Paris swimming sites see record summer attendance

Parisian swimming sites saw record attendance this summer, with more than 180,000 visitors using the Seine, the Canal Saint-Martin, and the Bassin de la Villette. The total number of bathers in the capital reached 216,000 when including outdoor summer pools at four sports centers.

The Seine sites, including Bras Marie, Bercy, and Grenelle, hosted 120,000 people, marking a 20% increase compared to the previous year. While the season faced challenges such as summer rains in July and brief intermittent closures due to fuel-oil pollution, crowds increased in August.

In addition to the river, the Bassin de la Villette hosted 51,000 bathers and the Canal Saint-Martin saw 12,000 visitors. Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire noted that these sites provided essential relief during several heatwave episodes. A proposal to open a new site at the Arsenal Basin in Bastille is currently under consideration.