Start your cruise at the Port de l’Arsenal, the historic marina located near 50 Boulevard de la Bastille, where Canal Saint-Martin connects with the Seine. As you board the boat, your guide introduces the route and the history of this former commercial harbour that has become a peaceful leisure marina. Experience the unique sensation of passing through several locks, watching the water level rise and fall as the gates slowly open and close around the boat. This is one of the most fascinating moments of the cruise, offering a close look at the canal’s engineering and daily operations. Enter the long underground tunnel beneath the Bastille area, a vaulted passage punctuated by shafts of daylight from above. The change of atmosphere is striking: city noise fades away as you glide in near silence beneath the historic streets of Paris.