Originally conceived by Henri IV, the Canal du Nivernais was finally built between 1783 and 1842, and boasts some of the most glorious scenery on the French waterways. Connecting the Seine to the Loire basins, whose basins are very different from one another. From Corbigny south to Decize, its old city centre is still ringed with walls, the descent to the Loire winds through rich meadows grazed by the famous white Nivernais cattle. A set of 16 locks leads to the three successive tunnels at La Colancelle in a rural setting. The Etang de Baye with its watersports centres lies right alongside the canal. From Corbigny north to Auxerre, on the other hand, with its churches dominating the waterfront, the descent towards the Seine follows the valley of the Yonne, and sometimes uses its riverbed, through woods and forests small and large. The prosperous little wineproducing village of Tannay boasts panoramic views over the Morvan hills.
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