Swimming in the Seine

For the first time since 1923, Parisians and visitors are taking public swims in the River Seine after a major €1.4 billion cleanup tied to the 2024 Olympics. Beginning this month, three designated swimming zones—near the Eiffel Tower, Île Saint‑Louis, and Bercy—opened with lifeguards, water-quality monitoring, and daily safety flags. Over a thousand people are diving in daily to celebrate the river’s newfound clarity and warmth. These swimming sites are part of a broader revival, with an additional 14 spots along the Seine and Marne planned to open soon. The return of swimming marks a joyful milestone in reclaiming Paris’s waterways—bringing freshness to the city’s summer, boosting urban life and climate resilience, and symbolizing the powerful legacy of environmental investment.

Image via CNN

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