Strolling along Paris Plage, cooling off with water sprays everywhere
Sitting by the Seine reading, listening to music, or admiring the scenery is a great pleasure
The sunshine on Paris Plage feels even more precious

Enjoying the sun at the Paris Beach offers a unique charm. The famous annual Paris Beach along the Seine opened on July 21 with a grand performance of the EU theme song, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, by the Paris Municipal Orchestra and Choir in the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, accompanied by enthusiastic applause. This year, as France holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, the event highlights the EU as Europe’s most magnificent post-WWII ideal and a path to peaceful coexistence for most Europeans. It also marks Mayor B. Delanoe’s re-election and continues his humanistic tourism and leisure initiatives. Under the blue flags of the EU flying across the beach, the Paris Beach has become the most popular summer leisure carnival during the flower city’s holidays. It is a major summer gathering for Parisians who stay within the city and tourists from around the world. It seems that a summer visit to Paris is incomplete without strolling along the Paris Beach, lazily soaking up the sun, and savoring the unique beach atmosphere enjoyed by Parisians.

The Paris Beach stretches from the Passerelle des Arts near the Collège de France down to the Pont de Sully in the city center (the opening night featured the longest picnic party ever held along the Seine). Additionally, the water basin at La Villette in northern Paris has similarly become a leisure beach, although the section in front of the Mitterrand National Library in the 13th arrondissement was canceled this year. Maintained for a full month, the site allows people to stroll freely and enjoy the riverside scenery, beaches, and sunshine. Visitors can watch crowds, ride barge-mouche boats on the Seine, practice Tai Chi, learn dance, attend concerts, row boats, play in the water, dance under trees, play pétanque, or lie under large trees daydreaming. There is also an outdoor library where one can read in the shade. Children play on the beach, go boating, swim, and rock climb, while storytellers and clowns entertain them—all activities are free. Crowds stroll leisurely along the Seine, admiring its unique scenery. Coffee shops on the beach are often full, ice cream stalls have long lines, and groups of friends and families gather for picnics in designated areas or along the riverbank at noon or evening. They enjoy Paris’s rare outdoor life, which carries a distinct “sea” flavor and poetic quality. Friends visiting Paris should take a walk on the beach; those unable to come can share this unique Parisian beach experience through these images.