10 of Vienna's Best Indoor Swimming Pools
The River Danube is one of the Vienna’s best options when it comes to swimming in the city, but there’s no need to miss out in the colder months, as Vienna’s beautiful indoor baths—some boasting incredible Art Deco and Art Nouveau interiors—are just as refreshing, and most have the added bonus of a sauna on site. Test the waters of these 11 oases.
Stadthallenbad
This 70s-style pool was designed by architect Roland Rainer and is seen as one of Vienna’s prime builds since the end of WWII. The center underwent a large-scale renovation project in 2010 and reopened successfully to the public in 2014. With three swimming pools of varying depth, the largest pool featuring eight tracks, diving boards, and a prominent spectator’s stand, the Stadthallenbad attracts some serious swimmers and is used as the city’s main training pool for professional athletes.
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Diana-bad
This modest complex is perfect for visiting with children, who will enjoy all the playful features that it has to offer; a tyre flume, wave pool, and a life-sized pirate ship should be enough to keep little ones amused. Adults can escape this tyke’s tropical paradise by visiting the sauna next door – an oasis of calm.
Amalienbad
Although unremarkable from the outside, with a bland concrete facade, once you enter through the doors, a kaleidoscopic masterpiece of Art Deco and Art Nouveau architecture unexpectedly reveals itself. Built in the 1920s, this decorative construction is a striking example of ‘Red Vienna’. Beautifully symmetrical wooden cabin doors line the balconies and multi-coloured mosaic tiles conjure up vivid nostalgia for bygone eras. The women’s spa contains some of the prettiest interiors- with a stained glass roof and shimmering blue pillars.
Hietzingerbad
Located on the outskirts of the suburb of the 13th district Hietzing, home to the well-known Schonbrunn Palace and the city zoo, this low-key swimming bath offers you the chance to catch up on your lengths in a local setting. A humble pool surrounded wonderfully tacky palms and sunny yellow tiles, that at night turns a kind of neon deep velvet blue hue, is at the centre. A sauna and steam room are also available on-site for an additional fee.
Jörgerbad
Constructed just before the beginning of WWI, Jörgerbad is among the oldest indoor swimming pools in Vienna. Tastefully adorned in Art Nouveau decor, with rusty orange and sky blue tiles and a swooping oval glass roof – this impressive building in the low-key 17th district is one of the most attractive places to get your daily exercise. A few modern additions have been added to the original 1914 design, including an 8.5m high water slide that runs partially outside the building.
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Arany Spa Vienna
Not really suitable for plowing up and down doing front-craw, this pool is designed to put you in the mood for wading and unwinding. Part of the Arany Day Spa, this 15-metre ambient bath is built in a former bank vault, though you’d never guess as it is now an exquisite and tranquil haven. As well as the pool, there is also a sauna, state of the art gym and steam room.
Hütteldorfer Bad
Therme Wien
This wild and sprawling thermal spa located on the outskirts of Vienna is a world of its own. Inside this titanic construction, designed to resemble a natural oasis, it is all too easy to whittle hours away without noticing the time fly by. There are activities to suit everyone: water slides and diving boards for the little ones, a sauna and steam room and even a library and cinema if you tire of the water-related repertoire. There are 5 main pools, of varying mood and temperature – with the warmest being 36 degrees and the coolest sitting at a refreshing 27. Swimmers of every ilk will find their place here, whether that’s moving your muscles with a fast paced lane swim or losing yourself in the frothy warmth of the romantic grotto pool.
Kurbadstraße 14, 1100 Wien
Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna
Ambient soft pastel lighting gives this swimming pool a heavenly, otherworldly vibe. Similar to the aforementioned, this one is only accessible to guests at the hotel, who can immerse themselves in this luxurious spot and soak up the warming waters. The Kempinski’s spa promises to transport its visitors far away from the stress of the city, with a range of relaxation-inducing facilities including a hydro pool, sauna and six treatment rooms for a hard day’s pampering.
Brigittenauer Bad
Another local venue in one of the city’s more suburban neighborhoods, this uncomplicated complex contains one full-sized and one child-friendly pool, as well as a Finnish sauna containing a steam chamber and an infrared cabin.
Klosterneuburger Str. 93-97, 1200 Wien