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Travel + Leisure
2 days ago
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
Paris' Newest Left Bank Luxury Hotel Has Some of the Best Eiffel Tower Views in the City—and a Heated Outdoor Pool
Brushed brass, black-and-white zebra marble, and leather chaise longues give the rooms a retro, midcentury modern feel. Rooftop restaurant Kinugawa Rive Gauche, which faces the Eiffel Tower, offers 360-degree views of monuments like Montmartre's Sacré-Coeur Basilica and the Arc de Triomphe. Instead of a traditional lobby, the Baccarat chandelier-clad L'Iconic Galerie, a narrow red velvet- and mirror-lined space at the entry, serves as an intimate cocktail lounge. Contemporary artist Arik Levy's crystal sculpture crowns the entrance to the garden, while street artist Sto is behind the French Republic-inspired ceiling frescoes at Restaurant Le SAX. Landmarks such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Louvre are within a 30-minute walk. Over the past few years leading up to the Paris Summer Olympics, the French capital experienced a building boom as some of the biggest names in the luxury world (Bulgari, Cheval Blanc) moved into the Rive Droite's Golden Triangle and near the Louvre. Sliced in half by the Seine, Parisians identify themselves based on which side of the river they live on. The Right Bank, or Rive Droite, is dominated by the majority of the city's historic palace hotels, such as Le Meurice and the Ritz Paris, as well as quintessential Paris Fashion Week haunts like Hôtel Costes. Meanwhile, the Left Bank, or Rive Gauche, lies on the more discreet side with its hôtels particuliers , mansions, and grand townhouses built by French nobility when Louis XIV's court traded Paris for Versailles. For its first hotel in France, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Hilton's curated collection of destination-focused luxury stays, looked in a different direction, transforming a landmark 1899 neo-Gothic building formerly home to the Ségur telephone exchange into Sax Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts. 'This is an important opening for us since it's our first in Europe,' says Feisal Jaffer, global head of LXR Hotels & Resorts. 'When you're building a brand from scratch—there was only one hotel when I started, and now there are 16—to have a luxury hotel in Paris is a great achievement. It makes a statement." The stunning hotel lobby and reception. Sax Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts While I've lived in the rapidly developing Rive Droite neighborhood of Belleville for the past six years, the Rive Gauche was my—and many travelers' and students'—introduction to Paris, as well as my first home in the city. When I moved here in 2018, I quickly settled into a chambre de bonne in Saint-Germain-des-Prés that was not nearly as spacious as Emily's in Emily in Paris , but it definitely had the classic Parisian charm that infatuates so many Americans. Arriving on the leafy Avenue de Saxe—less tourist-trodden than nearby Rue de Sèvres with its cavernous Hermès flagship boutique and Le Bon Marché department store—I looked down at Google Maps, thinking I had made a wrong turn. The only hint of the hotel was a porter who greeted me before my bag was swiftly exchanged for a glass of champagne at check-in. Like most of the Left Bank, luxury here is of the quiet variety, and it would be easy to stroll right past Sax Paris without realizing it's even there—and that's part of the appeal. Once you step inside, however, it's immediately clear you're in Paris. The meticulously restored building captures a distinct time in French history while giving it a modern spin with sculptural chandeliers, such as Venetian artist Christian Pellizzari's piece from Murano, which hangs in the ground-floor restaurant. In L'Iconic Galerie, a lounge and event space for fashion shows and private dinners, designed by the hotel's design studio led by Karine Journo, digital artwork from Belgium-based Drop The Spoon is projected onto the 200 mirrors and walls. 'There are very few luxury hotels on the Left Bank—we saw that as an opportunity,' adds Jaffer. 'Sax Paris sits on an unassuming avenue and feels like a hidden gem of a hotel, but you have these moments of complete surprise, like The Galerie [L'Iconic Galerie] and courtyard swimming pool.' Here's what it's like to stay at Sax Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts. Sax Paris's 118 guest rooms and suites are swathed in earth-toned abstract rugs and wood paneling, but the showstopper is the bathrooms, covered in striking, floor-to-ceiling striped marble. From my spacious King Prestige Junior Suite (which can accommodate a rollaway bed), expansive windows overlook the Avenue de Saxe from the bedroom and the standing tub. My favorite part, however, was the cognac-colored leather banquette and marble table in the living area, a design-savvy way to incorporate a dining space into the suite. Other rooms overlook the courtyard and gardens, and some even sport a terrace—a true luxury in Paris, where even hotel balconies are a rarity. Signature suites, such as the Winter Garden Suite, also feature a separate, lounge-like living space complete with a leather sofa and a dining table, overlooking the garden, as well as a full, standalone minibar where you can pour a glass of wine or a cocktail for an in-room apéritif. In a city with defined dining times, it can be a