Pont-canal de Briare

The Briare canal bridge is the oldest canal in France. It was built between 1890 and 1896 by the Eiffel company in order to pass the Briare canal over the Loire.

An impressive building, the Briare canal bridge is over 600 meters long and 11.5 meters wide and hangs 11 meters above the Loire.

Since the Loire was not navigable at certain times of the year, an almost 200 km long canal was built on its side in the late 19th century. As part of a widely branched canal system, you can even drive from here to the Mediterranean. The canal crosses the Loire and its tributaries again and again on several bridges. The canal bridge at Briare is the most impressive.

impressive building, best to visit early in the morning in summer when it is not yet so crowded