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The Canal de Bergues is one of the oldest canals in Flanders, its course being shown on a map dating from the 9th century, connecting
Dunkerque Canals
(Furnes, Bourbourg and Bergues) with maps and expanded details by the author of ''Inland Waterways of France'', Imray
Navigation details for 80 French rivers and canals
(French waterways website section) {{DEFAULTSORT:Canal De Bergues
The Canal de Bergues is one of the oldest canals in Flanders, its course being shown on a map dating from the 9th century, connecting Bergues
Bergues (; nl, Sint-Winoksbergen; vls, Bergn) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
It is situated to the south of Dunkirk and from the Belgian border. Locally it is referred to as "the other Bruges in Flanders". Bergues ...
to the port of Dunkerque, in northern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. The town itself, heavily fortified by Vauban in the late 17th century, is the main attraction for boats, which moor in a dramatic location just outside the fortified walls. Commercial traffic ceased in the 1970s. The site acquired worldwide fame in 2008 as the location for the cult film '' Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis''. The local Ch'ti
Picard (, also , ) is a '' langue d'oïl'' of the Romance language family spoken in the northernmost part of France and Hainaut province in Belgium. Administratively, this area is divided between the French Hauts-de-France region and the Belgian ...
dialect and out-of-tune belfry chimes contributed to making the town a destination for tourists. The canal formerly connected with the Canal de la Basse-Colme heading west to Veurne
Veurne (; french: Furnes, italic=no, ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Belgium, Belgian Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Veurne proper an ...
via the Bergenvaart, and the Canal de la Haute-Colme west to the Canal Dunkerque-Escaut at Lynck. Restoration of these canals would greatly increase the tourism potential of Bergues, but there is opposition from the authority managing the local drainage canals. Bergues remains a there-and-back excursion for visiting boats.
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
Dunkerque Canals
(Furnes, Bourbourg and Bergues) with maps and expanded details by the author of ''Inland Waterways of France'', Imray
Navigation details for 80 French rivers and canals
(French waterways website section) {{DEFAULTSORT:Canal De Bergues
Bergues
Bergues (; nl, Sint-Winoksbergen; vls, Bergn) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
It is situated to the south of Dunkirk and from the Belgian border. Locally it is referred to as "the other Bruges in Flanders". Bergues ...