Latest news with #publicswimming
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Paris welcomes swimmers back to the Seine after a century-long wait
The Seine in Paris, France, is open again for public swimming. This is the first time in over a hundred years that bathers can take a dip in the famed river. The Seine had been closed to the public since 1923 – more than a century. A 95-year-old Parisian was among the first to take the plunge at a newly opened swimming zone in the east of the French capital. It is one of three sites in the city where visitors can officially hop in the Seine. The swimming zones come with changing rooms, showers and beach-style furniture. The river was specially cleaned for the 2024 summer Olympics in Paris, where it was used by open-water swimmers and triathletes. Now, around 150 to 300 people can relax, lay out their towels and unwind from the city's hustle and bustle.
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Travel + Leisure
4 days ago
- Sport
- Travel + Leisure
You Can Now Swim in the Seine for the First Time in 100 Years
For the first time since 1923, the Seine is open for public swimming at three designated sites in Paris through Aug. 31, following a $1.6 billion cleanup. Swimming areas are free, first-come, first-served, and include lifeguards, lockers, and changing rooms, with age and height restrictions in place. The reopening has created a buzz among locals and visitors alike, offering a unique way to cool off in the city—with Eiffel Tower views included. If you follow anyone in Paris on social media, you've probably noticed that most of their recent stories involve swimming. That's because, on July 5, the Seine officially opened for public swimming—for the first time since 1923. Attention is once again back on the city's iconic river, which, a year ago, was the unconventional stage for the opening ceremony of the Olympics. The games were, in fact, the first step in making the Seine swimmable again, with officials pumping more than $1.4 billion into its cleanup to host the open-water swimming and triathlon events. "It's a childhood dream to have people swimming in the Seine," Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who was instrumental in the cleanup, said during an event commemorating the day. From now until Aug. 31, people will be able to take the plunge into the Seine for free at one of three swimming sites: Bercy, opposite the François Mitterrand Library; Bras-Marie, at the foot of Pont de Sully facing the Île Saint-Louis; and Grenelle, near the Eiffel Tower. 'Being able to swim with a view of the Eiffel Tower is amazing,' Parisian local Fabrice Atallah told Travel + Leisure . Atallah, who lives just outside the center of Paris, dived in at Grenelle a week after the official opening. He also caught a synchronized swimming show that took place in the river. 'I stayed for an hour doing laps,' he said. 'The water temperature is nice and fresh. It's not too hot and not too cold. I enjoyed it.' Access to the river operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with no prebooking available. The sites are supervised by lifeguards and are set up with outdoor furniture to relax on, space to lay out your towels, and lockers and changing rooms. The biggest site, Bercy, can accommodate up to 300 people in two swimming areas, while Bras-Marie and Grenelle both have a capacity of 150 people in the water at any one time. Age and height limits are in place at each site, a necessary precaution given the depth of the river in some places. At Bercy, swimmers must be at least 10 years of age and be taller than 1.2m (that's about 4 feet tall). At Bras Marie and Grenelle, the minimum age is 14, with a minimum height requirement of 1.4m (approximately 4 feet, 6 inches). Grenelle also has a dedicated children's pool. All swimmers are required to wear a yellow floating device. Other urban swim sites in the city include the Canal Saint-Martin bathing area and the pools of Bassin de la Villette. The water quality and bacteria levels of the river are monitored daily, and all three sites had to close the day after opening due to rainfall. An official map shows real-time updates about which spots are open for swimming. The news has generated an exciting buzz in the French capital, which famously empties at the height of summer as residents flee to the countryside and the coast to escape the heat. Now, those who stay, as well as visitors on vacation in the city, will have a place to cool down. 'It wasn't a normal day in the water, everybody felt it was special,' Atallah said. 'We've taken back our river after a hundred years!'
