Piscine Molitor

From its launch in 1929 to its rebirth in 2014, Molitor – birthplace of the bikini, star of 'Life of Pi' – has taken up a lot of column space. But for much of the last two decades, the legendary swimming pool has been nothing of the sort: after being left to go to rust, it became a playground for graffiti artists and ravers, before being snapped up by developers. Now the results are in, and they're disappointing.

Newly integrated into an MGallery hotel, the pool's been transformed into a different, altogether posher beast: all traces of its subversive heritage have been pasted over with overpriced furniture and gold paint. Thinking about going for a dip? No problem – but only if you're willing to shell out €180 for a day pass, or sign up for a year for more than €3,000. A classic example of historic legacy being mined cynically for profit, the revamped Molitor doesn't deserve your euros.