Swimming in Seine had been illegal since 1923, due to pollution and risks posed by river navigation. A dip outside bathing areas is still banned for safety reasons.

AP Paris

Cries of “It is warm!” rang out across the Seine on Saturday morning as Parisians jumped into the river — legally —for the first time in over 100 years. Public swimming was allowed in designated areas of the Seine, including two newly built wooden decks near the Eiffel Tower and the Ile Saint-Louis in central Paris. Before sunrise, a municipal officer skimmed away the last few patches of algae with a fishnet. Soon after, a line of eager Parisians formed, towels in hand, waiting for their chance to jump in.

Woos and cries of joy echoed across the riverbanks as the first swimmers entered the emerald-green water. Every swimmer wore a bright yellow lifebuoy tied around their waist, part of strict safety measures enforced by a dozen lifeguards in high-visibility vests. The current was weak, just enough to tug gently at their limbs — a reminder that this is still a living, urban river.

“It’s so nice to swim in the heart of the city, especially with the high temperatures we’ve been having lately,” said Amine Hocini, a 25-year-old construction worker from Paris. “I’m surprised because I thought it was going to be cooler and in fact, it’s much warmer than I thought.”

The return to swimming follows a 1.4 billion euro clean­up project tied to last year’s Olympics. Officials say the Seine meets European water quality standards on most days. Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who already took a dip last year, was there on Saturday morning, holding up a transparent bottle filled with river water as a show of confidence. Environmental authorities con­firmed bacteria levels were well below official thresholds.