Now that you know the most original swimming pools in Paris, why not discover the capital's most beautiful pools, listed as Historic Monuments?
If you'd like to spend some time taking a dip or doing some laps, while taking in someunique and stunning architecture ranging fromArt Deco toArt Nouveau, you'll want to head for the banks of some of Paris's covered or uncovered pools, which are as surprising as they are delightful for swimmers of all kinds.
In fact, did you know that the oldest swimming pool in the capital, the Château-Landon, was inaugurated in Paris' 10th arrondissement almost 150 years ago, in 1884 - so it's hardly surprising that it's currently undergoing a well-deserved facelift! Since then, municipal swimming pools have sprung up all over the place, on both Left and Right banks, to the delight of swimmers.
Summer and winter alike, it's time to don your swimsuit and bathing cap, and head off to some of Paris's most beautiful pools, listed as Historic Monuments, to relax in the water as it should be. Follow the guide!
The oldest and most beautiful swimming pools in Paris, classified as Historic Monuments:
Located in the district of the same name, the Butte-aux-Cailles swimming pool is one of the capital's oldest. Built on an artesian well constructed in 1866 by François Arago, which supplies the pool with natural hot spring water, it opened its doors in 1924, replacing the former shower baths inaugurated fifteen years earlier.
The Butte-aux-Cailles swimming pool owes its distinctive Art Nouveau styletoarchitect Louis Bonnier, aformer student of the Beaux-Arts, with its high ceilings, solarium, two outdoor pools—including a Nordic poolheated to 28 degrees—and a large indoor pool framed by seven concrete arches and topped with a reinforced cement vault, materials thatwere modern for the time. The red brick exterior façade has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1990, as has the rest of the building.
The Butte-aux-Cailles swimming pool, a historic site with year-round heated outdoor pool
The Butte-aux-Cailles swimming pool is a historic spot in Paris, nestled in the heart of a village-like neighborhood in the 13th arrondissement. It is one of the few swimming facilities to offer an outdoor Nordic pool heated to 28°C all year round. [Read more]
After the Art Nouveau pool on the Butte-aux-Cailles, let's move on toArt Deco with the Molitor pool, which has had an eventful history! Inaugurated in 1929 in the presence of famous swimmers such as Americans Aileen Riggin Soule and Johnny Weissmuller, the pool was designed byarchitect Lucien Pollet, who drew inspiration from the work of architect Robert Mallets-Stevens.
Featuring an outdoor Olympic pool and a covered winter pool, both surrounded by multi-storey cabins and sandy areas for relaxation, Molitor quickly became an essential part of Parisian life and nightlife: several fashion shows, galas and plays were organized there, as well as an ice rink in winter, on the outdoor pool, frozen for the occasion.
After 60 years of sports and parties of all kinds, the pool closed in 1989 due to insalubrity and was emptied completely, one year before being listed as a Monument Historique. The years that followed saw a succession of underground events between Molitor's yellow walls, from street-art to illegal parties, including a memorable rave party in 2001, attended by over 2,000 ravers. The pool, now part of a luxury hotel complex, finally reopened in 2014, redesigned byarchitect Jean-Philippe Nuel.
Another Art Deco gem is the Pontoise swimming pool in the 5th arrondissement, made famous by Jacques Cousteau. In fact, it was in this pool that the famous French commander first tested his diving suit in 1936! The pool was built in 1933 byarchitect Lucien Pollet, again in the Art Deco style, a testament to thearchitecture of the interwar period.
Classified as a Historic Monument in 1998, the building houses a large pool bathed in daylight thanks to the large glass roof - currently under renovation - that overlooks it, and framed on either side by vintage changing cubicles in the upper gallery. In the evening, the Pontoise swimming pool is transformed, and swimmers can do laps in a special atmosphere, lit only by the spotlights that illuminate the pool from the bottom; all to the sound of classical music.
The legendary Pontoise swimming pool, an Art Deco jewel listed as a Monument Historique, reopened its doors in early December 2023 after extensive renovation work. Located at 19, rue Pontoise in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, this historic swimming pool, designed by the same architect as Molitor and Pailleron, invites you to discover its unique architecture and new facilities. Fitness, weight training and squash await you. [Read more]
A new Art Deco pool, a new work byarchitect Lucien Pollet, this time in the capital's 19th arrondissement! Opened the same year as the Pontoise pool, the Pailleron pool has changed a great deal since its inauguration in 1933. Like the Butte-aux-Cailles pool, it features a red-brick façade, and inside, large bay windows and a glass roof bathe the pools in natural light. Closed and abandoned in 1991, the swimming pool was classified as a Historic Monument in 1998, and has since become a place of exploration forurbex enthusiasts.
