The Paris Beaches

21 December 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Paris / Île-de-France Reading Time:  6 minutes

© flickr.com - Sharat Ganapati/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – Sharat Ganapati/cc-by-2.0

Paris-Plages is a plan run by the office of the mayor of Paris that creates temporary artificial beaches each summer along the river Seine in the centre of Paris, and, since 2007, along the Bassin de la Villette in the northeast of Paris. Every July and August, roadways on the banks of the Seine are blocked off and host various activities, including sandy beaches and palm trees. French city-dwellers traditionally escape to the seaside or the countryside during the summer, especially in August. Paris is avoided, as the weather is unpleasantly hot and humid, and the centre is full of tourists. Nevertheless, each summer many residents are obliged to remain in the city, however reluctantly. The Paris-Plages scheme was instigated in 2002 as a haven for relieving the misery of those cooped up in the sweltering city.   read more…

Return to TopReturn to Top