The Seine River in Paris. Photo: Shutterstock For the first time in over a century, swimming has resumed in the Seine River with the opening of three free swimming sites in the heart of Paris on July 5, 2025 - in Bras Marie, Bercy, and Grenelle.
This initiative, considered one of the symbolic legacies of the Paris 2024 Olympics, was born from a collaboration between the Paris City Hall, the French government, and the Île-de-France region authorities, aiming to restore the river's water quality and return it to the public.
Each site offers a different swimming experience: at Bras Marie, you can bathe opposite Île Saint-Louis in the city center; at Bercy, a complex was built including two pools, showers, and a solarium facing the national library; and at Grenelle, a family swimming site with kayak access opened near the Île aux Cygnes, close to the Eiffel Tower.
The three natural swimming sites (Bras Marie, Grenelle, and Bercy) will remain open to the public from July 5 to August 31, 2025.
Swimming is permitted only during designated hours, under lifeguard supervision, and entry is free.
Water quality is checked daily, and the opening of the sites is contingent on the test results.