The Bièvre River's hidden course

The Bièvre River, 34.6 km long, originates in Guyancourt, in the Yvelines, and flows through the southern suburbs of Paris before ending in the city's main sewer collector. It no longer flows into the Seine, and its last visible sections in Paris were covered in 1912.

A river covered in 1912

The last remaining open sections of the Bièvre within Paris, including Croulebarbe, Glacière, and Valence, were covered in 1912 under the streets bearing these names. Since then, the river has been entirely buried in the capital, with most of its former course filled in.

The river's historical role

For centuries, the Bièvre was a working river, used by tanneries and dyers who discharged waste into it, turning it into an open sewer. In the Glacière neighborhood, the river's frozen water was stored for summer use, but by 1730, its waters were already deteriorating.

Efforts to uncover the river

In the 1980s, local groups in the Val-de-Marne region began advocating to free the Bièvre from concrete. Their efforts led to the first exposed section in Fresnes in 2003, a 140-meter stretch that marked the beginning of a movement to bring the river back into the open.

Recent river revival

In 2022, 600 meters of the Bièvre were exposed again in Arcueil and Gentilly, running between Paul Doumer Avenue in Arcueil and Gandillon Street in Gentilly. A new promenade now accompanies the river, allowing people to walk along its path.

Future possibilities for the river

A 2001 study by the APUR explored the potential for the Bièvre to flow freely again in Paris, suggesting 2,300 meters could be reopened in three areas. However, this would require significant excavation, as the river is now buried under several meters of earth or rubble in the city.