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Because of the high temperatures, the Aare is still swimmable even in mid-October. This gives water lovers something to think about: the ice rinks are already open.
Sun worshipers and Aare fans have been spreading out their beach towels on the lawn in Bern’s Marzilibad over the last few days. The swimming pools are empty, but the Aare is as clear as a mountain stream and with a water temperature of 18.3 degrees it is easy to swim in.
Legend:
Summer in autumn: Aare fans treat themselves to a swim in Bern’s Marzilibad.
SRF/Adrian Müller
Accordingly, a relatively large number of people swim in the Aare and float down on their backs towards the Federal Palace. Or just sit in the water and enjoy the cool water. «It’s fantastic, incredibly beautiful. The water is much calmer than in summer,” says an older man as he climbs out of the Aare.
Despite the high temperatures, the first leaves on the trees have already changed color and the atmosphere in the Marzilibad is different than in midsummer. “There are no fish in the water, you have a lot more space. “It’s just incredibly nice to be swimming in the Aare now,” says a pensioner.
The 25 degree mark was broken several times
The autumnal Aare swimming is made possible by the summer temperatures that have been around for days. With 25 degrees, the latest summer day since measurements began in 1864 was recorded on Tuesday, October 10th at the Bern- Zollikofen measuring station.
Legend:
Aare fans and sun worshipers enjoy the summer days in October.
SRF/Adrian Müller
In October 2023, the 25 degree mark has already been broken five times. According to SRF Meteo, this had only happened once since 1864: at 25.3 degrees on October 4, 1985.
Normally the maximum temperatures in Switzerland in October are around 15 degrees. According to SRF Meteo, the October norm for Bern is 14 degrees.
The highest Aare temperature measured in October at the Bern-Schönau measuring station was 18.9 degrees on October 3, 2011.
Normally the ice bathing season begins now in the Aare.
The high temperatures give Aare fans something to think about. “Normally the ice bathing season begins now in the Aare. From a purely climate change perspective, I don’t think it’s all that cool that it’s still summer in October,” says a young woman. «The grief floats with you. “What’s the point of this, where does this lead to,” says another man.
Legend:
The pools are empty: the swimming season in the Marzilibad has actually long since ended.
SRF/Adrian Müller
Summer in October: Christian Bigler, head of the Bern sports office, has never experienced such conditions before. Despite the high temperatures, the Marzili season has long since ended and the wooden bunks have been dismantled. A spontaneous extension of the season is not possible: “The staff seamlessly switched from the outdoor pools to the artificial ice rinks,” he says.
Badi staff are already working on the ice rink
Just a few hundred meters from the Marzlibad, the winter sports enthusiasts are “schlöfle” in the Ka-We-De artificial ice rink – and often in T-shirts. «It’s a little warm. It feels like bathing weather, but we’re on the water, so to speak,” says an ice skater.
Legend:
An ice skater ventures onto the Ka-We-De ice rink in Bern wearing a T-shirt and shorts.
SRF
But the summery autumn will soon be over: next weekend, a cold front will put an end to the joys of summer, and by Monday the temperatures on the north side of the Alps will drop to 11 degrees.