Fox News
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Once-polluted Paris river reopens for public swimming after Olympics rush to clean it up
The Seine River in Paris, France, has officially reopened for public swimming. This is the first time the river has been opened to swimmers since 1923, Reuters reported. The July 5 re-opening arrived after a major push to clean up the once-polluted river ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where events like men's and women's triathlon were set to take place. Last-minute testing considered the water safe for swimmers, although the men's race was postponed for a day due to safety concerns. For the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, each nation was also boated down the river, making the Seine a focal point for Olympians and visitors. Now, the public can swim at three sites along the banks of the river. These sites are available for more than 1,000 swimmers to visit daily until August 31. The first of the swimmers shared their thoughts with Reuters. "Really nice, I'm impressed, surprised," said a 24-year-old Brazilian who lives in Paris. "I never imagined being in the water close to the Eiffel Tower." A 51-year-old woman said, "The water is clean, it's warm, it's clear. There is a bit of algae, but that's normal." The clean-up effort reportedly included investments connecting tens of thousands of homes to the sewer system, upgrading water treatment facilities and constructing rainwater storage reservoirs to prevent sewer overflow during heavy storms. During the swimming season, daily water tests will reportedly be conducted, with green and red flags indicating which areas are open or closed. Outside of Paris, 14 swimming sites will be set up on the Seine and Marne rivers, with a couple already open. Reuters contributed reporting to this article.
The Guardian
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Paris reopens River Seine to public swimming after century-long ban
Parisians and tourists flocked to take a dip in the River Seine this weekend after city authorities gave the green light for it to be used for public swimming for the first time in more than a century. The opening followed a comprehensive clean-up programme sped up by its use as a venue in last year's Paris Olympics after people who regularly swam in it illegally lobbied for its transformation. The outgoing mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, also helped to champion the plans, jumping in the river herself before the Olympics. About a thousand swimmers a day will be allowed access to three bathing sites on the banks of the Seine for free, until the end of August. Extensive investments of about €1.4bn (£1.2bn) have been undertaken,including connecting more than 20,000 homes to the sewer system (the waste from which had hitherto been dumped directly into the Seine), improving water treatment facilities, and building substantial rainwater storage reservoirs equivalent in size to 20 Olympic swimming pools, to avoid overflows of sewage during rain storms. Paris's efforts have been in part inspired by, as well as helping to inspire, similar popular projects in cities around Europe where campaigners have fought to reclaim waterways for swimming. Concerns over allowing city dwellers to cool down amid increasing summer temperatures have been at the heart of their arguments. Despite health concerns that affected some Olympic training sessions last summer, as well as the men's triathlon event, races went ahead as planned, helping boost confidence in the public swimming plans. Tourist authorities predict it will become one of the most talked about pastimes of the season and act as a magnet for visitors. The bathing spots are located near to the Eiffel Tower – which is specially focused on swimming for families with small children – the Notre Dame Cathedral and the National library. Lifeguards are present, and changing and shower facilities are also available. Water quality will be tested daily by health authorities, and a flag system will indicate how safe it is to swim. Diving is not permitted, due to the shallowness of the water. In addition to the three Paris sites, 14 bathing spots beyond the city on the Seine and Marne rivers are planned, two of which on the Marne, already opened in June. The French president, Emmanuelle Macron, now has no excuse not to fulfil one of his promises to the electorate – that he too would one day bathe in the Seine when it was possible to do so.
LBCI
05-07-2025
- Climate
- LBCI
Paris opens river Seine for public swimming for first time since 1923
Parisians rushed for a dip in the Seine on Saturday as authorities opened the river to public swimming for the first time since 1923 after an extensive clean-up operation spurred on by it being used last year as a venue in the Paris Olympics. Three sites along the banks of the Seine in the city will be able to welcome over 1,000 swimmers daily until August 31, local officials said, to the delight of the Parisians and visitors who were among the first to take the plunge. The reopening of the Seine for public swimming follows efforts by authorities to improve its water quality so it could be used for Olympic events last summer. Investments included connecting tens of thousands of homes to the sewer system, upgrading water treatment facilities, and constructing large rainwater storage reservoirs to prevent sewer overflow during heavy storms. Reuters
