Saint-Dizier / Joinville Cycle route along the Canal entre Champagne & Bourgogne

The Route

From Saint-Dizier, you cycle along the canal towpath to reach Joinville. The path is easy, without slopes, so it’s a good stretch to enjoy on family outings, including with young children. Up to the Écluse de Chevillon (lock N°50), the surface is tarmacked and in good state. Between Écluse N°50 and the Écluse du Breuil (N°49), the surface may be tarmacked, but at time of writing is in a poor state of repair (for 2km), requiring your concentration to avoid the many potholes. Between Écluse N°49 and Écluse de Bussy (N°46), for some 6.5km, the surface is in pretty average state at time of writing. After Écluse N°46, the surfacing is very good up to Joinville.

Practical information

Tourist offices

• Office de tourisme de Saint-Dizier 12 Rue Émile Giros 52100 Saint-Dizier - 03 25 05 31 84
• Office de tourisme intercommunal de Joinville 5 avenue de la Marne 52300 Joinville - 03 25 94 17 54 

SNCF train station

• Gare de St-Dizier: accessible from Paris by high-speed TGV Inoui or TER Fluo regional services, with spaces available for bikes (2h36 on average)
• Gare de Joinville: accessible from Paris by high-speed TGV Inoui or TER Fluo regional services, with spaces available for bikes (3h00 on average)

Don't miss

• Saint-Dizier: Notre-Dame Church; the château; Muse, an immersive space
• Bienville: the château grounds (parc) and orchard (verger), maintained by the association Les Croqueurs de Pommes, the espaliered fruit trees (their branches attached to a frame) reflecting 19th-century horticultural techniques
• Joinville: the Château du Grand Jardin, the castle itself a listed historic monument, the garden designated a Jardin Remarquable, reflecting so well the art of living of the French Renaissance. Petite Cité de Caractère du Grand-Est ®, a designation recognizing the little town of Joinville’s historical and cultural heritage – founded in the 11th century on the frontier between the French Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire, Joinville’s history was largely influenced by the powerful courtly Catholic family of the de Guises (which famously married into the Scottish royal family, Marie de Guise being the mother of Mary Queen of Scots). Take it all in by wandering through the old town and along Quai des Peceaux, where the timber-frame houses and other fine homes boast ornate Renaissance details.