The Prague Post - Seine reopens to Paris swimmers after century-long ban

EUR -
AED 4.325935
AFN 82.295246
ALL 97.926243
AMD 452.928874
ANG 2.108041
AOA 1080.157743
ARS 1459.669854
AUD 1.798908
AWG 2.12321
AZN 2.007149
BAM 1.955925
BBD 2.378252
BDT 144.489211
BGN 1.956381
BHD 0.443228
BIF 3509.023701
BMD 1.177925
BND 1.500096
BOB 8.139519
BRL 6.38271
BSD 1.177875
BTN 100.523408
BWP 15.600995
BYN 3.854646
BYR 23087.331819
BZD 2.365951
CAD 1.603098
CDF 3398.314319
CHF 0.935664
CLF 0.028547
CLP 1095.129815
CNY 8.440309
CNH 8.439249
COP 4689.39895
CRC 594.837921
CUC 1.177925
CUP 31.215015
CVE 110.27203
CZK 24.646321
DJF 209.743371
DKK 7.461454
DOP 70.494494
DZD 152.109697
EGP 58.022699
ERN 17.668876
ETB 163.469121
FJD 2.637615
FKP 0.863276
GBP 0.862601
GEL 3.204416
GGP 0.863276
GHS 12.190777
GIP 0.863276
GMD 84.22618
GNF 10215.651249
GTQ 9.056577
GYD 246.42571
HKD 9.2463
HNL 30.773962
HRK 7.536412
HTG 154.649859
HUF 399.203326
IDR 19062.0084
ILS 3.939983
IMP 0.863276
INR 101.068035
IQD 1542.998366
IRR 49620.09495
ISK 142.446936
JEP 0.863276
JMD 188.001985
JOD 0.835195
JPY 170.275556
KES 152.179701
KGS 103.010002
KHR 4732.301685
KMF 492.373101
KPW 1060.088497
KRW 1605.924627
KWD 0.359609
KYD 0.981663
KZT 611.718997
LAK 25381.61808
LBP 105536.527962
LKR 353.392529
LRD 236.165056
LSL 20.719221
LTL 3.478107
LVL 0.712516
LYD 6.344404
MAD 10.572174
MDL 19.841265
MGA 5300.337897
MKD 61.533923
MMK 2472.967489
MNT 4223.442545
MOP 9.523607
MRU 46.74898
MUR 52.948179
MVR 18.14445
MWK 2042.530211
MXN 21.952406
MYR 4.972067
MZN 75.340533
NAD 20.719221
NGN 1802.15516
NIO 43.342763
NOK 11.864468
NPR 160.837253
NZD 1.944493
OMR 0.452069
PAB 1.177875
PEN 4.176666
PGK 4.86531
PHP 66.570482
PKR 334.365716
PLN 4.243888
PYG 9386.598396
QAR 4.304974
RON 5.059075
RSD 117.187471
RUB 92.591703
RWF 1693.207942
SAR 4.416905
SBD 9.820272
SCR 16.592058
SDG 707.348348
SEK 11.256846
SGD 1.500092
SHP 0.925664
SLE 26.444855
SLL 24700.50455
SOS 673.142913
SRD 44.036774
STD 24380.6712
SVC 10.306657
SYP 15315.211479
SZL 20.70332
THB 38.118091
TJS 11.45473
TMT 4.134517
TND 3.431819
TOP 2.758823
TRY 46.955033
TTD 7.988509
TWD 34.086841
TZS 3109.79825
UAH 49.123132
UGX 4225.269361
USD 1.177925
UYU 47.273014
UZS 14790.942924
VES 128.951587
VND 30838.07893
VUV 140.323223
WST 3.056689
XAF 655.99882
XAG 0.031783
XAU 0.000353
XCD 3.183402
XDR 0.815852
XOF 655.99882
XPF 119.331742
YER 285.234989
ZAR 20.722353
ZMK 10602.74357
ZMW 28.533819
ZWL 379.291399
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

Seine reopens to Paris swimmers after century-long ban
Seine reopens to Paris swimmers after century-long ban / Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA - AFP

Seine reopens to Paris swimmers after century-long ban

The River Seine reopened to swimmers on Saturday morning in Paris, allowing people to take a dip in the French capital's iconic waterway for the first time since 1923.

Text size:

Parisians and visitors looking to cool off this summer can dive in -- weather permitting -- at three bathing sites, including one a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower.

A few dozen people arrived ahead of the 8:00 am (0600 GMT) opening on Saturday at the Bras Marie zone in the city's historic centre, diving into the water for the long-awaited moment under the watchful eyes of lifeguards wearing fluorescent yellow T-shirts and carrying whistles.

The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters which were specially cleaned for the event.

The swimming zones are equipped with changing rooms, showers, and beach-style furniture, offering space for 150 to 300 people to relax, lay out their towels, and unwind from the city's hustle and bustle.

Paris officials say they have taken several measures to ensure swimmers can safely enjoy the long-anticipated reopening, including daily water pollution testing and implementing a swim test for bathers.

"It's a childhood dream to have people swimming in the Seine," said Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who visited the bras Marie site on Saturday morning.

But officials reminded swimmers of potential dangers, including strong currents, boat traffic, and an average depth of 3.5 metres (11 feet).

"The Seine remains a dangerous environment," said local official Elise Lavielle earlier this week.

To mitigate that risk, lifeguards will assess visitors' swimming abilities before allowing independent access, while a decree issued in late June introduced fines for anyone swimming outside designated areas.

The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future president Jacques Chirac first advocated for its reversal, around 65 years after the practice was banned in 1923.

- Quality of life -

"One of my predecessors (Chirac), then mayor of Paris, dreamed of a Seine where everyone could swim," President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, describing the move as the result of a "collective effort" and a moment of "pride" for France.

Ahead of the Olympic Games, authorities invested approximately 1.4 billion euros ($1.6 billion) to improve the Seine's water quality.

Since then, work carried out upstream, including 2,000 new connections to the sewage system, promises even better water quality -- with one catch.

On rainy days, the mid-19th-century Parisian sewage system often overflows, causing rain and waste waters to pour into the river.

Flags will inform bathers about pollution levels in the water every day, and if it rains, the sites will likely close the day after, said Paris city official Pierre Rabadan.

The presence of the faecal bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterococci in the Seine will be assessed daily using live sensors and samples.

Swimmers may be in luck this year, though, with weather predicted to be drier than the record rainfall during the Games, which had led to the cancellation of six of the 11 competitions held on the river.

The French capital during the week endured a major heatwave that saw Paris put on the weather agency's highest alert level during a Europe-wide heatwave.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who took the inaugural swim last year, said that cleaning up the Seine for the Olympics was not the final goal but part of a broader effort to adapt the city to climate change and enhance quality of life.

With record-breaking temperatures hitting Europe, including France's second warmest June since records began in 1900, authorities said they expect Parisians to embrace the relief of a refreshing swim.

The swimming spots will be open until August 31.

O.Holub--TPP