On the Seine, a small island offers a charming place for a walk. A paradise for joggers and dogs, this green enclave in the heart of Paris is a unique place to enjoy on sunny days, welcome to L’Ile aux cygnes (Swan Island)!
A little statue of Liberty
This artificial island, ten meters narrow and nearly a kilometer long, is located between the Grenelle and Bir-Hakeim bridges. Created in 1825, l’Île aux Cygnes bears this name in honor of the 40 swans offered by Denmark to Louis XIV, who had placed them on this island. At the end of the island is a replica of The Statue of Liberty, it is a gift made to France by the Committee of Americans of Paris on the occasion of the centenary of the French Revolution. Originally, the statue looked at the Eiffel Tower, and the Parisians. Its position was changed in 1937. It looks from the west, where its big New York sister rises.
An aerodrome in the heart of Paris
The Swan Island was born from the imagination of the architect André Lurçat. He imagined taking advantage of this unique strip of land in Paris to build an aerodrome in the heart of the capital. Named Aéroparis, it was to serve as a landing strip and take-off for small aircraft. Nowadays, the Swan Island is a perfectly preserved jewel and conducive to delicious walks. At the same time a place of pedestrian crossing between the Pont de Grenelle to the south and the Pont de Bir Hakeim to the north, the Swan Alley offers pedestrians a shaded walk of more than 1km. You will thus walk along the banks of the Seine, and the splendid Haussmann buildings of the Passy district will pass before your eyes.
