Paris has reopened the River Seine to public swimming for the first time in over a century, following a €1.4 billion (£1.2 billion) clean-up programme. From this weekend, up to 1,000 swimmers a day can access three free bathing sites on the river's banks until the end of August.
The move comes after the Seine was used as a venue during the 2024 Paris Olympics, which accelerated the clean-up effort. The outgoing mayor, Anne Hidalgo, championed the plans and even took a dip in the river before the Games. The investment included connecting more than 20,000 homes to the sewer system, upgrading water treatment facilities, and building rainwater storage reservoirs equivalent to 20 Olympic swimming pools to prevent sewage overflows during storms.
The three bathing spots are located near the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the National Library. Each site is supervised by lifeguards and offers changing and shower facilities. Water quality will be tested daily, with a flag system indicating safety levels. Diving is banned due to shallow water.
Despite health concerns that affected some Olympic training sessions and the men's triathlon last summer, the events proceeded, boosting confidence in the public swimming plans. Authorities predict the swimming sites will become a major attraction for tourists. Separately, two of 14 planned bathing spots on the Seine and Marne rivers outside Paris opened in June.
The project has inspired similar campaigns in other European cities, where activists are pushing to reclaim waterways for swimming, particularly as a way to help urban populations cool down during rising summer temperatures. French President Emmanuel Macron has yet to fulfil his promise to bathe in the Seine now that it is open to the public.
