Three sites will be able to welcome over 1,000 swimmers daily until August 31, local officials said, to the delight of the Parisians and visitors who were among the first to take the plunge.

PARIS: The River Seine reopened to swimmers in Paris on Saturday morning (Jul 5), marking the first time since 1923 that bathers could take a dip in the iconic waterway following a years-long cleanup effort.

Swimming in the Seine had been illegal since 1923, with a few exceptions, due to pollution and risks posed by river navigation.