Paris Plage
Encyclopedia
Paris-Plages is a plan run by the office of the mayor of Paris that creates temporary artificial beaches each summer along the river Seine
in the centre of Paris
. Every July and August, roadways on the banks of the river are blocked off and host various activities, including sandy beaches and palm trees.
, the newly-elected Socialist Party
mayor, as a haven for relieving the misery of those cooped up in the sweltering city.
Initially there was a single beach on the Rive Droite
. In 2006 a second beach was added on the Rive Gauche
, and the scheme's name changed from singular to plural. Unlike many beaches in France, topless sunbathing
is not permitted. Swimming in the Seine is also not permitted, for safety reasons.
The scheme has proven a major success; the number of visitors has grown each year and topped four million in 2007. Every season, new features are added. These include a shuttle ferry
linking the two riverbanks, a floating swimming pool
, and another beach area at La Villette
, in the northeast corner of the city.
ed in 2002. In August 2006, the mayor's office sued the commune
of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
for impinging on the trademark by using the phrase "Paris-Plage" in its tourism marketing. This was greeted with scepticism, since the commune's name dated from 1912, based on earlier popular usage. The case was dropped in 2008.
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
in the centre of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Every July and August, roadways on the banks of the river are blocked off and host various activities, including sandy beaches and palm trees.
History
French city-dwellers traditionally escape to the seaside or the countryside during the summer, especially in August. Paris is avoided, as the weather is unpleasantly hot and humid, and the centre is full of tourists. Nevertheless, each summer many residents are obliged to remain in the city, however reluctantly. The Paris-Plages scheme was instigated in 2002 by Bertrand DelanoëBertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë is a French politician, and has been the mayor of Paris since 2001. He is member of the Socialist Party . Delanoë was born in Tunis, Tunisia to a French-Tunisian father and a French mother...
, the newly-elected Socialist Party
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
mayor, as a haven for relieving the misery of those cooped up in the sweltering city.
Initially there was a single beach on the Rive Droite
Rive Droite
La Rive Droite is most associated with the river Seine in central Paris. Here the river flows roughly westwards, cutting the city into two: looking downstream, the northern bank is to the right, and the southern bank is to the left....
. In 2006 a second beach was added on the Rive Gauche
Rive Gauche
La Rive Gauche is the southern bank of the river Seine in Paris. Here the river flows roughly westward, cutting the city in two: looking downstream, the southern bank is to the left, and the northern bank is to the right....
, and the scheme's name changed from singular to plural. Unlike many beaches in France, topless sunbathing
Toplessness
Toplessness is the state in which a female's breasts are uncovered, with the areolae and nipples visible, usually in a public space. It can also refer to a female not wearing any clothing above the waist, which is the female equivalent to a male barechestedness.The history and even the present-day...
is not permitted. Swimming in the Seine is also not permitted, for safety reasons.
The scheme has proven a major success; the number of visitors has grown each year and topped four million in 2007. Every season, new features are added. These include a shuttle ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
linking the two riverbanks, a floating swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, and another beach area at La Villette
La Villette, Seine
La Villette was a French commune in the Seine département lying immediately north-east of Paris, France. It was one of four communes entirely annexed by the city of Paris in 1860. Its territory is now located in the XIXe arrondissement, but a neighborhood has retained its name: the quartier de La...
, in the northeast corner of the city.
Le Touquet naming dispute
The name "Paris-Plage" was trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
ed in 2002. In August 2006, the mayor's office sued the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, commonly referred to as Le Touquet, is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It has a population of 5,355....
for impinging on the trademark by using the phrase "Paris-Plage" in its tourism marketing. This was greeted with scepticism, since the commune's name dated from 1912, based on earlier popular usage. The case was dropped in 2008.