The Canal d'Ille-et-Rance (, literally ''Canal of Ille and Rance''; br, Kanol an Il hag ar Renk) is a long canal in northwestern France connecting
Dinan
Dinan (; ) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan.
Geography
Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead o ...
to the
Vilaine
The Vilaine (; br, Gwilen) is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne ''département'' (53), and it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan ''département'' (56). It is 218 km ...
at
Rennes, thus forming part of the English Channel/Atlantic Ocean link which has long been used by yachtsmen, but has also become increasingly popular as a cruising waterway in its own right.
It takes its name from the rivers
Ille
The Ille (; br, Il) is a small river in Brittany, France, right tributary of the river Vilaine. It is long. It flows into the Vilaine in the city Rennes.
The Ille is linked to the river Rance by the Canal d'Ille-et-Rance. By this canal, Ren ...
and
Rance
Rance may refer to:
Places
* Rance (river), northwestern France
* Rancé, a commune in eastern France, near Lyon
* Ranče, a small settlement in Slovenia
* Rance, Wallonia, part of the municipality of Sivry-Rance
** Rouge de Rance, a Devonian ...
. Several hire firms are based on the canal or its connecting waterways. From Dinan the navigation continues in the semi-tidal river Rance for a further 6 km to Le Châtelier lock, below which navigation continues in the tidal
Rance maritime. The canal has a summit level 7 km in length at an altitude of 65m, and in times of drought some restrictions may have to be imposed on the use of locks.
History
A canal across Brittany from the Rance estuary to the Vilaine at Rennes was suggested in the 17th century, but the first serious plans were drawn up in 1736. They were incorporated in a project for three canals in the Province, but nothing was done until Napoleon ordered implementation of all three schemes in 1804. Works started, but were interrupted after his defeat. A private company took up the concession to build the canal and started work in 1822. The canal was opened in 1834.
Canal ownership was transferred from the State to Brittany Region in 2010.
See also
*
List of canals in France
This is a list of the navigable canals and rivers in France. For reference purposes, all waterways are listed, including many that have been abandoned for navigation, mostly in the period 1925-1955, but some in later years. Although several source ...
References
External links
Canal d'Ille-et-Rancenavigation guide; places, ports and moorings on the canal, by the author of ''Inland Waterways of France'', Imray
Navigation details for 80 French rivers and canals(French waterways website section)
{{Authority control
Ill ILL may refer to:
* '' I Love Lucy'', a landmark American television sitcom
* Illorsuit Heliport (location identifier: ILL), a heliport in Illorsuit, Greenland
* Institut Laue–Langevin, an internationally financed scientific facility
* Interlibra ...
Canals opened in 1832