Boats on the Boulevards

When the river Seine rebelliously surged over its banks in 1910, Paris faced an extraordinary flood, the waters rising a remarkable eight meters above their regular level. This calamity brought catastrophic damage to the city and its people. But ever resilient and inventive Parisians didn’t let this aquatic intruder dampen their spirits.

As the floodwaters stabilized, they adapted. Streets turned into waterways, and boats replaced cars and walking as the new mode of transportation. Rowing through the city, they maintained a semblance of usual life amidst the flood. This historic flood spurred new measures to prevent such a disaster from happening again.