Paris to open up swimming in the Seine this summer, in Olympics legacy
It cost more than €1 billion and forms a major part of the legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics - but the River Seine will finally open to the public for swimming this summer.
Paris City Hall on Wednesday announced that there will, initially at least, be three swimming sites to choose from, which will open on July 5th and remain open until the end of August.
"It was an extraordinary moment (in 2024), but swimming during the Games was not an end in itself," Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo told reporters.
"Making the Seine swimmable is first and foremost a response to the objective of adapting to climate change, but also of quality of life," she added.
Once a favourite pastime in Paris, swimming in the Seine had been
off limits for a century
until last year due to the pollution levels.
"This summer, Parisians and tourists will rediscover the joys of swimming in the Seine, a hundred years after it was banned," city hall said in a statement.
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The sites will be located at Bras Marie in the city's 4th arrondissement, Bercy in the 12th arrondissement, and Grenelle in the 15th. As with previous summers, it will also be possible to swim at the Bassin de la Villette, located in the 19th arrondissement.
The rough locations of the three swimming spots, marked in red dots on a screenshot taken from Google Maps.
Swimming outside of these areas in the portion of the Seine that crosses through Paris will not be permitted.
Both tourists and residents will be allowed to enjoy the swimming areas for free, as well as the nearby Paris Plages. This summer will also feature
open-water swim competitions
in the Seine.
What about the water cleanliness?
The Agence régionale de santé (regional health authority) will monitor water conditions daily, and then it will be up to experts at the town hall to decide whether or not the site will open that day.
Visitors will be able to check if sites are closed due to adverse conditions directly on the
Paris town hall website
. This may occur if there is excessive rainfall.
Each site will be monitored by lifeguards. As on beaches, a system of flags -- green, yellow and red -- will make clear the safety of swimming that day.
Bras Marie
This swimming site will face the Île Saint-Louis, and it will be located near the Pont de Sully. There will be lockers, outdoor seating, showers, a reception desk and a first aid station.
The capacity will be 150 people, with a bathing area of 70m by 20m. Based on the image provided by the Paris town hall to local media, this site will be separated from the rest of the river via buoys. As such, boats will not be allowed to pass through during swimming hours.
The site will be accessible to people with reduced mobility, and it will be set up right next to the Paris Plages, with its lawn chairs and games.
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Hours: 8am to 11.30am Monday to Saturday, and again 8am to 5.30pm on Sundays.
Bercy
There will be two swimming areas at the Bercy site in the 12th arrondissement. It will face the Bibliothèque nationale, located near the Simone de Beauvoir footbridge, at the bottom of the Parc de Bercy.
At this site, the swimming areas will be protected from the rest of the river in order to allow boats to pass by. This will likely be similar to the way the swimming area at the Bassin de la Villette is set up, though each of the three swimming areas are intended to allow for water to flow freely in from the Seine river.
The larger area will have a capacity of 700 people, with 300 in the swimming area. It will also have several amenities, including changing rooms, showers, toilets, a reception area and a first aid station.
There will be a sundeck area to relax after swimming. This area will be accessible to people with reduced mobility.
The first and second pools will measure 35m by 12.5m, and 67m by 11m, respectively.
Hours: 11am to 9pm, every day of the week.
Grenelle
Described by the French town hall as a 'family swimming area', facing the Île aux Cignes, close to the Eiffel Tower.
This swimming area will include a kiddy pool with a depth of 40-60cm. There will also be a sundeck, as well as facilities for changing rooms, showers, toilets, a reception area and a first aid station. The site will be accessible to people with reduced mobility.
The capacity will be 200 people in total, with 150 in the swimming area, which will measure 60m by 20m and be demarcated from the rest of the river with buoys.
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Hours: 10am-5.30pm Monday to Friday; 10am to 4.45pm on Saturdays; 10am to 12pm, then 12:30pm to 2.15pm, then 2.45pm to 5.30pm on Sundays.
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