Swimming in Paris's River Seine: A Historic Success

Firsthand Experience of Seine Swimming

• 💡 Solange describes her experience swimming in the River Seine as absolutely amazing and a milestone, feeling a sense of giddiness and disbelief while seeing iconic landmarks.
• ✨ The atmosphere along the banks was filled with enthusiasm, awe, and friendliness, with many people experiencing it for the first time.
• 🏊‍♀️ The possibility of swimming in the Seine evokes a future where it's normal to swim in the river during summer or even winter, suggesting that pollution doesn't have to be a permanent state.

Practicalities and Observations

• ⚠️ It's important to check the official Paris website before visiting, as two of the three swimming sites were closed during the reporter's visit, and flag status can change frequently.
• ⏳ A significant downside was the hour-long wait in line, even though the water temperature was pleasant (23°C) and clearer than expected.
• 🐠 The Seine's water quality has improved, with nearly 40 species of fish now present, up from 14 in the 1990s, and even a rare muscle species has been found.
• ⚠️ Swimmers must wear a buoy due to the strong current, which can be a good workout if one chooses to swim against it.

Legacy of the Olympic Games

• 🏅 Swimming in the Seine was a promise made by Paris city hall for the Olympic Games and is considered a major legacy, with over a billion euros invested in cleaning the river and managing sewage overflow.
• 🏗️ A significant part of the project involved building an underground system at Austerlitz to prevent sewage runoff into the river.
• 👏 Despite skepticism, the initiative has been a huge success, with nearly 100,000 swimmers taking the plunge.

Extended Season and Future Prospects

• 🗓️ The swimming season, initially ending August 31st, has been extended to September 7th at Grenelle and September 14th at BCI, at a cost of €330,000 for the city.
• 🚢 The decision not to extend all three sites is primarily due to boat traffic, particularly grain cargos, which required rescheduling or diversion.
• 🌍 Paris is exploring other areas for river swimming, and other cities globally, like Berlin, are also considering opening their rivers for public swimming.
• ✅ The Seine River swimming initiative is likely here to stay, marking a historic return after a 100-year ban (since 1923).