PARIS BEACHES. Until Sunday August 21, 2022, Paris is transformed into a real seaside city with its Rives de Seine parks and the La Villette basin where free activities and swimming are offered. Program, schedules, all to know.
[Mis à jour le 21 juillet 2022 à 10h36] Paris Plages is back for its 20th anniversary! With sunny weather and milder temperatures, Parisians and tourists can simply relax on the deckchairs of the Parcs Rives de Seine or take full advantage of swimming in the Bassin de la Villette before practicing archery or taï -chi… For the less athletic, petanque, table football or even a cartoon library are available free of charge. Children are obviously welcome and all activities are accessible to them.
While it is still possible to take advantage of the three swimming pools set up in the La Villette basin for Paris Plages, this new edition also offers swimming in two new sites (Poissonniers in the 18th arrondissement and Didot in the 14th) in addition to the sports centers Léo-Lagrange (12th), Louis-Lumière (20th) and at the Carpentier stadium (13th).
Two main sites are concerned by Paris Plages: the Banks of the Seine parks (within 1er4e and 7e districts of the capital) for deckchairs, parasols and leisure activities, the basin of La Villette (in the 19e borough) for swimming and also deckchairs. Each year, a wide choice of sports (archery, badminton but also rowing, sailing, kayak polo, stand up paddle, canoes) is practiced every day. The little ones are also entitled to surprises. For this new edition which celebrates its 20th anniversary, the greening of leisure and relaxation areas has been expanded (palm trees, mulberry trees, new misting areas with more greenery).
What are the activities at La Villette basin?
On the occasion of Paris Plages, it is possible to take a dip in the basin of La Villette. The latter hosts a floating structure 100 meters long, divided into three basins, moored on the Loire quay, which allows swimming in natural water in Paris. With a total area of 1600 m² and at different depths, the three pools have a capacity of 500 people simultaneously. Swimming is supervised by lifeguards and with daily water quality checks. Bungalows, showers and toilets are available to swimmers.
Entrance to the pools of different depths (a 40 centimeter paddling pool, a 1.20 meter pool and a large 2 meter pool) is free but has a maximum capacity of 300 people. The traditional swimming pools are also offered in the Léo-Lagrange sports centers (12e), Didot (14e), Fishmongers (18e), Louis-Lumiere (20e) and at the Carpentier stadium (13e).
As for the activities in the La Villette basin, it is possible to practice table tennis, home ball, ball tennis, badminton, table football, archery or skateboarding. Zumba and Bollywood dance classes are offered at the Espace de La Villette from Monday to Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Break Dance classes every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. A library outside the walls is available to families in a green and bucolic setting!
You can also try the many activities offered at the nautical base. You can learn to canoe kayak, paddle, kayak polo, pilot a small electric boat as well as walk along the Ourcq canal in a pedal boat or Hawaiian canoes. For the little ones: a small boat on the water but also climbing, trampolines, table football, petanque, tai chi and entertainment for 3-7 year olds with the Ludo Plages.
A small air of exoticism blows on the capital thanks to Paris Plages with multiple relaxation areas on both sides of the bank of the Seine! Summer visitors can enjoy a long and magnificent walk along the waterways on the banks, on the right bank as well as on the left bank. On the right bankGeorges Pompidou Way, more than 100 deckchairs, fifty palm trees, misters, picnic tables, refreshments, ice cream parlors, but also table football tournaments every day from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. under the Notre-Dame bridge, pétanque every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the foot of the Louis-Philippe bridge, tai-chi sessions every day from 10 a.m. to noon at the foot of the Pont-Neuf, running coaching every Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Louis-Philippe bridge… For children, giant games are offered every day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the forecourt of the Hôtel de Ville… Finally, lessons Swedish Gym are offered on Saturday and Monday. Left bank sidethe Berges de Seine stretch from Port de Solférino and Les Invalides to the Alexandre III bridge, with dozens of deckchairs, picnic tables, refreshments and ice cream parlours. The wood and grass beaches are open every day.
The activities and access to the waterways on the banks are open to the public every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Bassin de La Villette area is open Monday to Saturday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Here are the two maps of Paris Plages, one allowing you to view the different spots of the Parc des Rives de Seine with an extended perimeter, the other allowing you to see the different activities offered at the Bassin de La Villette:
To view the plans larger, Click here for the Parc des Rives de Seine and here for the Bassin de La Villette.
Like every year, children are not forgotten at Paris Plages, quite the contrary! A children’s club is available for 3-7 year olds at the Bassin de La Villette as well as on the Voie Pompidou. One of the three swimming pools at La Villette is also designed for children! On the program are facilities for experiencing great adventures such as suspended cabins or mini-ziplines. Finally, the children can decide to bask in the Sun with a comic book thanks to Libraries outside the walls!
Traffic is cut on the riverside lanes to allow the installation of Paris Plages. The Georges Pompidou route is closed from the Tuileries tunnel to the Arsenal bridge.
The metro stations to access Paris Plages are Metro Pont Neuf (Quai de la Mégisserie), Metro Chatelet (Quai de Gesvres), Metro Hôtel de Ville, Metro Cité (Ile de la Cité). Vélib stations are available to the public along the riverbank tracks.
The summer event runs until August 21, 2022. When was the first edition of Paris Plages? Remember, it was in 2002, the City of Paris had the crazy idea of transforming the banks of the Seine, territory of motorists, into a seaside resort. Under the cobblestones, Paris Plages was born. 17 summers later, the event definitively adopted by Parisians, is the most anticipated of the summer, with tens of thousands of people each year.