Parisians make a splash in the Seine after century-old ban

DW (English)

Imagine floating in the Seine with the Eiffel Tower rising nearby. Paris has opened three public bathing sites this summer, drawing delighted swimmers while others still hesitate.

Transcript

00:00Open water swimming is Raymond's passion.

00:05But today he's taking a dip against a different backdrop, the city of Paris.

00:11The water is really nice and not too cold.

00:16Raymond and his local swimming group were waiting for this for years.

00:21I'm so happy. We can finally swim right here in the city.

00:28We wanted to be here today on this symbolic day for Paris.

00:34Triathletes competed in the Seine during last year's Olympic Games.

00:38The town hall says opening three official swimming sites was the obvious next step.

00:44Our summers are getting hotter and hotter.

00:47And so we need places where people can cool down in dense cities like Paris.

00:53Getting the river clean for swimmers has also been good for the local biodiversity.

00:58Some fish and plant species have come back to the Seine.

01:03But the wet pleasure might not be for everybody, warns this expert.

01:09There are a number of hazards the water is not being tested for, such as viruses.

01:15Small children, the elderly and immunodeficient people should not jump in.

01:21And you shouldn't stay in the water for too long or bathe in the Seine too often.

01:26And swimmers should take a shower right afterwards.

01:33Several triathletes fell ill after participating in last year's Olympic Games.

01:39But Parisians are still getting their feet wet.

01:43Cities around the world are turning their rivers into swimming pools to better deal with global warming.

01:50Here in Paris, temperatures have gone up by more than two degrees over the past century, according to one study.

01:58And taking a plunge must indeed be quite refreshing.

02:03But I'll stick to watching the swimmers from here for now.

02:08Still, Raymond cannot get enough of this.

02:15I was so happy. Everybody had a smile on their face.

02:19I'll take my children along to swim here during the upcoming holidays.

02:26On this inauguration day, Raymond tested all three swimming sites in the Seine.

02:31Admiring Parisian monuments from a, up until now, rather unusual angle.

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