Locks: Embranchement de Nancy

The canal is 10.2 kilometres long and its northern end (the Meurthe slope) starts at Laneuveville-devant-Nancy where it joins the canal de la Marne au Rhin. It has no branches or junctions with other waterways along its route and finishes at the southern end (the Moselle slope) at Richardménil where it meets the canal des Vosges.

The canal was built in 1880 at the same time as the canal des Vosges and completed a ring around Nancy. The canal is also known as the Canal de Jonction and forms part of the south eastern section of the ring around Nancy. The rest of the ring consists of the canal des Vosges and the river Moselle forming the western half and the canal de la Marne au Rhin completing the circle to the east.

There are 18 locks on the canal, 13 on the Meurthe side of the summit and five on the Moselle side and are around three metres deep apart from the lowest one on the Moselle side which is about four metres deep.. The top ten locks on the Meurthe slope form a lock flight that runs around the east of Fléville-devant-Nancy. The lock flight leads up to the summit of the canal and most of the locks in the flight are close together and have large side ponds to help conserve water.

The locks had lock cottages when original constructed but many have since been demolished. The cottages were smaller than the lock cottages usually found in France.

The locks are traffic light controlled and entry is only possible when the green light is showing. When a lock is being set both a red and a green light is shown. If two red lights are showing then the lock is out of action and VNF, the canal authority, has to be contacted.

A serious breach occurred at the turn of the century but the canal was reopened in 2012. Considering how close it is to the city of Nancy it is a very rural and peaceful canal with a cycle path running along its length.

Meurthe slope - écluse 1 (summit level)