struggle to find a bite to eat somewhere that's not a tourist trap between the hours of 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Executive chef David Maroleau, who cut his teeth at haute kitchens from Paris's Hôtel Plaza Athénée to The Ritz London, helms the all-day restaurant Le SAX. Here, you can dine on decadent canapés in the evening like lobster gyozas and foie gras with toasted brioche, as well as classics like linguine (which you can top with lobster, of course), cordon bleu, and the house burger. At French garden-style Le Jardin de SAX, designed by Studio Ravn founder and Maison Ladurée artistic director Claudia Ravnbo, I noticed the checkered-tile patio filled with stylish guests throughout the afternoon. On my first evening, a Parisian friend met me for apéro— the French ritual of pre-dinner drinks. And as the sun was setting, she was just as impressed about this tucked-away terrace near the Eiffel Tower as I was. The interior of L'Iconic Galerie. Sax Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts The landmark-heavy 7th arrondissement delivers when it comes to views, particularly from the two-story restaurant Kinugawa Rive Gauche, where the rooftop terrace overlooks the Eiffel Tower and major monuments, including the Arc de Triomphe and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Rooftop restaurants are quickly popping up at hotels around Paris, but few have a view directly facing the Eiffel Tower like Kinugawa. On a Friday evening in late May, just over a month after the restaurant opened, the dining room was packed with couples and groups sharing bottles of wine and sipping cocktails at intimate, crescent-shaped booths. Dishes infuse French touches into refined Japanese fare for plates like caviar-topped toro tartare and wagyu sliders stuffed with marinated pickles and drizzled with yuzu koshō aïoli sauce, buns beautifully branded with the geometric Kinugawa logo. Girafe has long been the go-to for its see-and-be-seen atmosphere and perfectly framed views of the twinkling Eiffel Tower, but I have a feeling Kinugawa Rive Gauche will quickly become a contender. The outdoor pool in the hotels garden. Sax Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts Sax Paris is embracing its well-heeled locale on the Rive Gauche by offering tailormade experiences through its Pursuit of Adventure program—the 'golden thread that runs throughout the properties,' as Jaffer puts it—that guests can only have at or through the hotel. 'When we look at Paris as a destination, it's like a world in itself, an encyclopedia of art history and design, of major brands like Hermès and their workshops,' he adds. 'When you have that much richness in a destination, it's not whether the city should be part of [the hotel], but how?' Options could include an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the Eiffel Tower in areas normally closed to the public or a private pontoon cruise on the Seine. You can even arrange a day trip on the hotel's private aircraft to ski in Gstaad or bask at a beach club in Saint-Tropez. The property already partners with nearby Le Bon Marché's La Grande Épicerie de Paris for its minibar snacks, but it can also arrange a personal shopping experience for guests at the lauded department store, considered the Bergdorf Goodman or Harrods of Paris. You can also set off and explore at your own pace, cycling along the river on one of the hotel's designer bikes, or spend the afternoon sipping craft cocktails and soaking in Le Jardin's heated outdoor pool and Jacuzzi—one of the few in the city, especially on this side of the Seine. The subterranean SAX Le Club Fitness & Spa extends from the duo of treatment rooms (a single and a couple's, both available by appointment only) to the sauna, hammam, and fitness center outfitted with Technogym equipment and a Kinesis machine. Open 24 hours to guests and members—a dream if you're jetlagged—the brick-clad gym is a modern space with gorgeous leather swing dumbbells and a Pilates reformer machine. I started my mornings here doing a quick stretch routine before breakfast. During my stay, the spa program was still being fleshed out, but it currently offers massages and facials, both at the spa and in-room. The available in-room kids set up. Sax Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts Families and groups traveling together can take advantage of connecting up to three rooms and suites for a penthouse-like stay. Sax Paris pulls out all the stops for kids, from welcome treats like a lion plush toy (the hotel's mascot) to teepees on request for young children ages two to eight or an extra bed for older children. While the hotel doesn't feature a kids' club, Sax Paris can arrange a babysitting service for parents who want a night out on the town. Paris is an extremely dog-friendly city, and Sax Paris knows how to extend the royal treatment to pups. For my stay, the hotel set up a plush dog bed, a crystal bowl of dog treats, a branded striped bandana, and a welcome note for my pomeranian, Indiana Jones. All of Sax Paris's public areas like the lobby and restaurants are designed for wheelchair access, and both the King Accessible SAX Room and King Accessible Prestige Room feature mobility-accessible layouts, roll-in-showers, and spacious designs making it easy to move around in a wheelchair. Travelers with limited mobility can also take advantage of in-room dining options and concierge assistance. Keeping in