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The Physical Geography At it's farthest point the Seine begins near Dijon but at this point it is difficult to name the precise spot since it is fed from numerous small streams. The site was once the alleged home of a river goddess and a temple was built there by the Romans; in later years the city of Paris paid for a grotto, complete with a statue of a reclining nymph. The area is particularly beautiful, and a popular tourist destination. The highest point in the Seine is at about1,550 feet above mean sea level in the Cote d'Or (Gold Coast) on Tasselot, which is situated between Chanceaux and Saint-Seine. At this stage it is still just a small stream, bit with around 26 tributaries it finally emerges as a mighty river, draining into the English Channel between Le Havre and Honfleur. By the time it reaches Troyes it can be navigated by small boats; when it reaches Paris it can usually accommodate craft with up to ten to twelve feet in draught; and by the time it reaches Le Havre it has a wide estuary which is subject to tidal bores. As it passes through Paris and is joined by the Marne it creates several small islands, and then another three hundred or so before flowing on through Rouen; after which it is called the Lower Seine. Around 776 kilometers long, the Seine flows gently past innumerable pretty villages, historic sites, and battlefields both ancient and modern before finally discharging into the sea. |
