Paris Digest
Paris city guide since 1997
The Seine river in Paris has shaped the history and the look of the city for centuries. Paris has developped itself for 2000 years on the banks of the Seine river. The result is an urban lansdscape unique in the world. Places to visit in Paris
The Seine is a 776 kilometre long river flowing through Paris into the English Channel at Le Havre harbour (France map). The banks of the Seine River in Paris are by all means one of the greatest urban landscapes in the world. You will best discover this landcape on a Seine River cruise or walking on the romantic Seine left bank quays from Jardin des Plantes and Paris Natural History Museum upstream to Pont Alexandre III downstream. Check Seine river map.
The river and the quays are an enchantment. Many top sights can be seen from Seine river, Paris. From east to west:
BNF: the large 1995 French National Library
AccorHotels Arena: the top sports and concert arena
Museum Paris: the Jardin des Plantes, its museum of natural history: dinosaurs, giant cristals, precious stones
Ile Saint Louis: the 18th century island near Notre Dame
Ile de la Cité island: heart of the city since the Middle Ages with Notre-Dame, La Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle
Notre-Dame: 800 years of Christian faith and architecture
La Conciergerie: the famous prison of Marie-Antoinette
Hotel de Ville: the historical City Hall
The Louvre: the largest art museum in the world
Musée d'Orsay: the impressionist museum
Place de la Concorde: the largest square in the city
Palais de Chaillot: the imposing 1937 building facing the Eiffel Tower on the opposite Seine river bank
Eiffel Tower: the icon of the city is on the river left bank
Statue of Liberty: the scale model of New-York City statue
With so many first class sights to see from the Seine River, the river cruise is a must of every visit to the city of lights. As a starter, you can do the classical one hour Seine cruise with Bateaux Parisiens boarding near the Eiffel Tower or Vedettes du Pont-Neuf boarding near Notre-Dame. You want your Paris stay to be memorable. Go for the romantic dinner cruise or for the royal Seine night cruise with dinner at Eiffel Tower and Moulin Rouge cabaret. Book cruise.
The top Seine river cruises
2.3 kilometers of Seine River left bank quays in between Musée d'Orsay and Pont Alexandre III have been turned into one of the most pleasant pedestrian districts of the city. Splendid views, open air restaurants and playgrounds are relaxing, entertaining and so beautiful. Rosa Bonheur, Flow, two open-air restaurants on these quays are affordable places to relax, eat or have a drink. Faust, right under Pont Alexandre III has a terrace, a restaurant and a club. These quays are now the place to go to day and night. Paris map.
Quai Saint Bernard on the eastern side of the left bank quays is another hot spot. Here, summer evenings come alive with hundreds of people from all over the world dancing Salsa, tango, rock 'n' roll and even French Celtic dance through the night in Jardin Tino Rossi. Paris map.
The right bank quays from Quai des Célestins to the Louvre with views of Ile Saint-Louis are great picnicking spots too.
The Seine river regularly floods the lower quays in January.
The 1910 flood, often referred to as the centennial flood, was the largest known surge of the Seine in Paris after the 1658 flood. It touched most of its valley and caused significant damage to the regional economy in and around the city.
The Seine reached its maximum level of 8.62 meters at the Austerlitz bridge on January 28th. The flood affected 12 arrondissements of the capital and many other towns along the river for several weeks. The rise of the waters occurred in about ten days, and the decrease in 35 days approximately.
The tributaries and confluents of the Seine knew the same fate to different degrees, due to the interdependence of the different hydrological systems. Some suburban cities suffered significant damage. During the flood, the deputies went to the National Assembly by boat. The Zouave bridge Alma, on which the Parisians are used to measure the height of the floods of the Seine, had water to the shoulders.
There are few hotels and service residences on the Seine river banks. In between Notre-Dame and the Louvre Museum, right at the angle of rue des Grands Augustins and its amazing gastronomic restaurants, Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Pres is one of the very few left bank hotels with a river view.
