Paris is an inland metropolis, yet no one expected a leisure port with a seaport vibe to be located at the Arsenal Canal near Place de la Bastille. Its wide estuary can accommodate nearly two hundred private yachts, forming one of the most distinctive scenic views in the City of Light.
The Arsenal Basin Park, lush with trees and flowers, borders the canal. The famous Canal Saint-Martin begins here, crossing Place de la Bastille before converging with two other canals (Saint-Denis and Ourcq) at the Grand Bassin des Écluses. As the outlet where the Canal Saint-Martin meets the Seine, this area naturally serves as a sheltered harbor for vessels from the river and its waterways.
Designed by hydraulic engineer Brulée, the Canal Saint-Martin was excavated starting under Napoleon I and completed during the Bourbon Restoration in 1825. The Arsenal Canal Port was carved out from the moat of the Bastille Prison built under Charles V, creating an inland port for Paris that has become a place for locals to stroll and enjoy the ambiance of a port city.