line with Hilton's Travel with Purpose sustainability strategy, Sax Paris utilizes Hilton's LightStay system to track and manage energy, water, and waste performance. The adaptive reuse of the historic building also reduced the environmental impact of new construction while preserving the architectural heritage of the neo-Gothic structure. Panoramic Eiffel Tower views from the rooftop. Sax Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts Despite having lived nearby in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, I hadn't strolled through this quieter part of the 7th arrondissement before staying at Sax Paris. When I woke up on Saturday morning, I got lost amongst the vegetable-piled stands in the sprawling Saxe-Breteuil marché a block away, behind the École Militaire. Metro stations Duroc (lines 10 and 13) and Sèvres-Lecourbe (line 6) are five minutes away, but you'll be within walking distance of Paris landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Musée d'Orsay, and a scenic 35-minute stroll from the Champs-Élysées. From Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), it takes about an hour to the hotel via taxi or rideshare services like Uber or Bolt. Paris Orly Airport (ORY) is a 25-minute drive. LXR Hotels & Resorts is part of the Hilton Honors loyalty program, allowing travelers who have accrued status and points to take advantage of benefits such as discounted room rates, daily food and beverage credits, room upgrades, and even complimentary nights. Through Hilton Honors co-branded credit cards, American Express, and partners like Lyft, you can earn and transfer points to Hilton Honors. Sax Paris is also part of American Express's Fine Hotels + Resorts program, meaning card members can enjoy perks such as a complimentary fourth night, noon check-in (when available), daily breakfast for two, and more. Nightly rates at Sax Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts start from $580. Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
French police patrol flooded streets of Paris while trying to raise spirits with hilarious ICONIC theme tune
As Paris grapples with severe flooding, French police have taken to patrolling the waterlogged streets not only to ensure public safety but also to lift the spirits of residents. In a lighthearted moment, officers were spotted cruising through the streets while belting out a Celine Dion's iconic ballad. Click above to watch the video in full.
Times
4 days ago
- Times
11 of the best restaurants in Paris
When Unesco added French cuisine to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010, it was specifically the 'gastronomic meal' they were honouring. And for many visitors to Paris, a typical Gallic round of creamy sauces, smelly cheeses and fine wine is as high on their to-do list as scoping out the Sacré Coeur or the Louvre. But there's more to this proud nation's gastronomy than clichés of bistros, brasseries and haute cuisine. In recent times, Paris restaurants have shed rigid hierarchies to embrace a more dynamic and diverse worldview. I've been exploring the scene here for years, and the rise of neo-bistros has highlighted seasonally driven menus and vegetable-led cooking, while a new generation of chefs bring multicultural influences to bear on traditional tastes. But wherever and whatever you choose to eat, a meal out in Paris remains a daily ritual steeped in pleasure, provenance and a deep reverence for good food. Bon appétit! This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a blow-the-budget gourmet extravaganza Any of Paris's ten three-Michelin-starred restaurants will deliver a fine-dining experience that might very well be the meal of a lifetime (possibly with a once-in-a-lifetime price tag to match). But Plénitude one-ups the others with its magical location on the first floor of the ultra-luxe Cheval Blanc hotel and its dreamy views along the Seine and across the Pont Neuf. Dishes take inspiration from chef Arnaud Donckele's native Normandy, and his adopted homes of the Mediterranean (where he has the three-Michelin-starred La Vague d'Or in St Tropez) and Paris, with an emphasis on expertly balanced saucing. Expect the likes of chicken with caviar and courgette artfully arranged in a velvety champagne velouté. It's open for dinner only from Tuesday to Saturday, and you should leave time afterwards for a drink in the hotel's seventh-floor bar Le Tout-Paris with its view of the illuminated Eiffel Tower. A plush room for the night comes recommended for those looking to keep the celebrations going. ££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a fabulous French meal straight off the train Quality places to eat around the Gare du Nord are as rare as an empty seat in the Eurostar waiting area, but to start (or end) your trip with an abundance of ooh la la, this tiny dining room — a five-minute walk from the station — is absolutely comme il faut. The day's menu is chalked up on a blackboard paraded around the closely set tables — though with only a few options per course, this is not the place for fussy eaters. Offal lovers and anyone who likes punchy flavours, however, will rejoice in the likes of a doorstep of duck pie laced with silky chicken liver. Les Arlots is a bistro à vins; chef Thomas Brachet takes care of the cooking, while his co-owner Tristan Renoux looks after the wine (and wine bar Billili next door), which involves a chat about preferences rather than a