Paris (AP) – Swimming on the Seine is an increasingly popular tourist attraction in the French capital and a must-see for Parisians himself. Thousands of people enjoy a dip in the river from three public bathing sites It opened last monthfirst in over a century.
The swimming area is expected to be even more crowded as the heat wave arrives in the area on Tuesday. Paris is under “high vigilance” by the National Weather Service Meteor France, with temperatures expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit).
At Grenell’s grounds west of Paris, visitors can swim and take in unique views of the Eiffel Tower while small fish darts near the surface.
Water quality is tested daily to comply with European regulations. Swimming on the Seine has been illegal since 1923, with a few exceptions, due to the pollution and risks brought about by river voyages. New bathing sites are possible following a 1.4 billion euros ($1.6 billion) It’s a good cleanup Olympic Games last year.
“Imagine that,” said Constanze Martens, a tourist from Mexico. “With views of the Eiffel Tower and swimming in pure natural waters, clean and safe, and with these lovely people, you have all ages here.”
On Monday, the water temperature in the Seine was 22 degrees Celsius (71 Fahrenheit).
“It’s very warm, warmer than the ocean, very amazing and very enjoyable,” said Elizabeth Lorin, outside Montreuil, in eastern Paris.
Until the end of August, the bathing site will be open free of charge to people over 10 or over 14, depending on the location. More details can also be found on the English website of Paris City Hall. For safety reasons, each swimmer must be equipped with a yellow buoy attached to the waist. There is a changing room with lockers.
The site welcomes between 800 and 1,200 visitors per day, with a limit of 200 at a time, says Yann Forêt, manager of the Grenelle site.
Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Labadin said last week that more than 40,000 people have swam at the location since it opened on July 5th. That is, water pollution increased upstream despite almost two weeks of closure, primarily due to rainy weather.
“The water quality is now excellent, and there are good conditions in warm weather and optimal conditions,” Rabadan told the Associated Press on Monday. He said the daily decision to open a site depends on weather conditions and factors such as water flow and known pollution.
Some lifeguards monitor the site and sometimes use whistles to remind swimmers not to jump or release the boundary line. No major incidents have been reported, Rabadan said.
Marina Gickkel, 22-year-old lifeguard from Grenell, said the main differences from swimming pools are the river flow and dark water.
“You can see people’s heads sticking out, so buoys are useful,” Giquel said. “And that’s also very deep. It’s 3-5 meters (10-16 feet) deep so people don’t find scaffolding.”
Some visitors like Australia’s Thurkka Jeyakumar were skeptical of swimming in the Seine, citing the dark colour of the river and the bacterial problems.
Hazardous levels of E. coli or other bacteria appear during periods of long rain that overwhelms the pipes, causing untreated wastewater to flow into the river instead of treatment plants. A few last year Olympics have been postponed Therefore.
In the end, Jeyakumar lost his bet so he gave it a try.
“At the moment, I have to say it was much cleaner and more beautiful than I thought,” she said. “So the bet went well!”
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Associated Press journalist Nicholas Garriga contributed to this report.
