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Times
a day ago
- Times
Jump in! Europe's ten best cities for swimming
Ever heard that song by the Lovin' Spoonful? 'Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck gettin' dirt' and gritty …' I think of it every time someone suggests a city break at this time of year. But it needn't be like that. Not if you visit one of these ten European cities, and throw yourself into the nearest lake or river, just as the locals do. Each one of them has a vibrant summer swimming scene — as well as waters that are, usually, clean: provided you follow two golden rules. Check the water quality websites first and, after heavy rain, avoid taking the plunge for a couple of days. So pack your swimmers and get ready to transform your understanding of what a summer city break can be. No longer 'hotter than a matchhead', as Lovin' Spoonful put it, but outdoorsy, adventurous and even refreshing. Hotel prices are for August dates. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue With the sun out, and its lakes and harbours a-glitter, Stockholm's summer scene has few rivals. Bike rides beckon through leafy Djurgarden park. Waterside photography exhibitions at Fotografiska, a cool, converted customs house, bring creative flair. And whenever you need a swim, you're never far from a beach or a pontoon. Brunnsviksbadet is one of the loveliest — up by the university and on a tree-fringed lake (free; Meanwhile, down on fashionable Sodermalm Island, the cute Hotel Hellstens Malmgard is close to the Tunnelbana metro line that will whisk you there. Details B&B doubles from £107 ( Fly to Stockholm Temperatures have already hit 35C in Berlin this summer. So it's good to know the German capital is surrounded by swimming lakes, where the water quality is monitored every fortnight ( High on your splash-list should be the Schlachtensee (free; for its clear waters and forest vibe, as well as the historic Strandbad Wannsee, which is home to a buzzing, 1,200m beach (£4.50; Both are in the western suburbs, near the Nikolassee S-Bahn stop. So the central 25Hours Hotel Bikini Berlin is a canny perch. Not only does its proximity to the Zoo station railway hub make catching suburban trains a cinch, its hip rooftop bar has sensational views B&B doubles from £146 ( Fly to Berlin • Discover our guide to the world's best city breaks After a £1.2 billion clean-up, the Seine in Paris opened this month for public swimming. It closed again the following day (for four days), thanks to pollutants released by heavy rain. But whenever the weather settles you'll be able to take the plunge in one of three lifeguarded areas until August 31; at the Bras Marie, the Bras de Grenelle and the Quai de Bercy ( Water quality is tested daily and only 600 swimmers are allowed in at any one time. In other words, don't expect just to show up and swim. But bring your bathers anyway — because you can always swim in the Canal St Martin if the Seine itself is too busy. The highly rated La Planque Hôtel, in the trendy 10th arrondissement, is ten minutes' walk Room-only doubles from £108 ( Take the train to Paris • I swam in the Seine. Was it magnifique or murky? Yes, Copenhagen's seafront districts are edged with beaches, but the real thrill here is dunking in one of its harbour baths, in the heart of the city. Islands Brygge is the pin-up venue. In a defiantly urban setting, it offers both a swimming and a diving pool — with the bars and restaurants of the old Meatpacking district beckoning across the water when you're done (free; The quayside Kanalhuset nearby is a characterful place to sleep. As with all the city's harbour pools, water quality is monitored daily ( Room-only doubles from £208 ( Fly to Copenhagen Munich's swimming scene is a thrill thanks to the Isar River. A five-mile stretch was rewilded between 2000 and 2011 and strenuous efforts were made to improve its water quality (in part with UV sterilisation). The result is a long and self-regulating streak of rapids, gravel banks and greenery that doubles as a summer water park. Not all of it is open. Wassily Kandinsky's incandescent, early 20th-century art, on view in the Lenbachaus, is your cultural counterpoint (£9; Not far from the river the elegant, oak-floored Hotel Deutsche Eiche is a restful overnight B&B doubles from £183 ( • Read more about the top Adventure holidays Abandon those buttoned-down banker stereotypes. In summer Zurich is awash with swimsuits and bikinis, as the locals flock to lakeside lidos such as Seebad Enge (£7; as well as the River Limmat, which rushes through the city centre. Here, you can float past Werd Island at the Au-Höngg pool or swim some current-assisted lengths past the crowds at the Flussbad Oberer Letten outdoor pool (both are free; Water quality is checked monthly ( Nearby, on the west bank, the Landesmuseum's collections of art, design and archaeology offer insight into Swiss culture — and it has a summer exhibition devoted to techno music (£12; The smart, unfussy Hotel Helmhaus is close to Room-only doubles from £301 ( Fly to Zurich A sauna isn't your typical hot-weather treat, but in Oslo, where you'll find them floating alongside every city-centre quay so you can dive straight back into the fjord when you're done (from £23; Meanwhile, pick of the city's three urban beaches is the Operastranda, which backs onto the museum devoted to everyone's favourite art master of angst, Edvard