Berges de Seine

The Berges de Seine is a transformed riverfront zone in Paris stretching about 2.4 kilometers along the Left Bank between the Musée d'Orsay and Pont de l'Alma. What was once a busy traffic corridor now features relaxation areas with lounge chairs, floating island gardens, a climbing wall, a running track with fitness stations, chalk walls for children, and spaces for informal dining and social activities.

The Berges de Seine originated from a major urban project that closed a busy riverside highway to create a public walkway and recreational space. The transformation, which gained momentum around 2013, represented the city's decision to reclaim the riverbank from vehicle traffic and dedicate it to leisure and community use.

The waterfront serves as a social gathering space where Parisians and visitors spend time relaxing, exercising, and meeting friends along the river. The site reflects the city's effort to reclaim the riverbank as a place for leisure and community connection rather than vehicle traffic.

The area is easily accessible on foot with several entry points, particularly from Pont de l'Alma on the south side. The space is most lively during daytime and sunny weather, while evenings and event days create different atmospheres, and it is advisable to plan ahead if you want to dine with views of famous monuments like the Eiffel Tower.

Fossils are embedded in the stone walls of the Berges, remnants from when the river once ran higher and touched these walls long before the city was built. These hidden geological traces connect the present-day recreational space to the distant past of the landscape.