Paris opens river Seine for public swimming for first time since 1923

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People swimming in the Seine river with the Eiffel Tower in the background at the Grenelle site. It was opened to swimmers, marking the first public bathing session in the capitals historic waterway in Paris on July 5, 2025..

PHOTO: REUTERS

PARIS – 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 by it being used in 2024 as a venue in the Paris Olympics.

A 95-year-old Parisian was among the first to take the plunge at a newly opened swim zone in the city’s east.

“I’m so happy! I’ve dreamed of swimming in the Seine for years,” said Ingrid, who declined to give her last name, as she stepped carefully into the warm water wearing a turquoise-blue swimsuit.

Three sites along the banks of the Seine in the city will be able to welcome over 1,000 swimmers daily until Aug 31, local officials said, to the delight of the Parisians and visitors who were among the first to take the plunge.

“Really nice, I’m impressed, surprised,” said 24-year-old Victoria Cnop, a Brazilian who lives in Paris. “I never imagined being in the water close to the Eiffel Tower.”

“The water is clean, it’s warm, it’s clear. There is a bit of algae, but that’s normal,” said 51-year-old Karine. “Come here everybody, it’s great!.”

Paris mayor Anne