Canal Saint-Martin runs for 4.5 kilometres from the Arsenal basin near the Bastille to La Villette in the north. For most of the 20th century it was an industrial waterway lined with warehouses; by the 2000s it had become the most fashionable neighbourhood in Paris, with independent cafes, wine bars, boutiques, and design shops along its banks.
The canal has nine locks and two swing bridges, and the ironwork footbridges are particularly photogenic. The walk from République to Jaurès, along both banks, takes about 45 minutes and passes Chez Prune, La Fontaine de Belleville, and the area's best independent shops. On Sunday the canal-side roads are pedestrianised, and the quais fill with picnickers and cyclists.