, churches and medieval villages. But neither the Cistercian monastery of Sept-Fonts in Dompierre, nor the Romanesque churches of Semur-en-Brionnais or the basilica of Paray-le-Monial will make you forget all the vibrant gastronomic delights of the region.
At Decize, you sail a short distance down the Loire through the lush landscape of the Morvan massif into the southern Nivernais Canal.
The cruise on the Canal du Nivernais takes you through a rural landscape. At every bend in the river, at every lock, there is a view from which the tower of a Romanesque church points unexpectedly skywards.
The Saussois area beckons with its quiet, steep rocky hills where climbing enthusiasts try their luck. Old towns such as Clamecy and Châtel-Censoir, the treasures of Vézelay Cathedral and the restaurants of Joigny and Auxerre are among the highlights of the programme.
The landscape and architecture of the Nivernais region are as inviting as the bottle of Chablis served with the quail.
