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Paris’ Seine River reopens for swimming after a century
The Seine River, which has been tearing through Paris, has been reopened for swimming after a century. For the first time since 1923, Parisians swam in the river with countless memories on Saturday. After a long period of work to clean and make the water safe, this much-awaited moment has come for the residents of the city known as the cultural capital of Europe.
Paris’ Seine River reopens for swimming after a century
In anticipation of last year’s Paris Olympics, some rivers in France were cleaned throughout the year. As part of that, the Seine River was also cleaned. Now more than 1,000 people can swim free of charge every day at three designated points on the river. This opportunity will be available until August 31.
Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor of Paris for Seine River management, said, “We are particularly happy. Because we have been able to prove the skeptics wrong. We have been able to implement what we promised at the beginning. The task was very big and complex.’

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Paris’ Seine River reopens for swimming after a century
AFP
Paris
Published: 05 July 2025, 20:21
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A man swims happily in the Seine River. In the French capital, Paris, at the Brae Marie, on 5 July 2025Photo: Reuters
The Seine River, which has been tearing through Paris, has been reopened for swimming after a century. For the first time since 1923, Parisians swam in the river, which is full of memories, on Saturday. After a long period of work to clean and make the water safe, this much-awaited moment has come for the residents of the city known as the cultural capital of Europe.
In anticipation of last year’s Paris Olympics, some rivers in France were cleaned throughout the year. As part of that, the Seine River was also cleaned. Now, more than 1,000 people can swim free of charge at three designated points on the river every day. This opportunity will be available until August 31.
Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor of Paris for Seine River management, said, “We are particularly happy. Because we have been able to prove the skeptics wrong. We have been able to implement what we promised at the beginning. The task was very large and complex.”
In the mid-19th century, the old Paris sewage system often overflowed on rainy days. Then, rainwater and waste would flow into the Seine River together. As a result, the river was quite dirty. In this situation, swimming in the river was banned in 1923.
Several initiatives were taken to make the river accessible to the general public in 102 years. But in the end, they were not successful. This time, about $1.6 billion has been spent on improving the water quality of the Seine.
To keep the water safe, many homes on both banks have been connected to a new modern sewage system. The water treatment plants have been radically renovated. Large tanks have been built to prevent sewage from flowing directly into the river during heavy rains. Last year, the Paris Olympics aquatics competition was held here. This has increased people’s confidence that the river’s water is safe.
