Did you know? A swimming pool has been hidden beneath the Cirque d'Hiver ring since the 1930s.

You're probably familiar with the Cirque d'Hiver for the wonderful shows it has been putting on since 1934, created by the Bouglione family. But the much older venue hides many secrets within its walls, including a superb circus museum inaccessible to the general public. And the circus ring hides its secrets too: underneath the floor on which the acts are performed, to the amazement of children and adults alike, there's a swimming pool!

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Cirque d'Hiver de Paris, one of Europe's oldest circuses
Located near Filles du Calvaires, in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the Cirque d'Hiver is a historic venue with neo-classical architecture. One of the oldest permanent circuses in Europe, it continues to showcase the circus arts to the delight of families. [Read more]

In fact, did you know that the circus was built on the site of a former water tower? It's only logical, then, that it should remain linked to the aquatic environment almost a century later. After the passing of Louis Dejean and the birth of the flying trapeze with Jules Léotard, Gaston Desprez restored the building, creating concrete structures in place of the wooden tiers, with the Fratellinis as artistic directors. And as the icing on the cake, in 1933 he had a swimming pool built in 30 days, 4.20 metres deep, beneath the track!

Inaugurated by Mistinguett, the leading dancer and actress of her day, the pool put a strain on the circus's finances, and was bought by the Bouglione family in 1934, to whom it still belongs today. With its 13-meter diameter, it was used for aquatic acts for several years, and in 1997, swimmer Muriel Hermine performed her show, Crescend'O , in it. Today, of course, it's no longer in the water, but is used, among other things, for stage effects, to make performers appear or disappear.

For more anecdotes, see our interview with the Bouglione brothers:

Meet the Bouglione family: flying trapeze at Cirque d'Hiver, our interview
On the occasion of their new show "Spectaculaire", we met up with Joseph and Louis-Sampion Bouglione to talk about flying trapeze, a skill born at the heart of the Cirque d'Hiver, one of the capital's most historic venues. [Read more]