When Paris hosted the Olympics in 1900, multiple swimming events took place in the river. Since 1923, however, swimming in Paris’ Seine river has been banned to protect swimmers from currents, river traffic and water pollution. Now, the city is hoping to return the river to its former state as an Olympic venue and public swimming hole.

The Seine was also used as an official venue for swimming events during the first Olympic Games in Paris in 1900. When the swimming venues open to the public in 2025, they will be located at Bras Marie, Bras de Grenelle, and in Bercy. Each swimming area will be marked off with buoys and will include a pontoon to access them.

The official plan is to reserve the part of the river that stretches from the Pont de l’Alma bridge and the Trocadero area for the Olympic triathalon and freestyle swimming competitions in 2024. And in a recent statement, the Mayor’s Office said it aims to open a total of 23 swimming areas on the Seine, starting in 2025.