Paris Plage — Beach Vacation on the Seine

Parisians wear bathing suits, children play in sandboxes, and adults read steamy novels while relaxing on lawn chairs on a sandy beach.  No, this is not in Normandy, but on the Seine just across from the Île-de-la-Cité.  Paris Plage brings the beach to Paris on the Seine River, making a great venue to relax and let the children play on a “beach” just a skip away from the Louvre and Notre Dame.  From July 21-August 21, the beaches of the Seine in Paris are the place to be. The entrance to Paris Plage is free, though there are some fees for renting lawn chairs. Open everyday from morning until midnight, this is a great way to experience the city like ordinary Parisians do.  The mornings are best because once the sun hits its peak, the beach is full of people vying for the rays.

The 3 areas that Paris Plage spans are from the Louvre Museum to Pont de Sully (3km) which includes a swimming pool, concert stage, and open-air attractions (rollerblading, tai-chi, wall climbing, boules etc.).  The next segment is at Port de la Gare at the foot of the François Mitterrand National Library in the 13^th arrondissement up to the Joséphine Baker Piscine. This beach has newspapers readily available, books on loan, a café with Wi-Fi, and art classes (drawing, painting, writing, etc). And Bassin de la Villette, in the 19^th, is the last addition to la plage.  It stretches from the Rotonde de Ledoux (the nearest metro is Jaurès) to the former Magasins Généraux (on Rue de Crimée) and includes a water-sports complex (with rowing boats, kayaks, and pedal boats) with restaurants and boules courts running along the edges. Check out the website for daily events!

Information:
Address: Louvre – Pont de Sully, Port de la Gare – Joséphine Baker Piscine, and Bassin de la Villette – Rue de Crimée
Métro: Access Louvre: Louvre-Rivoli, Pont-Neuf, Châtelet, Hôtel-de-Ville, Saint-Paul, Pont-Marie and Sully-Morland & Access Bassin de la Villette: Jaurès, Crimée, Laumière
Hours: Everyday, 8:00am – Midnight
Website: http://www.paris-plages.fr/

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