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No cooling down despite the heat: Not all pools can currently remain open until the end of summer. That could change.
The most beautiful swimming weather outside, and yet the only Kleinbasel garden pool, as the outdoor pools are called there, is closed. The season in Eglisee only lasts until the beginning of September. Many bathers would like an extension.
“Yesterday I received a letter from visitors to the women’s pool with a lot of signatures,” says Peter Portmann, who is responsible for the pools in the canton of Basel-Stadt. The letter asks for consideration of a longer season. “We are working hard on it so that we can really change that in the future.”
But it’s over for this year: “We’re converting the garden pool for the winter, on the one hand into an indoor pool and on the other hand into an artificial ice rink,” explains Portmann. But: “For next year, I’m confident that a solution will be found so that we can at least keep the women’s pool open longer.” Presumably also with access for men.
In Zurich, opening hours are constantly being expanded
Demand is also high in the Limmat city this season: over two million admissions were recorded in Zurich’s summer pools in August. This mark was also broken in 2018 and 2022.
“Compared to 2019, the summer season lasts at least a week longer in all municipal swimming pools,” says Dorian Eichholzer, Sports Department of the City of Zurich. Accordingly, the opening times of the summer pools have been extended by almost 50 percent since 2016.
This year’s swimming season lasts until October 29th, with the pools closing staggered from September 3rd. “Against this background, the sports office is currently not prioritizing further extensions.”
In Bern, the Badi staff have to go on the ice
“Longer bathing seasons have been an issue for years, especially on such beautiful late summer days,” says Markus Gasser, head of ice and water facilities at the Bern Sports Office. «However, the experiences of the last few years have shown that the official end of the swimming pool on September 18th is correct – meteorologically. A change in the weather is predicted for next week.”
In addition, human resources generally stand in the way of a longer season. “Many swimming pool masters are switching to the artificial ice rinks, and they are being prepared from the beginning to mid-September,” says Gasser.
In addition: “Longer opening times and seasons always cost money, and we have savings targets that we have to meet.” This year, however, the times in Bern’s Lorraine outdoor pool have been adjusted. During the high season you can enjoy the evening sun there until 9 p.m.
Many community pools run on a budget, and that often doesn’t allow for a longer season.
Even if you might wish for a longer season in Olten – “financially speaking, an extension doesn’t help the pool,” says Thomas Müller, manager of the Olten pools. Because of the numerous seasonal subscriptions, there is not much additional income. Müller also emphasizes: “Many community pools run over budget, and many budgets don’t allow for that.”
The situation is different in Lenzburg: the season would actually have ended this weekend, but “when the temperatures are warm, we’ll do it a little longer. If it continues to be nice, we would extend it again,” said lifeguard Christof Hübscher.
Legend:
Bird’s-eye view of bathers in the Walkematt swimming pool in Lenzburg, Aargau.
KEYSTONE/Michael Buholzer
A flexible end to the season seems possible in some swimming pools; Despite the heat, many of the requested locations have finally been canceled these days – for this year.