Citizens of Freiberg anticipate the arrival of warmer weather - Anticipated return of summer promises open-air bathing opportunities
In the heart of Germany, the summer of 2022 has seen its fair share of showers, and this has had an impact on the popular outdoor swimming pools in the region of Thuringia.
Despite the inclement weather, Schwanseebad Weimar, a well-known swimming spot, still managed to attract up to 200 visitors on bad weather days. These visitors included regular swimmers and training groups, demonstrating a commitment to their aquatic activities despite the rain.
However, other swimming pools in Thuringia, such as Freibad Ilmenau, have experienced a decrease in visitors due to the bad weather. The DWD (German Weather Service) forecasts a return of summer weather to Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt towards the end of the summer holidays, offering hope for a late summer spike in attendance.
Schwanseebad Weimar is anticipating this possible late summer, with its swimming master expecting a 20 to 25 percent decrease in visitors this year compared to the average of the last three to four years. This decrease in visitors is also evident in other swimming pools, with Erfurter Strandbad, for instance, recording around 35,000 bathers, about 1,000 fewer than last year.
Some swimming pools, like Waldbad Ruhla in the Wartburg district, had to close for a few days due to the weather. Jan Pfeiffer, the swimming master at Freibad Ilmenau, expressed his frustration at the bad weather falling during the school holidays, a period when they usually see a surge in visitors.
The German Weather Service reported that it rained in Thuringia on 15 to 20 days in July. This rainy weather has led to shortened opening hours and closure days for some swimming pools in Thuringia.
Looking ahead, the DWD predicts temperatures of 25 to 28 degrees on Thursday in Thuringia with no significant rainfall. This could signal a much-needed boost in swimming pool attendance as the summer holidays draw to a close.
For a more precise analysis of the impact of the rainy July on swimming pool attendance in Thuringia, local tourism boards, municipal recreation departments, or weather and leisure statistical reports from 2022 would be the ideal sources to consult.
The community policy addressing the impact of unfavorable weather on home-and-garden lifestyle activities, such as outdoor swimming, may need to be reassessed, considering the increased number of bad-weather days at swimming pools in Thuringia. With the forecasted return of summer weather, the lifestyle choices of residents, particularly those involving their home-and-garden environment, could see a significant improvement.
