Sunbathers in Paris face jail for showing private parts

Sunbathers in Paris face jail for showing private parts Paris Plage, River Seine. PA

Sunbathers in Paris could face a 38-euro fine or jail for stripping off and revealing too much in the city.

According to the Daily Mail, the French capital's police website states there must be 'no breasts or private parts' on show while sunbathing.

During the summer months thousands flock to the River Seine where the Paris Plage sandy beach is set up.

Parisians have been told by the Police: 'When the thermometer rises a few degrees, you may put on your best bathing suit and find a little corner of grass or the welcoming banks of the Seine to put down your towel.

'But please note that bathing suits should not be worn in official city parks and that dress should be decent and in accordance with good morals and public order.

The website adds: 'Those wearing inappropriate dress can be fined at least 38 euros (£33) and fined up to 3,750 euros (£3,000) and two years in jail if suspected of soliciting sex.'

'Any outfit that allows for the genital area or breasts to be seen constitutes sexual exhibition and is punishable by a year in prison.'

What do you think of the law? Too harsh or a good way of stopping people revealing too much? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Check out our alternative guide to Paris below...

Alternative Paris

Buy a book or three
 This world-famous bookshop,<a href="http://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/" target="_blank"> Shakespeare and Company </a>(Rue de la Bûcherie, Metro: Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame) has provided a bed to some 50,000 penniless authors since it opened in 1951 – the idea being that writers who worked in the shop got to live there, too. The store, which predominantly sells books in English, has become something of an institution, with regular literary events and a constant stream of visitors keen to pick up a new read in order to come away with a bag bearing the shop's name.
Tickle your tastebuds at Berthillon
 If you enjoy an ice cream in Paris, you can guarantee it'll be a Berthillon – a Parisian ice cream manufacturer that started up in 1954. Check out the main store on Rue Saint Louis en l'ile (Metro: Ponte Marie) for a bevy of unusual flavours, including granny apple, prune and rhubarb. Prepare to queue down the road for your cone but, rest assured, it'll be worth it.
Have lunch in a Parisian mansion
 You don't get a much more lavish setting for lunch than a 19th-century Parisian mansion. The café at the <a href="http://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en/jacquemart/496-the_jacquemart_andre_cafe_/www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en/jacquemart/496-the_jacquemart_andre_cafe_/" target="_blank">Jacquemart-André</a> museum  (Boulevard Haussman, Metro: Miromesnil) – which is well worth a visit in itself for its impressive art collection – is adorned with antique paintings and tapestries. A fascinating collection of figures looks down at you from the ceiling painted by 18th-century Italian artist, Tiepolo. The set lunch menu comes in at a reasonable €16.50.
Scare yourself silly at the Catacombs
 Done the streets of Paris? Then why not have a look what's under them? The <a href="http://www.catacombes-de-paris.fr/english.htm" target="_blank">Paris Catacombs </a>(Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, Metro: Denfert-Rochereau) are lined with bones and skulls from The Cemetery of Innocent, which had to be closed because it was causing disease in the city at the end of the 18th century. Housing the remains of close to six million Parisians, it's an eerie but ultimately fascinating sight.
Indulge yourself with Chanel
 Fashion-lovers, history-buffs and shopping queens should all go on pilgrimage to the Chanel Store on Rue Cambon (Metro: Madeleine) where the iconic brand began. In 1910 Coco Chanel opened her first shop – a hat store – here, and had her private apartment on the second floor. Fancy buying something but can't afford to spend thousands? Then come away with a bottle of exclusive 31 Rue Cambon perfume to remember your visit.
Hunt for a bargain in Les Puces de Paris
 Forget the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Dedicated shoppers should head to the sprawling <a href="http://www.parispuces.com/en/Default.asp]" target="_blank">Les Puces</a> flea market on the edge of Paris (Saint Ouen, Metro: Porte de Clignancourt). The market has built up since the 19th century and today, in the maze of tiny, intertwining streets, you'll find over 2,000 stalls creaking with vintage fashion, furniture, crockery, books, and just about everything in between. Be sure to practice your haggling en Français before you go!
See the Statue of Liberty
 Did you know that New York's Statue of Liberty was actually designed by a Parisian, Frédéric Bartholdi, and was given as a gift to America by the French? So it's perhaps no surprise that Paris has it's own lesser-known version (Île aux Cygnes, Metro: Bir-Hakeim). It's just 37 feet, nine inches, to the New York version's 305 feet. But it makes for a wonderfully quirky and incongruent site, with the Eiffel Tower set behind it.
Fall in love with le mur des je t'aime
 Escape the obvious romantic hotspots in the City of Love and visit <a href="http://www.lesjetaime.com/english/index.html" target="_blank">le mur des je t'aime </a>– the I love you wall (Place des Abbesses, Metro: Abbesses). Across 612 enamelled tiles you'll find 'I love you' written in hundreds of different languages. Search for those you can understand or just marvel at this piece of large-scale modern art.
Be inpired by Sainte-Chapelle
 You're spoilt for choice when it comes to churches in Paris, with the likes of Notre Dame and Sacré-C&oelig;ur. But <a href="http://sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/" target="_blank">Sainte-Chapelle</a> (Boulevard du Palais, Metro – Cité) easily rivals them in the beauty stakes, with three walls of near floor-to-ceiling stained glass. Inside the gothic masterpiece, the air dances with colours as the light catches the multicoloured glass – guaranteed to have you captivated.
Make for the Musee Rodin
 If you've ticked off the Centre Pomidou and the Louvre but want an art fix, head to the <a href="http://www.musee-rodin.fr/welcome.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;">Rodin Museum</a> (Rue de Varenne, Metro: Varenne). It displays the work of French artist Auguste Rodin, made famous by his sculptures The Thinker and The Kiss. Set in a picture-perfect mansion and with vast gardens, it's a lovely place to amble away an afternoon. And it's a welcome escape from the madding crowds at the more famous Parisian art destinations.