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44-569: The bridge spans the Seine , connecting the quarter of Javel in the 15th arrondissement (left bank) to Auteuil in the 16th arrondissement . It links rue de la Convention and place Mirabeau, on the left bank, to rue de Rémusat . On the left side, upstream, is the gare de Javel of the RER, line C. The bridge is served by the Paris Metro stations Mirabeau and Javel–André Citroën . The decision to create

88-409: A basin to store rainwater, which would then be slowly released into the sewer system, preventing overflow. Plans also call for several public swimming areas to be made available by 2025, ending a ban instituted in 1923 due to the polluted water. These efforts have produced mixed results, as E. coli levels have often been found to be far higher than what is safe to swim in, though this could depend on

132-456: A ceremony conducted on 13 July 1897. The principal arch has a span of 93 meters, and the two lateral arches 32,4 m. The one on the right bank spans the road, while the one of the left bank spans the quay and extends the link over the RER railway. At the time of its construction, this was the longest and highest bridge in Paris. The bridge is 173 meters long, 20 m wide (the roadway measures 12 m, and

176-496: A new bridge to the right of the junction created by avenue de Versailles and rue Mirabeau was taken by the French President Sadi Carnot on 12 January 1893. The bridge was designed by the engineer Paul Rabel , responsible for the bridges of Paris, assisted by the engineers Jean Résal and Amédée d'Alby , and built by Daydé & Pillé . The bridge was officially opened by the then French President Félix Faure at

220-455: A population over 100,000 are in the Seine watershed: Le Havre at the estuary, Rouen in the Seine valley and Reims at the northern limit—with an annual urban growth rate of 0.2 percent. The population density is 201 per square kilometer. Tributaries of the Seine are, from source to mouth: Due to concentrated levels of industry, agriculture and urban populations of Paris and its surroundings,

264-571: A viaduct along the length of quai André-Citroën . Footbridges may also be found in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont and parc de Reuilly . Among others, the promenade plantée uses the old viaduc Daumesnil. In bois de Vincennes , the islands of Bercy and of Reuilly are linked to each other, and the east of the latter to the rest of the park. The line for the chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture also includes several bridges and viaducts, as well as footbridges across it such as that carrying rue de la Mare in

308-575: Is associated with Latin; the Latin word seems to derive from the same root as Latin sequor (I follow) and English sequence , namely Proto-Indo-European *seik - , signifying 'to flow' or 'to pour forth'. On 28 or 29 March 845, an army of Vikings led by a chieftain named Reginherus, which is possibly another name for Ragnar Lothbrok , sailed up the River Seine with siege towers and sacked Paris . On 25 November 885, another Viking expedition led by Rollo

352-545: Is only 24 metres (79 ft) above sea level 446 kilometres (277 mi) from its mouth, making it slow flowing and thus easily navigable. The Seine Maritime, 123 kilometres (76 mi) from the English Channel at Le Havre to Rouen, is the only portion of the Seine used by ocean-going craft. The tidal section of the Seine Maritime is followed by a canalized section ( Basse Seine ) with four large multiple locks until

396-628: Is the mouth of the Marne . Upstream from Paris seven locks ensure navigation to Saint Mammès , where the Loing mouth is situated. Through an eighth lock the river Yonne is reached at Montereau-Fault-Yonne. From the mouth of the Yonne, larger ships can continue upstream to Nogent-sur-Seine (48 km [30 mi], 7 locks). From there on, the river is navigable only by small craft to Marcilly-sur-Seine (19 km [12 mi], 4 locks). At Marcilly-sur-Seine

440-547: The 5th and 13th arrondissements, boulevard de Port-Royal spans Rue Broca and Rue Pascal . In the 18th arrondissement , rue Caulaincourt is carried over the Montmartre Cemetery by a bridge. In the 20th arrondissement , rue Charles-Renouvier spans rue des Pyrénées . In the 8th arrondissement , rue du Rocher crosses rue de Madrid . Also, lines 2 and 6 of the Paris metro include several aerial viaducts in their above-ground zones, whilst RER C also has

