With the mercury pushing the upper 30s in Germany this week, many people will be heading to their favourite lakes and pools to cool off. Here are some recommendations for the best places to beat the heat in Bavaria.
For many in Germany, the best way to deal with high summer temperatures is to put on a swimsuit and get outside to spend some time by the nearest body of water.
While those in more northern regions can head toward the beaches along the North or Baltic seas, people in the land-locked state of Bavaria are more likely to content themselves with a closer lake, river or swimming pool.
Fortunately for inhabitants of the Free State, there are plenty of quality swim spots, including emerald alpine lakes and highly rated Freibäder (open-air swimming pools), to choose from.
In Munich: Float down the Eisbach
If you’ve spent a summer in Munich, you’ll know that there’s one central spot that locals and tourists alike flock to for a refreshing dip on hot summer days.
The Eisbach is a two-kilometre-long canal that runs through Munich.
It’s perhaps best known for river surfing on a stationary wave (the Eisbachwelle) which is found in the city’s biggest central park – the English Garden. But on hot summer days, you’ll see hundreds of people gathered along the banks of the river throughout the park.
A surfer riding on an artificial wave in the canal of the Eisbach river at the English Garden park in Munich, southern Germany. Photo: Christof STACHE/AFP.
With a name that translates to “ice stream”, it should come as no surprise that the river’s waters are quite fresh – even on the hottest summer days.
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An easy option is to bathe in the smaller Schwabing stream, a slower-moving off-shoot that runs through a meadow in the centre of the park. This is also an excellent area to sunbathe, and not far away you can grab a drink and some local fare from the beer garden at the Chinese tower.
READ ALSO: Where can you go surfing in Germany?
However, you’ll also see people jumping into the Eisbach, just downstream from the surfing wave and letting the fast-moving current carry them downstream.
A word of warning: Officially, swimming in the Eisbach is illegal because the current is strong, and it can be dangerous if you miss the exit point. You can find more information on the English Garden website.
The Eisbach is fed by the larger Isar river, which flows down to Munich from the Alps.
For those looking for a bigger river adventure, there are opportunities to be found here. For example, there is a two-and-a-half-hour rafting tour heading toward Munich that is accessible by U-Bahn that Deutsche Bahn recommends on its website.
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Around Munich: Alpine lakes
Outside of Munich there are plenty of lakes to be found, including some that are often claimed to be among Germany’s most beautiful.
For an easy day trip, there are decent options that you can reach quickly on an S-Bahn train from Munich, such as Starnbergersee, for example.
But the region’s highest-rated lakes, in terms of beauty, tend to be those scattered among the German Alps.
Of these, Walchensee and Königssee are two popular options. At the former, you can also take a gondola to the top of the Zugspitze (Germany’s highest mountain). A fun adventure at Königssee involves taking a boat across the lake, and then hiking to Die Eiskapelle (Ice Chapel) which is a large cave in a glacier.
A couple of slightly less crowded options would be Tegernsee or Kochelsee. Both of which offer pristine bathing areas, stunning scenery, and plenty of options for nearby hikes.
The church of St. Bartholomä in the national park at Königssee. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Lino Mirgeler
Well beyond Munich
Of course not all of Bavaria’s great bathing spots are in the south.
There are also world-class swimming spots to be found in Franconia, for example.
Near to Bamberg, Hütsee is right on the edge of the Hassberge nature reserve.
READ ALSO: Six day trips you can take from Nuremberg with the ‘Deutschlandticket’
South-west of Nuremberg in the Franconian Lake District, there are seven lakes, including Brombachsee – a massive lake which is popular for sailing.
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Brombachsee made national news earlier this summer when a two-metre catfish, which allegedly bit several swimmers, was executed by local police and then cooked and served at a nearby restaurant.
Freibäder
A trip to the lake is great when you have the time, but sometimes you just want to cool off quickly without committing most of a day to do so. In this case, you can make a quick visit to your local Freibad.
If you have yet to immerse yourself in Germany’s public pool culture, you’re in for a treat.
More than just a pool, many Freibäder also include restaurants and extensive outdoor spaces for sunbathing and sports fields for volleyball or football. They often also have waterslides or high-dive decks.
READ ALSO: Freibad – The etiquette rules you need to know for Germany’s outdoor pools
For a quick dip, you can just head to whichever is closest. Or, if you want to experience something more, you could try one from this list of Bavaria’s best outdoor pools by broadcaster BR.