list. • Read our full guide to Paris £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for fine dining without the formality Eat in any French restaurant where fine dining is delivered without the fuss of starched tablecloths, supercilious service and sky-high prices, and you're eating in a restaurant influenced by Septime. Chef Bertrand Grébaut turbocharged the bistronomy movement when he launched this place in 2011 and Septime remains as relevant today as when it opened, with a frequently tweaked tasting menu served in an industrial-feeling interior of blackened steel and untreated wood. Influences are as likely to be Asian or North African as European, and the pairing of natural wines is the best way to get the most from the menu's assertively fresh flavours. Bookings open three weeks ahead; if you can't get a table, pay the corkage fee for a bottle at the wine shop Septime La Cave across the road and share some small plates, or try the no-reservations Clamato, a seafood sibling next door. ££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a French bistro fantasy with old-school charm Picture the perfect French restaurant and it will probably look like Chez Georges: net curtains in the windows, mosaiced tiles on the floor, nicotine-yellow walls hung with huge mirrors for people-watching, leather banquettes buffed to a high shine from thousands of bottoms and backs, and paper-clothed tables packed so closely they must be removed when anyone wishes to go to the loo. One might assume it was a pastiche were it not for the fact that Chez Georges has looked like this since 1964, and the intervening years have allowed the kitchen to perfect a never-changing menu of classic bourgeois comfort. If in doubt, order something creamy: celeriac rémoulade followed by veal sweetbreads with morel sauce, then chestnut purée topped with double cream, perhaps. There are some big-ticket Burgundies and Bordeaux on the wine list proper, but the best-value bins are scrawled in the margins of the handwritten menu. No website; phone +33 1 42 60 07 11 ££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for fine French ingredients and authentic Moroccan cooking This family-friendly Moroccan restaurant, all mosaic-topped tables and brass moucharabieh lanterns, stands out from the north African competition for two compelling reasons: the quality of its ingredients and the natural wines that partner the cooking. Le Tagine's commitment to all things orange and unfiltered is matched only by the high calibre of its beautifully presented cuisine, shown to most delicious effect in the 20 or so couscous and tagine dishes. Try a chicken with olive and preserved lemon tagine, or the couscous méchoui in which star billing goes to leg of milk-fed lamb from the Pyrenees. Breads and pastries made in house show the same dedication to labour-intensive sourcing and authenticity. ££ | Best for a seafood-centric late lunch The Marché Couvert des Enfants Rouges is the oldest covered market in Paris, having occupied this spot in the Marais since the early 17th century. Les Enfants du Marché arrived some 400 years later and still feels like it brings something new to Paris with its no-bookings chef's counter right on the market floor (wrap up warm in cooler months). Expect to queue for one of the dozen or so stools, then prepare to be dazzled by fish-focused small plates that excel in bold pairings: crudo of line-caught grouper with candied citron zest and horseradish is a typically vivid assembly. The wait to be seated is less painful as the afternoon goes on; should you find yourself still here at the early-evening closing time, pick up a bottle to take away from the restaurant's La Cave wine shop round the corner. • Best hotels in Paris• Best affordable hotels in Paris £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a unique fusion of cuisines from a star chef Montparnasse was once famous for its café culture of caffeine-and-croissant-fuelled artists and intellectuals; now it's the cooking of the chef Mory Sacko that gets foodies coming to the residential 14th arrondissement — assuming they've had the foresight (and perseverance) to reserve a table the moment bookings are released about three months in advance. MoSuke was the first west African restaurant in France to win a Michelin star, but Japan is just as much of an influence on the French-born Sacko as his Malian and Senegalese heritage, alluded to in a restaurant name inspired by the only African samurai. If that all sounds too much to take in, it makes perfect sense on the palate in thrillingly distinctive dishes such as the signature Tanzanian and Madagascan chocolate tart with wasabi ice cream that concludes a menu available in four, six or nine courses. ££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a contemporary take on bistro classics Sarah Michielsen, the soignée owner of Parcelles, respects tradition without being slavishly in thrall to the past. When she bought the former Le Taxi Jaune — a famous 1930s bistro near the Pompidou Centre — she left the look of the place largely unchanged: white tablecloths, copper-topped bar, tiled floors and windows which open to the Marais street when it's warm enough. But with Parcelles, she introduced a menu of classic comfort cooking updated for modern tastes and served by staff who seem to have been to charm school. Butter-drenched scallops come draped with guanciale, there are great veggie dishes such as potato