Paris Plages — Seine Right Bank

Paris Plages on the Right Bank turns roughly 3 kilometres of stone quayside along the Seine, between the Pont de Sully and the Hôtel de Ville in the 4th arrondissement, into a temporary summer beach each year from mid-July to late August. The "sand" is trucked-in, fine and pale, spread directly over the paved riverside road (Voie Georges Pompidou), which is closed to traffic for the duration of the event. There is no natural swimming here — the Seine itself is not open for bathing along this stretch — so the beach functions as a sunbathing, games, and promenade space rather than a swim spot; visitors seeking a dip use the adjacent floating pools or head to Bassin de la Villette elsewhere in the city. The strip is long, narrow, and fully exposed, running flat along the river with the Île Saint-Louis and Notre-Dame visible across the water; there is no wind shelter, and the crowd is dense at midday and after work on warm days, family-oriented in the mornings and social toward evening. Amenities are generous and free: sun loungers, hammocks, deck chairs, pétanque courts, volleyball nets, and children's activity zones are spread along the promenade, alongside food stalls and occasional open-air concerts in the evenings. Public restrooms are provided along the route but can queue on busy weekends. Access is entirely urban — the beach sits directly on the river frontage in central Paris, reachable on foot from the Marais or Île de la Cité, with Métro lines 1 and 11 to Hôtel de Ville and line 7 to Pont Marie both a short walk away, plus bus routes 67, 69 and 76 stopping nearby. There is no parking directly on site since the quay itself is car-free during the event; visitors arriving by car should use a nearby public garage. The event runs annually, weather permitting, and opens daily with the loungers, games and stalls typically available from mid-morning through early evening.