Berlin's Outdoor Swimming Pools Face a Challenging Season

The commencement of the outdoor swimming pool season in Berlin has encountered significant challenges this year. The Berlin Pool Operations are implementing budget cuts, resulting in many outdoor pools not being heated as they have been in the past. The weather in May has also been inconsistent, failing to provide the warm conditions typically expected during this time, impacting pool attendance.

As of now, the pools have seen only 43,541 visitors, a stark contrast to the 112,096 visitors recorded at the same point last year. This sharp decline in attendance has been attributed largely to the weather conditions. In May 2024, there were ten days with temperatures exceeding 25 degrees Celsius, whereas this year, there have only been two such days, with 19 days recorded below 20 degrees.

In 2023, the weather in May was similarly cool, yet 65,787 individuals visited the outdoor pools during that month. This raises the question of whether the unheated pools this year are deterring visitors due to the colder water temperatures.

The pool operations have indicated that the primary reason for the low turnout is indeed the weather. They pointed out that while the water temperatures were consistent in both 2023 and 2024, the weather conditions were not. Furthermore, this year, only four pools can be heated using fossil fuels due to budget constraints.

It remains to be seen how the new pricing structure may affect attendance. Historically, only six percent of summer pool visits occur in May, making it difficult to draw conclusions about overall revenue from such a small sample size. Nevertheless, there are still various discount and promotional offers available for families and early buyers.

The first outdoor pool to open this season was the Sommerbad in Kreuzberg, known as Prinzenbad, which opened on April 30. This was followed by several other pools, including those at Am Insulaner, Olympiastadion, Wilmersdorf, as well as Strandbad Wannsee and Freibad Gropiusstadt.

This season, two swimming pools in Kreuzberg and Wilmersdorf, along with two pools in the Sommerbad Seestraße in Wedding, are heated to 22 degrees Celsius. Other pools will rely solely on solar heating, utilizing extensive black hoses to warm the water.

The ticket purchasing process remains similar to last year, with options to buy tickets online. Early bird discounts are available, as well as offers for families with children. On particularly warm days, potential visitors can check online for real-time updates on pool capacity, allowing them to plan their visits accordingly.