Is Dijon really a port? The answer is yes. An obelisk dating from 1780 is a reminder of the inauguration of the port and the 1 000km network of canals running through Burgundy, created by the Prince of Condé originally to link Dijon to Paris, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic via the Canal du Centre and the River Loire. While the connection with the Atlantic was never built, the other two links were opened to navigation between 1800 and 1820 and are now a Mecca for pleasure cruising.