My hometown lies deep in the Elbe valley. The Elbe River can be reached quickly, but is unfortunately too shallow or too polluted lately to swim in. Nevertheless, it is my first bathing tip, as for a quick cooling, the central location is simply a good place and the feet can always be kept clean.
The Elbe River
As a real Dresdener you go in, of course, but it's best not to swallow so much water. But at least I took a bath in the Ganges... I didn't die from that either.
But if it gets too hot and dry, and there have been many such summer days in the last two years, then you need a shady place where drinks and toilets are quickly available and where you can hang out all day long. The meadows of the Elbe are not suitable for this. Rarely you will find a free shade here, the meadows heat your feet in summer. Quickly to the place?- rather a bad sign. Cold cyclist?- very far back, maybe... and then the hay fever - it's Elbwiesen and there's a lot of hay. So everything is not optimal when it gets really hot.
Besides, I am really annoyed by people who apparently haven't checked out yet that the Elbe meadows are under nature protection. The fact that you can swim and lie here is tolerated, but must not be taken for granted. If you barbecue and drink here, then you take your garbage home with you. If you have to, you have to plan ahead. Because there is usually no toilet far and wide (by no means pee into the Elbe, that becomes disgusting at some point, if everyone does it... really unsexy.
Other bathing areas are more suitable for a whole day's holiday. I was busy, was on the road a lot for you, spared no effort to go through all the surrounding baths to show you my bathing pearls. It was an exhausting research, full of idle hours of bathing, but it was worth it!
Bathing area Waldbad Weixdorf
I discovered the idyllic forest bath north of Dresden. You take the tram 7 direction Weixdorf (one way for 2,40 €) and from the Neustadt you reach the stop Bad Weixdorf in 30 minutes. From there you walk another 10 minutes in an easterly direction to the Waldbad (you can also get off one stop earlier and walk another 10 minutes through a beautiful forest). Those who want to ride a bicycle have to expect a 40 minute ascent - one has to get out of the Elbe valley first - and that means: up the mountain. With 40 degrees for me no option. Who goes with the train, has a Chilean journey.
The forest bath itself is part of a historical garden section from the 20's and thus it still looks there. One feels transported back in time. The small holiday village nestles wonderfully shady around the artificial lake, at the back you can swim to a water fountain. At this romantic sight, one only notices now that one did not pay any entrance fee at all... due to the lack of qualified staff, one decided to make the bath freely accessible, quasi: no bath attendant, no entrance - super!
The "green classroom" of the environmental academy (right) and bungalows, as if fallen out of time. Photo: Juliane Schäfer
Features:
- no admission
- old school GDR flair snack bar with cheap fries, ice cream and bikers
- table tennis and volleyball court, playground available
- many trees where you can hang a hammock
- modern Toilets and Showers are also available
- Sunbathing lawns under the pine grove directly on the Dresden Heath
Details:
Monday to Friday 10:00 to 19:00
Saturday & Sunday 9:00 to 19:00
adress: Zum Sportpl. 1, 01108 Dresden
Nature Culture Bath Zschonergrund
Non-swimmer pool in front and swimmer pool in the back. At the very end you can see the impressive filter system. Photo: Juliane Schäfer
It was founded in the thirties, then decaying during the post-reunification period, and has joined forces with Natur Kultur Bad Zschonergrund e.V. to restore and preserve this unique and beautiful village. Only in 2015 all hurdles were removed and the bath was lovingly restored.
The view from the large sunbathing lawn. Just like on holiday. Photo: Juliane Schäfer
The approach is a little more complicated, but worth it (about 1 hour to the bath). From the Postplatz take bus 94 direction Cossebaude to the bus stop Zschonergrundstraße. Then you have to walk a few minutes along the Zschonergrundstrasse in the direction of Romatik Hotel Pattis (former mill), then continue along the Merbitzer Strasse out of town, past the Zschonergrundbad car park (about 45 minutes from the Postplatz).
The slope of the bath is exceptionally cool. Photo: Juliane Schäfer
Features:
- biological self-cleaning of the water (by aquaculture and gravel bed...)
- Romantic Bistro in the traditional courtyard ensemble
- volleyball court, playground
- spacious green sunbathing lawns directly on the Zschonergrund (also a popular excursion destination for locals), surrounded by pastures with cows and meadows, also suitable for hiking
At the entrance of the bathroom: The bistro, always open when the bathroom is open. Photo: Juliane Schäfer
Details:
- open daily 10 - 19 o'clock (please note opening hours, they vary from time to time depending on the month)
- Admission adults (from 16 years): 3,50 €, children (from 4 years): 2,50 € (children under 4 years free)
adress: Merbitzer Straße 61, 01157 Dresden, Germany
Bath Mockritz
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The outdoor pool Mockritz: To see in front, the frog pond, which naturally cleans the lake behind it. Photo: Juliane Schäfer
The Mockritz outdoor swimming pool is very easy to reach by tram line 11. Simply drive to the end stop in the direction of Zschertnitz. From here you walk for about 10 minutes through the beautiful Kaitzbachtal valley to the outdoor pool. Or if the bus 63 in direction Pillnitz comes right away, you can alternatively take it to the stop Münzteichweg and walk from there for another 2 minutes to the bath.
The Mockritzer outdoor swimming pool captivates by its beautiful location. Furthermore, it comes closest to an open-air swimming pool, as it was usual in the GDR: wooden changing rooms for the pensioners, who spend some of their leisure time there, the snack stall with the long queue (but don't worry), the starting blocks,... everything has this 60s touch, only my bathing cap from that time with the pimples is missing. Nevertheless everything is very well maintained and idyllic. Here I also let complete days pass by: swimming, naps, fries, cyclists, swimming, naps,.... also great with children.
Features:
- Beach volleyball and table tennis tables
- Natural pond without chlorine, which can clean itself with the help of fish and plants.
- GDR snack bar like in the old days: "The Bocki at the Mocki"
- many sunbathing lawns in direct proximity to the old village centre Mockritz and the Kaitzbach, both very pretty
- traditional GDR bathroom, but beautifully decorated
details
- open daily from 9:00 to 19:00 (on warm days also open spontaneously longer)
adress: Münzteichweg 22b, 01217 Dresden, Germany
Please check all bathing areas on the Internet for possible closure beforehand, because all baths can do without chlorine and are also closed at short notice on a daily basis if the biological contamination is too high to recover the water!
26.07.2019, 21:53 @ Jule
Categories: activities · tips · travel · things to do · surroundings · Dresden // Tags: natural bathing in Dresden · where to cool down in Dresden · cool places in Dresden · summer activities in Dresden · Bath Mockritz near Dresden · Bath Zschoner Grund near Dresden · Elbe River in Dresden · Historical Baths in Dresden · What should I do when it is hot? · Elbe Maedows in Dresden · tips for Dresden · things to do in Dresden during summer time · Nature Bath Weixdorf in Dresden