Paris, is the world’s fifth most visited city, with more than 15 million foreign tourists traveling to the French capital in 2015 alone. Visitors come to the city to marvel at the Eiffel Tower, crowd the Louvre to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, dedicate an entire day to one of the city’s dozens of food-centric guided tours — and even to go for a cool, refreshing swim?
That last one might sound a little odd at first, as the landlocked city is hardly known for its baths or beaches, but as early as next year swimming Paris’ Seine river could be a reality. As part of a massive plan released by the city government last week, Paris aims to eventually have the entirety of the Seine clean enough for locals and tourists alike to take a dip wherever they like.
Swimming in the Seine will be just a small part of improvements set forth by the Parisian government, which is looking to make its city is attractive as humanly possible in order to make a strong bid to host the 2024 Olympics. The city’s proposal includes new tramways, more than $168 million of added bike lanes and even a walking trail that encircles the entire city.