The River Seine reopened to swimmers in Paris on Saturday morning, marking the first time since 1923 that bathers could take a dip in the iconic waterway following a years-long cleanup effort.

A few dozen people of all ages arrived ahead of the 8:00 am (0600 GMT) opening of the Bras Marie swimming zone -- one of three open in Paris this summer -- donning swim caps and goggles as they prepared to dive in and celebrate the long-awaited return of bathing in the Seine.

"I thought it would be freezing cold but it's actually great," said Karine, 51, a care worker from southeast of Paris, and one of the first to jump in.

The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open-water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters which were specially cleaned for the event.

"It's a childhood dream to have people swimming in the Seine," said Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who visited the site in the city's historic centre near the Ile Saint-Louis.

"Look at how happy everyone is," she said with a smile.

Parisians and visitors looking to cool off this........

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