Canal d'Ille-et-Rance

The Canal d'Ille-et-Rance (French pronunciation: [kanal dil e ʁɑ̃s], literally Canal of Ille and Rance; Breton: Kanol an Il hag ar Renk) is a 79 km (49 mi) long canal in northwestern France connecting Dinan to the Vilaine at Rennes, thus forming part of the English Channel/Atlantic Ocean link which has long been used by yachtsmen, but has also become increasingly popular as a cruising waterway in its own right. It takes its name from the rivers Ille and Rance. Several hire firms are based on the canal or its connecting waterways. From Dinan the navigation continues in the semi-tidal river Rance for a further 6 km to Le Châtelier lock, below which navigation continues in the tidal Rance maritime. The canal has a summit level 7 km in length at an altitude of 65m, and in times of drought some restrictions may have to be imposed on the use of locks.