Just a few days before the launch of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Mayor Anne Hidalgo made her mark with a symbolic plunge into the Seine on July 17. This daring gesture marks the progress of the ongoingclean-up operation, which aims to make swimming in the river possible by 2025.
But before you jump into the water, a few clarifications are in order. Swimming in the Seine is currently forbidden, and has been since 1923, for good reason. The river is a veritable cocktail of bacteria such as escherichia coli and enterococci, responsible for gastroenteritis and urinary tract infections. Add to this leptospirosis, also known as"rat disease", transmitted by rodent urine. This disease can be serious, even fatal in some cases.
For athletes at the 2024 Olympics, competing in the Seine, caution is the order of the day: covering wounds (bandages, dressings) and taking preventive antibiotics are recommended to avoid complications. A vaccine against leptospirosis is also available, although it is not reimbursed by the French health insurance system and requires three doses to be effective.
After all these recommendations, if you still take a dip in the Seine, you're liable to a €15 fine.
Until theofficial opening of swimming areas in 2025, stay dry and keep up to date with this aquatic revolution!
Where to swim in the Seine in Paris: the three bathing sites opened for Paris Plages
Swimming in the Seine? It's a subject that caused quite a stir during the Olympic Games. However, as promised by Anne Hidalgo, it will indeed be possible this summer. We take a look at what's in store and the various sites in Paris where you can take a dip. From July 5 to August 31, 2025, three free swimming areas will be accessible in the Seine as part of Paris Plages. Find out where they are. [Read more]
Where to swim in the Seine in Paris: the three bathing sites opened for Paris Plages
