When most people think of Paris they think about old castles, the Eiffel Tower, art museums and wine with their cheese. When people think of cities built around canals they more than likely think of Venice. It seems a bit strange, then, to mention the awe inspiring canals that wind and flow through Paris.

The canals make for a fantastic way of seeing the less touristy side of this timeless city, a habit that will carry over to many other areas of France. The canals flow off the Seine River, which not only runs through the heart of Paris, it connects with the Loire, Rhine, Rhône, Meuse, and Scheldt rivers. The sites that can be reached through this network seem endless.

The canals are grouped to make organised tours more manageable, and there are tour groups that will take curious visitors in and out of the rather large (and sometimes confusing) network. Apart from the official tours, there are three ways to see the canals. Rent a boat, rent a bike or walk at your pace and off you go! Just don't forget the way home.