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PARIS

Are these the 10 best swimming pools in Paris?

Where is the best public swimming pool in Paris? Well, a recent book may have the answer. If you are keen swimmer then read on.

Are these the 10 best swimming pools in Paris?
Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on Unsplash

As warm weather flows into France, taking a dip is becoming more and more appealing. If you’re wondering where to go this summer, look no further than the comprehensive guide: “Paris à la nage : Guide des piscines parisiennes” by authors Colombe and Marine Schneck.

Together, they tested all of Paris’ 42 pools, rating them on criteria such as: the length, width and depth of the pool, number of swimming lanes, the water temperature, presence of a sunroof, access to outdoor space, cleanliness, disability access, locker rooms, and showers.

They also took note of the architectural history of the buildings, as many fall into beautiful 1920s art deco style.

READ MORE: 27 festivals and events to enjoy this summer in France

Explaining her key takeaways from spending a year testing Paris’ pools, author Colombe Schneck said, “They are really clean. The municipality is often criticised, but the lifeguards are great, the entrance workers are always friendly and the rates (3.50 euros, 2 euros for those under 26, free for the unemployed) are very affordable.”

Here are each of the authors’ top five pools based on the criteria outlined above:

Colombe Schneck’s Top Five

1. The Butte-aux-Cailles (5 Pl. Paul Verlaine, 75013 Paris)

Listed as a historical monument, the Butte-aux-Cailles swimming pool bears witness to “the modernity of the architecture of the 1920s,” says Colombe Schneck. In addition to the indoor pool of 33m, the establishment also boasts an outdoor pool of 25m.

2. Blomet (17 rue Blomet – 75015 Paris)

Located in Paris’ 15th arrondissement, the Blomet pool is 50m large, which is “rare enough to be noted.” The building has a “pure 1925 style” with large concrete arches were replaced by a glass roof in the 1960s, making the establishment all the sunnier.

3. Keller (14 rue de l’Ingénieur Robert Keller – 75015 Paris)

Also located in the 15th arrondissement, this pool was built at the end of the 1960s for postal workers. It was bought by the city in 2002 and renovated in 2006. It is a 50m pool with an opening roof, which is a huge plus during summer! “Swimming in the sun, looking at the sky, is quite unexpected in Paris,” said Colombe Schneck, in her book.

4. Georges-Hermant (15 rue David d’Angers – 75019 Paris)

This time found in the 19th arrondissement, located near Buttes Chaumont, the piscine Georges-Hermant is “worth the trip for the beauty of its 50m pool, which is almost outdoors because the canvas roof opens in the summer,” said Colombe Schneck.

5. La Plaine (13 Rue du Général Guillaumat, 75015 Paris)

Built in 1967 by architect Jean-Pierre Sevaistre near the Parc des Expositions, this pool has very large windows. To Colombe, it offers “an almost Californian luminosity. It’s like being in Los Angeles in the 1960s.”

Marine Schneck’s Top Five

1. Édouard-Pailleron (32, rue Edouard Pailleron, 75019 PARIS)

“It’s the pool of the 21st century,” said Marine Schneck, who praised it as the perfect mix between a 33m Art Deco pool from the 1930s and now part of a contemporary building (2006). The pool is luminous, with a paddling pool, a large, round children’s pool and a Jacuzzi.

2. Roger-Le Gall (34 Bd Carnot, 75012 Paris)

A beautiful swimming pool that in the summer becomes open air, the Roger-Le Gall pool is complete with a waterside cafeteria, lawn, and deckchairs, this pool is located right near to Porte de Vincennes. “It gives you the impression of being on vacation in the countryside!” says Marine Schneck.

3. Jacqueline-Auriol (7 All. Louis de Funès, 75008 Paris)

Inaugurated in 2014, the pool at the Beaujon sports centre, with its large bay windows, offers a 25m stainless steel pool and a smaller one for children. Beware however, “the showers [were] installed facing the pool, without walls and without modesty!” notes Schneck.

4. Les Amiraux (6, rue Hermann Lachapelle, 75018 PARIS)

Built in 1927 by the architect Henri Sauvage, the 33m pool of Les Amiraux, is classified as a historical monument. It almost resembles an ocean liner with two-story hallways above the pool! It was recently renovated in 2017.

5. Thérèse-et-Jeanne-Brulé (1, place Edith Thomas, 75014 PARIS)

Opened in February 2020, this swimming pool is brand new with large bay windows that allow the sun to reflect off of the aluminium pool (25m-long). On sunny days, you can visit the lovely solarium and enjoy its deckchairs!

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PARIS

Notre-Dame rebuild ‘meeting deadline and budget’

Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral, ravaged by fire in 2019, is on track to re-open on time on December 8th, the head of the reconstruction said on Wednesday.

Notre-Dame rebuild 'meeting deadline and budget'

“We are meeting deadlines and budget,” Philippe Jost, who heads the public body overseeing the project, told a French Senate committee.

The fire at the UNESCO-listed cathedral, which welcomed 12 million visitors a year, shocked the world on April 15, 2019.

Jost praised the work of the 250 companies and artist groups involved in the reconstruction, which began in spring 2022 after rubble had been cleared and the foundations secured at a cost of €150 million.

He said the budget for the reconstruction phase was expected to stay below the foreseen €550 million, leaving another €150 million unspent from the huge pot of donations that poured in after the fire.

The surplus will go towards “urgent” restoration of the cathedral’s stone exterior to be carried out from 2025, Jost said.

The spire, which dramatically collapsed five years ago, is once again visible on the Paris skyline following the recent removal of its scaffolding.

The installation of the lead roof is ongoing on its solid oak frame, rebuilt with doweled wood and no metal bolts according to techniques dating back hundreds of years.

“The restoration will last for at least 860 years,” said Jost, referring to how long the cathedral had survived from its initial completion in 1163.

In addition to sprinkler systems, each section of the wooden frame has been “compartmentalised” to prevent any future fire from spreading, Jost said.

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