For the first time in over a hundred years, Parisians and tourists can swim in the Seine again. Three open-air swimming pools in the river will open on Saturday.
Swimming in the river has been prohibited since 1923 due to pollution, but thanks to an investment of more than a billion euros in cleaner water, it is now possible again.
The swimming spots are near the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and Parc de Bercy. They are fenced off, equipped with changing rooms and showers, and are guarded by lifeguards. Admission is free, but only for people who can swim. The water quality is constantly monitored.
According to Mayor Anne Hidalgo, the initiative should contribute to a better quality of life, especially as summers become increasingly hot. The swimming pools will remain open until the end of August.
The investment was originally made for the open water swimming competitions during last year’s Olympic Games. When announcing the public swimming spots in May, Hidalgo said that swimming during the Games was an “incredible moment, but not the end of the story.”
Hidalgo and President Emmanuel Macron promised to swim in the Seine before the Games to prove that the quality was good enough. Hidalgo kept her word, Macron did not.