Munch. So don't forget to scream when you jump in off the diving platform (see for the latest water-quality reports). The contemporary Clarion hotel is close both to the beach and the city's iceberg-shaped opera B&B doubles from £167 ( We know Vienna for many things: waltzes, wedding-cake architecture, Gustav Klimt's shimmering masterpiece The Kiss. But can we please add bouncing to the list? Because the world's largest floating trampoline park lies just beyond the city centre on the New Danube (from £4; A 13-mile canal that's part of Vienna's flood defences it's a lot cleaner than the actual river and plays host to urban beaches, alfresco bars and diving platforms — as does the Old Danube just north of it ( Go to for water-quality updates, while the bright, buzzy Ruby Lissi Hotel is a canny place to stay. It's only four stops from the water on the U1 underground B&B doubles from £114 ( Fly to Vienna It's known as Le U Lacustre — the big U formed by the shoreline at the western end of Lake Geneva — and it's dotted with beaches and swimming pontoons. Some are right inside the city. So you segue from the glittering boutiques of the rue du Rhône to taking the plunge at Les Bains du Jet d'Eau — by the famous 450ft fountain ( Others are more suburban, such as the cool, doughnut-ring Pontons de Cologny. But in summer they're all served by the new 29 bus service ( All have extraordinarily clear waters too — which is no wonder, given 90 per cent of Geneva's drinking water comes from the lake. The Ruby Claire hotel is close to both the swimming and the Room-only doubles from £100 ( Fly to Geneva In Amsterdam city-centre swimming took a big step forward this year — when the Binnenhaven harbour pool became an official swimming spot. With a replica Dutch East India Company sailing ship moored next door, and the Maritime Museum beckoning beyond, it's a deeply nautical spot. Visit for daily updates on water temperature and quality. But if you prefer somewhere leafier, head to de Oeverlanden, on the Nieuwe Meer lake, just outside the city (see for water quality). Near the Binnenhaven, the Hendrick's Hotel has lashings of canalside Room-only doubles from £155 ( Fly or take the train to Amsterdam Have we missed your favourite swimming city? Let us know in the comments
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former teen stars from Debbie Gibson to Ross Lynch take the stage this week in CT arts
Several erstwhile teen stars are coming to Connecticut this week. Debbie Gibson has been a pop star who wrote her own hits since she was 16 years old. Now, she has a 40-year career to draw on when she performs at Foxwoods Resort Casino on June 7. Skylar Astin, coming to the Shubert Theatre on June 6, was in the teen angst musical 'Spring Awakening' on Broadway before he became a movie and TV star. Steve Boone started playing guitar in high school and, by the time he was 21, he was playing bass and co-writing songs for the Lovin' Spoonful. Now in his 80s, Boone is with the lineup of the Spoonful that is playing the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den on June 7. Pierre Bouier was 15 when he started his first band and has been the frontman of Simple Plan since he was 20. He is now 46. Ross Lynch was in the Disney Channel series 'Austin & Ally' as well as 'Teen Beach Movie' and its sequel, and was playing a teenager as recently as 2020 in 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch.' Lynch's band with his brother Rocky, The Driver Era, is at Mohegan Sun Arena on June 7. Lastly, Bloc Party is yet another band who had its first hits when some of its member were in their teens. It's a night for guitar fanatics on June 1 at 7 p.m. at The Kate with the eclectic California Guitar Trio (who originally formed as students in a workshop led by rock guitar genius Robert Fripp) plus the guitar-centered performer and composer Kaki King. $41. Los Rivera Destino does parodies of pop songs with one of their most famous inspirations being Bad Bunny. The satirical trio is also a solid, beat-happy musical act, which makes its live shows more than jokes. June 1 at 7 p.m. $36.15. The California singer/songwriter SiR, known for his collaborations with Alicia Keys and D-Smoke, released his fourth album 'Heavy' last year and brings his 'Step Into the Light' tour to Toad's Place on June 1 at 8 p.m. $50.75. Abraham Verghese discusses his bestselling novel 'The Covenant of Stone' with another major novelist, Amy Bloom, on June 2 at 7 p.m. The event is hosted by RJ Julia Booksellers but will be held at Madison's First Congregational Church. $25; signed books available for purchase. Canadian rockers Simple Plan have been around for a quarter of a century (and six albums) now. The band's latest tour brings the musicians to College Street Music Hall with Winona Fighter and Losers Club. June 3 at 8 p.m. at College Street Music Hall. $30-$75.59. Heavily influenced in his youth by the Velvet Underground, Dean Wareham has in turn influenced countless indie bands of the last 30 years through the astounding albums he made as the force behind Galaxie 500, Luna and the duo Dean and Britta. He even did film scores for Noah Baumbach. His music goes from somber to funny, an attitude swing he also brought to his 2008 memoir 'Black Postcards.' Wareham's solo album 'That's the Price of Loving Me' came out earlier this year. June 3 at 8 p.m. $32.34, $26.69 in advance. The Stowe Center's 'Who is