Paris 2024 Paralympics: a stroll along the river Seine

With all the excitement and infectious energy of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games, sometimes it’s hard to switch off and appreciate the sheer magnificence of the occasion. One way to do this to abandon public transport once in a while, and to stroll around the city that has provided the backdrop to these singularly breathtaking Games. Today we walk part of the journey taken by the athletes during the opening ceremony along the river Seine.

It’s day three of the Paralympic Games, and this lucky reporter has a press pass for the Grand Palais which is hosting the Para Taekwondo finals this evening. Unusually, this means I have some time to kill, and this gives me a unique opportunity to enjoy one of the most iconic city walks on planet Earth.

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been about much more than the sporting events themselves. Mayor Anne Hidalgo was derided in some quarters for choosing to host the action in existing venues at the heart of the city centre. ‘The Paris infrastructure won’t cope’, critics claimed. ‘The Games will disrupt the lives of residents and overwhelm tourist attractions and public services’ warned others. But no-one is complaining anymore and the naysayers have fallen silent. From day one, and Thomas Jolly’s epic opening ceremony, the biggest star of the last month has been the City of Light itself.

With this in mind, instead of taking a bus, a tram, a Batobus river boat or a tube train to the venue, I’ve decided to take the fifty-minute walk along the river Seine to the Grand Palais from my Ile St Louis base today. Please join me on what has to be the most breathtaking city centre stroll anywhere in the world.

Those of you who are familiar with Paris will already know that this is a walk that has changed radically in the last two decades. The introduction of cycle lanes on both banks of the Seine, and the closure of the old riverside road that used to run the length of the right bank, have transformed the experience.

"A public space where yoga classes and dance lessons spring up spontaneously as soon as the weather turns warm."

In years past, the banks were mostly frequented by Parisians who would picnic on warm summer evenings with friends, or enjoy romantic strolls as they religiously ignored the waving tourists on the Seine riverboats. But the dark corners where lovers kissed under bridges, as witnessed by Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in that iconic scene from Charade, are long gone.

Since the launch of the Paris Plages project back in 2002, that saw the banks of the Seine redeveloped as eco-friendly pedestrian spaces for the public, in the Summer months, the right bank is filled with deck chairs and picnic tables; restaurants and drinking holes; and games areas for children. It has become a public space where yoga classes and dance lessons spring up spontaneously as soon as the weather turns warm.

From early in the morning til late at night, joggers, cyclists and families on a day out, as well as locals and tourists from across the globe, mingle in total harmony in the shadows of the Town Hall, the Louvre and the myriad bridges that give this unique stretch of river its picture-postcard feel.

I begin my journey at the Pont Marie, a bridge that links the Ile St Louis to the right bank named after Christophe Marie — the de Medici’ family’s chief builder. From here it’s just a ten minute walk to the Bastille square in the North, the Latin Quarter to the South, or to the Ile de la Cité in the West — home to the most famous cathedral in the world; Notre Dame.

The stretch between the Pont Marie and the Pont Louis Philippe is largely dedicated to food and music. River barges converted into restaurants provide wine and hot dogs on comfortable couches along the riverbank, and below deck, visitors are encouraged to strut their stuff on dance floors late into the hot summer nights.

If fast-food and disco are not really your bag, don’t fret, there’s something for everyone between the Ile St Louis and the Pont Neuf — you can learn to dance salsa in a free-access class, or listen to the myriad buskers who are present on most evenings.

Still not tempted? Bring your own baguette and a camembert and just contemplate the Seine — believe me, small delights are often the most delicious.

Perhaps you have more academic tastes? How about a quick stop to visit the eternal Lady of the Seine? Repairs to the interior of the Notre Dame cathedral are not finished yet, and the reopening has been scheduled for December this year. But the outside is complete and gives visitors myriad selfie opportunities, while a photo-tribute to the artisans who carried out the repairs, provides a touching experience.

"Couples share kisses on stone benches, and locals walk their dogs in the perpetual sunshine that bathes the south facing right bank."

Moving on quickly now or I’ll be late for the Taekwondo, the stretch of water between the Pont Neuf and the Pont du Carrousel is a quieter, more intimate affair. Couples share kisses on stone benches, and locals walk their dogs in the perpetual sunshine that bathes the south facing right bank.

The Pont du Carrousel marks the half-way point of my journey, and in the absence of a dog or a significant other, this is where I leave the river and where three of the city’s most majestic landmarks beckon: the Louvre museum; the Pyramide du Louvre and perhaps the most iconic symbol of these Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Olympic Cauldron itself.

Rumours abound that the cauldron is set to become a permanent fixture on the Paris skyline, but just in case this turns out to be untrue, you should know that this singular symbol of peace, unity and the enduring spirit of the Games takes off into the sky every night at sundown, landing again at 2am. I challenge anyone who witnesses this spectacle not to be genuinely moved as it rises some sixty metres above the ground to shine brightly above the City of Light. I know I was.

My journey is almost over, and as I walk the final few yards to the Grand Palais, I’m reminded that just five weeks ago, the Olympic athletes travelled along the same path that I’ve just taken. In a week’s time, the Paralympics will be over and Paris will return to normal. Or will it? I can’t help thinking that these Olympic and Paralympic Games have changed my hometown forever, from City of Light, to City of Love.

*Please consult Paris city disability access guidelines before visiting Paris Plages sites.