Have you tried visiting any of the outdoor swimming pools in Berlin on a hot day recently? ☀️ …Did you bring the kids and stand in line without a ticket? Were there tears? 🙈 Do you now require couple’s therapy?
We’re happy that the Berliner Bäder-Betriebe pools are back to normal operations. But what to do when the entire population of Berlin shows up without a ticket 🥵 and gets in line for over an hour on a 35-degree day? They call it a “meltdown” for a reason… 😉 We’re here to tell you how to skip the queue for the entire summer season and how to survive the day. To all the parents of young children – this one’s for you! 🙌
One word – one very long German word. Sommermehrfachkarte. It’s a season ticket to all the outdoor swimming pools in Berlin.
The Sommermehrfachkarte – Berlin’s summer season swimming ticket
It’s 70 EUR for 20 entries. Earlybirds get it for 60 EUR in the Spring. Since a single entry for adults is normally 5,50 EUR, this card turns the entry price into a Schnäppchen (bargain).
Guaranteed entry. You skip the queue and you don’t get held back if the pool is full. This is priceless. Queuing at a pool on a hot day in Berlin can mean a good hour of waiting with no shade. It is a guaranteed mood killer.
Where can I swim?
Here’s a list of the outdoor swimming pools in Berlin that you can access with your summer season ticket:
- Sommerbad Humboldthain
- Sommerbad Pankow
- Kinderbad Monbijou
- Kombibad Seestraße
- Sommerbad Kreuzberg
- Sommerbad Olympiastadion
- Sommerbad Wilmersdorf
- Strandbad Wannsee
- Sommerbad am Insulaner
- Sommerbad Neukölln
- Kombibad Gropiusstadt
- Sommerbad Mariendorf
- Sommerbad Wuhlheide
It’s only for the summer season outdoor pools, not indoor swimming pools.
What’s the catch?
Each pool has its own season and opening times. I highly recommend that you check the website of the pool you wish to visit before you get off and make sure it’s open…. to avoid tears. Trust me.
It might be a little colder than expected this summer – the company is using less gas to heat its pools.
You can’t pick it up online. That would be too easy now, wouldn’t it?
How to get your hands on a Sommermehrfachkarte
Unlike the day tickets, which can be bought online, this special card requires a bit of extra effort. You buy it in person at the ticket counter of any Berliner Bäder-Betriebe. Can you pay by card? Maybe, maybe not. Can you pay by cash? Maybe, maybe not. Depends on the pool. I’d take both.
Other tips for families
- If it’s really hot, and it’s a weekend, don’t try to show up without a QR code ticket. The queue is breathtaking.
- Expect a 45-minute wait in the queue without shade for the kiosk.
- They’ll serve things like meatballs, chicken nuggets, sausages, chips or ice-cream.
- You’ll probably need cash.
- Bring your own padlock for your valuables.
Happy swimming!
Kathleen
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