The Marine District

Welcome to the Marine district, once a key part of the city, and today one of its most visited. The district gets its name from the boatmen who passed through here while transporting goods. It was a hub for fishermen, tanners, boatmen, and merchants. All in all, it was a lively and bustling part of the city. Picture the boatmen loading and unloading cargo, merchants selling their wares, and boatmen waiting to head back to Paris and other major cities, ready to export goods. But in the 19th century, the rise of the railways and the opening of the Nivernais Canal brought an end to river trade, yet the district remains as charming as ever, still bearing the marks of its rich history.