Take a dive into Swim City: For a city break with a twist, plunge into the pools and lakes of Zurich

• Joe Minihane travels to the Swiss city to explore its thriving lido culture 
• He visits Flussbad Unterer Letten, the city’s oldest riverside bathing facility 
• READ MORE:  Inside the swanky Norwegian spa where nudity is celebrated

The swimmer stands atop the bridge. The river, far below, gleams in the sun.

A crowd gathers, watching with a mixture of dread and excitement. With a wink, he jumps some 30ft – there’s a vast crash followed seconds later by his triumphant emergence downstream.

Cheers erupt from those of us on high and the crowd, young and old, spread out along the deck of Flussbad Unterer Letten, one of Zurich’s river pools.

I’ve come to the city for a very different kind of break. One that puts swimming in these spectacular pools – lidos built out into the fast-flowing rivers and lake – at its heart, eschewing museums and churches for something less cerebral but no less wonderful.

Zurich has got a thing about water. It is home to more than 1,200 fountains, all of which bubble with fresh drinking water. Public baths ring the edge of Lake Zurich and its rivers are home to some of the most spectacular, not to mention historic, bathing spots in Switzerland.

Daredevils: Joe Minihane travels to Zurich to explore its outdoor swimming spots, including Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen (pictured), a lagoon that ‘caters for swimmers of all kinds’

The Romans kicked off the craze with the city’s first bath, in what is now Weinplatz. Long after they left, the trend re-emerged, and by the 20th Century there were ten ‘Kastenbader’ timber box baths, designed to boost citizens’ wellbeing as well as keep them clean.

These days it can sometimes feel as if the entire city’s population has taken a collective holiday to loll and lounge at their favourite spot by the water.

After the exploits of the local daredevils, I opt to take the safer option and follow the path to the proper entrance to Flussbad Unterer Letten.

The oldest riverside bathing facility in Zurich, dating from 1909, this bath runs parallel to the main body of the River Limmat.

The current is rapid and the pool acts like a flume, with swimmers sliding in from the steps at one end and being washed down to the far side. It has the power to make even the most rudimentary front crawl look Olympic speed.

The water is a glorious 24C and soon I’m barrelling along with the Limmat at my back. But there is something of a challenge approaching: how to get out. I opt for the steps to the side – but these sail quickly beyond reach. So instead I head straight towards the towering gate where the pool ends.

I come to an ungainly halt before hauling myself up and out, the current raging beneath me. I turn to my friends, let out a laugh and head back to the start. I seem to have found the perfect city break, and it’s only just started.

The next morning, Lake Zurich sparkling beyond the balcony of my room in the delightful Bellrive au Lac Hotel Ameron, I head across the road to Seebad Utoquai.

Above is Flussbad Unterer Letten, the city’s oldest riverside bathing facility

Joe says the current at Flussbad Unterer Letten ‘has the power to make even the most rudimentary front crawl look Olympic speed’

Built in 1890, these lake baths also have separate men’s and women’s pools, as well as a cafe. I choose to head up to one of the fabulous upper decks for an hour of pre-breakfast yoga. I contort myself into a reclined pigeon pose as sparrows dart between our mats, the sun already beating down relentlessly.

Then, sweaty after the exertion, I dive into the lake and swim leisurely to the nearest pontoon, where I pull myself out and take in the view.

Mansions dot the shore to the south. To the east there’s another decked pool, Seebad Enge, which has fountains spraying high into the summer sky. Their cooling embrace is calling to me, especially as Seebad Enge also hires out stand-up paddleboards – the perfect way to get further out on the water and enjoy a workout at the same time.

Above is Seebad Utoquai where Joe does some pre-breakfast yoga before taking a dip 

So after a quick mezze lunch on the rooftop of the swanky Globus department store, I take to the water once more. Despite the stiffening breeze, I manage to stay upright, paddling around the fountains while locals sunbathe on the decks, sipping white wine spritzers in the sun. When my arms are exhausted and my thighs are burning, I head back to the water’s edge and plunge back in head-first for a cooling pre-dinner dip.

The next morning, as the sun slips through the curtains, I’m in need of a long swim to work off the five-course meal I’d enjoyed at Coco, one of Zurich’s hottest restaurants.

This time I walk 15 minutes south, to try out a new spot.

Joe stays at Bellrive au Lac Hotel Ameron (above) where he has a view of Lake Zurich from his room 

‘Kids splash each other with abandon while parents lie beneath parasols,’ Joe says of Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen (above)

Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen caters for swimmers of all kinds, featuring both diving platforms and easy steps in. Kids splash each other with abandon while parents lie beneath parasols.

Wading out, I swim a languid breaststroke, reflecting on a magical 48 hours.

Whether you want wild rapids or the sedate pleasures of a lakeside dip, Zurich is nothing short of a swimming paradise.

• Joe Minihane was a guest of myswitzerland.com.

Source: Read Full Article