Vienna is often listed among the world’s most livable cities — and rightfully so: The Austrian capital has excellent public housing, green spaces galore and a vibrant cultural scene.
But as a Vienna expat, my favorite of the city’s amenities are its numerous outdoor pools. Many of these roughly century-old institutions are much more than mere lap-swimming facilities; many locals use them as a seasonal refuges for sunbathing, reading in the shade beneath towering lindens, or drinking a radler (a lemony drink made with beer or soda) at an on-site cafe.
The outdoor season for the pools typically runs from early May to mid-September. Daily entry for adults costs around 8 euros; less for seniors and children. Here are six options to consider.
Steps away from the Sandleitenhof, a vast municipal housing project, stands another Red Vienna landmark: the Kongressbad. When it opened in 1928, it was a state-of-the-art oasis, featuring a 100-meter pool and 10-meter diving platform. A hot spot for fitness enthusiasts, the Kongressbad was the site of Austrian Olympic swimming trials for the 1928 Games in Amsterdam.
In the 1980s, the pool was refashioned into a 50-meter sports pool for lap swimmers, along with a separate leisure pool for those more interested in frolicking. (The diving platform was replaced by a water slide.) Beyond the main pools, a grassy expanse flecked with sun-loungers slopes up toward the cafe. Try the lángos: a savory, deep-fried dough snack with Hungarian roots, whose intense, garlicky aroma is a staple of summertime in the city.
If the Kongressbad is the jewel of the working class, the Krapfenwaldl is the pool of choice among the haute bourgeoisie. Nestled on a hilltop in the Vienna Woods, it offers spectacular views of the city’s skyline and the surrounding vineyards. Visitors typically include some combination of leathery old-timers, young families and beautiful people who spend the day in languid repose, like Romy Schneider and Alain Delon in “La Piscine.”
For all its sceney-ness, the Krapfenwaldl retains its historical charm. The swimming pool opened in 1923; its gorgeous wood-paneled changing cabins occupy a space that was previously a restaurant designed by Josef Pürzl, a Viennese fin-de-siècle architect. Visitors today can enjoy a coffee on the veranda or seek refuge from the crowds in a shady spot beneath the pines.
There’s a ballad by the Viennese crooner Rainhard Fendrich about an ill-fated trip to Italy during which his girlfriend leaves him for a suave, Alfa Romeo-driving local. The song ends with the line: “I prefer the Gänsehäufel, to hell with Italy.” And, indeed, for thousands of Viennese, this island in the Old Danube offers an ersatz Mediterranean vacation. Known as the “Lido der Hiergebliebenen” (the “lido for those who stayed put”), the Gänsehäufel includes pebbly beaches, a bakery, an ice-cream parlor, a tobacco shop and bocce courts. Who needs the Adriatic?
If urban lakes aren’t your thing, the amenities at the Gänsehäufel also include an aerial adventure park and a wave pool. For the unselfconscious, there’s a separate nudist section on the premises with its own beach and restaurant.
The Schafbergbad is the proud home of the city’s longest water slide. Similar to Krapfenwaldl, the Schafbergbad is set atop a hill in the northwestern part of the city, on a sprawling expanse of grassy undulations. There are several pools, along with snack bars, trampolines, beach volleyball courts and a mini golf course.
But the 335-foot water slide is the pool’s most prominent feature. A brief ascent up the blue spiral staircase offers unparalleled views of the city stretched out below — not that you have much time to enjoy it before hurling yourself into the jet stream.
The chestnut tree-lined Prater Hauptallee is a popular destination for cyclists and runners, and there’s nothing like following an outing on the promenade with a visit to the adjacent Stadionbad, named for its proximity to Austria’s largest soccer stadium. Both venues opened in 1931 to host events of the Workers’ Olympiad, the international labor movement’s counterprogramming to the Olympic Games.
Today, the Stadionbad lives up to its athletic heritage: With two 50-meter pools, the venue is a lap swimmer’s dream. A separate diving pool has a 10-meter platform, though only the one- and three-meter boards are open to the public.
Thermalbad Vöslau
Located about half an hour south of Vienna by train, the spa town of Bad Vöslau has thermal springs that were already in use under the Roman Empire. Today, visitors to the Thermalbad Vöslau can bathe in these ancient waters while enjoying sublime views.
While the site includes several pools, the crown jewel is an man-made swimming hole fed entirely by water from the springs. Take a dip in the (bracingly cool) spring water, then warm up on the grassy island which juts out into the pool. Occasionally the Thermalbad morphs into a venue for readings and musical performances. These “swimming salons” are a nod to an impressive literary pedigree: More than a century ago, the Viennese playwrights Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Arthur Schnitzler were already beguiled by this establishment’s singular charm.
