The Seine, the romantic lifeblood of Paris, is set to reopen for swimming after 100 years. But its cursed clean-up has become a lesson for future Olympics

people swimming in the Seine River (Credit: BERTRAND GUAY—AFP/Getty Images)

Paris isn’t Paris without the River Seine.

The 780-kilometer-long river, which runs through the city of light and curves around the mighty Eiffel Tower, not only hosts tourists taking in the sights of the French capital but also supports centuries-old UNESCO-protected French bookstalls on its banks. It is an indispensable part of the Parisian experience, just like the Thames River is to London.