Harriet?' series presents Tess Chakkalakal, author of the new biography 'A Matter of Complexion: The Life and Fictions of Charles W. Chestnutt.' She will talk about a 1901 novel of Chestnutt's that was favorably compared to Harriet Beecher Stowe's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' but failed to have even a fraction of its impact. June 4 at 6 p.m. $20; $35 includes a copy of Chakkalakal's book. There is an option to attend the talk virtually. The double bill of Maryland grindcore act Full of Hell and Chicago hardcore punks Harm's Way has three more bands opening the show, including Kruelty, Jarhead Fertilizer and Clique. June 5 at 6 p.m. $34.54. The British post-punk band Bloc Party, formed in 1999, is marking the anniversary of its debut album 'Silent Alarm' and also playing its later hits. Keeping the night current is up-and-coming opening act the Arkansas duo Joan. June 5 at 8 p.m. $30-$84.86. Alex Moffatt was on 'Saturday Night Live' for six seasons, best known for his Eric Trump and The Guy Who Just Bought a Boat. He returns to his live comedy roots with four stand-up sets at Mohegan Sun's Comix club June 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. and June 7 at 6 and 8 p.m. In the sequel to the long-running show 'Menopause the Musical,' those rockin' menopausal women who met in a department store in the first show are now on a cruise pop standards being parodied this time around include 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend,' 'Lady Marmalade' and 'Let's Hear It for the Boys.' June 6 at 7:30 p.m. $31-$61. Skylar Astin was on Broadway in 'Spring Awakening,' in the 'Pitch Perfect' movie series and on TV in 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' and the recent 'So Help Me Todd.' He is doing his concert act on June 6 at 8 p.m. at the Shubert. $46.40-$119. Eddie B brings his latest one-man live show about the pressures and foibles of life as a teacher, 'If These Classroom Wall Could Talk,' to the Garde on June 6 at 8 p.m. Eddie B's live act was originally adapted from a series of comedy videos he created entitled 'What Teachers Really Want to Say.' $29-$65. Puerto Rican salsa music singer/songwriter Luis Fugueroa performs on June 6 at 8 p.m. at Infinity Music Hall Hartford. $30.9.3-$57.53. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra's final MasterWorks concert of the season features pianist Clayton Stephenson (the symphony's current artist in residence) and an invigorating program of John Adams' 'Doctor Atomic' symphony, Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' and Rachmaninoff's 'Symphonic Dances.' June 6-8. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. $41.50-$88.50, $10 students and children. Fairfield Theatre Company began decades ago as an actual theater company but soon turned into a year-round concert venue. The theater occasionally returns in the form of the Black Rock Theater, which is honoring the venue's rock cred with a production of the landmark musical 'Hair.' June 6 at 7 p.m., June 7 at 2 and 7 p.m. and June 8 at 1 and 6 p.m. $63-$73, $38 students. David Auburn's father/daughter drama about mathematics and mental health is being done by the Little Theater of Manchester June 6-22. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. $16-$34; discounts for students, seniors, military and groups. The massive annual Middletown PrideFEST is happening on June 7 from noon to 10 p.m. in downtown Middletown and includes a march, rally, concert and tea dance. There are over a hundred vendors, food trucks, 80 groups marching in the parade and a crowd that numbers in the tens of thousands. The ever-popular funnyman Jim Gaffigan has three shows at Foxwoods' Premier Theater due to public demand. Gaffigan is on his 'Everything is Wonderful' tour. June 6 at 7 p.m., June 7 at 5 and 8 p.m. $88.80-$825.85. The Lovin' Spoonful had a bucketful of 1960s hits, including 'You Didn't Have to Be So Nice' and 'Summer in the City.' The original lineup, which formed in 1965, only lasted for a couple of years and the band broke up for good (or so they thought) in 1968. One founding member, bassist Steve Boone, is in this latest version of the Spoonful, alongside Jeff Alan Ross, Bill Cinque, Mike Arturi and Rob Bonfiglio. June 7 at 8 p.m. Free. The pop duo of Ross Lynch (star of 'Teen Beach Movie' and 'My Friend Dahmer') and his brother Rocky, have been performing together for over 15 years. Their band, The Driver Era, has a new album out called 'Obsession' and a national tour called the same thing. Singer/songwriter Valé opens. June 7 at 8 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. $25.30-$266. Debbie Gibson spent part of her 40-plus year career as Deborah Gibson before reverting to Debbie. Her new 'Newstalgia' tour covers her early teen hits and some new stuff she's doing now. June 7 at 8 p.m. $56.95-$135.85. The venerable world music ensemble Gipsy Kings, still led by its founder Tonino Baliardo, strums rhythmically at Ridgefield Playhouse on June 7 at 8 p.m. $110-$166. The six-piece Norwalk band Similar Kind grooves with synthesizer, sax and more at Space Ballroom on June 7 at 8 p.m. $32.34, $26.69 in advance. Visit a stable of animatronic unicorns in an enchanted forest inside the Connecticut Convention Center. The interactive Unicorn World exhibit happens on June 7 and 8 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. $36.23; weekend passes and group discounts available.
