Paris plages
Three million people at the beach by the Seine
by Aidan O'Donnell
Article published on the 2008-08-05 Latest update 2008-11-07 11:53 TU
The idea had been around before. Massachusetts started the “Eagle street beach” in 1999. But, until Delanoë brought it to Paris in 2002, no capital city had dared to dump thousands of tonnes of sand in the city centre with scarcely a thought for motorists. Now Paris plages happens every year and it has its imitators on the city's outskirts and even abroad.
From 21 July to 21 August this year, two and a half kilometres on the right-bank of the Seine is host to 2,000 tonnes of sand - about a hundred trucks worth - and almost a thousand trees. There’s also a lending library, table football, a gym, fencing, table tennis and mini-golf.
The event is now a regular part of Paris’s calendar and initial scepticism has died down. The grumbling now comes not from rerouted motorists but from would-be topless sunbathers, angry that City Hall has announced a 38 euro fine for such unauthorised exposure. The beach it may be, the Riviera it ain’t.
Perhaps most importantly you’ll also find water — not the Seine, whose river traffic is a threat to the life and health of anyone wanting to take a dip, but a swimming pool and plenty of overhead spray and drizzle. And if you’re really early, you might grab one of the 450 deckchairs on offer; if you’re not, you’ll still be in time for the free rock concerts each Friday and Saturday from five in the evening onwards.
The idea has been taken up by other towns in France such as Toulouse and Nancy while the organisers claim that other European cities - Rome, Berlin, Brussels, Munich, Budapest, Amsterdam - have followed in their footsteps. Paris itself, is now spending about two million euros on its beach with much of the funding coming from sponsors.
The Paris beach is being expanded this year with the continuation of a second site at the la Villette neighbourhood in the northeastern 19th arrondissement. This is based around a canal reservoir that is currently celebrating its 200th birthday - one of those projects that Napoleon bequeathed to la patrie.
Last year, la Villette’s beach began as an offshoot of the main project. This summer it has grown to twice the size and has pedalboating, rowboating, sailboats and kayaking on offer. For the firmly terrestrial, there is ballroom dancing and trampolining. Activities can also be found in the Paris outskirts, including Pantin, Bobigny, Noisy-le-sec and Sevran.
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
