Paris-Plages

Every July and August, roadways on the banks of the Seine are closed off and host various activities, including sandy beaches and palm trees.

The Paris-Plages scheme was instigated in 2002 by Bertrand Delanoë, the newly elected Socialist Party mayor, as a haven for relieving the misery of those cooped up in the sweltering city.

[2] The scheme has proven a major success; the number of visitors has grown each year and topped four million in 2007.

[2] These include a shuttle ferry linking the two riverbanks, a floating swimming pool, and another beach area at La Villette, in the northeast corner of the city.

In August 2006, the mayor's office sued the commune of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage for impinging on the trademark by using the phrase "Paris-Plage" in its tourism marketing.