484-564: The Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine , 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre (and Honfleur on the left bank). It is navigable by ocean-going vessels as far as Rouen , 120 kilometres (75 mi) from

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528-489: The 1960s marked an upturn in agricultural pollution due to land use changes that had previously scaled with population growth. Heavy industries near Paris and along the Oise River discharged virtually untreated wastewaters from the turn of the 19th century, causing concentrations of toxins in the river that were ignored until the late 1980s. Major French laws to address water quality were passed in 1898, 1964, 1996, and 2006. At

572-443: The 19th century Canal de la Haute-Seine used to allow vessels to continue all the way to Troyes . This canal has been abandoned since 1957. The Seine's average depth in Paris today is approximately 9.5 meters (31 feet). Until locks were installed to raise the level in the 1800s, the river was much shallower within the city, and consisted of a small channel of continuous flow bordered by sandy banks (depicted in many illustrations of

616-409: The 19th century, which combines street runoff and sewage. The resulting oxygen deficit is principally caused by allochthonous bacteria larger than one micrometre in size. The specific activity of these sewage bacteria is typically three to four times greater than that of the autochthonous (background) bacterial population. Heavy metal concentrations in the Seine are relatively high. The pH level of

660-606: The Battle of Normandy. Some of the Algerian victims of the Paris massacre of 1961 drowned in the Seine after being thrown by French policemen from the Pont Saint-Michel and other locations in Paris. At the 1900 Summer Olympics , the river hosted the rowing , swimming , and water polo events. Twenty-four years later , it hosted the rowing events again at Bassin d'Argenteuil, along

704-514: The French government sought to reduce bacterial levels in the river to those safe for swimming. During the Olympics, daily tests of the water quality were taken to determine if it was safe for swimming; this caused the triathlon to be delayed by a day, before being allowed to proceed on July 31. A few of the triathletes who swam in the river became sick afterwards, though it was not clear if the Seine water

748-486: The Seine as well as its tributaries Yonne, Marne, and Aube. These help in maintaining a constant level for the river through the city, but cannot prevent significant increases in river level during periods of extreme runoff. The dams are Lac d’Orient , Lac des Settons , Lake Der-Chantecoq , and Auzon-Temple and Amance, respectively. A very severe period of high water in January 1910 resulted in extensive flooding throughout

792-405: The Seine at Pont Neuf has been measured to be 8.46. Despite this, the water quality has improved significantly over what several historians at various times in the past called an "open sewer". In 2018, a €1.4 billion ($ 1.55 billion) cleanup programme called the "Swimming Plan" was launched with the aim of making the river safe to use for the 2024 Summer Olympics . The project included constructing

836-517: The Seine beside the Tuileries Garden . Having a length of sixty-six feet and an eight-foot beam Fulton's steamboat attained speeds of three to four miles per hour against the Seine's current. Reaching the Seine was one of the original objectives of Operation Overlord , during the Second World War , in 1944. The Allies' intention was to reach the Seine by 90 days after D-Day . That objective

880-426: The Seine north of Paris. More than a century later, during the 2024 Summer Olympics , the Seine hosted a boat parade with boats for each national delegation during the opening ceremony . The river was also the site of the men's and women's event for marathon swimming , as well as the swimming portion of the triathlon . Although swimming in the Seine had been banned since 1923, a €1.4 billion cleanup effort by

924-407: The Seine, of which 5 are pedestrian only and 2 are rail bridges. Three link Île Saint-Louis to the rest of Paris, 8 do the same for Île de la Cité and one links the 2 islands to each other. A list follows, from upstream to downstream : The Parisian canals  [ fr ] are crossed by a number of bridges – the majority of which are passerelles piétonnes (footbridges) – and many of

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968-532: The Seine-Normandy watershed experiences the highest human impacts of any hydrographic basin in France. Compared to most other large European rivers, the ability of the Seine to dilute urban sewage and farmland runoff is very low. Low oxygen levels, high concentrations of ammonia, nitrites and faecal bacteria, extending from Paris to the estuary, have been issues for over a century. The advent of nitrogenous fertilizers in

