Petite Venise — Little Venice — is the half-kilometre stretch of the Lauch river running through the southern part of the old town, lined with half-timbered houses leaning out over the water, flower-boxed bridges and stretches of cobbled quay. It is unashamedly picturesque and crowded in summer.
Quai de la Poissonnerie, the old fishmongers' quay, is the most photographed stretch. Flat-bottomed boats run twenty-minute punt trips from a small landing near rue de la Poissonnerie; the commentary is light and the angle from the water makes the trip worthwhile. The lanes leading off the river — rue des Tanneurs, rue des Tisserands — are quieter and lined with artisan workshops, galleries and small wine cellars.