Pont-d'Ouche is a small village in the

Côte-d'Or Côte-d'Or () is a département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 534,124.

region of Burgundy-Franche-Comté. It is part of the commune of Thorey-sur-Ouche, 2 km to the south. Part of the hamlet's territory is attached to the commune of Aubaine. Situated on the

Saône The Saône ( , ; ; ) is a river in eastern France (modern Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté). It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges (department), Vosges Departments of France, department an ...

side of the

Burgundy canal The Canal de Bourgogne (; English: Canal of Burgundy or Burgundy Canal) is a canal in the Burgundy historical region in east-central France. It connects the Yonne at Migennes with the Saône at Saint-Jean-de-Losne. Construction began in 1775 and ...

, where it makes a 120° turn to head northwest, it was once an important port and is still well known to canal users.

Atmosphere

This is the point at which the

Ouche The Ouche () is a river in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Saône, which it joins in Échenon. It is long. Its source is in Lusigny-sur-Ouche. The Ouche flows through the towns of Bligny-sur-Ouche, ...

shares its valley with the

Burgundy Canal The Canal de Bourgogne (; English: Canal of Burgundy or Burgundy Canal) is a canal in the Burgundy historical region in east-central France. It connects the Yonne at Migennes with the Saône at Saint-Jean-de-Losne. Construction began in 1775 and ...

, all the way to Dijon. The D33 road follows the same route to Veuvey-sur-Ouche. The nearest lock, no. 20, is known as the “Pont-d'Ouche lock” (formerly known as the “Telegraphe lock”). It is 700 m from the nearest lock towards the

and 1.1 km from the nearest towards the

Yonne Yonne (, in Burgundian: ''Ghienne'') is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. It is named after the river Yonne, which flows through it, in the country's north-central part. One of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté's eight con ...

. A restaurant/bistro is serving local produce. Boats can fill up with water, empty their garbage into appropriate containers, and have electricity, showers, and toilets at their disposal. Barges moor at stone quays, some of which are reserved for them; smaller boats can use the floating pontoons. The Pont d'Ouche viaduct overhangs the town by more than 25 m. It is 504 m long and carries the A6 freeway. It was inaugurated on October 29, 1970.

History

Very early in the 19th century, the commune was served by rail, located on the route of the Épinac railroad, built between 1829 and 1835, which ran from Épinac to the

. Coal from Épinac-les-Mines was brought here by train and loaded onto barges. In the 19th century, there was a tile factory close to the harbor basin. This factory had its private

dock The word dock () in American English refers to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore). In British English, the term is not used the same way as in American Engl ...

, opening onto the canal. Today, the dock is separated from the canal by a brick wall and is used by ducks, frogs, and other water dwellers.

Monuments

The three-arch canal bridge carries the

over the

Tourism

The village is part of the “

Pouilly-en-Auxois Pouilly-en-Auxois () is a Communes of France, commune in the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department in eastern France. It is the summit of the Canal of Burgundy, which passes in a tunnel under the town. Geography The town was originally s ...

Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...

” hiking trail. The Burgundy Canal cycle route also passes through the village. There are numerous hiking trails. The part of the Burgundy Canal that passes through the Ouche Valley has an excellent reputation for its wild, calm beauty — some place it in the top positions of the entire French waterway network. Today, Pont-d'Ouche has become a popular tourist port, with a few connoisseurs using it as a base for much of the summer. Petit Train vapeur

Pont-d'Ouche is the arrival point for the tourist train Ouche Valley Railway, which departs from

Bligny-sur-Ouche Bligny-sur-Ouche (, literally ''Bligny on Ouche'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. History The history of Bligny is ancient. Its church is an interesting monument to visit (constructed within an old medieval ca ...

, 7 km away, and follows the route of the old Épinac railroad: built from 1829 to 1835, it ran from Épinac to the

on a 60 cm-wide track. This narrow-gauge steam train has been in operation since 1978 and was awarded the 2010 family tourism trophy.

Culture

In August 1973,

Bertrand Blier Bertrand Blier (; 14 March 1939 – 20 January 2025) was a French film director and writer. His 1978 film '' Get Out Your Handkerchiefs'' won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards. Career His 1996 film '' ...

filmed scenes for the movie ''Going Places'' in the lock keeper's house at Pont-d'Ouche.

Atmosphere

History

Monuments

Tourism

Culture

See also