Last Updated on November 14, 2025
The Bièvre river, a tributary of the Seine that has long been buried under concrete where it flows through Paris, is finally poised to see the light of day again. Well, at least parts of it.
Wait. Paris has a second river? You’ll be forgiven if you had no idea. Most Parisians are unaware of it— and for good reason. Around a century ago, the river, which flows from Guyancourt and the suburbs of the city’s southern outskirts into Paris and up to the Île de la Cité, was a polluted, putrid mess. It had been used intensively by millers, tanners, butchers and dye factories (among others) to dump waste, becoming a genuine health hazard.
Pouring concrete over the river and diverting its waters to the sewers seemed like the best solution at the time— well before the conservationist and environmental movement was fully formed. And anyway, during the early 20th century preventing cholera outbreaks and other diseases spread through unclean water was a justifiable priority. It had also been a source of devastating flooding throughout the centuries.
{Related: Key Facts About the Seine River}
So the residents of (then primarily working-class) neighborhoods such as the Gobelins and the Butte aux Cailles, both in the southern 13th arrondissement of Paris, said farewell to an urban river that would nearly be forgotten in the decades that followed.
But that’s all poised to change. Conservationists and city planners with ambitions for a greener capital see the restoration of parts of the Bièvre as part of their strategy for making Paris more resilient amid the effects of climate change, air pollution and other environmental ills.
The details remain a bit fuzzy for the time being— no one knows for sure which stretches of the river might be uncovered and restored. And it’s expected to be costly: most sources say it’ll take hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of Euros in public funds to achieve the ambitious project.
But the officials behind the plans are betting that the benefits to public health and city life could be substantial, not least because the return of the river might help counteract the “heat island” effect that occurs in cities: temperatures are typically significantly higher in urban centers compared to places with less paving and more green spaces.
And as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, Paris is currently one of the least green capitals in Europe, from a standpoint of areas designated for parks, gardens and other urban havens. So creating new riverside areas full of cooling, soothing vegetation could only help improve that metric.
I, for one, can’t wait to see where the “suppressed” river might re-emerge in the coming years. Maybe it’ll again gurgle and flow through the Butte aux Cailles, a district that’s worth a visit for its art-deco architecture and pool, artesian well, street art on nearly every corner, and curious, humble charm. Perhaps the area would be less overlooked if it again had a riverbank area punctuating its narrow little streets.
For more on the history of the Bièvre and its legendary place in Parisian life, I recommend this deep dive from Mary Winston Nicklin at National Geographic.
Related Features at Paris Unlocked
Paris’ Natural History Museum is Essential (With or Without Children)
Seine River Facts & Key Moments in History
French “Bouillon” Restaurants: History & the Best in Paris
Most Beautiful Parks & Gardens in Paris (and a Bit of History)
History of the Paris Catacombs (& How to Visit Them)
Most Beautiful Bridges of Paris: History & How to Visit
Courtney Traub is the Founder and Editor of Paris Unlocked. She’s a longtime Paris resident who now divides her time (as well as she can manage) between the French capital and Norwich, UK. Co-author of the 2012 Michelin Green Guide to Northern France & the Paris Region, she has been interviewed as an expert on Paris and France by the BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Le Figaro, Matador Network and other publications. Courtney has also written and reported stories for media outlets including Radio France Internationale, The Christian Science Monitor, Women’s Wear Daily and The Associated Press. In addition to going down various rabbit holes of curiosity when it comes to French culture, history, food and art, Courtney is a scholar of literature and cultural history whose essays and reviews have appeared in various forums.
