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Parisians and tourists will have the opportunity to swim in the river Seine starting on Saturday, after French authorities lifted a ban that stood for over a century.
Three outdoor pools have been set up by Paris authorities: one opposite L’île aux Cygnes (Swan Island) near the Eiffel Tower, one near Notre-Dame Cathedral, and one opposite the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
The pools feature changing rooms and showers, will be supervised by lifeguards and offer space for sunbathing, according to a statement from the city.
Open throughout the summer, they are accessible free of charge up to capacity but only to people able to swim.
Water quality will be continuously monitored, as swimmers will be plunging directly into river water, the statement said. As the water is quite shallow, people will not be allowed to dive in.

“Everyone should be able to swim in the Seine starting this summer,” said French Sports Minister Marie Barsacq when the move was announced in May.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the pools were an attempt to improve the quality of life in the French capital in view of the expected rise in summer temperatures due to climate change.
The Seine was the site of the triathlon swimming legs and open water swimming in the 2024 Paris Olympics after more than €1 billion (US$1.2 billion) was spent to improve water quality.
Taking a cruise on the 775km (483-mile) long river is on most visitors’ bucket lists, but the Seine is also a working river. Around 20 million tonnes (22 tons) of goods are transported on France’s second-busiest river each year – the equivalent of about 800,000 truckloads.
Swimming in the Seine, which was all the rage in the 17th century when people used to dive in naked, has been banned since 1923 for health and safety reasons, but swimming was still practised until the early 1960s.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse


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Three outdoor pools set up by Paris authorities will be open from Saturday until August 31


Three outdoor pools set up by Paris authorities will be open from Saturday until August 31.


France’s Seine reopens to swimmers for first time in 100 years

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Three outdoor pools set up by Paris authorities will be open from Saturday until August 31

Three outdoor pools set up by Paris authorities will be open from Saturday until August 31