gnocchi with sage butter and fried sage, and almost everything is made in house — so much so that there's now an épicerie opposite selling pickles and pâtés. The sort of casually sophisticated place you could just as easily turn up to in jeans and trainers as a suit and tie. £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for plant-focused, sustainable tasting menus Manon Fleury is something special: a chef who has put her money where her mouth is and opened a restaurant that embodies her belief in natural sustainability, human dignity and animal welfare. Of course, it helps that her zero-waste cooking, prepared and served by a mostly female staff, is so enthralling, with fruit and veg at the forefront of a menu of micro-seasonal ingredients sourced from small-scale French producers, and meat and fish only used sparingly to point up the subtle flavours and aromas of the plant-based cuisine. Think pairings such as a Swiss chard mille-feuille with yellow pollock, or a dessert of lemon with Jerusalem artichoke. The skylit-illuminated room, with its polished concrete floors and oak dining chairs, is as invitingly textured as the cooking. £ | Best for deep-filled pitta sandwiches that won't break the bank You can eat in at the family-friendly L'As du Fallafel, but given that a falafel sandwich is the Middle East's answer to street food and the street here is so atmospheric — the traffic-free and cobbled Rue des Rosiers in the historic Jewish quarter of the Pletzl, where kosher bakeries now sit next to chic boutiques — do as the locals do and eat while window-shopping. A combination of quality cooking and celebrity endorsements (Natalie Portman says this is her favourite meal in Paris) means you should expect to queue, but what is handed through the hatch is worth the wait: a pillow of pitta stuffed with crisp falafel, crunchy salad, squishy aubergine and spicy harissa sauce for 10 euros (£8.50). Note that it's closed Friday evenings until Sunday mornings, in which case you could try King Falafel Palace a few doors down. £ | Best for kid-friendly crêpes and parent-friendly alternatives If you haven't had a proper crêpe since your French exchange (the ones made on a hotplate in the park don't count), then this ever-expanding stable of Gallic pancake houses across the city is a reminder of just how delicious they can be. Breizh is the Breton word for Brittany, where the founder and Breton native Bertrand Larcher grows his organic buckwheat (naturally gluten-free) for savoury galettes such as the ham, egg and Comté cheese 'complète'. Kids will love the chocolate and cream-filled sweet crêpes, though the version slicked with nothing more than salted Bordier butter and brown sugar is a rather more adult-orientated pleasure, as is a glass of crisp Breton cider if a Breizh Cola isn't going to hit the spot. The original, tiny Breizh Café in the Marais remains the most atmospheric, but with a dozen chicly simple branches in the centre of Paris, you're never too far from a sugar spike when sightseeing fatigue sets in. • Best Airbnbs in Paris• Best hotels in Paris for families Have we missed your favourite Parisian restaurant? Share it in the comments
Malay Mail
20-06-2025
- Climate
- Malay Mail
Paris to open Seine for public swimming from July 5 despite pollution fears, year after Olympic debut
PARIS, June 20 — A year on from athletes competing in the River Seine during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, French authorities guarantee the water will be safe for the public to swim in this summer. Parisians and tourists will be able to dive into the river from July 5, weather permitting, according to authorities. The public will be able to access three bathing sites at bras Marie in the heart of the historic centre, the Grenelle district in the west of Paris, as well as Bercy in the east. Last year, water treatment stations, holding tanks and connections to the Parisian boat sanitation system were installed. 'For the Games, we cleaned up three quarters of the Seine. And the water was 100 percent ready for bathing on dry days,' said Marc Guillaume, the prefect for the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris. According to Guillaume, the top state-appointed official for the region, the new bathing zones will be popular. This year, the weather is predicted to be drier than the record rainfall during the Games, which had led to the cancellation of six of the eleven competitions held the river. 'It was an extraordinary moment (in 2024), but swimming during the Games was not an end in itself,' Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had told reporters in May. 'Making the Seine swimmable is first and foremost a response to the objective of adapting to climate change, but also of quality of life,' she added. 'Bathing plan' Last year, Hidalgo dove into the Seine in front of journalists from around the world before the Games began. The historic swim signalled the end of years of efforts to clean the Seine and the river which flows into it, the Marne. Work had started in the 1990s, with an initial investment of more than nine billion euros (10.4 billion dollars) from the greater Paris sanitation authorities. Following initial efforts, the 'bathing plan' leading up to the 2024 Paris Games was launched in 2016. The French state and local authorities had invested another 1.4 billion euros (1.6 billion dollars). The plan was focused on preventing the city's waste waters from flowing into the Seine. The mid-19th century Parisian sewage system often overflows on rainy days, causing rain and waste waters to pour into the river. 