Bathing in the Seine, the 'lucky break' to beat the heat in Paris
Ghislaine Roche swapped, this Tuesday (12), her Mediterranean sea, where she usually cools off, for a bath in the Seine River, “a stroke of luck” for this 66-year-old retiree visiting Paris, while the capital is on alert due to a heat wave.
In July, the French capital re-authorized swimming in the Seine River as a legacy of the 2024 Paris Olympics, after more than a century of prohibition. More than 52,000 people have already taken a dip in its waters this summer.
"It's been really hot here for two days, and besides, I hate swimming pools," the retiree from Marseille, in southeastern France, told AFP after swimming in her floral swimsuit in front of the island of Saint-Louis, in the heart of the capital.
By 10 a.m., around 150 people had already accessed this area, one of three designated in Paris for free swimming in the Seine, and a queue was already forming at its entrances.
Like her, many tourists and Parisians thought of this iconic river to beat the heat of up to 36°C forecast for this Tuesday, according to the meteorological service Météo-France, which declared an orange alert, its second highest level.
The delimited area and greenish water are reminiscent of a pond teeming with small frogs. Each swimmer wears a yellow float tied around their waist for safety.
The 24°C water is "very nice," they keep repeating. Some swim a few laps before work, others simply come for a dip or chat as if they were in a tea room.
Alain Desaunay, 62, also felt “the need to cool off” this morning, he confesses, as he dries himself off with a towel.
“It’s exceptional to be able to bathe in natural water, rather than in the municipal pool,” continues this resident of the Paris suburbs.
Valeria Estrada, a 27-year-old Mexican woman, confirms. "It's a blessing, a privilege" to be able to swim in the river on hot days, adds this Paris resident, leaning on her yellow float.
The French capital is not immune to the heat waves that are ravaging Europe with increasing intensity and frequency, due, according to scientists, to human-caused climate change.
The designated bathing zones meet the need to adapt the City of Light to climate change. Paris could experience heat waves of up to 50°C by 2050, according to Météo-France.
"We see a strong turnout" when the temperature rises, explains Stéphanie Le Guédart, deputy director of Youth and Sports at Paris City Hall. "It's a real success. We're delighted," she added.
The most popular area is near the Eiffel Tower, opposite Swan Island, where swimmers sometimes have to wait more than an hour and a half in the shade of the trees before accessing the beach.
“It’s like bathing in the sea or a lake, but in the city center,” says Malou, a 12-year-old girl, eager to take a dip.
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