Canal St. Martin - Paris

A wonderful thing to do in Paris on a Sunday afternoon (a notoriously slow day in Paris) is to head to the 10th Arr. to the Canal St. Martin for a leisure walk along the water. There you will find 3 miles of planted banks, ancient locks and metal foot bridges plus some inviting outdoor cafes with sitting areas along the water's edge.

Take the Blue #2 Metro line to the JAURES stop, in the direction of NATION - you can connect to the blue line at the Charles de Gaulle - Etoile station. Once you arrive at the Jaures station, you will see the canal right below the train tracks. Start your walk from here and head south along the water towards Place de la Republique.

Don't miss the Hotel Du Nord along the way, it was featured in a 1930's French movie. It has a welcoming outdoor and indoor sitting area and the restaurant serves decent French food. Also along the way, is Point Ephemere. An art complex located inside an industrial building that sits right below the Jaures Metro station. It houses an art gallery, a space for music venues and a restaurant with an outdoor terrace by the water.

By the way, the Canal St. Martin was built by Napoleon around 1822 to provide drinking water for Parisians. Today it's one of Paris's most romantic spots.

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