DIn Rotterdam in Paris, from Copenhagen to – who knows – Rome: the idea that urban waterways can (indeed must) return to bathing he concretely set foot After the Senna cleaning projectculminating in the Paris Olympics in 2024. An alliance of the Swimmable Cities, which has already kept the first world summit: in Rotterdamwhere over 200 representatives from over 20 countries gathered and then they dived into the water.
Bachable cities, the strange idea after Paris 2024
Of course, the road to the bathroom in the collective city is not equally easy. But the goal is high: defining international standards for urban bathing and promoting them does not mean it alone offer relaxation and fun to tourists and residents.
It means rethinking the relationship between people and rivers. It means demanding a right to safe and free access to urban water. “When a city is bathing, it is also more equitable, healthy and resilient», He explained to Guardian Matt Sykes, co -founder of the Swimmable Cities alliance, an international group of urban planners engaged in promoting the culture of outdoor swimming in the cities.
In several large European cities the rivers are already bathing. And they became it in the face of Conspicuous public investmentseither to clean them or to equip them with large floating pools or with other structures.
A swimmer dives into Grenelle’s sure seaside resort on the Senna on the day of the inauguration, on July 5, 2025
The most beautiful cities to take a dip in Europe
Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in the background
Paris spent almost 1.4 billion euros (1.19 billion pounds) for the restoration of the Seine in view of the Olympics, including the construction of Huge basins of rainwater collection To prevent the escape water from the escape and the installation of new filtering systems at the main exhaust points. The three new urban pools in the city center will open have opened the public at the beginning of July. Then they closed again the next day (for four days), due to the pollutants released by the strong rains.
For those who want to try the experience, the three areas monitored by the lifeguards accessible until August 31 are at Bras Marie, Bras de Grenelle and Quai de Bercy. The water quality is tested daily and only 600 bathers are allowed simultaneously. Alternatively, you can dive into the Saint-Martin canal.
Rotterdam, a dip in the port
Rotterdam is, among the Swimmable Cities, a good example. His Rijnhaven was once an industrial port On the south bank of the Nieuwe Maas river. Today is aBathable area with lots of floating pontiles park: is the only legal place to swim in the center of Rotterdam.
Copenhagen, the virtuous example for bathing cities
The case of Copenhagen is considered by the urban planners of Swimmable Cities a virtuous example of long -term investments to make the waterways bathing.
Thirty years ago, when the port was full of industrial waste, diving into the waters of the Islands Brygge neighborhood would seem a madness. More than ten years ago, Copenhagen started a invest in monitoring In real time of the quality of the water and in the deviation of the waste water in case of strong rains. He commissioned the architects Bjarke Ingels and Julien de Smites, at the time little known, the design of large pontiles and other structures. Its clean ports now host very popular public seaside areas with rescue stations, trampolines and saunas.
And among the swimming pools of the port, in the heart of the city, Islands Brygge is the most popular place: In a decidedly urban environment, it offers both a swimming pool and one for dives.
Islands Brygge, Copenhagen (Getty Images)
Zurich, rivers and lakes are public space
In Switzerland, floating changing rooms and secure access points make the rivers of Basel, Bern and Zurich a real extension of the public space.
For example in Zurich You can swim safely in the Limmat river And, alternatively, there are the beaches on the lake, like the Seebad Enge. The water quality is checked monthly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad1yfeygpt0
Stockholm, bathrooms and relaxation
In Stockholm, Sweden, you are never too far from a beach or a pier. One of the best beaches where you can bathe is Brunnsviksbadetlocated in Frescati Hage, on Lake Brunnsvik, in the Norra Djurgården district.
Berlin, bathroom in the spree. And there is not only the floating swimming pool
Berlin launched the Flussbad project in 2012 with the ambition to redevelop a stretch of the spree, purifying the water. Today one of the best known and crowded summer attractions is the Badeschiff, a public floating swimming pool on the river: a way to allow people to take a bath without the risk of immersing themselves in polluted waters.
But Fluss Bad Berlin It also promotes other initiatives to enhance the river as a space available to citizens and to make the laws on the ban on bathing less stringent.
The right to use public water
Above the post relating to the June 2025 event to request the revocation of the absolute prohibition of bathing in the city center sanctioned by the order on the bathing water of Berlin. «Considering the current technical skills of monitoring and daily forecast of water quality, this prohibition is not only obsolete, but also represents a disproportionate limitation of our fundamental right, guaranteed by the law on water, to use surface waters for bathing and swimming without authorization (for public use) ».
There are also lakes in Berlin. Like Schlachtensee, in the forest atmosphere, or the historic Strandbad Wansee, which houses a beach of 1,200 m. Both are located in the western outskirts, near the Nikolasee’s S-Bahn stop.
On Lake Strandbad Wannsee (Photo by Carsten Koall/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
Monaco, on the Isar river
The bathing monk is on the Isar river. A stretch of eight kilometers was renaturalized between 2000 and 2011 and significant efforts were made to improve it. The result is a long series of rapids, gravel and vegetation benches that self -regulates, transforming itself into a summer water park.
Vienna, from the Danube to Donaukanal
In Vienna in different traits of the Danube are destination of bathers.
In recent years, the propensity of the Viennese has increased to exploit as a bathing areaand also the whole Donaukanala channel about 17 kilometers long crossing the city center. Delimited by a closed system, he bifurcated by the Danube at the suburb of NussDorf’s suburb and then rejoin the river further south, at the Prater Park.
Amsterdam, revolution between the bathing cities
In the center of Amsterdam, urban swimming took a big step forward this year, when the swimming pool of the port of Binnenhaven of Marineterrein officially opened, after years in which the place It was used for the so -called “Wildzwemmen” (unregulated free swimming).
Rome dreams of a bathing Tiber
Even Rome, inspired by the Parisian model, would like to participate in the change, transforming the Tiber into a river where it is possible to dive.
The mayor Roberto Gualtieri spoke about it, hoping to be able to conclude by the end of his possible second mandate. GThe main interventions concern the industrial plants on the Tiber and the Aniene, A river that flows to you in the north of Rome. Obviously i costs would be huge And, as Paris took advantage of those for the Olympics, Rome could take advantage of those for the extraordinary Jubilee of 2033.
Until the 60s, swimming in the Tiber was a common practice in Rome. Then the first prohibitions arrived, due to the pollution due to industrialization but also because diseases were detected (including leptospirosis, transmitted by mice). Now those who bathe in the river risk a fine of hundreds of euros, as well as probable health problems.
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