In Paris, an event long expected for more than a century took place: the Seine has been reopened for public swimming. Now, about a thousand people every day can refresh themselves at three specially equipped sections right in the center of the city.
The long-awaited opening became possible thanks to a large-scale cleanup of the river, for which the authorities allocated €1.4 billion. The program was accelerated in connection with the 2024 Olympic Games, when the Seine became not only a venue for sport, but also a new symbol of accessibility for city residents.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo personally backed the project by swimming in the Seine before the Olympics and demonstrating that the water is safe. While some enthusiasts had informally used the river for swimming before, it was only now that the city’s program made it official and available to the public on a large scale. After a century-long pause, it is now legal to swim in the city’s main waterway.
