In a previous lesson, we explored the Loire and other French rivers. Here, we will focus on the Seine, which meanders across northern France and, of course, crosses right through the heart of Paris, making it an integral part of Parisian life (see our lesson Getting around Paris). Can you walk along the banks of the Seine? Can you swim in the river? What key role did the Seine play in the saving of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and what part did it play in the Paris 2024 Olympics? Let’s find out! 

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Like all major rivers, the Seine occasionally sort de son lit (leaves its bed, overflows), as Lionel explains in this 2016 video:

La Seine ces jours-ci est sortie de son lit.

The Seine these days has left its bed.

Caption 2, Lionel L La Seine sort de son lit

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As a result of la crue (the flood), les quais sont fermés (the embankments are closed), to the dismay of Parisians:

Il faut savoir qu'actuellement les quais sont fermés suite à la crue qui a eu lieu précédemment sur Paris.

You should know that currently the embankments are closed, following the flood that previously took place in Paris.

Captions 20-21, Lionel L La Place des Vosges

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Catastrophic crues, like the one that occurred in 1910, are recorded with un repère (a benchmark). In his video, Daniel Benchimol points to a marker showing that the water would have been well above his head at the time:

Des deux côtés du Pont-Neuf, on trouve ces repères, qui sont des indicateurs de la crue de la Seine en mille neuf cent dix. Vous vous imaginez la hauteur... Ici, j'étais déjà sous l'eau.

On both sides of the Pont-Neuf, we find these benchmarks, which are indicators of the flooding of the Seine in nineteen hundred and ten. You can imagine the height... Here, I was already underwater.

Captions 20-22, Voyage dans Paris Ponts de Paris

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Fortunately, the river usually behaves itself, allowing millions of Parisians and tourists to walk along its banks, which are a favorite place for a picnic and relaxation:

Et à cette époque de l'année, les Parisiens ont pris l'habitude d'aller sur les quais pour pique-niquer, prendre l'air, surtout après le travail.

And at this time of year, Parisians have taken up the habit of going on the embankments to picnic, take in the fresh air, especially after work.

Captions 23-24, Lionel L La Place des Vosges

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Until 2002, Parisians could only walk along the Seine, and sunbathing was not an option until the city of Paris created an artificial beach by bringing in tons of sand along the riverbanks. The beach, known as Paris-Plage (Paris-Beach), celebrated its twenty-second season in 2024. In this video, Parisians are enjoying its 2016 edition:

Paris-Plage c'est parti pour l'édition deux mille seize, euh...

Paris-Beach has taken off for the two thousand sixteen edition, uh...

Caption 1, Lionel L Paris-Plage - Part 1

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Since 2002, Parisians have been able to sunbathe by the water en maillot de bain (in bathing suits) right in the heart of Paris:

Comme vous pouvez le voir derrière moi, des gens sont en maillot de bain, sur Paris...

As you can see behind me, people are in swimsuits, in Paris...

Captions 2-3, Lionel L Paris-Plage - Part 1

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However, there was still one missing vital ingredient: l’accès à l’eau (access to the water). It was forbidden to se baigner (to swim) at the time of the video in 2016:

La chose qui manque foncièrement à la partie centrale de Paris-Plage où nous sommes aujourd'hui sur les quais, c'est l'accès à l'eau. En fait, on ne peut pas se baigner...

The thing that's entirely missing from the central part of Paris-Beach, where we are today on the docks, is water access. In fact, you can't swim...

Captions 12-15, Lionel L Paris-Plage - Part 1

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That was then… Fast-forward to 2024, and it is now possible to swim in the Seine thanks to the 2024 Paris Olympics, which created an impetus for having the water assainie (cleaned up), a vast improvement that pleases Sophie:

Mais déjà, le fait qu'ils essayent d'assainir complètement la Seine, je trouve que c'est génial.

But first of all, the fact that they're trying to completely clean up the Seine, I think that it's awesome.

Captions 16-17, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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Indeed, in July 2024, the city of Paris succeeded in its mammoth cleanup effort, and the Seine was officially declared swimmable, or un endroit de baignade (a swimming spot): 

On se dit la Seine va devenir un endroit de baignade.

We're thinking the Seine is going to become a swimming spot.

Caption 19, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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But still, it took a little coaxing from the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who took a dip herself to get Olympic athlètes to finally accepter (agree) to swim in the Seine:

Et donc les athlètes ont donc accepté de le faire.

And so the athletes therefore agreed to do it.

Caption 35, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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Not only was the Seine the setting for some Olympic water sports events, it was also center stage for la cérémonie d’ouverture des Jeux Olympiques de Paris (the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics) for the first time in history, according to this article:

Le vendredi 26 juillet 2024 va se dérouler la cérémonie d'ouverture des Jeux Olympiques de Paris 2024 et pour la première fois de l’histoire, elle n’aura pas lieu dans un stade mais sur la Seine.

On July 26, 2024 the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will take place, and for the first time in history, it will not take place in a stadium but on the Seine.

The Seine also played a major role in history back in 2019, during the devastating fire in the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral. It provided a much-needed water source for firefighters to douse the cathedral using des bateaux-pompes (fire boats):

Un premier bateau-pompe vient augmenter la quantité d'eau disponible

A first fire boat comes to increase the quantity of water available

Caption 11, Le Monde Incendie de Notre-Dame : comment on a échappé au pire - Part 2

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In fact, it took two bateaux-pompes to provide enough water pour ralentir le feu (to slow down the fire):

Le feu semble ralentir.

The fire seems to be slowing down.

Caption 25, Le Monde Incendie de Notre-Dame : comment on a échappé au pire - Part 2

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In conclusion, not only has the Seine shaped the lives of Parisians for many years, but it was also the unsung hero that helped save Notre-Dame from destruction in 2019, and later became a central feature of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Seine will always remain an integral part of Parisian life. For more wandering along the Seine, check out these Yabla videos. Thank you for reading!