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Posts Tagged ‘sunbathing’

Swimming on the Seine - Piscine Josephine Baker

Up until 1913, Paris was actually classified as a thermal site. Parisians bathed in the Seine until 1923. Those days are long gone, but maybe they will return. In the mean time, Paris offers some alternatives that will serve as surrogates.

Did you know you can swim “on the Seine” all year round in the Josephine Baker pool that actually floats on the river? If you are not accustomed to French swimming pools, here are a few things you need to know before jumping in.

For French pools in general, you must wear a bathing cap (regardless of how much hair you have!) and you must (if you are man) wear a “real” bathing suite. Beach shorts or any other kind of shorts are not allowed. At the Josephine Baker pool, you will most likely have to wait 30 min in line (in the summer). The entry fee is about 5€ for two hours. The most up-to-date information can be found on the city of Paris website.

During the summer period, you can also swim in the make-shift pool offered by Paris-Plage. Or, simply enjoy your sunbathing on the banks of the Seine. You won’t be alone, of course!

Paris plage - Pool side

Paris-Plage sunbathing

Outside of the summer months, there are other pools in Paris worth discovering if only for their architectural originality. Among these, you might consider the piscine Pontoise located in the 5th arrondissement just off the Boulevard St. Germain, as well as the piscine des Buttes aux Cailles, a historical monument located in the 13th arrondissement.