The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has announced that people will be able to swim in three monitored zones of the Seine river starting from 2025. There will also be changing areas where people can shower, get changed and store their belongings safely.

The hope is for swimming in the capital’s river to become a major legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Parts of the river will be used for the marathon swimming events and the swimming portion of the triathlons (at Point Alexandre III). It will also be the stage of the opening ceremony.

The five Olympic rings in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background

©

Anne Jea, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Swimming in the Seine has been prohibited since 1923 because of the dangers to swimmers from boats and poor water quality. But for the last seven years, a huge clean-up project has been undertaken in preparation for the Olympic swimming events. Authorities now say that, based on levels of waterborne bacteria, it is now safe to swim in the Seine 90% of the time.

The plan is to carry out daily tests once the river is open for swimming, to ensure acceptable water quality. Currently, this only tends to dip below acceptable levels for a short time after very heavy rainfall.

Paris Plage - a man-made beach along a stretch of the Seine river. There are people on sun loungers and blue parasols
Paris Plage
©

Peter HaasCC BY-SA 3.0

Authorities are working to improve this even further by making improvements to sewage treatment plants, building large storage basins that will stop bacteria-filled waste entering the river after rainfall and by cracking down on boats, businesses and homes that empty wastewater into the Seine.

With summer temperatures in Paris rising almost on a yearly basis (and predicted to reach up to 50°C/122°F by 2050), opening the river for swimming will mean Paris continues to remain livable during the summer months in the future.

So from 2025, three bathing areas will be open. The first is located at Bras Marie, where ‘Paris Plage’ (Paris Beach) takes place on some Sundays during the summer.

The second bathing area will be at the Bras de Grenelle, between the port of Grenelle and the banks of Île au Cygnes. The third will be in Bercy, below the Parc de Bercy.

 

If you're looking for a tour that helps you explore Paris's most popular attractions AND discover hidden gems away from the tourist crowds, we invite you to browse our Paris self-guided tour page.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Sandra
My husband and I prefer to travel independently not on tours but I am getting tired of doing all of the planning. Emilie did an excellent job of planning the trip. I gave input on the type of hotels and the places that we wanted to see and she took care of the details. The hotels that she picked were outstanding. All but one day we followed her …
Debbie
Emilie is amazing. Going to Normandy has always been a dream of my husbands and luckily for us we found Emilie to plan our trip. Our hotel in Paris for the start of our trip was located perfectly. Within walking distance of so much for our first two days before we picked up the rental car she had arranged for us. Then onto Normandy and the Loire …
Carol & Bruce from the US
A perfect 2 weeks in Provence in the spring! My husband and I were delighted with the itinerary ‘FJFY’ put together for our 2-week self-drive road trip in Provence. During the planning stages Emilie and Laura asked insightful questions about our lifestyle and desires relating to travel. Communications were outstanding throughout the planning stage …
Cathy
France Just For You planned the trip of a lifetime for my husband and me. We traveled to Normandy, St. Saint Michele, the Loire Valley and Provence. We are typically not road trip travelers, but this adventure brought us closer to the wonderful people of France than any group tour or "drop and plop" vacation could ever do. The bed and breakfasts …
Cynthia & Abe from Canada
There's a legitmate reason everyone is giving 5 star reviews. Truly personalized service. The guidebook and app were tailored to our requests, and the small details included, gave us great insight into the nuances of travelling in France. When an unavoidable problem came up, Emilie and Clelia were on it literally within minutes, getting it resolved …
Jenifer
When planning my 60th birthday celebration, my sister and I stumbled upon France Just For You, which saved us from the potential nightmare of traveling with 40 strangers on a bus. As a result, my sister and I, along with our husbands, experienced a trip of a lifetime! From the beginning, Emilie was extraordinarily responsive, informative, and more …

What are you looking for?