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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.

Published: 16 May 2022 16:22 CEST
Updated: 4 June 2023 08:35 CEST
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 2024 OLYMPICS

The Paris Metro and RER stations that will close during the Olympics

If you're in Paris over the summer you may need to adapt your travel plans, as some Metro and RER stations will close during the Games.

Published: 26 April 2024 16:55 CEST
The Paris Metro and RER stations that will close during the Olympics

Paris Police Prefect Laurent Nuñez on Friday unveiled security measures for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games – including public transport changes.

Opening ceremony

Most of the transport disruption is linked to the ambitious opening ceremony on July 26th – with closures starting in the days leading up to the ceremony and stations re-opening either after the ceremony ends on Friday night or on the following Saturday morning.

These closures affect the ‘protection perimeter’ or the enhanced security zone along the riverbanks that form the route of the opening ceremony.

“All Metro stations leading into the protection perimeter will be closed from July 18th”, Nuñez revealed in a press conference devoted to the police and military arrangements in place for the grand ceremony.

“If you set up a watertight perimeter, but allow people to take the Metro and go back up in the middle of this perimeter, it’s no longer watertight,” he added. 

READ ALSO How to check for Paris Olympics disruption in your area

With the exception of Saint-Michel on the RER C line, all Metro and RER stations within the anti-terrorist protection perimeter will be closed eight days before the event, during which time authorities will be clearing the river, until after the opening ceremony on the Seine.

The various closures will have no impact on the operation of the lines, which will continue to run, as the Paris Police Prefect emphasised, they just won’t stop at those particular stations.

The 15 stations that will be closed are:

  • Alma Marceau (line 9)
  • Champs-Élysées Clémenceau (lines 1 and 13)
  • Cité (4)
  • Concorde (1, 8, 12)
  • Iéna (9)
  • Javel (10)
  • Passy (6)
  • Quai de la Râpée (5)
  • Trocadéro (6, 9)
  • Tuileries (1)
  • Champs-Élysées Clémenceau (RER C)
  • Musée d’Orsay (RER C)
  • Pont de l’Alma (RER C)
  • Trains on Line 7 will pass under the Seine without passengers between Châtelet (including line 11), Pont Marie, Pont Neuf and Sully Morland stations.

Buses are also affected.

“On the day of the ceremony, no buses will be allowed to circulate within the perimeter,” the Préfecture de Police said.

Buses will still run, but vehicles will be rerouted to avoid the area.

Rest of the Games period

Once the ceremony is over, most services will return to normal.

However some stations will remain closed for the duration of the Games – mainly those that are located within or next to competition venues.

Concorde station will be closed to users of line 1 and 8 from June 17th to September 21st and line 12 from May 17th to September 21st, due to its proximity to the site dedicated to urban sports. 

READ ALSO Factcheck: Which areas will be closed in Paris during the Olympics?

Tuileries, served by line 1, will be closed from June 17th to September 21st.

Finally, on lines 1 and 13, Champs-Élysées-Clémenceau will be closed from July 1st to September 21st.

Tramway stations will also be affected by the closures.

Starting with Porte d’Issy (T2) and Porte de Versailles (T2, T3a) tram stations will be closed from July 25th to August 11th and from August 29th to September 7th.

The Colette Besson station on the T3b line will also be closed from July 27th to August 10th, and again from August 29th to September 8th.

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