Paris 2024: 5 Things To Know About The Olympic Torch Relay

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will start on July 26th. But did you know that the Olympic flame, which symbolizes peace and unity among peoples, will begin its journey more than three months earlier? Here are 5 things to know about the route of the Olympic flame in 2024.

She will travel from Greece aboard the Belem.

The journey of the Olympic flame will, of course, begin in the cradle of the Olympics. This sacred fire will be lit at the site of Olympia in Greece, as per an unchanging tradition, on April 16, 2024.

For nine days, the Olympic flame relay will take place in Greece, from Olympia to Athens. It is already known that Greek Olympic rowing champion Stefanos Ntouskos will be the first torchbearer for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Some 600 torchbearers will carry the flame in Greece and cover more than 5,000 km across the country. On April 27, 2024, this highly symbolic flame will leave Piraeus to cross the Mediterranean aboard one of the most famous French ships: the Belem!

She will arrive in Marseille on May 8th.

The crossing of the Mediterranean will be a significant milestone in the journey of the Olympic flame in 2024, and the ship tasked with its transport has not been chosen by chance...

It is a three-masted ship dating from the end of the 19th century, which has been classified as a historical monument. The Belem is also a symbol of France on all the oceans of the world.

After twelve days of sailing, the Olympic flame will dock in France at Marseille on May 8, about two and a half months before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

She is going to visit over 400 French cities.

Ever since this tradition was established at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, the torch relay has always been a journey that is out of the ordinary. For the host country, it's not just about ensuring the trip from Olympia to the Olympic Games' host city.

The Paris 2024 Games will be no exception to this rule. Don't be surprised if you find the route of the Olympic flame particularly convoluted! Its journey is never straightforward, as it passes through highly symbolic places and stages.

Between May 8 and July 26, 2024, the flame will cross more than 400 French cities. The Olympic torch will notably be present in Paris on July 14, 2024, for the national holiday. It will then continue its journey across France before returning to the capital on July 26, for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

She will cross 64 territories, including 5 overseas territories.

The journey of the Olympic torch in 2024 will take it through no fewer than 64 French territories, including 5 overseas territories.

Once it arrives in Finistère, the torch will board a second ship on June 7, 2024, to begin the Ocean Relay. It will be the Breton skipper Armel Le Cléac’h who will have the privilege of carrying the flame aboard his trimaran from Brest to the Antilles. He will, of course, have the responsibility of protecting this sacred fire from the sea spray and wind…

From June 8 to 17, the torch will pass through the Overseas Territories:
• Cayenne in French Guiana;
• Saint-Denis in Réunion;
• Papeete in French Polynesia;
• Baie-Mahault in Guadeloupe;
• Fort-de-France in Martinique.

From there, it will return to mainland France, specifically to Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes on June 18, 2024.

5- His journey will showcase the treasures of the French heritage.

The Olympic flame will not only traverse all the territories of France and the most beautiful landscapes of the country, from the Pic du Midi to the Mont-Blanc valley.

The chosen route also aims to highlight the history of our country and its heritage in a broad sense. The flame will notably weave through the most prestigious French vineyards and pass by centers of excellence such as the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana and the Millau Viaduct in Aveyron.

This torch, a symbol of Olympism, will shine a spotlight on emblematic sites of our country, such as the Palace of Versailles in Île-de-France or Mont Saint Michel in Normandy. It will illuminate historical sites like the Lascaux caves and places of memory like the D-Day beaches.

As a true star, followed by eyes around the world, this flame will even ascend the steps of the Cannes Festival Palace!