There are over 30 municipals pools (piscines) in Paris (see list below) and half a dozen private ones, and most offer public access, swimming lessons and “aquagym” exercise classes, and some offer lessons in scuba diving, synchronized swimming or lifesaving. Many offer activities for children and/or moms. Swimming caps are generally required, and males are supposed to wear swimsuits rather than just baggy trunks. Check out the Swimmers Guide for a partial listing.
Piscine Pontoise is everyone’s favorite. It’s independent of but connected to a gym called Club Quartier Latin, in a turn-of-the-century building off of blvd St. Germain. Best of all, it’s open from 7am to midnight during the week, 8am to 7pm weekends. 19, rue de Pontoise, 5th arr., M° Maubert-Mutualité, tel: 01.55.42.77.88.
The Hotel Ritz probably has the fanciest pool in town. For those for whom money is no object, a membership to this luxury hotel’s health club gets you into its almost decadent 16-meter bathing spa. 15, pl Vendôme, 1st arr., M° Opera, tel: 01.43.16.30.60, Hotel Ritz website..
Aquaboulevard / Forest Hills is the best summer spot in town for sunning. Located on the south edge of town in the 15th arr., it is a noisy water park with huge slides, a wave machine and water cannons. Best of all, part of it is outside, providing a beach with a choice of either sunning in a lounge chair near the water or spreading a towel out on the grass further back. 4, rue Louis Armand, 15th arr., M°Balard, tel: 01.40. 60.10.00, www.aquaboulevard.com/.
Then there’s swimming in the nude. A list of “naturiste” pools in France are at: http://www.naturistes-paris.org/piscufr.html
For those who would like to take lifesaving (sauvetage) lessons, they are offered at a number of swimming pools, including the pools at Blomet, Saint Merri and Auteuil.
Or, for those who are afraid to get into the water, an association called Les Pieds dans l’Eau provides a technique to eventually overcome the phobia. Tel: 01.42.83.03.90.
For further information, contact the Féderation francaise de natation, tel: 01.40.31.17.70.
Note: for a complete list of daily opening hours see http://perso.wanadoo.fr/comunimage/piscines/infos.html
Suzanne -Berlioux
10, place de la Rotonde (1er-Forum des Halles (Niveau
-3)
Tel: 01 42 36 98 44
Métro: Les Halles
Saint Merri
8, rue du Renard (4è )
Tel: 01 42 72 29 45
Métro: Hotel de Ville
Jean Taris
16, rue Thouin (5è )
Tel: 01 43 25 54 03
Métro: Cardinal Lemoine
Saint Germain
12, rue Lobineau (6è )
Tel: 01 43 29 08 15
Métro: Mabillon
George Drigny
18, rue Bouchard de Saron (9è )
Tel: 01 45 26 86 93
Métro: Anvers
Valeyre
22-24, rue de Rouchechard (9è )
Tel: 01 42 85 27 61
Métro: Cadet
Chateau-Landon
31, rue du Chateau-Landon (10è )
Tel: 01 46 07 34 68
Métro: Louis Blanc
Cour des Lions
11, rue Alphonse Baudin (11è )
Tel: 01 43 55 09 23
Métro: Richard Lenoir-Saint Ambroise
Georges-Rigal
115, Boulevard de Charonne (11è )
Tel: 01 43 70 64 22
Métro: Alexandre Dumas
Reuilly
13, rue Hénard (12è )
Tel: 01 40 02 08 08
Métro: Mongallet
Roger-Le-Gall
34, boulevard de Carnot (12è )
Tel: 01 44 73 81 10
Métro: Porte de Vincennes
Butte aux Cailles
5, place Paul Verlaine (13è )
Tel: 01 45 89 60 05
Métro: Place d'Italie
Château des Rentiers
184, rue du château des Rentiers (13è )
Tel: 01 45 85 18 26
Métro: Nationale
Dunois
70, rue Dunois (13è )
Tel: 01 45 85 18 26
Métro: Chevaleret
Aspirant-Dunand
20, rue Saillard (14è )
Tel: 01 45 45 50 37
Métro: Mouton Duvernet
Didot
22, avenue Georges-Lafenestre (14è )
Tel: 01 45 39 89 29
Métro: Porte de Vanves
Armand Massard
Centre Commercial Monparnasse, 66, bd Montparnasse (15è
)
Tel: 01 45 38 65 19
Métro: Montparnasse
Blomet
17, rue Blomet (15è )
Tel: 01 47 83 35 05
Métro: Volontaires
Porte de la Plaine
13, rue du Gl Guillaumat (15è )
Tel: 01 45 32 34 00
Métro: Porte de Versailles
Emile Antoine
9, rue Jean Rey (15è )
Tel: 01 53 69 61 59
Métro: Bir Hakeim
René et André Mourlon
19, rue Gaston de Cavaillet (15è )
Tel: 01 45 75 40 02
Métro: Bir Hakeim
Piscine D'Auteuil
Angle: routedes Lacs à Passy, allée des Fortifications,
(16è )
Bois de Boulogne
Tel: 01 42 24 07 59
Métro: Ranelagh
Henry de Montherlant
32, boulevard Lannes (16è )
Tel: 01 45 03 03 28
Métro: Porte de la Pompe
Bernard Lafay
79, rue de la Jonquière (17è )
Tel: 01 42 26 11 05
Métro: Porte de Clichy
Champerret
32-36, bd de Reims (17è )
Tel: 01 47 66 49 98
Métro: Porte de Champerret
Bertrand Dauvin
12, rue René Binet (18è )
Tel: 01 42 54 51 55
Métro: Porte de Clignancourt
Hébert
2, rue des Fillettes (18è )
Tel: 01 46 07 60 01
Métro: Max Dormoy
Piscine des Amiraux
6, rue Hermann Lachapelle (18è )
Tel: 01 46 06 46 47
Métro: Simplon
Mathis
11-17, Rue Mathis (19è )
Tel: 01 40 34 51 00
Métro: Crimée
George Hermant
4, rue David D'angers (19è )
Tel: 01 42 02 45 10
Métro: Danube
Rouvet
1; rue Rouvet ( 19è )
Tel: 01 40 36 40 97
Métro: Corentin Cariou
Georges Vallerey
148, avenue Gambetta (20è )
Tel: 01 40 31 15 20
Métro: Porte des Lilas