Parisians will be able to swim in Seine by 2025, first time in over 100 years

The mayor of Paris named three sites which will be open to the public: an aquatic centre already partly in use and two swimming spots near the Eiffel Tower

Swimming in the city’s river was banned in 1923 due to the poor quality of the water. The city says it has invested up to US$1.54 billion) to make the Seine cleaner

1-MIN READ1-MIN

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, centre, poses with swimmers during the inauguration of the Bras Marie nautical base in Paris, France on Sunday as she announces the river Seine’s bathing sites planned for Parisians in 2025. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:10am, 10 Jul 2023Updated: 8:20am, 10 Jul 2023

In Paris, residents and tourists will be able to swim in the Seine again from 2025 for the first time in more than 100 years, Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced on Sunday.

She named the three sites that will be open to the public, an aquatic centre already partly in use, as well as two more central swimming spots, not far from the Eiffel Tower.

The swimming areas will be demarcated by buoys and accessible via a jetty. There will be changing rooms and showers provided, the city said.

Being able to swim in the Seine again has been a long-standing wish for Parisians.

Swimming in the city’s river was officially banned in 1923 due to the poor quality of the water, but was still practised until the early 1960s.

The project has now been given a boost by the 2024 Olympic Games set to be held in Paris. Some of the swimming competitions will take place in the Seine.

Extensive efforts to improve the water quality are under way. The city says it has already invested up to €1.4 billion (US$1.54 billion) to make the Seine cleaner for the greater Paris area.

“This is a long-cherished dream and it is well on its way to finally becoming a reality,” the city announced. “Safe bathing in the Seine will be possible.”