Swiss Embassy highlights free access to Europe’s largest public swimming pool

DHAKA, Sept 19: The Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh has highlighted the Weyermannshaus swimming pool in Bern, describing it as Europe’s largest public swimming pool and an example of how public infrastructure can contribute to quality of life and accessibility.

In a post on its official Facebook page on Friday, the embassy said the Weyermannshaus pool contains approximately 25,000 cubic metres of water, equivalent to around 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The embassy also drew attention to the facility’s free admission, saying access is free, like the other public swimming pools operated by the City of Bern.

The Weyermannshaus, locally known as “Weyerli”, is one of Europe’s largest outdoor pools. Bern’s tourism authority says the facility has a water surface of about 15,500 square metres, while the Swiss railway company BLS describes the pool as having a water surface of around 16,000 square metres.

The pool features a large lake-shaped basin, 50-metre swimming lanes, a diving area, a children’s pool and a wide water slide. The surrounding grounds include extensive lawns and recreational facilities.

The City of Bern says admission to its public outdoor swimming pools is generally free, with the Ka-We-De pool being an exception.

The Swiss embassy's post presented the Weyermannshaus facility as an example of public investment designed to make recreational infrastructure broadly accessible to residents.