Bad results for Saxony-Anhalt's outdoor pools: Where are the bathers?

Bad results for Saxony-Anhalt's outdoor pools: Where are the bathers?

In Saxony-Anhalt, the 2023 swimming season is anything but a hit. The operators of outdoor pools and bathing lakes are recording a noticeable decline in guests compared to previous years. The main reason for this is the vagaries of the weather - an unstable summer that ranged from cool May to heat waves and severe storms has spoiled many people's desire to jump into the cool water. [MDR].

The situation is similar in the Querfurt outdoor pool: Despite the bad weather, 30 long-term swimmers have found themselves here and are sticking firmly to their ritual. But that is not enough to offset the declines. It's different in the Harz district, where the Waldsee resort of Hasselfelde suffered particularly from the rain in July. Mayor Norman Klebe (CDU) also draws a devastating conclusion about the Arendsee lido in the Altmark and describes the season as “extremely modest”.

An average summer

A closer look at the numbers shows that only 97,243 visitors were counted in the outdoor pools in Magdeburg by the end of July 2023, while there were 118,098 in the previous year. The holiday and after-school groups that normally ensure full baths were missing this year and were particularly noticeable in the mornings. In Halle, the municipal utilities report a decline of around 30 percent compared to 2022. These difficulties are also noticeable in other outdoor pools such as the Waldbad Dessau and the Flämingbad Coswig - the number of visitors is falling everywhere, which poses challenges for the operators. [n-tv].

However, the operators are not completely lost: Despite the adverse circumstances, there is a positive interim result at Heidebad Halle. Here the guests remained loyal despite the chaos of the weather, which is a small ray of hope. The operators are also planning an Oktoberfest and a Halloween party for the fall in order to attract a few more visitors.

A comparison to Saxony

In contrast, the spas in Saxony can report an upswing. In Leipzig, over 1.25 million people visited the indoor and outdoor swimming pools in 2024 - an impressive increase of 10% compared to 2023. This shows that the bathing fun offer is much better received in other regions. In Dresden too, the number of visitors totaled around 1.68 million. [diesachsen.de]. It seems as if the operators had the right touch for a successful season.

All in all, it can be said that the outdoor pool season in Saxony-Anhalt leaves a lot to be desired, while the pools in Saxony can draw a positive conclusion. The operators in Saxony-Anhalt are hoping for a “golden autumn” in order to at least save the season and improve their balance sheets a little.