1012-430: The Seine. By the early 2020s, the number of fish species near Paris had rebounded to 32. Periodically the sewage systems of Paris experience a failure known as sanitary sewer overflow , often in periods of high rainfall. Under these conditions, untreated residential and industrial sewage is discharged into the Seine to prevent backflow . This is due in large part to Paris' "single system" drainage scheme dating from

1056-415: The beginning of the 20th century, most domestic sewage was used as fertilizer for nearby croplands. As populations grew, the agricultural capacity to absorb those wastewaters was exceeded. Large-scale construction of waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) began in 1940 to meet demand; however, by 1970, about 60% of urban sewage was allowed to flow into the river untreated. The resulting oxygen depletion reduced

1100-410: The city of Paris. The Seine again rose to threatening levels in 1924, 1955, 1982, 1999–2000, June 2016, and January 2018. After a first-level flood alert in 2003, about 100,000 works of art were moved out of Paris, the largest relocation of art since World War II . Much of the art in Paris is kept in underground storage rooms that would have been flooded. A 2002 report by the French government stated

1144-485: The city. A notable bridge, which is also the last along the course of the river, is the Pont de Normandie , the ninth longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, which links Le Havre and Honfleur . The Seine rises in the commune of Source-Seine , about 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Dijon . The source has been owned by the city of Paris since 1864. A number of closely associated small ditches or depressions provide

1188-460: The earlier rainstorm during the opening ceremony had driven some untreated rainwater back into the Seine. However, the triathlon proceeded the following day, after testing found the water quality to be sufficient for swimming. The name Seine comes from Gaullish Sēquana , from the Celtic Gallo-Roman goddess of the river, as offerings for her were found at the source. Sometimes it

1232-601: The mouth of the Oise at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (170 km [110 mi]). Smaller locks at Bougival and at Suresnes lift the vessels to the level of the river in Paris, where the junction with the Canal Saint-Martin is located. The distance from the mouth of the Oise is 72 km (45 mi). The Haute Seine , from Paris to Montereau-Fault-Yonne , is 98 km (61 mi) long and has 8 locks. At Charenton-le-Pont

1276-482: The number of fish species to three. Measures taken in the early 2000s due to the Water Framework Directive led to significant reductions of organic carbon, phosphorus and ammonium, which in turn decreased the occurrence and severity of phytoplankton blooms. Continued WWTP construction and new treatment methods improved environmental conditions. In 2009, it was announced that Atlantic salmon had returned to

1320-612: The original soundtrack for the movie ' A Monster in Paris ' The Seine features prominently in ABBA 's 1980 song, Our Last Summer , written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus . List of bridges in Paris#Seine There are many bridges in the city of Paris , principally over the River Seine , but also over the Canal de l'Ourcq . In 2006, Paris had: Paris has 37 bridges across

1364-479: The period). Today the depth is tightly controlled and the entire width of the river between the built-up banks on either side is normally filled with water. The average flow of the river is very low, only a few cubic metres per second, but much higher flows are possible during periods of heavy runoff. Dredging in the 1960s mostly eliminated tidal bores on the lower river, known in French as "le mascaret." Four large storage reservoirs have been built since 1950 on

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1408-527: The right bank), "Navigation" (stern), "Abundance" (prow of the boat of the left bank) and "Commerce" (stern). The two allegories on the prow ("Paris" and "Abundance") face the Seine, while the two stern allegories ("Navigation" and "Commerce") face the bridge. The four statues are surmounted, at the level of the parapet, by the coat of arms of the City of Paris. At its end on the Rive Droite , one can descend towards

1452-474: The river passes through the Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande , a French regional nature park . The Seine is dredged and ocean-going vessels can dock at Rouen , 120 kilometres (75 mi) from the sea. Commercial craft (barges and push-tows) can use the river beginning at Marcilly-sur-Seine , 516 kilometres (321 mi) to its mouth. At Paris, there are 37 bridges. The river

