Swan Island: a beautiful and picturesque place on the Seine

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Quietly and very romantically carries its waters of the Seine, dividing Paris into two halves. In the center of the French capital, not far from the famous Eiffel Tower, there is an artificial Swan Island on the river. This interesting and unusually picturesque place attracts hundreds of tourists every day. We will also take a virtual walk to the Swan Island in Paris!

The Seine River is a symbol of the French capital

Seine is a river in Paris, which has a sacred meaning for a true Frenchman. It was on its shores that the Parisians settled in the 3rd century BC - one of the Gallic tribes that founded the future metropolis. The very name of the river, according to one version, is of Latin origin and translates as "sacred stream".

The Seine originates in Burgundy and flows into the English Channel, collecting water from an area equal to almost 80 thousand square kilometers. It is a full-flowing river with a rather calm course. Its total length is 776 kilometers. The river is the most important shipping artery for France. A large number of large and small ports have been built on its shores.

Main attractions on the Seine

River in Parisflows in a rather steep arc. At the same time, the city is divided into two parts. Historically, the left bank of the Seine is considered bohemian, and the right bank is considered the business center of the capital. The historical center of Paris with its most important sights is also tied to the banks of this river.

When taking a boat trip along the Seine, a tourist will definitely see the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Bourbon Palace, the Louvre, and, of course, the world famous Eiffel Tower. No less popular are the numerous Parisian bridges. In total, 37 of them are thrown across the Seine within the city. The most beautiful of them are the Louis-Philippe and Notre-Dame bridges.

Swan Island is one of the most beloved and most visited places in Paris by travelers. We will tell about it further.

Swan Island: description and location

The property is located in the 15th and 16th districts of Paris. It offers an excellent view of the nearby metropolitan skyscrapers and the Eiffel Tower.

Swan (or Swan) is an artificial island on the Seine, which divides its channel almost in half. An elongated bulk dam was built in 1825. Today, it also serves as a support for the Paris metro bridge. The total length of the island is 890 meters, but the width is only 20 meters.

You should definitely visit this Parisian island! After all, here you can leisurely walk in a calm atmosphere, admiring the beautiful views of the river. This place in Paris will undoubtedly appeal to professional photographers. Here they will find many organic and very successfulshooting angles.

Sights of Swan Island: bridges and alley

Swan Island is not only about walking and taking beautiful pictures of Paris. There is also something to see here.

Thus, the island is crossed by three Parisian bridges at once: Bir-Hakem, Ruel and Grenelle. The most important and largest of them is Bir Hakem. This is a two-tiered bridge, on which the sixth line of the city metro passes. Its lower floor is intended for vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

In the western part of the island is crossed by the Grenelle Bridge, and in the center by Ruel. The latter is one of the most unusual and original bridges in Paris. Its design was built for the 1900 World's Fair. The highlight of the bridge is that it consists of three completely different parts: two stone and one metal. Moreover, the element on the left bank of the Seine is made in the form of a smooth bend on two supports.

Another attraction of the island permeates its entire length. This is the so-called Swan Alley. You can walk it at a leisurely pace in about 10 minutes. The alley is lined with 322 trees. Moreover, these trees are not the same, here you can count more than 60 of their species! Under their branches there are benches where you can have a good rest and hide from the summer heat.

Paris Statue of Liberty

Swan Alley leads tourists to the main attraction of the island. This is a smaller copy of the American Statue of Liberty. The story of her appearance here is quite interesting.

As you know, in 1876the French presented their overseas friends with an impressive gift - a 46-meter statue of Liberty (Statue of Liberty). It was timed to coincide with the centenary of the American Revolution. The giant sculpture was installed in New York and soon became one of the main symbols of the United States.

13 years have passed, and the Americans decided to thank the French by giving them an exact but reduced copy of the statue 11.5 meters high. A return gift was set up on the western edge of Swan Island so that the sculpture "looked" towards the United States.

The Statue of Liberty in Paris holds in its left stone hand a tablet with two historical dates: US Independence Day and Bastille Day.

Here it is - the Swan Island of Paris! It is especially beautiful in the evening, when the multi-colored lights of the most romantic capital of Europe are reflected in the Seine.