Summer in Strasbourg usually means heat waves. For now, the temperature keeps rising up to 38C for 3 weeks (July 2022). Despite being surrounded by clean rivers and canals, we didn’t find a single spot to swim near the city center. But if you go a little further south, there is a popular swimming lake in Strasbourg:
Discovering Lake Baggersee
Lake Baggersee is huge and shaped like an almost perfect triangle. And for a good reason: it used to be a gravel pit!
A short video about the lake:
1. Fees, time to travel on bikes, etc
We got to Baggersee Lake by rental bikes: it was easier for us than renting a car or going by tram. From the city center time to travel to the lake was:
- by bike – 20 minutes
- by car – 15 minutes
- by tram – 40 minutes
It is our third week with rented bikes from Velhop and we like using them.
There was no fee for bikers or walkers.
2. Lake Baggersee: beach, water, playgrounds, volleyball courts, etc.
We came at 10 am on Friday and were pleasantly surprised to see a freshly groomed beach. Nice and sandy, it is really wide and long. Plus, the sandy bottom of the lake, and clear water:
Lake Baggersee is great for children: shallow, with a clearly marked guarded area, the water was +26C during the end of July.
Still, we were allowed to swim beyond the “fenced” area at our own risk, what exactly we, adults, did :D.
Swan family was nice to see too:
Kids liked the big playground:
There is also one for toddlers:
And a couple of beach volleyball courts:
The shady area is spacious and near the big playground, and has ping-pong tables:
And a cafe! It opened at 12 pm, we were already leaving, but checked the menu:
3. Restrooms, changing rooms, showers
There are changing rooms and restrooms at the lake and showers in the sandy area. Kids were surprised to see squat toilets:
4. Lake Baggersee: other good to knows
- The top-rated Strasbourg Shooting Club is attached to Lake Baggersee. At first, we were puzzled by the shooting sounds, but then got used to them, they weren’t that bad.
- Barbequing at the lake was prohibited during our visit.
- The Baggersee is directly attached to the Neuhof forest with plenty of walking trails.
- Huge shopping mall located right near Baggersee Lake. We stopped there for lunch and to buy sand toys and water guns for the next visit.
- We would love to bring SUP to Baggersee Lake: the area is huge, with no motorboats, and the water was absolutely clear!
Merci beaucoup! – Thank you very much for reading 🙂
– Your Grazy Goat
P.S.
Don’t forget to check the hours, conditions, and fees before you go