'Insufficient' testing Flags will inform bathers about pollution levels in the water every day, and if it rains the sites will likely close on the day after, said Paris city official Pierre Rabadan. 'We're not tossing a coin, we're relying on scientific data,' he said, adding that no athlete had fallen ill after swimming in the river last summer. The presence of the fecal bacteria escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterococci in the Seine will be assessed daily using live sensors and samples. According to the association France Nature Environment Ile-de-France, the planned tests are 'insufficient'. There are 'many viruses which cannot be tested for' in the Seine, said honorary president of the association Michel Riottot. Swallowing too much water from the river could lead a person to catch hepatitis, gastroenteritis or skin diseases, former research engineer Riottot told AFP. Chemical pollution will not be measured either, added Riottot. 'If there is occasional pollution upstream, we will be informed, so we will be able to take necessary measures,' said Rabadan. The number of species of fish in the Seine increased from four in 1970 to thirty-six reported in February—a sign that water sanitation has improved over the years. In early June, the Paris City Council gave legal rights and a personhood status to the Seine to protect its fragile ecosystem, as part of a global movement to grant legal personhood to nature. — AFP
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paris makes clean water bet for River Seine bathers
A year on from athletes competing in the River Seine during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, French authorities guarantee the water will be safe for the public to swim in this summer. Parisians and tourists will be able to dive into the river from July 5, weather permitting, according to authorities. The public will be able to access three bathing sites at bras Marie in the heart of the historic centre, the Grenelle district in the west of Paris, as well as Bercy in the east. Last year, water treatment stations, holding tanks and connections to the Parisian boat sanitation system were installed. "For the Games, we cleaned up three quarters of the Seine. And the water was 100 percent ready for bathing on dry days," said Marc Guillaume, the prefect for the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris. According to Guillaume, the top state-appointed official for the region, the new bathing zones will be popular. This year, the weather is predicted to be drier than the record rainfall during the Games, which had led to the cancellation of six of the eleven competitions held the river. "It was an extraordinary moment (in 2024), but swimming during the Games was not an end in itself," Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had told reporters in May. "Making the Seine swimmable is first and foremost a response to the objective of adapting to climate change, but also of quality of life," she added. - "Bathing plan" - Last year, Hidalgo dove into the Seine in front of journalists from around the world before the Games began. The historic swim signalled the end of years of efforts to clean the Seine and the river which flows into it, the Marne. Work had started in the 1990s, with an initial investment of more than nine billion euros (10.4 billion dollars) from the greater Paris sanitation authorities. Following initial efforts, the "bathing plan" leading up to the 2024 Paris Games was launched in 2016. The French state and local authorities had invested another 1.4 billion euros (1.6 billion dollars). The plan was focused on preventing the city's waste waters from flowing into the Seine. The mid-19th century Parisian sewage system often overflows on rainy days, causing rain and waste waters to pour into the river. - "Insufficient" testing - Flags will inform bathers about pollution levels in the water every day, and if it rains the sites will likely close on the day after, said Paris city official Pierre Rabadan. "We're not tossing a coin, we're relying on scientific data," he said, adding that no athlete had fallen ill after swimming in the river last summer. The presence of the fecal bacteria escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterococci in the Seine will be assessed daily using live sensors and samples. According to the association France Nature Environment Ile-de-France, the planned tests are "insufficient". There are "many viruses which cannot be tested for" in the Seine, said honorary president of the association Michel Riottot. Swallowing too much water from the river could lead a person to catch hepatitis, gastroenteritis or skin diseases, former research engineer Riottot told AFP. Chemical pollution will not be measured either, added Riottot. "If there is occasional pollution upstream, we will be informed, so we will be able to take necessary measures," said Rabadan. The number of species of fish in the Seine increased from four in 1970 to thirty-six reported in February -- a sign that water sanitation has improved over the years. In early June, the Paris City Council gave legal rights and a personhood status to the Seine to protect its fragile ecosystem, as part of a global movement to grant legal personhood to nature. juc/mat-mct/sjw/pi
