The centrepiece of the fourth annual Paris Plage festival – which runs for a month until 21 August – is a 3km long artificial beach inspired by the coast of Brazil.

The 2m euro (£1.4m, US$2.4m) beach – which is created from 2,000 tonnes of sand – is located in the city centre on the banks of the River Seine.

As part of France’s Year of Brazil celebrations, it is separated into sections which are named after famous Brazilian beaches such as Ipanema, Copacabana and Maracana.

In 2004, more than three million people visted the city beach, of which 50 per cent came from Paris, 35 per cent visited from across France, while 15 per cent travelled from abroad.

A spokesperson for the French Tourist Office in London has predicted that Paris Plage 2005 will attract around four million visitors. Details: www.franceguide.com