After Century-Long Ban, Paris Reopens Public Swimming in Seine

Paris has reopened three swimming sites in the Seine River to the public, continuing a return of public swimming after a ban that lasted over a century.

• The Paris municipality announced that the sites, located near the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the National Library, will remain open until August 30.
• The swimming areas first opened last summer and attracted approximately 100,000 visitors during their inaugural season.
• Swimming in the Seine had been officially banned since 1923; investments of about 1.4 billion euros in wastewater treatment and drainage infrastructure enabled the reopening.