The Briare Aqueduct

Le pont-canal de Briare

Near the commune of Briare, on the Canal lateral à la Loire, is the Briare Aqueduct. The Briare Aqueduct allows boats traveling the Bourbonnais route to cross the River Loire without have to navigate the river itself. Built by Gustave Eiffel, Daydé, and Pillé, this masonry and steel canal bridge was the longest navigable aqueduct in the world up to 2003.

Five years ago, when we first saw the Briare Aqueduct in person, we thought it would be cool to take a boat across this pont-canal. In May of 2015 we got the chance to take our own barge Wanderlust across. Though we’ve navigated numerous pont-canals it always is an odd feeling floating in a boat high above a river.

(Wanderlust crossed the Briare Aqueduct on May 16 2015.)

Moorings in Briare

The Briare Aqueduct was built by Gustave Eiffel, Daydé, and Pillé.

The commercial barge Sunny navigates the Briare Aqueduct.

Sunny pushing hard to move the water as she crosses over the Loire.

A hire boat on the pont-canal.

A hire boat with a happy crew crosses the Briare Aqueduct.