Why go to the beach when the beach can come to you? 🙂

photo by cybertoad used under cc licence


It’s back! From 21st July to 21st August 2008, the sandiest, most unlikely, most popular event on the Paris summer calendar: Paris Plage! The concept has been copied by various cities (“Summer Streets” in New York, for example), but Paris was the first city to close off the expressway along the Seine and turn it into a beach party.

For Parisians stuck in the city during August, a notoriously quiet month, this is the way to make the best of the good weather, stay outdoors, get a bit of culture, learn to dance, get fit or have fun with the kids.

Let’s just hope that the weather holds up; there’s nothing so sad as a washed-out empty beach…

Originally based in just one main area in the centre, not far from Hotel de Ville, the event has now spread to other parts of the city. Here are some of the details:

Hotel de Ville

photo by Choubistar used under cc licence

The square in front of the Hôtel de Ville will be transformed with an ephemeral garden and miniature golf course! And on the 21st July, the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris will perform Beethoven’s 9th symphony, followed by a giant 3km picnic along the Rive Droite site (read on…)

Rive Droite

photo by the real Gman used under cc licence

This is the main area, active both during the day and in the evening. 5 café-restaurants, 3 ice cream parlours, a wooden beach (at Pont Neuf), grassy beach (at the Pont au Change), sandy beach (between Notre Dame and Pont Marie), deckchairs, parasols, trampoline area, dancing lessons, pirate ship, treasure hunt, climbing wall, tai chi, fencing, roundabouts, rollerskating, boules, Segway lessons (!), free concerts on Friday and Saturday nights (starting between 5pm and 7pm depending on the date), calligraphy lessons (at Pont Neuf, 11am – 2pm and 4-7pm) and the…

Swimming pool : 50m2 of not very deep water admittedly (but better than nothing, don’t you think?) opposite the Ile Saint Louis with salsa lessons, aquagym, other fitness activities and… swimming! Open Monday – Friday 10am – 10pm, weekends from 10am – 8pm, and also until midnight on Tuesdays and Fridays.

La Villette

photo by austinevan used under cc licence

Twice as big this year than last year! As well as 800 metres for strolling along the canal, there will be Captain Nemo’s submarine, an exhibition about water on the boat moored at 61 quai de la Gare (with games, workshops and aquarium), a complete water sports station with pedal boats, canoes and sailing, “Les zéoliens” installation art and performance (weekends), colourful light projections by Jean-Baptiste Bulot that changes over the course of the day and a special sunny cinema season at the MK2 cinema (Mondays at 8pm, cheap rate for all).

Port de la Gare

photo by G-rome used under cc licence

Musical storytelling for kids on Wednesdays and weekends (at 5pm and 6pm), painting workshops based on the theme of water (lasts 45 minutes, starts at 4pm and 5pm Wednesdays and weekends), free morning newspapers, free Wi-fi access (yes!), lending library with author signings…

Here’s a map of the main areas. The official website with exhaustive details and full timetable should be available shortly.

Bigger map here