Paris Plage

Over 3 million people visited the Paris Plage last year, and preparations are already well underway for this year by the mayor of Paris, Monsieur Delanoe.  With the credit crunch bighting, for the 8th year in the row the alternative to a beach holiday in the heart of Paris will again become a car drivers nightmare, as cars give way to thousands of tons of sand as the banks of the Seine are turned from a series of rat runs, into the Parisian alternative to the Cote de Azure.  

The idea started in Massachusetts in 1999, but since 2002 has become a firm fixture on the Paris calandar.  In fact it has become so popular that additional versions of the beach, have been introduced on the outskirts of the city.  

So what is this all about, well from the 21st of July until the 21st of August 2 and a half kilometers of the right bank of the Seine will be covered with around 2,000 tons of  beach sand, about a thousand trees, a library, table football, a gym, fencing, table tennis and mini-golf.

The success of the beach is such the largest complaints come not from the drivers who have had their regular commuting routes disrupted, but from the fact that the city council has introduced a 38 Euro fine – for unauthorized exposure on topless sunbathers.

Perhaps the biggest difference though between the Paris Plage and the Cote de Azure though remains the water.  River currents, river traffic make the river dangerous for swimming, but this problem is overcome through a swimming pool and plenty of overhead spray nozzels providing a constant cooling option.  If you are early there is the option of one of the 450 deck chairs, but even if you are not, the free concerts from 5 pm on Friday and Saturday provides a relaxing alternative to wind down through the evening.

The idea has been so successful that other cities in France, such as Toulouse and Nancy, and across Europe in the cities Rome, Berlin, Brussels, Munich, Budapest, and Amsterdam have all introduced there own versions of the beach.  This year Paris is looking to spend around 2 million euros on the beach, and the second site in the la Villette neighborhood in the northeastern 19th arrondissement.  The second site, being based around the canal reservoir with its safer waters, this year will see the introduction of pedal and row boating, sailboats and kayaking.  For those who prefer land based activities these range from ballroom dancing to trampolines.  

Further information:

The City Hall website has information in English.

Paris Plage city centre
Metro stops: Louvre-Rivoli (line 1) ; Châtelet (lines 1, 4, 7, 11, 14), Hôtel de Ville (lines 1, 11), Saint-Paul (line 1), Pont Marie (line 7)
Buses: 21, 24, 27, 38, 47, 58, 67, 69, 70, 72, 75, 81, 87, 96

Paris Plage La Villette
Metro stops: Jaurès (lines 2, 5, 7bis), Crimée (line 7), Laumière (line 5) / Buses: 54, 58