9 of Europe's historic & most beautiful lidos

Tamara Hinson

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April 2026 is due to see the long-awaited opening of Valentine's Park lido in east London, the first new lido built in the capital for decades.

Rebuilt on the site of an original 1924 lido, this new complex is both a modern investment with exciting new facilities and an ode to the practice of outdoor swimming in the UK, which goes back more than a century.

Here, we take a peek at just some of the most endearing, historic and culturally significant lidos where open-air swimming was, and remains, a number one pastime.

Book your escape: find online offers from Expedia^* on city breaks, hotels, flights, and so much more. Expedia promises great value deals to destinations across Europe.

Tinside Lido, Plymouth, England

A semi-circular saltwater pool jutting out into the sea, the Art Deco Tinside Lido opened in 1935, and it's now one of Plymouth^*'s Grade II-listed structures.

Its design is typical of lidos built during the 1930s, a time when ocean liners were often the inspiration for their sleek lines, curved edges and white façades.

Take a dip here and you'll enjoy gorgeous views over Plymouth Hoe as well as Smeaton's Tower, built as a memorial to civil engineer John Smeaton, one of the UK's greatest lighthouse designers.

Climate in Plymouth

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °F	46	46	50	54	59	64	68	66	63	57	52	48
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	6	7	7	7	6	5	3	3	2
Days with some rainfall	21	16	17	15	15	13	12	14	15	18	19	20
Sea temperature °F	50	48	48	50	52	57	61	61	61	59	55	52

The above guide shows the climate in Plymouth.

Nordnes Seawater Pool, Bergen, Norway

You'll find beautiful Nordnes Seawater Pool on a forested chunk of coastline in central Bergen^*. Take the plunge here, and you'll be treated to stunning views over the water and of the nearby forests. If you fancy a dip in the ocean, there's a cordoned-off open-water swimming area next to the pool.

It feels distinctly Norwegian; the changing rooms are in traditional clapboard structures, and the backdrop of pine trees makes it one of the more scenic spots for an outdoor dip.

Climate in Bergen

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °F	37	37	41	46	55	61	63	63	57	50	43	39
Hours of sunshine (daily)	1	2	3	5	6	7	6	5	3	2	1	1
Days with some rainfall	26	22	24	20	19	19	21	23	27	28	27	28
Sea temperature °F	43	41	41	41	46	52	55	59	57	52	48	45

The above guide shows the climate in Bergen.

Jubilee Pool, Penzance, England

Jubilee Pool, which also opened in 1935, was designed by Captain F Latham, a surveyor and engineer who later revealed that the inspiration for this seafront pool in Penzance^*, Cornwall, with its curved sides and triangular shape, was a seagull in flight.

In 2020, the UK's largest saltwater swimming pool unveiled a new geothermally-heated section and, in 2024, it opened a sauna as well. If you can, visit on a Sunday to experience the pool's 'Sunday Sessions' when you'll enjoy live music from local bands and the lido's bar stays open until 9 pm. When hunger strikes, try one of the delicious crab sandwiches, made with fresh crab from nearby Newlyn.

Climate in Penzance

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °F	48	46	50	52	57	63	66	66	63	57	52	50
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	6	7	7	7	6	5	3	2	2
Days with some rainfall	20	17	18	15	16	13	12	15	15	18	19	20
Sea temperature °F	50	50	48	50	52	55	59	61	59	57	55	52

The above guide shows the climate in Penzance.

Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen, Zurich, Switzerland

This striking circular swimming pool at Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen, which extends into Lake Zurich, was built in 1954 and is around a 15-minute drive from central Zurich^*.

Swimmers will see fantastic views over the lake, and on clear days it's possible to see the snow-dusted Alps in the distance. But it's more than just a swimming pool; there are poolside areas dedicated to yoga and Pilates, and single sex sunbathing areas for naturists.

Make a day of it, and you could venture out onto the lake; SUP boards can be rented from a poolside kiosk, and various Swiss delicacies can be purchased from the on-site restaurant.

Climate in Zurich

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °F	36	39	48	55	64	70	73	72	66	55	45	37
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	5	6	6	7	6	5	3	2	1
Days with some rainfall	15	14	15	16	18	17	16	17	13	12	15	15

The above guide shows the climate in Zurich.

Havre des Pas, Jersey

The Havre des Pas lido on Jersey^* in the Channel Islands opened in 1895 and is one of the earliest examples of a seaside lido within the British Isles.

It's a seawater pool replenished every day when the tide comes in, and if you can handle the chillier temperatures (think of it as cold water therapy), we recommend going for a dip shortly after it opens at 6 am; it's highly likely you'll have the entire pool to yourself with a soundtrack of bird calls from the local oyster catchers.

