Summer in Paris: You can now swim in the Seine – at least a little

July 4, 2025, 1:26 PM |

Reading time: 2 min.

The Eiffel Tower seen from the Seine: Beautiful, but do you want to swim in this river? — The Eiffel Tower viewed from the Seine: Beautiful, but would you want to swim in this river? (Photo: Jan Woitas)

A little cooling off, a lot of excitement: After more than a hundred years, the Seine is once again "baignable," or swimmable. But only under strict conditions. And the water quality remains questionable.

By Oliver Meiler , Paris

The time has come, it's done: You can bathe, splash, and swim in the Seine again. After more than a hundred years and after a thousand polemics.

Are Europe's cities becoming unbearable due to the heat? Not necessarily. Here's what metropolises are coming up with to cool off – and what vacationers can discover as a result.