Swimming on the Seine: all the questions you need to know

News

Updated on 01/07/2025

people swimming in the Seine — Crédit photo : Jean-Baptiste Gurliat / Ville de Paris

Cette page est aussi disponible en français

This article is part of Paris en Seine

After the Bassin de la Villette and the Canal Saint-Martin, it's the Seine's turn to open up to bathing, with three sites planned: Bercy, bras de Grenelle and bras Marie. Here's all the information you need to know before taking to the water.

Where and when can you swim?

The bathing sites are open every day from July 5 to August 31, 2025, as long as safety conditions are met: moderate current, water quality - analyzed daily by the City - and mild weather. In the event of exceptional site closures, visitors are informed directly on site or on Paris.fr.

Located in Le bras Marie (Paris Centre), at the foot of the Pont de Sully and facing the Ile Saint-Louis, it's right next to Paris Plages and its many attractions.
> open from 8.30am to 11.30am Monday to Saturday and from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Sunday

Au bras de Grenelle (^15e): take a dip in front of the Ile aux Cygnes, overlooked by the Eiffel Tower (^7e)! Designed with families in mind, with a secure pool 40 cm to 60 cm deep, this bathing area also offers access to the on-site nautical base and its kayaks.
> open 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 4.45 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 12 a.m., 12.30 p.m. to 2.15 p.m. and 2.45 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Sunday.

In Bercy (^12th arrondissement), opposite the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF): enjoy the two pools that will welcome bathers every day of the week, under the Simone-de-Beauvoir footbridge.
> open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Who can swim? Is there disabled access?

Whatever your age, you must be able to swim. Swimming is permitted from age 14, except at Bercy, where the minimum age is 10. All bathing sites are accessible to people with reduced mobility, except Bercy, where only the solarium is.

des gens qui nagent dans la Seine — Crédit photo : Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris

Access to the bathing area is subject to a minimum swimming level and the compulsory wearing of a lifebuoy - which is loaned and must be returned in good condition. These two conditions are verified by a launch supervised by lifeguards.

For each bathing site on the Seine :

Marie arm: 14 years old and 1.40 m minimum;
bras de Grenelle: for the bottomless swimming area, 14 years and 1.40 m minimum / for the family pool, from 3 years and accompanied by an adult. Please note: no more than two children under 6 per adult;
Bercy: 10 years and 1.20 m minimum. No more than three minors under 14 per adult.

There will be no ID checks, but height can be measured. Reception staff will control access.

Minors under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Are there swim tests?

The user enters the site, changes, and is then invited to enter the water in a specific area of the pool. A lifeguard is on hand to check swimming ability. Once approved, the user is allowed to swim independently.

How many people can bathe at the same time?

To ensure that everyone has the best possible experience, the sites have a limited simultaneous capacity. The largest site is Bercy, which can accommodate 700 people, including 300 in the swimming area. This is followed by the Grenelle site with 200 people, including 150 in the swimming area, and the bras Marie site, with 150 people.

Are lifeguards present?

All bathing areas are continuously supervised by lifeguards during opening hours. Please note: river navigation is closed during bathing hours, with the exception of the Bercy site, where both basins benefit from side protection and thus allow cohabitation with boats. This means that swimmers can enjoy a safe, natural environment, with buoys to delimit the swimming area.

The City of Paris has delegated the supervision of the bathing facilities to the French Swimming Federation, in association with the operator BOAZ Concept (site safety, adherence to schedules, reception, logistics). Some fifteen trained and experienced lifeguards provide a supervised experience of swimming in a natural environment. They are responsible for observing and supervising swimmers in the water.

There will be at least :

5 lifeguards at Bercy ;

3 lifeguards on Marie's arm ;

4 lifeguards at Grenelle Arm.

Do I need to wear special clothing when swimming?

Bathing attire is compulsory, but unlike the swimming pool, you don't need a swimming cap.

Can we change on site?

Changing rooms are available at the Grenelle and Bercy sites. For the bras Marie site, people are invited to come directly in their swimming gear, as there are no individual cabins.

Secure lockers are also available at all three sites.

Are there showers?

Yes, every bathing area has showers - which are compulsory before going for a swim - access to toilets, a first-aid post and places to sit and enjoy the sun.

Are there any instructions on swimming conditions?

Flags indicate in real time the conditions of access to bathing sites. Here are their meanings:

Green flag: swimming is supervised, with no apparent danger;
Yellow flag: swimming is supervised, due to limited or marked dangers, caution is therefore recommended (water quality, changing weather, high flow…);
Red flag: swimming is forbidden due to a proven danger (storm, strong current, incident…);
Lowered flag: swimming is prohibited, as the site is closed and unsupervised.

On the Bercy site only, the solarium can remain open even if the water surface is inaccessible. This information will also be available on the dedicated page of the City of Paris website.