The City of Paris finally decided to renovate and refurbish the Pailleron swimming pool. The work was carried out between 2001 and 2006 under the direction ofarchitect Marc Mimram, who chose to modernize the complex without sacrificing its past. He retained the period cabins in the upper gallery, the Art Deco façade and the original pool, to which he added a second children's pool, a solarium with lawn and a spa. The pool is now covered by a metal framework and a curved sheet-folding glass roof.
Would you like to swim in the heart of a historic site? The Espace Pailleron swimming pool in Paris's 19th arrondissement offers you a listed art deco setting. [Read more]
If this municipal swimming pool rings a bell, then you probably recognize it from the film Amélie Poulain, in which it serves as a backdrop. Designed byHenri Sauvage, the architect behind several Samaritaine stores, the Piscine des Amiraux has lived several lives. Built between 1927 and 1930 as part of aHabitations à Bon Marché complex in the 18th arrondissement, the pool houses a large pool, surrounded by two floors of changing cubicles and topped by a concrete vault withzenithal lighting.
Closed in 2015 for renovation, this swimming pool, listed as a Historic Monument since 1993, was restored in 2015 byarchitect François Châtillon, who preserved its Art Deco style, before reopening its doors to swimmers two years later.
It was with a heavy heart that we learned, in February 2022, of the closure of the Oberkampf swimming pool, as the lease had not been renewed. Opened in 1886, the building is a flawless reminder of the city's past. With its hammam and sauna, its well-hidden gym and solarium, its vintage changing rooms spread over two floors around the small L-shaped pool, its warm Art Deco style and Belle Epoque architecture, the Oberkampf pool is more a municipal bath where you can relax than a real pool where you can swim laps.
A petition was launched to save the pool. For its part, the 11th arrondissement town hall stated that"astudy for its protection has been carried out by the Direction des Affaires Culturelles de la Ville de Paris. It shows, on the one hand, the real historical and heritage value of this building; on the other hand, it concludes that any request for demolition should be rejected, and that protection should be envisaged during the next revision of the Local Urban Plan - a revision which will take place in 2023."
The historic Oberkampf pool, built in the 19th century, was saved from demolition after being listed as a Monument Historique. Now residents of the 11th arrondissement can continue to swim their laps! [Read more]
It may not be a listed building, but it is the oldest indoor, heated public swimming pool in Paris and France, inaugurated almost 150 years ago, in 1884. Designed byarchitect Lucien-Dieudonné Bessières to a commission from the Société française de gymnastique nautique, the Château-Landon pool was rebuilt between 1925 and 1927, borrowing many elements from the Art Deco style typical of Parisian pools, including the private cabins in the upper gallery, spread over two floors and overlooking the larger of the two pools, as well as its large, luminous glass roof.
Currently undergoing renovation, the Château-Landon swimming pool is due to reopen by 2026.
The history of the Georges Vallerey swimming pool dates back to the interwar years. Formerly known as the Tourelles pool, this 20th arrondissement swimming pool was built for the 1924 Summer Olympics. It was here that American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller won 4 medals, including 3 gold. Renovated between 1986 and 1989, the pool now boasts a fully retractable roof for the summer months, and a 50-meter Olympic-size pool in which swimming and water polo competitions are still held today. Parisians can watch from bleachers seating up to 1,500 spectators.
The Georges Vallerey swimming pool has reopened its doors. Located at 148 avenue Gambetta, Paris 20th, this historic pool features a 50-meter pool with an opening roof, ideal for swimmers of all levels. [Read more]
Get in the water!
Dates and Opening Time
Starts August 30, 2022
The Butte-aux-Cailles swimming pool, a historic site with year-round heated outdoor pool
The Pontoise swimming pool, this Art Deco jewel in Paris has reopened: prices, activities and squash
The Pailleron swimming pool in Paris: an art deco bathing venue listed as a historic monument
The Oberkampf swimming pool, an Art Deco pool listed as a Historic Monument
Georges Vallerey swimming pool, the historic pool from the 1924 Olympic Games
