10 beautiful public swimming pools to cool off in in France
The Piscine Molitor is a breathtaking Art Déco monument, but it is expensive to visit - however there are many public pools across France that are more accessible, and just as beautiful, to cool off in
The Piscine Molitor in Paris, celebrated for its Art Deco architectureEric Isselee | Shutterstock
Built by the same architect as the famous Piscine Molitor, the Piscine Pailleron has the same iconic Art Deco style. It is also situated right next to the Buttes Chaumont, perhaps one of the most beautiful parks in Paris. It has a 33m sports pool, a children’s pool, a jacuzzi, and a solarium.
Rates:
€4.90 in the summer for adults, €4 from September to July.
€3.60 for seniors over 65, €3 from September to July.
No rates for children, but they are allowed, with mandatory adult supervision if under the age of eight.
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Opening hours:
Open from 8:30 am to 22:30 during the week in the summer, 8:30 to 20:00 during the weekend.
If you somehow tire of the beautiful sandy beaches of Biarritz, then the municipal swimming pool is just a minute away. Not only is it a beautiful monument, but it is also very good value. Overlooking the Biarritz beach, this is a great place to cool off when the tide is down. Oh, and it is one of the very few indoor sea water pools in France. It has a 25m sports pool, a shallow pool, a hammam, a sauna, a jacuzzi, and a bubble pool.
Rates:
€3.20 for adults if you have an address in Biarritz, €3.90 if you do not.
€1.50 for children under 18 and adults with disabilities (with documentary evidence), and an address in Biarritz. €1.70 if you don’t live in Biarritz.
Opening hours during the summer, from July 10 to September 3:
A huge, open pool with a view of Lyon and the Rhone. Reservations are recommended for this swimming pool, as you may have to wait for up to an hour to get in. The ticket may seem expensive, but all the activities listed below are included in its price. From the pools, you get a beautiful view of the Rhône river, and the city of Lyon. It features a 50x21 metre Olympic swimming pool, a shallow pool, a jacuzzi, water slides and a pool with simulated currents.
Rates:
€8.00 for adults.
€5.50 for young people and seniors.
Free for children under six.
Activities (included in the ticket rate):
Monday morning: Games for young children in the shallow pool.
Wednesdays and weekends: Inflatable bouncy obstacle course in the Olympic pool.
All week: Group games (football, basketball, badminton, table tennis).
Wednesday and Friday mornings: Aquagym.
Sunday morning: Fitness (Pilates, yoga, Zumba).
Summer opening hours:
Open every day, 10:30-15:00 / 15:30-20:00, except Monday 12:00-20:00.
This swimming pool was built in the 1970s, and it shows. There are many other “Piscines Tournesol” with a similar architecture in France, but this one is our favourite. The futuristic architecture will make you feel like you’re swimming in a flying saucer. It has a sports pool of 250 m2, a leisure pool of 125 m2, a shallow pool of 55 m2, a solarium, and a space for water games.
There are two Alfred Nakache pools, right next to each other. One is open in the winter, the other is only open in the summer. It is the largest open-air swimming pool in Europe. With its waterfall, grotto and many amenities, it almost feels like a waterpark offered at swimming pool prices. This huge complex has one 150m x 50m pool, a man-made grotte (cave) with a cascading waterfall made of lava rock from Mount Vesuvius, four picnic areas, two paved beach areas for swimmers to sunbathe, and various sports activities and a 904 m² shallow pool for children.
Rates:
€3.40 if you live in Toulouse for adults, €4.40 if you do not.
€1.50 for under 25s.
Free for children under seven.
Opening hours:
From June 9 to June 23
Monday to Friday: 12:00 - 19:00.
Saturday and Sunday: 09:30 - 20:30.
Address: Rue du Médecin Général Beyne, 28000 Chartres.
Why should you go?
L’Odyssée is the biggest aquatic centre in France with 5000m2 of surface water. It has two olympic swimming pools together with a wave pool, an outdoor lagoon, a wading pool and a beach with a volleyball court. Additionally there is also a sauna, a hammam and a spa.
Rates:
In the summer
€10.30 for adults.
€8.90 for children under 12 or for two for children under six.
€23.20 for a family of four with two children under 12 (proper documentation needed, including a livret de famille.
Opening hours:
Open everyday from 10:00 to 21:00.
The wave pool and waterslide are open from 13:00 to 19:00.
Address: 716 Rue Augustin Caron, 62700 Bruay-la-Buissière, France
Why should you go?
This World Heritage site is the last outdoor art déco swimming pool in France. It is also right next to the Roger-Salengro park, where you can relax and walk before or after your swim.
Rates:
€4.30 for adults.
€3 for seniors over 65.
€2.70 for students, children from 3 to 17, and people with disabilities.
Address: Allée du Dr Fulconis, 06450 Saint-Martin-Vésubie.
Why should you go?
Saint-Martin-Vésubie is a beautiful mountain village that is worth a visit in itself.Its Vesúbia Mountain Park is a sports complex with a wide variety of activities. You can go mountain biking or climbing, but we definitely recommend their many water activities. With multiple indoor pools, and an outdoor beach, you can expect a beautiful view while you swim. You can also pay around €12 per hour to access climbing walls, a zip-line and indoor canyoning.
The Villenave d'Ornon swimming pool Pic: City of Villenave d'Ornon
Address: 359 Rue Aristide Briand, 87100 Limoges, France.
Why should you go?
This is an eight-lane Olympic swimming pool that claims to accommodate up to 1,072 swimmers at once. It is absolutely massive in size, so it is a good choice during heat waves when you can expect other pools to be crowded.
The municipal aquacenter of Limoges Pic: Vert Marine / City of Limoges
Address: 359 Rue Aristide Briand, 87100 Limoges.
Why should you go?
This centre aquatique also feels like a waterpark with a huge range of activities for everyone. It has an Olympic pool, but also a shallow pool with a moving floor, a river, a laguna, slides, a three-level diving pit, and a gym. Entry to the gym requires an additional fee, but it also gives you access to the SPA, sauna and hammam.
Rates:
€6.75 for adults.
€5.40 for children under 14.
Free for children under four.
€25.85 for gym, spa, sauna, hammam and swimming pool
