Lac De Sainte-Croix is the perfect spot for first time paddle boarders. The water is really calm and easy to access from the shore. You can also paddle up the river which travels through the Verdon Gorge, France's answer to the Grand Canyon
We spent several days camping and stand up paddle boarding around Spreewald, a delightful network of streams and rivers that crisscross an area of 105,000 acres in Brandenburg, Germany.