Parisian authorities have reopened the river Seine to public swimming for the first time after a century-long ban.
Residents rushed for a dip in the Seine on Saturday, July 5, after an extensive clean-up operation spurred by its use as a venue in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Three sites along the banks of the Seine will be able to welcome over 1,000 swimmers daily until August 31, local officials said. These include one near the Eiffel Tower, another close to Notre-Dame Cathedral and a third in eastern Paris.
The zones have changing rooms, showers and beach-style furniture, which allow for up to 300 people to lay out their towels. Lifeguards will also be present keeping an eye on those in the river.
Since 1923, swimming was banned in the river because of the levels of water pollution that could make people ill.
Ahead of last summer's Olympics, more than USD 1.6 billion (approximately INR 137 trillion) was invested into cleaning up the Seine.
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.
While delays, triggered by the health impact of heavy rains, impacted some Olympic training sessions and the men's triathlon event, competitions in the Seine eventually went ahead, bolstering confidence in the river's safety for public swimming.
Daily water quality tests will be conducted during the swimming season, with green and red flags—similar to beach safety systems—indicating whether swimming areas are open or closed.
As well as the three sites within Paris, 14 swimming areas outside the capital's boundaries will be set up on the Seine and the Marne rivers. Two of those already opened on the Marne in June.
The best times to visit Paris are September and October for pleasant weather and fewer crowds, as well as April and May during spring. If you want to avoid crowds, plan your trip between October and April (but avoid December).
There are direct flights from Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Apply for a Schengen Area visa to France by logging onto the VFS Global website. The processing time for is 15 days after submission.
(With inputs from multiple reports)
