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Paris’ River Seine reopens for swimming

Jul 7, 2025, 6:46am EDT
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People swimming in the Seine
Abdul Saboor/Reuters

The River Seine reopened for swimming for the first time in more than a century.

In the 1970s, the Paris river was considered biologically dead thanks to severe pollution; much of the city’s wastewater poured into it untreated, and wildlife all but disappeared. But after decades of improved sanitation, its ecosystem is thriving, and the number of fish species has tripled since 1990.

A $1.6 billion cleanup operation ahead of the 2024 Olympics accelerated the process, and now, three bathing sites have opened, with the city’s mayor joining in on the first day.

Similar projects have created clean urban swimming sites in Amsterdam, Berlin, and Copenhagen, while the Thames, once a similarly dead zone, has also seen wildlife return.

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