1496-435: The river was rising. The Deputy Mayor of Paris Colombe Brossel warned that the heavy rain was caused by climate change . He added that "We have to understand that climatic change is not a word, it's a reality." The basin area, including a part of Belgium, is 78,910 square kilometres (30,470 sq mi), 2 percent of which is forest and 78 percent cultivated land. In addition to Paris, three other cities with

1540-416: The road bridges can be raised or turned (temporarily interrupting road traffic) to allow canal traffic through. Paris has 49 passerelles piétonnières (footbridges), listed by arrondissement: There are several other bridges in Paris which do not cross a body of water. In the 10th arrondissement , Rue La Fayette and Rue de l'Aqueduc pass over the train lines of gare de l'Est . On the boundary between

1584-447: The road on bank by two stairways (one downstream, one upstream), while on the left bank one can descend towards the Port autonome de Paris by two ramps (one downstream, one upstream). Seine The Seine ( / s eɪ n , s ɛ n / sayn, sen , French: [sɛn] ) is a 777-kilometre-long (483 mi) river in northern France . Its drainage basin is in

1628-533: The sea. Over 60 percent of its length, as far as Burgundy , is negotiable by large barges and most tour boats, and nearly its whole length is available for recreational boating; excursion boats offer sightseeing tours of the river banks in the capital city, Paris. There are 37 bridges in Paris across the Seine (the most famous of which are the Pont Alexandre III and the Pont Neuf ) and dozens more outside

1672-457: The season. At the same time, the fish population in the river has surged, from just two species to over 30. To demonstrate the river's improved cleanliness, Mayor Anne Hidalgo and President Emmanuel Macron both pledged to take a swim in the waters, and Hidalgo did so on July 17, 2024. During the Summer Olympics, the date of the triathlon was postponed due to water quality issues, as

1716-502: The source waters, with an artificial grotto laid out to highlight and contain a deemed main source. The grotto includes a statue of a nymph, a dog, and a dragon. On the same site are the buried remains of a Gallo-Roman temple . Small statues of the dea Sequana "Seine goddess" and other ex-votos found at the same place are now exhibited in the Dijon archaeological museum. The Seine can artificially be divided into five parts: Below Rouen,

1760-457: The two pavements 4 m each). The two piles represent boats. The one closest to the right bank shows the Seine flowing downstream, while the one on the left shore shows her going upstream. These boats are decorated with four allegorical statues by Jean Antoine Injalbert (named an officer of the Légion d'honneur on the day of the bridge's inauguration) : "The City of Paris" (prow of the boat on

1804-417: The worst-case Seine flood scenario would cost 10 billion euros and cut telephone service for a million Parisians, leaving 200,000 without electricity and 100,000 without gas. In January 2018 the Seine again flooded, reaching a flood level of 5.84 metres (19 ft 2 in) on 29 January. An official warning was issued on 24 January that heavy rainfall was likely to cause the river to flood. By 27 January,

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1848-557: Was met. An anticipated assault crossing of the river never materialized as German resistance in France crumbled by early September 1944. However, the First Canadian Army did encounter resistance immediately west of the Seine and fighting occurred in the Forêt de la Londe as Allied troops attempted to cut off the escape across the river of parts of the German 7th Army in the closing phases of

1892-624: Was sent up the River Seine to attack Paris again . In March 1314, King Philip IV of France had Jacques de Molay , last Grand Master of the Knights Templar , burned on a scaffold on an island in the River Seine in front of Notre Dame de Paris . After the burning of Joan of Arc in 1431, her ashes were thrown into the Seine from the medieval stone Mathilde Bridge at Rouen , though unsupported counter-claims persist. On 9 August 1803 Robert Fulton , American painter and marine engineer, made his first successful test of his steamboat in

1936-628: Was the cause. In 1991 (and 2024), UNESCO added the banks of the Seine in Paris—the Rive Gauche and Rive Droite —to its list of World Heritage Sites in Europe . During the 19th and the 20th centuries in particular the Seine inspired many artists, including: A song "La Seine" by Flavien Monod and Guy Lafarge was written in 1948. Josephine Baker also recorded a song called "La Seine" An additional song entitled "La Seine", by Vanessa Paradis featuring Matthieu Chedid , formed part of

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