Seine to open for public swimming after Paris Olympics

Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, confirmed on Sunday the opening of three river bathing areas in the city in 2025, a century after swimming in the Seine has been banned.

The sites are opposite the central Île Saint-Louis in the centre, by the Quai de Grenelle in the 15th arrondissement to the west, and at Bercy in the eastern 12th arrondissement, will be monitored by lifeguards said Hidalgo.

The three sites will “accessible by pontoons and equipped on the quaysides with spaces where swimmers will be able to change, shower and keep their belongings safe,” she added.

River Seine will be a “major legacy” for the 2024 Paris Olympics and will be featured in the opening scene of the ceremony in three aquatic events which include the triathlon.

Bathing in the Seine was banned in 1923 when the authorities banned the open-bottomed swimming boats which lined the quaysides, due to danger of the rapid deterioration of water quality.