THE ORLEANS CANAL

It was created at the end of the th century at the request of the Duke of Orléans who was the first owner. It was completed and opened on 5 March 1692, after sixteen years of work. Since the transport activity had fallen considerably from the beginning of the 1950 th century, he returned in the s to the of Waters and Forests to be exploited as a tourist and leisure area. It takes place on a little over 78 kilometres by linking the Loire to the Seine via the Nautiques Canal and the Loing canal, two canals that it joins in Chalette, near Montargis, at the place-dit Buges, lock and junction point of the three canals, a unique location of its kind. On the way, it is refuelled by thirteen ponds totalling 276 hectares, forming a real paradise for fishermen. In 2005, the General Council of Loiret decided to reopen the canal to navigation between Fay-aux-Loges and Combleux, a dozen kilometres away.