"Briare the Port" Briare by pedroswift

Not the usual traffic to be seen on the Pont Canal.
Antique rowing sculls from Germany.

The pleasure boat port at Briare provides a convenient mooring overnight while cruising the canal system as long as your boat's draft does not exceed 1.2 Metres. It can also be used as a winter port which we have done without problems. Train station is less than a kilometre away so it is convenient for picking up/ dropping off visiting crew.
The pleasure boat port is the "lower Port" at Briare. The top port near the Pont Canal is reserved for Commercial Vessels - Hotel Barges and the hire boat fleet. The pleasure boat harbour is located in the centre of town and is accessed via three automatic locks the first of which is 2.3 kms upstream to the north east of the Loire River. Access by foot to the Loire river is easy from the lower port and a walk along the river bank is essential. There is/was a lock into the river but I suspect no one would wish to use it.

Quite often there is a "shop" barge parked in the top port. Go shopping for souvenirs just metres from the pont canal which is the main reason for non-boating people to visit Briare.
By the way, the bridge has wonderful light stanchions and it is well worth visiting at evening time as the lights come on.
Cruisers may be lucky and find a place in the top port to save diverting to the pleasure boat port. An alternative is to proceed upstream to Ouzouer-sur-Trezee to a comfortable mooring with good facilities.

Shop in barge in foreground

Shop in the barge in foreground.
Hire boat fleet behind it.
Sorry don't know the name of the duck!

Winterized boats in the lower pleasure boat port.

• Pros:Mr Eiffel's bridge for boats across the Loire
• In a nutshell:Winter port for boaties