Sports in Warsaw - Swimming
Created | Updated May 14, 2002
Warsaw has about six months winter (or winter-like weather consitions). So if you are not the one- or two-day tourist, but live in the city for work or study, there will be that decisive moment in your life when you watch out into the dark Warsaw winter, feel the icy wind on every milimeter of skin not covered with thick layers of dress, twist your cold toes in your wet boots and socks and scream inwardly (or aloud): I WANT TO SUBMERGE IN WARM WATER!!!
At that point, what would be better than relaxing in a hot, bubbling jacuzzi under (plastic) palms while outside the snow falls? You can have that as well as good swimming pools (up to 50 metres), saunas and water slides at a few newly opened places in Warsaw. You may even learn to dive and prepare yourself for the real Maledives.
Until recently going to a public swimming pool in Warsaw gave you the full load of socialistic bureaucracy and service standards. Although in many city borroughs you may find pools, you are only admitted in if you have bought in advance a three-months subscription. For that you had to queue for hours during times where you should have been working or sleeping, as these subscriptions are sold only on one specific tuesday (or thursday) in the season from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., as is clearly noticed on the last page of the local public gazette from the previous year, which you of course have at home (or so...). Once in the pool you find the hygenic standards acceptable due to the enormous use of chlorin. And the danger of having cut your toes on some splintered tile can be easily avoided by a sharp outlook for such tiles.
But times have changed to the better! A few places should be introduced to the warmth-longing traveller
Wodny Park, ul Merliniego 4 (Trams 4, 18, 35, 36 from the city centre)
The place is a new public 50-mteres swimming pool with a lot of additional features. Accessible with the same entrance fee as for the pool are hot jacuzzis, two water slides, an open-air pool, a counter-current pool (only dead fish swim with the current, hehe!) and several shallow and warm pools for small children. For an additional fee you can go into the sauna area with several steam and dry saunas, a solarium and a winter garden. Beware that the sauna area is not separated-sex and that swimsuits are not allowd inside. You should bring a large towel if you want to cover yourself.
Wodny Park offers a lot more: A large gym offers all kinds of training machines and free weights as well as aerobic classes; ou can rent squash courts by the hour; and you can learn to dive at the inhouse diving school (PADI).
The downside of Wodne Park is that it is fairly expensive and usually well-frequented though not crowded. One hour for an adult (that includes students) cost between 10 to 16 polish zloties or 4 euros. Admission to the sauna area is between 20 to 25 zloties, depending on the time of day.
The place is well accessible by public transport. It is located on the short ul. Merlingiego, a parallel to the large and well known ul. Pulawska. It lies a little bit outside and south of the centre, but a 20 min tram ride from the Forum Hotel (synonymous for city centre) gets you there.
Aqua Magnum, ul Potocka 1 (Tram 36)
In spite of the grand name, Aqua Magnum features only a 25-metres pool, but it is a new and clean place. Generally it is not as ambitious as Wodny Park, as it has no water slide or other fun elements. However, admission is also a little cheaper. A sauna, solarium, squash and aerobic are also available for extra fees. Situated in the "far north" of Warsaw it might be convenient to reach for all people who love in Zoliborz or the Old Town area and therefor preferred over Wodny Park. The ride with Tram 36 from the Forum Hotel may last 25 minutes.
Inflacka Basen, ul Inflacka.
Frankly spoken, this is a very special place and many will not like it. The advantages: The place is really cheap (9 PLN per swim) and close to the centre. It features a 50-metre-pool, so it gives enough room for the serious swimmer. BUT it is a total reminescence of the good old socialistic times. The entire place looks like a Red Army sports facility, from the changing rooms with their metal lockers to the showers (barracks-style) to the pool itself (under a prehistoric tennis-court tent), and is quite a bit dirty. However, you may like exactly that special touch. Otherwise: Dont Go!
Have a nice swim!
At that point, what would be better than relaxing in a hot, bubbling jacuzzi under (plastic) palms while outside the snow falls? You can have that as well as good swimming pools (up to 50 metres), saunas and water slides at a few newly opened places in Warsaw. You may even learn to dive and prepare yourself for the real Maledives.
Until recently going to a public swimming pool in Warsaw gave you the full load of socialistic bureaucracy and service standards. Although in many city borroughs you may find pools, you are only admitted in if you have bought in advance a three-months subscription. For that you had to queue for hours during times where you should have been working or sleeping, as these subscriptions are sold only on one specific tuesday (or thursday) in the season from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., as is clearly noticed on the last page of the local public gazette from the previous year, which you of course have at home (or so...). Once in the pool you find the hygenic standards acceptable due to the enormous use of chlorin. And the danger of having cut your toes on some splintered tile can be easily avoided by a sharp outlook for such tiles.
But times have changed to the better! A few places should be introduced to the warmth-longing traveller
Wodny Park, ul Merliniego 4 (Trams 4, 18, 35, 36 from the city centre)
The place is a new public 50-mteres swimming pool with a lot of additional features. Accessible with the same entrance fee as for the pool are hot jacuzzis, two water slides, an open-air pool, a counter-current pool (only dead fish swim with the current, hehe!) and several shallow and warm pools for small children. For an additional fee you can go into the sauna area with several steam and dry saunas, a solarium and a winter garden. Beware that the sauna area is not separated-sex and that swimsuits are not allowd inside. You should bring a large towel if you want to cover yourself.
Wodny Park offers a lot more: A large gym offers all kinds of training machines and free weights as well as aerobic classes; ou can rent squash courts by the hour; and you can learn to dive at the inhouse diving school (PADI).
The downside of Wodne Park is that it is fairly expensive and usually well-frequented though not crowded. One hour for an adult (that includes students) cost between 10 to 16 polish zloties or 4 euros. Admission to the sauna area is between 20 to 25 zloties, depending on the time of day.
The place is well accessible by public transport. It is located on the short ul. Merlingiego, a parallel to the large and well known ul. Pulawska. It lies a little bit outside and south of the centre, but a 20 min tram ride from the Forum Hotel (synonymous for city centre) gets you there.
Aqua Magnum, ul Potocka 1 (Tram 36)
In spite of the grand name, Aqua Magnum features only a 25-metres pool, but it is a new and clean place. Generally it is not as ambitious as Wodny Park, as it has no water slide or other fun elements. However, admission is also a little cheaper. A sauna, solarium, squash and aerobic are also available for extra fees. Situated in the "far north" of Warsaw it might be convenient to reach for all people who love in Zoliborz or the Old Town area and therefor preferred over Wodny Park. The ride with Tram 36 from the Forum Hotel may last 25 minutes.
Inflacka Basen, ul Inflacka.
Frankly spoken, this is a very special place and many will not like it. The advantages: The place is really cheap (9 PLN per swim) and close to the centre. It features a 50-metre-pool, so it gives enough room for the serious swimmer. BUT it is a total reminescence of the good old socialistic times. The entire place looks like a Red Army sports facility, from the changing rooms with their metal lockers to the showers (barracks-style) to the pool itself (under a prehistoric tennis-court tent), and is quite a bit dirty. However, you may like exactly that special touch. Otherwise: Dont Go!
Have a nice swim!
