Parisians are ready to swim in its waters again, a century after being banned from swimming in the Seine.
This week, it was announced that public swimming will be allowed at certain locations in Paris starting in 2025. It follows extensive (and costly) efforts to clean the waterway which was closed to swimmers back in 1923.
It’s all part of mayor Anne Hidalgo’s ambitious plans for the capital, which include turning car parking spaces into cycle lanes.
Skeptics are aware that Jaques Chirac made similar promises about the Seine in 1990 when he was mayor. However, Hidalgo has put her money where her mouth is by committing €1bn (£879m) to transform the river.
It’s not just swimmers that are returning to the Seine. According to reports, marine life has rebounded as a result of improved water quality, including salmon and eels.
Image: Bastien
