The Seine's Many Faces

The Seine changes character dramatically as it flows through the Île-de-France region. In the fashionable west, at Neuilly and Boulogne, it's lined with expensive apartments and private boat clubs. But travel east to Ivry or Vitry-sur-Seine, and you find a different river—one bordered by public housing, community gardens, and grassroots arts spaces.

These contrasts tell the story of modern France. In Saint-Denis, where the river meets the canal, you can hear a dozen languages at the weekend markets that set up along the water. Somali mothers watch their children feed ducks while discussing the best stalls for fresh fish. Chinese grandparents practice tai chi on the same quais where Frankish kings once embarked for war.

"The Seine doesn't belong to any one group," emphasizes Yasmina Khelif, who runs a community kayaking program in the northern suburbs. "Rich, poor, old, young, wherever you come from—the river is there for everyone. That's what makes it democratic."