Swimming in the river was part of everyday Parisian life a century ago.
One year after athletes swam through the Seine during the Paris 2024 Olympic competitions, three new natural swimming sites opened to the public on July 5, 2025 - at Bercy, Bras Marie and Grenelle. Swimmers will be able to access the sites until the end of August, a lasting symbol of the Games’ legacy. “The reopening of the Seine is a reminder that the Olympic Games are not just about sport – they are about transformation,” said Tania Braga, Head of Legacy at the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Besides the Olympic triathlon and marathon swimming competitions, the Seine hosted the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The three open-air sites offer lifeguards, showers and sun decks. Kayaks can be borrowed at Grenelle. Water quality is tested daily. The sites are equipped with modular, removable structures.
Swimming in the Seine, part of everyday Parisian life a century ago, was banned in 1923 due to pollution. An underground storage basin near Austerlitz now retains overflow from the sewer system during heavy rains. This system can hold more than 50,000 cubic meters of wastewater until it can be treated.
