The Seine

rivers · France · Paris

A Long Journey. The Seine travels 777 kilometers (about 483 miles) from its source in northeastern France all the way to the English Channel at Le Havre. It's one of northern Europe's most important rivers for connecting inland areas to the sea.

Ships Can Travel It. The Seine is special because ocean-going ships can sail up it as far as Rouen, which is 120 kilometers from the sea. This made Paris one of the most important trading cities in Europe for hundreds of years.

Heart of Paris. The river winds through the middle of Paris, dividing the city into different neighborhoods and creating beautiful islands like the Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint-Louis. Many of the city's most famous landmarks, including Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Louvre Museum, sit right along its banks.

Boats Everywhere. More than 60 percent of the Seine's length can be traveled by large barges and tour boats, and you can go boating on almost the entire river. Thousands of visitors take sightseeing tours on the water each year to see Paris from a special perspective.

Huge Watershed. The Seine's drainage basin covers most of northern France and includes areas around the Langres plateau where it starts. This means rainfall across a huge region of France eventually flows into the Seine and toward the sea.