Fancy a day at the beach in central Paris?

That question is not as strange as it might sound. Every summer since 2002, the banks of the Seine and the La Villette Canal Basin in Paris turn into a seaside resort known as Paris Plages.

Every summer, a free city beach with sand and swimming areas is set up by the canals in Northen Paris, Bassin de la Villette, August 2019 RFI / Arnab Béranger

Parisians and visitors alike can relax and take advantage of the cool lawns, sun umbrellas, deckchairs, palm trees and cultural and sports activities.

Arnab Béranger put on his flip-flops and swimming shorts in search of golden sand in the heart of the city in today's report from a five-part series on summer in Paris.

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