Sawt Falasteen - 'Childhood dream': Seine reopens to Paris swimmers after century-long ban

A few dozen people of all ages arrived ahead of the 8:00 am (0600 GMT) opening of the Bras Marie swimming zone -- one of three open in Paris this summer -- donning swim caps and goggles as they prepared to dive in and celebrate the long-awaited return of bathing in the Seine.

"I thought it would be freezing cold but it's actually great," said Karine, 51, a care worker from southeast of Paris, and one of the first to jump in.

The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open-water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters which were specially cleaned for the event.

"It's a childhood dream to have people swimming in the Seine," said Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who visited the site in the city's historic centre near the Ile Saint-Louis.

"Look at how happy everyone is," she said with a smile.

Parisians and visitors looking to cool off this summer can take the plunge -- weather permitting -- under the watchful eye of lifeguards in fluorescent yellow T-shirts at the three bathing sites, including one a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower.

The swimming zones are equipped with changing rooms, showers, and beach-style furniture, offering space for 150 to 300 people to relax, lay out their towels, and unwind from the city's hustle and bustle.

Paris officials say they have taken several measures to ensure swimmers can safely enjoy the long-anticipated reopening, including daily water pollution testing and implementing a swim test for bathers.

"The water quality is "exceptional", said Marc Guillaume, the prefect for the Ile-de France region that includes Paris.

"We are monitoring two bacteria, E. coli and enterococci, and for one we are ten times below the thresholds and for the other more than 25 times below," he said.

But officials reminded swimmers of potential dangers, including strong currents, boat traffic, and an average depth of 3.5 metres (11 feet).

"The Seine remains a dangerous environment," said local official Elise Lavielle earlier this week.

To mitigate that risk, lifeguards will assess visitors' swimming abilities before allowing independent access, while a decree issued in late June introduced fines for anyone swimming outside designated areas.

The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future president Jacques Chirac first advocated for its reversal, around 65 years after the practice was banned in 1923.

- 'More peaceful life' -

"One of my predecessors (Chirac), then mayor of Paris, dreamed of a Seine where everyone could swim," President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, describing the move as the result of a "collective effort" and a moment of "pride" for France.

Ahead of the Olympic Games, authorities invested approximately 1.4 billion euros ($1.6 billion) to improve the Seine's water quality.

Since then, work carried out upstream promises even better water quality -- with one catch.

On rainy days, the mid-19th-century Parisian sewage system often overflows, causing rain and waste waters to pour into the river.

Flags will inform bathers about pollution levels in the water every day, and if it rains, the sites will likely close the day after, said Paris city official Pierre Rabadan.

Swimmers may be in luck this year, though, with weather predicted to be drier than the record rainfall during the Games, which led to the cancellation of six of the 11 competitions held on the river.

The opening comes after the French capital during the week endured a major heatwave that saw Paris put on the weather agency's highest alert level during a Europe-wide heatwave.

Hidalgo, who took the inaugural swim last year, said that cleaning up the Seine for the Olympics was not the final goal but part of a broader effort to adapt the city to climate change and enhance quality of life.

"Heatwaves are only going to increase", the Paris mayor said, adding creating safe swim spaces will foster a "happier, and undoubtedly more peaceful life with our fellow citizens".

One of the swimmers on Saturday expressed gratitude for the Seine's re-opening.

"Thank you, Ms. Hidalgo. This is so cool," the bather shouted from the water.

The swimming spots are open to the public for free until August 31.

I.Matar--SF-PST