The island got its pretty name in 1676. Louis XIV, the Sun King, took his taste for luxury and beauty even to this small strip of land surrounded by smaller islands, using it to raise swans. Today, the swans have gone, but it’s a favourite spot for walkers and joggers, who often meet up under the Statue of Liberty’s benevolent gaze.

This island is a central support point for the Pont Bir-Hakeim and the Pont de Grenelle, bridges that connect the 15th and 16th Arrondissemments. The Allée des Cygnes (Pathway of the Swans) a long promenade lined with trees, runs along the entire length of the island.

Since 1885 the island’s westernmost point has been the home to the statue of "Liberty Lighting the World". Created by Auguste Bartholdi, this statue is a 1/4-scale replica of the Statue of Liberty in New York. The New York statue was given to the United States by France in 1886. The replica on the Île aux Cygnes was originally positioned facing east, the direction of Paris, but was moved to face towards the west, the direction of the United States, as Bartholdi himself wished.