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Bathing and swimming in Bassin de La Villette

swimming project in Paris Bassin de La Villette
© Mairie de Paris - Cabinet d'architecte Patrick Charoin - Marina Donda

During the Paris Plages summer festival, let's swim in the Bassin de La Villette!

3 bathing pool zones in Paris

The bathing pool will be open everyday (except on August 15th) from July 9th to August 21st 2022.  (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.) thus enhancing activities at the Paris Plages Bassin de La Villette.

To access the bathing area, you must pick up a single-use bracelet. The bathing area is accessible in 2-hour time slots from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm and from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Free admission. Changing rooms, showers, facilities, deckchairs and parasols are provided. The bathing area of the La Villette pool (pools, toilets and cabins) is accessible to wheelchair users.

This supervised bathing zone measuring 90 meters long and 16 meters wide features three pools of different sizes and depths all connected together and located at Quai de Loire downstream from the footbridge ‘Passerelle de la Moselle'.

  • 1 fun-filled 40cm bathing pool for children
  • 1small pool 120 cm deep,
  • 1 large pool dedicated only for expert swimmers with a maximal depth of 2 m.

Unauthorized swimming is prohibited

Unsupervised swimming is dangerous... and prohibited. Currents, aquatic plants, boats... all those things are dangers and can lead to serious injuries and drowning. It is, of course, forbidden to jump from bridges and footbridges that span the canals (Seine, Ourcq).

Only the authorized areas during Paris Plage are accessible for swimming under supervision. Pools are secured, supervised and the water quality is tested. It is necessary to respect the recommendations in the current sanitary context (gauge, distance, etc).

Water quality under close surveillance

Water in Canal de l'Ourcq has been under close surveillance for several years and now presents a good bacteriological quality to allow for swimming. The quality control survey station in Pantin gives regular information about the quality of the water and Canal de l’Ourcq.  The water is tested daily, if the quality of he water is deemed insufficient people won't be able to swim in it. 

A high demand for bathing areas in the city

This swimming project in Paris generated from a strong increasing demand by Parisians and visitors. Several spontaneous events (despite the bathing prohibition) and other events such as the race La Fluctuat, or Paris A La Nage (Open swim stars) take place during summer. It was for safety issues and to answer to the high demand of safe swimming in Paris that the project was launched. 

Other projects of bathing places in Paris

Other Parisian bathing places should see the light of day in the years to come. These projects are part of the "Swimming in Paris" plan. Maybe we will be able to swim in the Seine by 2024!

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