The Plage

I’ve never exactly been a geographic nincompoop, so I was surprised to emerge from the winding streets of Paris onto the Beach.

Hundreds of people were enjoying the warm Saturday afternoon, stretched out in lawn chairs and canvas hammocks and children were racing around barefoot on the hot sand.

Did I mention that we were in Paris?

“The Plage” is a project put together by the city of Paris to bring a free seaside to the city, begun in 2002. Installed along the north bank of the Seine River, Parisians (and undoubtedly many tourists as well) are enjoying summer beach life without ever leaving the city.

It’s a Seine-side holiday!

Ranging from a kids BMX course to misting areas, and wooden lawn chairs with umbrellas to oversized trampolines, the Beach is a great way to spend a chilled-out day in Paris. There is a lending library, a free swimming pool with scheduled activities, evening concerts, and plenty of ice cream vendors.

The only drawback is that after a few hours of sunbathing, the cooling view of the Seine just isn’t enough and the misting tent seems a poor substitute for a refreshing ocean dip. But hey, at least we didn’t have to leave the city to find a taste of the beach!

For the last few years, the Paris Plage has added a sustainability component to their installation: recycle containers are prevalent and visible, drinking of tap water is emphasized through the use of fun drinking fountains, previous years equipment is reused each year, and even the beach sand is recycled! Some educational programs are also scheduled throughout the Plage summer.

The Paris Plage runs along the Seine from the Louvre to Pont de Sully, and from Rotonde de Ledoux to the former Magasins Généraux. The Paris Plage is open from July 20th to August 20th.