Again swimming in the Seine: a day full of hope and rain!

Again swimming in the Seine: a day full of hope and rain!

What an exciting weekend for the Parisians! For the first time in over 100 years, bathing was allowed again last Saturday. However, the pleasure kept the pleasure briefly, because on Sunday the three new river baths had to close again due to heavy rain. The authorities had concerns about water quality because the sewage system threatened. This reports Kurier .

On Saturday, the warm water temperatures of about 25 degrees attracted numerous swimmers to the newly opened systems, which, by the way, completely free of charge, are located directly on the Seine. The 95-year-old Ingrid, who enjoyed the refreshing waves together with her granddaughter, was particularly remarkable. But despite the anticipation, red flags were raised on Sunday that signaled a bathing ban. The water quality is continuously monitored by the responsible bodies, and there are already plans to open a total of 30 bathing spots up to the 2024 Olympics.

Olympic challenges

The swimmers can also prepare for a big event: During the Olympic Games in Paris, which will take place from July 26 to August 11, there will be a competition over 10 kilometers in its SEIN. A route from Pont Alexandre III is planned. to the Pont de Alma, and it becomes anything but easy. National coach Bernd Berkhahn has already expressed concerns about the current: The flow speed is currently about 1.2 meters per second. Swimmers could only progress against this current at a speed of 40 cm per second, which makes the challenge even greater, explains DW .

The organizers are aware of the problem. In the summer of 2023, even a World Cup race had to be canceled due to a high bacterial load. But the city of Paris reports that the water quality has been good enough in the past few days, so that the competitions can take place without hesitation. French Minister of Sports and the Mayor of Paris have even dared to set themselves in the Seine to set an example for the improved water quality.

Future vision for the Seine

The efforts to clean the Seine are enormous. Already 1.4 billion euros have been invested in sewage treatment plants and the sewage system. The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has set itself the goal of cleaning his up to the Olympic Games thoroughly and ensuring that all new bathing spots offer good quality. A promise that goes back to Jacques Chirac, which pleaded for clean water and safe bathing conditions in 1988.

With an average water depth of 3.50 meters, guests also have to wear special yellow swimming bodies with belts before swimming. In order to make bathing safely, there are the well -known colorful flags on the beach sections - green, yellow and red, which inform about the current bathing conditions. But also warnings of currents, mud and aquatic plants are essential.

The return of swimming in the Seine was long overdue, and despite the short -term closures, the anticipation for the Parisians: inside and the swimmer: inside is great. It remains exciting how the water quality will develop and what new experiences that will have in the future. SPIEGEL reports that the city of Paris is on the right track, which makes its unique experience for locals and tourists.