Our Top 10 Best Swimming Pools in Paris

Whether you want to get in some exercise by doing laps or simply take a dip to cool off, hot summer days make the perfect time to go for a swim.

We’ve compiled our list of top ten piscines based on aesthetic interest and ability to enjoy the sun’s rays, so grab your swimming cap (yes, nearly all pools in France make you wear one) and head to one of our favorite pools in Paris for a summer baignade.

• La Butte-aux-Cailles Pool
• Piscine Josephine Baker
• Piscine Georges Vallerey
• Piscine Georges Hermant
• Piscine Keller
• Piscine Espace Form Oberkampf
• Piscine Pailleron
• Piscine Roger Le Gall
• Piscine Molitor
• Aquaboulevard

1. Piscine de la Butte-aux-Cailles

Fed by a natural hot water source, the Butte-aux-Cailles Swimming Pool is one of the oldest in Paris. Sitting atop an artesian well dug in 1893, the historic site was initially a shower and bathhouse before becoming a public swimming pool in 1924. The vaulted cement ceilings over the pools and the building’s red brick facade mean it’s architecturally magnifique, and there’s also a beautiful solarium.

Piscine de la Butte aux Cailles
5 Place Paul Verlaine, 75013 Paris
Metro Corvisart
01 45 89 60 05 | Website
Single entry: 3.50€

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2. Piscine Josephine Baker

While none of us would necessarily like to swim in the Seine, the Josephine Baker Swimming Pool lets you feel like you’re swimming in the river while staying in clean water. This floating barge bassin has been docked in the 13th Arrondissement since 2006 and houses a 25-meter pool, as well as a small fitness center and sauna. In summer, the glass and steel roof opens and it becomes an outdoor pool on the Seine. There’s also a rooftop deck for sunbathing.

Piscine Joséphine Baker
Quai François Mauriac, 75013 Paris
Metro Bibliothèque François Mitterand
01 56 61 96 50 | Website
Single entry summer: 6.80€, limited to 2 hours

3. Piscine Georges Vallerey

Built in 1924 and renovated in 1989, the architecture of the Georges Vallerey Swimming Pool is nothing extraordinaire. But, this Olympic-size pool in the 20th Arrondissement opens its roof in the summer, letting you swim in the open air. Benches run the length of the pool, so you can leave your towel, then come back and dry off under the sun’s rays.

Piscine Georges Vallerey
148 Avenue Gambetta, 75020 Paris
Metro Porte des Lilas
01 40 31 15 20 | Website
Single entry: 3.50€

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4. Piscine Georges Hermant

After two years of renovations, the Georges Hermant pool reopened in the summer of 2018. Usually covered by a rigid translucent fabric roof, the Olympic-size swimming pool is fully open-air en été. Work on your tan by the water’s edge or get a workout in on the rooftop fitness center.

Piscine Georges Hermant
8-10 Rue David d’Angers, 75019 Paris
Metro Danube
01 53 38 49 30 | Website
Single entry: 3.50€

5. Piscine Keller

The Keller Swimming Pool actually houses two different pools. One is an Olympic-size pool, divided into lanes by swimming level, and reserved for real nageurs. For those who aren’t looking for serious exercise, a smaller pool accommodates paddlers of all ages.

Both of the pools are under a retractable glass roof which is opened on sunny summer days. While there isn’t a lot of space to lie out, you can sit along the edge of the pools to work on your tan while staying dry.

Piscine Keller
14 Rue de l’Ingénieur Robert Keller, 75015 Paris
Metro Charles Michels
01 45 71 81 00 | Website
Single entry: 3.50€

6. Piscine Espace Form Oberkampf

Now part of a private fitness center, this small L-shaped pool was one of Paris’s premières, opened in 1886. Remarkable for its retro aesthetics, the pool also often welcomes photo and film shoots. A two-story balcony surrounds the pool, leading to locker rooms with vintage doors. If you take the stairs to the top, you’ll discover a small, unsuspected spot for sunbathing. Classified as a Historic Monument, the building now houses a swimming pool, hammams, saunas, and gym.

Espace Form Oberkampf
160 Rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris
Metro Ménilmontant
01 53 47 56 19 | Website
Single entry: 4.30€ for adults, 3€ for children

7. Piscine Pailleron

First opened in 1933, the Pailleron Swimming Pool has a red brick, Art Deco style. Although it was classified as a Historic Monument, the pool was abandoned in 1998, but following two years of major renovations, the Piscine Pailleron reopened in 2006. Still in its original building, the indoor pool retains its old-fashioned charm with its period locker rooms in high galleries. Although covered with a glass roof, the Espace Sportif Pailleron has a large area à l’extérieur for lounging in the sun, with neighborhood families often gathering on the lawn on nice days.

Piscine Pailleron
32 Rue Edouard Pailleron, 75019 Paris
Metro Bolivar
01 40 40 27 70 | Website
Single entry: 3.80€

8. Piscine Roger Le Gall

Built in 1967, the Roger Le Gall Swimming Pool is open to the public during the summer months, letting swimmers swim in either the Olympic pool or the smaller second basin. The centre aquatique also offers lawns for sunbathing as well as a terrace with deckchairs. And while the structure may seem rather traditional, the pool actually reserves three evenings a week for nudist swim nights (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-11pm).

Piscine Roger Le Gall
34 Boulevard Carnot, 75012 Paris
Metro Porte de Vincennes or Bel Air
01 44 73 81 12 | Website
Single entry: 3.50€

9. Piscine Molitor

Inaugurated in 1929, the Molitor Swimming Pool was a dream come true for Parisians. With a large indoor Olympic pool as well as an outdoor pool surrounded by sand and trendy yellow walls, it attracted a host of celebrities. But in 1989, the pools were closed and what was formerly the place to be seen for the rich and famous suddenly became a hub for Parisian underground art.

The pools reopened in 2014, and Molitor is now a little Art Deco resort right on the edge of Paris, with a hotel, restaurant, and rooftop bar all looking onto the outdoor swimming pool. Classified as a Historic Monument, the place has definitely regained its former status as an exclusive place to cool off in the summertime. The piscine de luxe in Paris!

Piscine Molitor
2 Avenue de la Porte Molitor, 75016 Paris
Metro Porte d’Auteuil
01 56 07 08 50 | Website
Pools are only open to club members, hotel guests, and those reserving a spa package starting at 280€.

10. Aquaboulevard

Last but not least, Aquaboulevard certainly has some of the most kid-friendly pools in Paris. With 11 slides (7 indoors, 4 outdoors), a wave pool, and activities like a Tarzan rope swing or the wakeboard machine, this indoor/outdoor water park in Paris is tons of fun. Adults are also sure to adorer thanks to its three saunas, hammam, big hot tubs, and outdoor pools with grassy areas and a sandy beach for sunbathing.

Aquaboulevard de Paris
4-6 Rue Louis Armand, 75015 Paris
Metro Balard or Porte de Versailles
01 40 60 10 00 | Website
Day pass: 35€ for adults, 20€ for children ages 3-11

If you’re searching for spots to keep cool in the city, head to one of these Top Parks in Paris for some shade.