A curious fact? In 1951, a shark (a small one, admittedly) managed to enter the pool at high tide. Sadly, capturing and releasing the creature was deemed too complicated, so a marksman was summoned and the creature was shot.

Climate in Jersey

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °F	46	46	50	54	61	64	68	68	66	61	54	48
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	6	8	8	8	8	6	4	3	2
Days with some rainfall	20	16	16	14	13	11	10	11	13	15	19	19
Sea temperature °F	48	46	46	50	54	57	63	64	63	61	55	52

The above guide shows the climate in Jersey.

Naturbad Maria Einsiedel, Munich, Germany

The natural swimming pool of Naturbad Maria Einsiedel in southern Munich^* is fed by the waters of the River Isar, which runs alongside it.

The pool has been a popular swimming spot since the late 1800s, and the sunbathing areas alongside it are just as popular, thanks to the fragrant swathes of lavender and the dedicated table tennis areas.

With a total length of 50 metres, and separate pools for beginners and paddlers, it's also one of Germany's largest lidos.

Climate in Munich

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °F	36	39	46	55	64	70	73	72	66	57	45	37
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	7	6	4	2	2
Days with some rainfall	17	15	16	16	17	17	15	16	12	12	15	16

The above guide shows the climate in Munich.

Männerbad Schanzengraben, Zurich, Switzerland

Full disclosure: this spectacular riverside public swimming pool is only for men, but we simply can't leave it out. You'll find it in the centre of Zurich^*, and it's one of Switzerland's oldest.

Tucked into what was once the city's moat, the Männerbad Schanzengraben is surrounded by weathered chunks of city wall and nudges up alongside the city's Old Botanical Garden.

At night time, it becomes one of Zurich's most popular spots for a sundowner; sunset is when its Rimini Bar opens (to both men and women), and carefully concealed lighting gives this waterside bathing facility an ethereal feel.

Climate in Zurich

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °F	36	39	48	55	64	70	73	72	66	55	45	37
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	5	6	6	7	6	5	3	2	1
Days with some rainfall	15	14	15	16	18	17	16	17	13	12	15	15

The above guide shows the climate in Zurich.

Bellerive-Plage, Lausanne, Switzerland

On warmer days, the lakeside pools which make up the Bellerive-Plage complex can attract up to 8,000 people a day, which, admittedly, doesn't leave much room for that supersized inflatable flamingo.

The good news is that these pools in southwest Lausanne^* are huge; the family pool alone measures 50 metres by 70 metres, while the piano-shaped one is 50 metres by 20 metres.

There's also more than enough room to unfurl your towel; in addition to four additional plunge pools and a paddling pool, there are five volleyball courts, two basketball courts, 17 tennis tables and a supervised section of the nearby beach reserved for swimmers.

Climate in Lausanne

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °F	36	41	46	55	63	70	75	72	68	57	46	37
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	7	6	4	2	2
Days with some rainfall	15	14	15	15	17	16	13	14	12	12	14	14

The above guide shows the climate in Lausanne.

Zollverein swimming pool, Essen, Germany

You'll find this admission-free community pool at the heart of the UNESCO-listed Zollverein complex, a former coal mine dating back to 1847 in Essen^*.

The 12-metre-long 'factory swimming pool' is located in what was once the coking plant, and it's constructed from the remnants of two shipping containers, which were broken apart and welded together.

Swimming pools were once a staple of Essen's coal mining complexes, created as places where employees and their families could cool off, and regarded as symbolic of the quality of life enjoyed by West Germany's miners.

Please note, this pool is (rather sadly) only open from mid-July to late-August.

Climate in Essen

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °F	41	43	48	57	64	70	73	73	66	59	48	41
Hours of sunshine (daily)	1	3	3	5	6	6	6	6	4	3	2	1
Days with some rainfall	18	14	17	16	16	16	15	15	15	15	18	18

The above guide shows the climate in Düsseldorf, 24 miles southwest of Essen.

Ready to dip inot Euorpe's best lidos? Check out the latest deals from Expedia on everything from city breaks to hotels, flights and more.

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Tamara Hinson

Tamara Hinson is a freelance travel writer who loves getting off the beaten path. Specialising in adventure travel, she often covers outdoor activities such as snowboarding, mountain biking and scuba diving. Tamara's work features regularly in newspapers such as The Telegraph and The Independent along with numerous travel websites.

Posted on Monday 20th April 2026 in: City Culture Europe & the Mediterranean Excursions

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